Who Should I Start? Tory Horton or Isaiah Bond

Friday, January 2, 7:30 PM

Seattle Seahawks rookie wide receiver Tory Horton (shin) is not expected to return for the rest of the season, according to head coach Mike Macdonald. Horton was placed on Injured Reserve on Nov. 22 with a shin injury. "It just needs time and rest. It's unfortunate, but these things happen. We're with him, he's doing a great job. We're just not going to have him right now," Macdonald said. In his last game played in the Week 9 win over the Washington Commanders, the 23-year-old fifth-rounder had his best game of the year, catching all four of his targets for 48 yards and two touchdowns with Cooper Kupp out due to injury. Rashid Shaheed has replaced Horton as an electric kick returner on special teams and as a deep threat down the field on offense after being acquired in a midseason trade with the New Orleans Saints. Horton should be fully recovered for offseason workouts.

Saturday, December 27, 9:31 AM

Cleveland Browns rookie wide receiver Isaiah Bond has taken over as the team's WR2, even though the Week 16 box score against the Buffalo Bills did not show it, and is likely to continue his ascension in Week 17 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Browns' passing attack struggled to get anything going against the Buffalo Bills last week. However, the team tried to get Bond involved via a trick play for 21 yards on the Browns' opening drive. The young rookie appears to be part of the Browns' offensive game plan, averaging 45% snaps and 58% route participation since Week 12, edging out fellow wide receiver Cedric Tillman for playtime. Bond offers big-play potential and, with rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders as the starter, he is carving out his niche as a vertical threat. Sanders' preferred target, rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (groin), popped up on the injury report Friday, and he is pushing to play on Sunday. However, if Fannin Jr. does miss time, Bond would be in line to benefit from additional looks against a tough Steelers' pass defense. Bond is an extremely risky start with big-play potential and is best suited for DFS dart throws or desperate deep-league managers looking for volatility.