Who Should I Start? Tory Horton or Zachariah Branch

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Tory Horton News

Tory Horton Ruled Out Against Patriots

Wednesday, September 9, 3:34 PM

Seattle Seahawks second-year wide receiver Tory Horton (hamstring) has officially been ruled out for Thursday's 2026 season opener at home against the visiting New England Patriots, according to the team. Horton played in only eight games as a rookie in 2025 after being selected in the fifth round from Colorado State, and he will begin his second season in the NFL on the sidelines because of a hamstring injury. Even when healthy, Horton should be on the waiver wire in most single-year fantasy football leagues after he caught just 13 passes for 161 yards on 22 targets last year, although he did find the end zone five times. With Horton sidelined for the opener in the Super Bowl rematch, Montorie Foster is expected to serve as the WR4 for the Seahawks, behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, and Cooper Kupp. Horton is not rostered in any Yahoo leagues to begin Week 1. It remains to be seen if he will make his 2026 debut next weekend versus the division-rival Arizona Cardinals on the road.

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
2.8 0.3 0.0 1.1 12.7 0.1

Zachariah Branch News

Zachariah Branch Not Projected to Start Early in Rookie Season

Friday, September 11, 7:05 AM

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Zachariah Branch is not listed as a projected starter on the team's initial depth chart, dropping him off the fantasy radar in most redraft leagues. As a third-round rookie, we shouldn't be completely shocked that Branch won't get the start in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, if there were any receiver room where he could make that leap, this would be the one. There are plenty of targets up for grabs behind No. 1 receiver Drake London. While Branch, a Georgia product, spent this summer competing for that No. 2 role, it ended up going to veteran Olamide Zaccheaus. Meanwhile, Jahan Doston projects as the third receiver on the depth chart, leaving Branch buried all the way down in the No. 4 role. This offense has so much uncertainty at the quarterback position that it's hard to envision Branch getting onto the redraft radar at any point during his rookie season. In the meantime, he's expected to operate as the Falcons' punt returner.

Tory Horton vs. Zachariah Branch

Still trying to decide between Horton and Branch? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Tory Horton is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Zachariah Branch is projected to score 2.8 points.