Who Should I Start? Troy Franklin or Jordan Whittington

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.

Wednesday, July 30, 5:32 PM

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Jordan Whittingon, who is battling with Tutu Atwell for the team's No. 3 wideout role in training camp this summer, has caught the eye of offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. "This dude's just flat out tough, mentally and physically," LaFleur said. The Rams took the 24-year-old in the sixth round out of Texas, and he finished with just 22 receptions on 28 targets for 293 yards and no touchdowns in 15 regular-season games (three starts). It's the second straight year that he's impressed in training camp, although he should have a much better shot at contributing in L.A.'s passing attack in 2025. Puka Nacua and Davante Adams will be the Rams' unquestioned top two wideouts, so for Whittington to surface on the fantasy radar, he will likely need Nacua or Adams to miss time with injury. He has the physicality to be intriguing out of the slot, but not a lot of targets will be expected.