Who Should I Start? Marquise Brown or Calvin Austin III

Wednesday, June 18, 2:23 PM

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown said he feels 100% healthy entering the 2025 season following an injury-riddled campaign in 2024. The former first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens suffered a significant shoulder injury last preseason and did not appear in a game until the Week 16 win over the Houston Texans. While his opportunities to show what he can do in Kansas City were limited, he did draw at least five targets in four of his five games, including the postseason. However, he did not share the field with Rashee Rice, who looked like he would be the team's target hog before suffering an early-season knee injury that held him out of the remainder of the year. Brown has missed at least two games in four of his six NFL campaigns, but he remains an intriguing late-round fantasy option in Patrick Mahomes' passing offense. He's unlikely to be a weekly, reliable producer, but he's a fine best-ball dart throw. The Oklahoma product has tallied 322 receptions for 3,735 yards and 28 touchdowns in 74 career games.

Thursday, July 3, 7:17 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver coach Zach Azzanni noted during the team's minicamp that he believes wide receiver Calvin Austin III is poised to step into the offense's No. 2 pass-catching role. "I think that '2' spot is all Calvin's right now," said Azzanni. The Memphis alum put together his best statistical season in 2024 with a decent 36/548/4 line as the team's third-leading wideout. However, even with the departure of ex-teammate George Pickens vacating 103 targets, it won't be an easy path to fantasy relevance. Pickens was replaced by DK Metcalf, who will garner his fair share of looks, and Austin III will now have to contend with two viable options at tight end in Pat Freiermuth and the newly acquired Jonnu Smith. The 26-year-old offers the most juice on the team, but Pittsburgh's propensity to run and productive teammates will likely limit his fantasy value outside of best ball formats.