Who Should I Start? Tory Horton or Jaylin Noel

Tuesday, February 17, 9:59 AM

Before a shin injury cut his rookie season short, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton made five touchdown grabs over his final seven games of 2025 while complementing Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba's route-running precision with explosive downfield speed. Perhaps not coincidentally, once Horton was lost for the year, the second half of Smith-Njigba's season, while still dominant, fell off the record-setting pace with which he opened 2025. Seattle made a mid-season trade for speedster Rashid Shaheed, but he wasn't able to recreate Horton's success. With Shaheed headed toward unrestricted free agency, and Cooper Kupp turning 33 before the start of the 2026 season, Horton could be given every opportunity to earn a spot in two-wide sets and is likely to see his value steadily increase as the season nears.

Wednesday, February 11, 9:36 AM

Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel had a quiet rookie season, in which he finished seventh on the team in targets and was held without a reception through two playoff games, but the 2025 third-round pick at least showed flashes throughout the year. He put up a combined 140 yards in what was his best two-week stretch against the Seahawks and 49ers, but he was unable to build on that success, and he all but lost his role in three-receiver sets when Christian Kirk returned from the hamstring injury that sidelined him for three weeks. The 23-year-old is currently being drafted as an afterthought in dynasty startups, but with Kirk no longer under contract heading into a new league year, there is a strong chance Noel will reclaim primary slot duties, making him a player potentially being slept on heading into 2026.