Who Should I Start? Michael Wilson or Calvin Austin III

Thursday, August 7, 6:24 PM

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson (concussion) was out of his non-contact jersey during Thursday's training camp practice, according to Tyler Drake of Arizona Sports. Wilson didn't take any contact in practice, but it's a good sign that he's on his way to being removed from the injury report, and he could play in the preseason opener this Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Nothing from Wilson's first two seasons in the NFL suggests that he's ready for a breakout in 2025 in his third year, as he has totaled 85 receptions for 1,113 yards and seven touchdowns in 29 games (25 starts) in his first two years. The former third-rounder in 2023 out of Stanford will be a distant No. 3 target for quarterback Kyler Murray behind Marvin Harrison Jr. and tight end Trey McBride. If either of the two miss time with an injury, though, Wilson will be a popular waiver-wire pickup.

Tuesday, September 2, 1:11 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said he expects wide receiver Calvin Austin III (abdomen) to play in Week 1 of the regular season this Sunday against the New York Jets, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN. Austin has been battling an abdominal injury for most of training camp that kept him sidelined for the entire preseason, but he's made solid progress in recent weeks and is expected to be active this weekend. The 26-year-old could be limited early on in practices this week, but as long as he's practing in full by Friday, he should be without an injury designation heading into Sunday's tilt. As far as fantasy value heading into Week 1, Austin will certainly have a bigger role in the passing attack with George Pickens out of town. However, given Austin's injury this summer and Pittsburgh's expected run-first offense, he's not being drafted in most 12-team fantasy formats.