Who Should I Start? Rashod Bateman or Troy Franklin

Friday, July 17, 9:25 AM

Through his first two seasons in the NFL, Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin has seen solid but unspectacular production, totaling 93 receptions for 972 yards and eight touchdowns, with most of that coming in 2025. At only 23 years old, it would be unwise to think he does not have room for further growth, but now stuck on the deepest depth chart of his young career, a path to meaningful fantasy production could be difficult to find in 2026. Veteran Courtland Sutton is fresh off his second consecutive 1,000-yard campaign, and the team spent aggressively to acquire dynamic playmaker Jaylen Waddle via trade. Denver operated out of three-receiver sets at a rate above league average in 2025, but with a flatter talent distribution, it may have been easier to earn targets. With Waddle and Sutton all but locked into the top two spots, Franklin could find himself battling Pat Bryant and Marvin Mims Jr. for a tertiary role this year, with each offering a unique enough skill set to force a frustrating-for-fantasy rotation. At RotoBaller's WR85, Franklin should not fall completely off of draft boards, but he now profiles as little more than a late-round swing who can easily be dropped if he isn't reliably seeing work early in the year.