Who Should I Start? Kristian Wilkerson or Jared Wayne

Saturday, August 24, 10:36 AM

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson made a solid impression in the Raiders' preseason finale, snagging three catches for 35 yards and a touchdown in Friday's 24-24 tie to the San Francisco 49ers. While this performance boosts his chances of making the final roster, fantasy managers should temper their expectations. Even if Wilkerson secures a spot, he's likely to be no higher than fifth or sixth on the depth chart. In the Raiders' offense, this translates to minimal regular-season opportunities, barring multiple injuries ahead of him. His preseason touchdown showcases some red-zone potential, but Wilkerson's fantasy relevance will be severely limited with established targets like Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers ahead of him. At best, he's a name to remember for deep dynasty leagues or as a potential in-season waiver wire option if injuries decimate the Raiders' receiving corps. For now, Wilkerson remains off the radar in all but the deepest of fantasy formats.

Wednesday, January 15, 12:02 PM

After releasing wide receiver Diontae Johnson on Tuesday, the Houston Texans promoted wide receiver Jared Wayne from the practice squad to the active 53-man roster on Wednesday ahead of their Divisional Round game this Saturday on the road in Kansas City against the two-time defending Super Bowl-champion Chiefs. Wayne has only been active for the Texans three times during the 2024 season and hasn't seen a single target in the passing game while playing on only 40 offensive snaps. He has had a bigger role on special teams when active, which is likely to be the case again this weekend, which means fantasy managers setting DFS lineups should look to avoid Wayne as a deep sleeper. With Johnson out of the picture now, Xavier Hutchinson and veteran Robert Woods (hip) could see more playing time behind Nico Collins and John Metchie III.