Who Should I Start? Troy Franklin or Arian Smith

Monday, October 6, 6:39 PM

Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin falls to the third option for Broncos quarterback Bo Nix while facing the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5. He caught three of five targets for 35 yards in Sunday's 21-17 win over the Eagles. Courtland Sutton and Evan Engram were first and second on the team with 10 and six targets. While Franklin has seemed to be on the field the second most out of any of the receiving group, the 22-year-old has been underwhelming for fantasy lineups since his explosive outing in Week 2. With Broncos head coach Sean Payton preferring taller wide receivers, this could be one of the primary reasons Franklin has been on the field more than anyone else. Still, he will need to capitalize on his opportunities more frequently before he can be trusted in fantasy lineups. Franklin is a boom or bust FLEX option in a plus matchup against the New York Jets in Week 6.

Saturday, September 20, 7:53 AM

New York Jets wide receiver Arian Smith does not project to be a factor this Sunday despite a solid matchup against the hosting Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The rookie wideout picked up a sizable increase in playing time from his first NFL action in Week 1, racking up nearly 50% of the team's snaps (47%) after a measly 10% the week prior. Fellow wideout Josh Reynold's (hamstring) absence from the game was the primary catalyst behind the occurrence, but that will be true again in Week 3. The former Georgia Bulldog is uber-explosive and offers a similar athletic profile to teammate Garrett Wilson. However, targets will be challenging to come by with Wilson lined up across the field in a Jets' offense that prefers to keep the ball on the ground. He lands as RotoBaller's PPR WR121 in Week 3.