Who Should I Start? Josh Downs or Kyle Williams

Thursday, June 11, 6:37 AM

New England Patriots wide receiver Kyle Williams showed some noteworthy flashes in his limited usage as a 2025 third-round rookie, and while he has reportedly worked hard to add play strength to his game-breaking speed and an elite release package, he now faces a new barrier to playing time in the form of a revamped and deep receiver room. In trading for three-time Pro Bowler A.J. Brown and adding Romeo Doubs in free agency, the Patriots have completely transformed a unit that started a season as recently as two years ago with K.J. Osborn, Ja'Lynn Polk, and Jalen Reagor atop the depth chart. Kayshon Boutte's future in New England remains uncertain, but with one of the team's leading receivers from 2025 reporting for mandatory minicamp and taking part in team drills, opportunities for Williams could be hard to come by. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has long operated one of the most adaptable systems in the league, so with receiver being a clear strength of the team, and tight end Julian Hill already placed on injured reserve with a serious knee injury, it's entirely possible the Patriots could deploy more three, or even four, receiver sets than initially expected. Even in that scenario, though, Williams would likely find himself in a rotation with Doubs, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, and potentially still Boutte. At RotoBaller's dynasty WR88, it's difficult to envision any clear path to fantasy relevance in the near future.