Who Should I Start? Marquez Valdes-Scantling or Quentin Johnston

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.

Wednesday, October 8, 7:11 PM

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (hamstring) was listed as a limited practice participant in the first practice of the week on Wednesday. It's unclear if Johnston is in danger of missing a Week 6 game against the Miami Dolphins on the road, but it's something worth watching the rest of the week. The 24-year-old former first-rounder came out of the gates hot in his third NFL season to post four touchdowns in the first four weeks, but he had his worst game of the year in the Week 5 loss to the Washington Commanders, catching four passes for 40 yards while also losing a fumble. Johnston isn't going away in L.A.'s offense, though, and the Bolts could be looking to throw the ball more with rookie running back Omarion Hampton (ankle) on Injured Reserve. If Johnston is active in Week 6, he'll have a good chance to score his fifth TD of the year against Miami.