Who Should I Start? Marquise Brown or Terry McLaurin

Tuesday, September 16, 9:48 PM

Heading into Week 2, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown was a popular waiver-wire target following his 16-target, 10-catch performance in Week 1. Even with top Chiefs wideouts Xavier Worthy (shoulder) and Rashee Rice (suspension) sidelined in Week 2, Brown was not nearly as prolific against the Philadelphia Eagles, finishing with five receptions for 30 yards. Early indications are that Worthy could return for Kansas City's Week 3 matchup against the New York Giants, which could limit Brown's target volume even further. Still, the 28-year-old looks like the Chiefs' clear WR2 until Rice is eligible to return in Week 7. Brown profiles as a WR4/low-end flex option in Week 3, although his outlook would improve if Worthy misses another game.

Wednesday, September 10, 4:01 PM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin was slow out of the gate in Week 1 against the Giants, catching two of his four targets for 27 yards. A slow start to the season could have been somewhat expected for McLaurin after limited practice time amidst his contract negotiations. The talk of a slow start could have been mitigated if he and Jayden Daniels were able to connect on a deep shot where McLaurin had his man beat badly on a double move. With the new acquisition, Deebo Samuel Sr. making his team debut, play caller Kliff Kingsbury made an emphasis to get Samuel involved, and he has established a good connection with Daniels after McLaurin missed a lot of time in training camp. A positive, at least for McLaurin, is that he did not face any restrictions regarding his snap count and routes. The star receiver started slow last season as he built rapport with Daniels, and should be expected to bounce back against an exploitable Green Bay secondary. McLaurin has faced the Packers three times in his career and has put up strong numbers, catching 16 of 27 targets for 252 yards and three touchdowns. He should be viewed as a mid-range WR2 with upside in a projected high-scoring Week 2 matchup against the Packers.