Who Should I Start? Troy Franklin or Jayden Higgins

Wednesday, September 17, 8:41 PM

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix said that second-year wide receiver Troy Franklin is "starting to develop into the player everyone knows he can become." Franklin, who was teammates with Nix at Oregon, had a breakout game in the Week 2 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, catching eight of his nine targets for 89 yards and a touchdown. The 22-year-old wideout currently leads the Broncos in targets (15), catches (12), and receiving yards (133) through the first two games in 2025. Franklin probably won't take over WR1 duties from Courtland Sutton, but a second-year breakout could very well be in the cards for him, especially because of his strong chemistry with Nix. His primary competition for weekly targets will come from Marvin Mims Jr., who is more of a big-play deep threat than one who will be consistently peppered with targets. If you need WR help early on, Franklin is definitely worth a waiver-wire pickup.

Sunday, September 14, 7:01 AM

Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins did lead his team in receiving yards in Week 1, but the offense struggled so badly against the Rams that he still only had 32 yards on two catches. He'll look for better totals in Week 2 against the Buccaneers on Monday Night Football in the early game of the doubleheader. Higgins only played 43% of snaps, working behind veterans Xavier Hutchinson and Justin Watson. He drew three targets and converted two into catches, but the third was ripped out of his hands by Cobie Durant for an interception. Higgins flashed some upside, but the fact that he played so few snaps in an offense that struggled so much makes him hard to trust in Week 2. He's the WR67 in the RotoBaller rankings for Week 2, and he should be on the bench in most formats until he gets a larger role. The rookie still has long-term potential, but the offense would have to find its groove to make him a fantasy factor.