Who Should I Start? Quintez Cephus or James Proche II

Thursday, July 24, 9:20 PM

The San Francisco 49ers have signed wide receiver Quintez Cephus, according to Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area. The team waived running back Israel Abanikanda to make room on the roster for Cephus. Originally drafted in 2020 by the Detroit Lions, Cephus has not appeared in an NFL game since 2022. He profiles as a depth piece in San Francisco, but the 49ers need all the help at wide receiver they can get. Top wideouts Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) are on the active/physically unable to perform list, and Jacob Cowing (hamstring) left the team's practice on Wednesday due to injury. Jauan Jennings is healthy and practicing, but he's reportedly seeking a trade if the team does not offer him a new contract. Under head coach Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco has proven the ability to get production out of unheralded players. Even still, Cephus is a long shot to make an impact in fantasy in 2025.

Friday, August 1, 2:54 PM

Tennessee Titans wide receiver James Proche II has been "the most productive receiver in 11-on-11 drills" in the team's training camp practices, according to Easton Freeze of AtoZ Sports. The 28-year-old is in his first year in Tennessee after spending the last two years with the Cleveland Browns. Proche II has recorded 28 catches in 62 career NFL games, so a breakout this year with the Titans would be quite the surprise. Tennessee has established veterans Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett atop their wide receiver depth chart, but there could be opportunity behind them, particularly after former first-round pick Treylon Burks was released by the team earlier this week. Proche II's main competition for playing time figures to be rookies Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike, both of whom were selected in the fourth round of the 2025 draft. He's still a long way from fantasy relevance, but Proche II could be someone to keep an eye on in Titans preseason action.