Who Should I Start? Justin Watson or Allen Lazard

Saturday, January 4, 6:55 PM

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson is coming off arguably his best performance of the season. The 28-year-old hauled in both his targets for 60 yards and a touchdown during last week's win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Before that, Watson has been held to 43 receiving yards or less in every game this season. Watson is normally depth, but might see a bigger role if the Chiefs decide to rest or pull their starters out early in Week 18. It's also worth noting that Carson Wentz will be under center for the Chiefs during their Week 18 matchup against the Denver Broncos. Watson doesn't offer much value on a weekly basis and playing with a backup quarterback against a tough secondary isn't going to help. Fantasy managers should be able to find a better option for Week 18.

Friday, February 14, 5:38 PM

The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt writes that New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard is fully expected to be released after Year 2 of his disastrous four-year, $44 million contract he signed as a free agent in 2023. Lazard was downright bad in 2023 and played only slightly better with quarterback Aaron Rodgers last year before getting hurt late in the season. The 29-year-old was one of the most drop-prone receivers in the league and admitted that he struggles when Rodgers isn't on the field. The Jets will sav $6.6 million in salary cap space if/when they cut Lazard while taking on $6.5 million in dead money. If he's a post-June 1 cut, the Jets would save $11 million with a $2.1 million dead-cap penalty. Lazard was a major miss, catching 60 passes for 841 yards and seven touchdowns in his two seasons with the Jets. If Rodgers retires this offseason, Lazard would be pretty bummed.