Who Should I Start? Marquez Valdes-Scantling or Jalen McMillan

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, August 26, 9:23 PM

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers placed wide receiver Jalen McMillan (neck) on Injured Reserve with a return designation on Tuesday. The move means that McMillan will be eligible to come back in Week 5, but he may have to miss more time than that as he recovers from a sprained neck. The 23-year-old suffered the injury in a preseason win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Aug. 16. McMillan, a third-round pick from Washington in 2024, impressed with 37 catches, 461 yards, and eight touchdowns in 13 games. He hauled in seven of those scores in the Buccaneers' final five games of the season, but he won't be able to build on that performance until at least October. The Bucs will also open the year without Chris Godwin (ankle), which will give first-round rookie Emeka Egbuka a prime opportunity to step up as the team's No. 2 receiver after Mike Evans.