Who Should I Start? Kendrick Bourne or Daurice Fountain

Saturday, January 4, 4:33 PM

New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne continues to trend in the wrong direction ahead of Sunday's Week 18 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. The 29-year-old has seen his role decline over the last two weeks, during which he has been less productive than both DeMario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte. Bourne played just 72 percent of the offensive snaps against the Los Angeles Chargers, and his two receptions tied his lowest mark since Week 8. The Bills have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to perimeter receivers, but that's less appealing when you consider that Boutte continues to handle more snaps than Bourne. Despite the favorable matchup, Bourne's reduced volume keeps him outside the top 50 fantasy receivers for Week 18. He ranks as a mid-to-low WR5.

Thursday, August 1, 9:37 AM

Detroit Lions wide receiver Daurice Fountain has played in just eight games since entering the NFL in 2018 as a fifth-round pick out of North Iowa. He has just two receptions for 23 yards on his resume. However, the 28-year-old got first-team reps last week while third-year wideout Jameson Williams was out of action, and he made the most of his opportunities. "Fountain was one of the standouts of June's minicamp and the lanky wideout has kept the momentum into July," Jeff Risdon of the Lions Wire wrote. "When Jameson Williams wasn't practicing on Friday, Fountain stepped into some of Jamo's first-team reps and played well. His blocking and attention to detail on his routes both received audible praise from WR coach Antwan Randle El." Risdon noted that Fountain didn't have a great day on the first day of pads, but this is still noteworthy considering Fountain is largely unknown. While it would be a surprise if he's on the fantasy football radar in 2024, the team is thin at wide receiver behind superstar Amon-Ra St. Brown and the unproven Williams. He's not worth drafting in leagues of all shapes and sizes right now, but he is worth monitoring as training camp progresses.