Who Should I Start? Michael Thomas or Allen Lazard

Wednesday, September 11, 8:40 PM

The National Football League on Wednesday announced that it has lifted the suspension of free-agent wide receiver Michael Thomas. Thomas was suspended for the first game of the 2024 NFL season for an incident with a construction worker near his home last year. The fact that the 31-year-old remained without a team all offseason is a sign that he may struggle to latch on with an organization despite the fact that he's past his one-game suspension. Just several years ago, Thomas was the best receiver in the league, but injuries have limited him to 20 games since the start of the 2020 campaign, and he played in just 10 games with the New Orleans Saints last year before a knee injury ended his season. He caught 39 passes for 448 yards and one touchdown in 2023. Thomas belongs on the waiver wire in all leagues and is unlikely to be on the fantasy radar in 2024.

Tuesday, October 28, 9:53 PM

New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard has seen minimal usage so far this season, recording seven catches for 45 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets across six games played. However, Lazard got a chance to play 78% of New York's offensive snaps in Week 8 due to injuries to top Jets wideouts Garrett Wilson (knee) and Josh Reynolds (hip). Wilson is expected to return in Week 10 following the team's Week 9 bye, but Reynolds must miss at least three more games on Injured Reserve. Still, Lazard's lack of production to this point makes him difficult for fantasy managers to rely upon. Even with Wilson and Reynolds sidelined in Week 8, Lazard recorded one catch for five yards in a game where the Jets scored 39 points. Lazard should remain off the radar of fantasy managers.