Who Should I Start? Nick Westbrook-Ikhine or Calvin Austin III

Wednesday, June 11, 9:43 PM

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (undisclosed) has been working through an undisclosed injury during the offseason but feels ready to push himself. He said it has been an adjustment learning a new offense and is working to carve out a role behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. It sounds as though the 28-year-old pass-catcher will be ready to roll for training camp this summer. The former undrafted free agent out of Indiana had his best season in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans last year, catching 32 of his 60 targets for 497 yards and nine touchdowns in 17 games (nine starts) in his fifth year in the league. Nobody could really explain Westbrook-Ikhine's outlier season in 2024 in a bad Titans offense after he had 1,276 yards and 10 TDs his first four years. He does have a nose for the end zone and is moving to a better offense, but a repeat of last year is unlikely.

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.