Who Should I Start? Trey Palmer or Jordan Watkins

Friday, December 27, 9:12 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Trey Palmer has moved into the third wideout role heading into the Week 17 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. The Bucs are without Sterling Shepard (foot, hamstring) for Sunday's game, which means Palmer should get more looks. Palmer hauled in two of his four targets for 31 yards during last week's loss to the Dallas Cowboys. A majority of his playing time came after Shepard exited the contest, so it might've been a bigger night if he had played the whole game. Regardless, it's going to be tough to trust Palmer for fantasy purposes. He hasn't done much this season and isn't guaranteed a ton of targets with Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan both healthy. Possibly, Palmer could offer desperation flex value in deep leagues for Week 17.

Friday, June 13, 12:31 PM

San Francisco 49ers rookie fourth-round wide receiver Jordan Watkins hasn't been perfect in offseason workouts this spring, but The Athletic's Matt Barrows writes that he has stood out in the way that Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) did a year ago. He took a number of snaps with the first-team offense with Pearsall, Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Jauan Jennings (calf) sidelined, showcasing his speed and fluidity in routes. Watkins doesn't break stride when catching the ball, which makes him an asset on crossing routes that are such a big part of head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense. The 23-year-old also has thick legs and a big lower body, which should help him break tackles and pick up yards after the catch. Watkins had nine total touchdowns at Ole Miss in 2024, and while he probably won't get on the field much in his rookie season, he could be an immediate factor on special teams.