Who Should I Start? Marquez Valdes-Scantling or Andrei Iosivas

Saturday, September 13, 3:22 AM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling saw zero targets on 15 routes run in Week 1. With George Kittle (hamstring) now on injured reserve and Jauan Jennings (shoulder) tagged as questionable for San Francisco's Week 2 matchup against the Saints, it is possible that Valdes-Scantling plays a bigger role on Sunday. Unfortunately, Brock Purdy (toe, shoulder) has been ruled out so it will be Mac Jones under center, limiting Valdes-Scantling's upside even if he does see more playing time. MVS does have the ability to stretch the field but Jones' career completion rate on passes of 20 or more air yards is a mere 30%, effectively negating that threat. If it were Purdy running the show, Valdes-Scantling would have more potential but as it is, he has little viability in Week 2.

Saturday, September 6, 1:42 PM

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas finished last season with 36 catches for 479 yards and six touchdowns, all a career-high. He combined for three touchdowns in Weeks 2 and 3, although he would add just three more throughout the remainder of the 2024 campaign. Granted, he was able to take advantage of extra work, considering Tee Higgins was limited to only 12 contests. Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase are both healthy for the Week 1 showdown with the Cleveland Browns, meaning Iosivas is expected to have trouble being involved at a level that justifies his presence in any fantasy lineup. That's not to say he won't sneak in a touchdown grab (he's been known to do that every so often). However, he's not a trustworthy starting fantasy option. That's not going to change unless Higgins or Chase goes down with an injury.