Who Should I Start? Troy Franklin or Javon Baker

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.

Thursday, September 12, 2:43 PM

New England Patriots rookie wide receiver Javon Baker was a healthy scratch for the Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. While this is a concern for his future outlook, some first-year players take longer to adjust to the NFL than others. Patriots wide receiver coach Tyler Hughes said, "I think we'll see him more and more as the season goes on." Four Patriots wideouts saw targets in Week 1, including K.J. Osborn (six), Demario Douglas (three), Tyquan Thornton (three), and Ja'Lynn Polk (one). It's worth noting Kendrick Bourne (knee) is on the PUP list, but he could return as soon as Week 5. Fantasy managers should probably expect Baker to have little to no fantasy value in Year 1, but he could make noise later in his career and should continue to be stashed in deep dynasty leagues.