Who Should I Start? Kalif Raymond or Calvin Austin III


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
3.4 1.0 0.0 1.4 15.0 0.1

Kalif Raymond News

Kalif Raymond Getting Plenty of Early Camp Looks

Thursday, July 30, 12:36 PM

Chicago Bears wide receiver Kalif Raymond has been getting the ball often early in training camp. Brad Biggs noted that Raymond has been heavily involved and that it is already easy to see head coach Ben Johnson has plans for him as the team's third receiver. That should not come as much of a surprise. Raymond spent four seasons with Johnson in Detroit, and Johnson said in June that the veteran is more than a gadget player and could have a major role in the offense. Raymond caught 24 passes for 289 yards and one touchdown in 15 games for the Lions last season, but Chicago appears interested in using him more creatively. Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III are still the top two options in the receiver room, which limits Raymond's path to dependable weekly volume. Even so, his early camp usage is worth following. He is more of a deep-league watch-list player than a standard redraft pick right now.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
2.7 0.3 0.0 0.9 12.1 0.1

Calvin Austin III News

Calvin Austin III Competing for Depth Role in New York

Monday, July 20, 8:33 AM

New York Giants wide receiver Calvin Austin III will merely be competing for a depth role with his new team this summer in training camp. Malik Nabers (knee), Darius Slayton, and Darnell Mooney are locked into the top-three receiver spots for the G-Men heading into the 2026 season, with Austin battling Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster, rookie Malachi Fields, and Isaiah Hodgins for a backup role. The 27-year-old Austin caught 84 of 143 targets for 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns in 48 games (16 starts) in his three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers after he was a fourth-round pick in 2022 out of the University of Memphis. Austin currently appears to be ahead of OBJ and Smith-Schuster, with his primary competition likely to come in the form of Fields for the WR4 role in what should be a more balanced offense under new head coach John Harbaugh. Austin should be avoided in 12-team fantasy drafts this fall, with his only path to waiver-wire appeal early on likely coming if Nabers is not ready to play to begin the regular season.


Kalif Raymond vs. Calvin Austin III

Still trying to decide between Raymond and Austin III? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Kalif Raymond is projected to score 3.4 points this week while Calvin Austin III is projected to score 2.7 points.