Who Should I Start? Troy Franklin or Brenden Rice

Saturday, September 14, 12:36 PM

Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver Troy Franklin said he will be active for his NFL debut in the Week 2 home opener against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers with fellow rookie Devaughn Vele (ribs) ruled out this weekend. Franklin was inactive in the season-opening loss on the road to the Seattle Seahawks but will now get his chance to provide receiver depth for the Broncos behind Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds and Marvin Mims Jr. The 21-year-old out of Oregon was paired with rookie quarterback Bo Nix in April's draft in the fourth round, but it's unlikely that he'll have much of a role in his first regular-season NFL contest against a tough Steelers defense. Franklin is a stash candidate in dynasty/keeper leagues but is unlikely to make an impact in single-year fantasy formats in a Broncos offense that will be inconsistent under a rookie signal-caller.

Tuesday, August 27, 7:41 PM

The Los Angeles Chargers announced on Tuesday that rookie wide receiver Brenden Rice and safeties Tony Jefferson and JT Woods were among the players that made the final 53-man roster heading into the 2024 regular season. Rice made the final cut after impressive during training camp and the preseason. The 22-year-old son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice was taken in the seventh round of April's NFL draft out of USC. He might be worth stashing in deep dynasty/keeper leagues, but for his rookie season, he'll merely be a depth option for the Bolts behind Joshua Palmer, DJ Chark, rookie Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, Simi Fehoko and Derius Davis. Rice excels with his route-running and also plays with a physical style on contested catches down the field. Initially, he might be a red-zone weapon for a new-look Chargers offense in 2024.