Who Should I Start? Marquez Valdes-Scantling or Jack Bech

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.

Tuesday, September 16, 3:01 PM

Through the first two weeks of his NFL career, Las Vegas Raiders rookie receiver Jack Bech has caught one ball for 23 yards. The catch came on his only target in Week 1. The second-round pick who became a fan favorite through the pre-draft process has taken the field for only nine offensive snaps to start the year. Reports out of training camp were that fourth-rounder Dont'e Thornton Jr. was the Raiders' rookie best putting himself in position to make an early impact in the passing game, and through two weeks, those reports have borne some fruit. Thornton has been on the field for 95 total snaps, turning his eight targets into three grabs for 65 yards. While Thornton Jr.'s big-play ability put him on the radar of best ball drafters, he's also worth a look in what is a relatively uninspiring week for waiver pickups. Bech can be dropped in all redraft formats.