Who Should I Start? Marquez Valdes-Scantling or Jaylin Noel

Wednesday, August 27, 12:37 PM

The San Francisco 49ers are signing veteran free-agent wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to an undisclosed deal on Wednesday, a source tells Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. Valdes-Scantling was unable to make the Seattle Seahawks' final 53-man roster heading into the regular season, but he'll remain in the NFC West division and join a 49ers team with a banged-up receiver room. MVS was choosing betwen the 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers. The 30-year-old still shouldn't be drafted in 12-team fantasy leagues, but he should have a better shot at playing time early in 2025 in the Bay Area. Brandon Aiyuk (knee) will miss at least the first four games (and possibly more), while Jauan Jennings (calf) is also up in the air for Week 1 against Seattle. MVS has never had more than 42 catches, 690 yards or six touchdowns in a single season, though, and most likely will just give San Fran an extra body for receiver depth.

Sunday, August 24, 3:49 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel finished his preseason with a quiet stat line of three catches for 18 yards and no touchdowns. Despite the limited production, the rookie third-round pick from Iowa State has garnered significant praise from quarterback C.J. Stroud, who told beat writer Jared Koch that the young wideout "looks great" and is "making plays out here every day." While Noel currently sits behind veteran wide receiver Christian Kirk on the depth chart, Kirk is entering his eighth season and is coming off an injury. Given that his Iowa State teammate, Jayden Higgins, appears to have earned a starting role, Noel could also see the field a fair amount this season. Noel is a solid late-round fantasy flier, especially for managers who believe Kirk may be on the downslope of his career.