Who Should I Start? Troy Franklin or Jalen Royals

Thursday, June 12, 9:28 PM

Denver Broncos second-year wide receiver Troy Franklin has had a good offseason, has looked more explosive and added about five pounds, according to head coach Sean Payton. The Broncos took the Oregon product in the fourth round (102nd overall) in last year's draft to pair him with college teammate and quarterback Bo Nix. The slim pass-catcher's chemistry with Nix didn't really translate in Year 1 in the NFL, as he finished with 28 catches for 263 yards and two touchdowns on 53 targets over 16 regular-season games (six starts). The No. 2 role behind Courtland Sutton is up for grabs in Denver, with Franklin competing with Marvin Mims Jr., Devaughn Vele and rookie Pat Bryant for a bigger role in 2025. The addition of pass-catching tight end Evan Engram won't help. Franklin is worth keeping an eye on in training camp, but for now, he's outside of RotoBaller's top-100 fantasy receivers.

Thursday, July 24, 2:10 PM

Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals "took most of his repetitions with the first-team offense" during the team's practice on Wednesday, according to ESPN's Nate Taylor. Taylor notes that Royals worked alongside Chiefs wideouts Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy, while Rashee Rice was "oftentimes" on the sideline. With Rice facing a suspension to begin the season, it appears as though Royals may be the leading candidate to earn playing time in his absence. Kansas City drafted Royals in the fourth round of the 2025 draft out of Utah State. He played in just seven games last year in college but still managed 55 catches for 834 yards and six touchdowns. The Chiefs also have veterans JuJu Smith-Schuster and Skyy Moore, who could step into a bigger role while Rice is sidelined. It's a good sign for Royals that he appears to be the preferred option early in camp.