Who Should I Start? Tim Patrick or River Cracraft

Tuesday, August 27, 6:33 PM

Former Denver Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick is expected to sign with the Detroit Lions. Patrick did not make the Broncos' final 53-man roster earlier on Tuesday and appears to have found his new home. Patrick has battled injuries in recent years. He has not played since the 2021 season due to a torn ACL in 2022 and a torn Achilles in 2023. Before his injuries, Patrick was productive when healthy. His signing is slightly worrisome for fantasy managers hoping for more production from Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams. However, this could just be a depth move for a Lions team that has several unproven names behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, Williams, and Kalif Raymond. Patrick is 30 years old after all and coming off two significant injuries.

Monday, August 19, 1:02 PM

Dolphins wide receiver River Cracraft (upper-body) is sidelined with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss some time in the regular season. Cracraft had a strong summer in his third season with Miami and seemed likely to start as the third receiver behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, especially with Odell Beckham Jr. (undisclosed) still on the PUP list. However, Cracraft's injury raises the possibility that he could be placed on injured reserve when the Dolphins finalize their 53-man roster. By August 27, the Dolphins will have three options for handling Cracraft: keep him on the 53-man roster until he recovers, initially include him on the roster and then place him on IR on August 28, or put him on IR immediately, which would count as one of the two IR moves allowed on cutdown day under new NFL rules. This situation simplifies the roster decisions and opens up a spot for Erik Ezukanma, who had an impressive preseason debut against Washington. If the Dolphins keep six wide receivers, Ezukanma could join Hill, Waddle, Beckham, Braxton Berrios, and rookie Malik Washington, who will secure a spot on the roster. With these receiver injuries, Hill and Waddle will likely see even more targets, boosting Hill's value as the top overall pick in redraft leagues.