Who Should I Start? Troy Franklin or Luther Burden III

Monday, October 6, 6:39 PM

Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin falls to the third option for Broncos quarterback Bo Nix while facing the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5. He caught three of five targets for 35 yards in Sunday's 21-17 win over the Eagles. Courtland Sutton and Evan Engram were first and second on the team with 10 and six targets. While Franklin has seemed to be on the field the second most out of any of the receiving group, the 22-year-old has been underwhelming for fantasy lineups since his explosive outing in Week 2. With Broncos head coach Sean Payton preferring taller wide receivers, this could be one of the primary reasons Franklin has been on the field more than anyone else. Still, he will need to capitalize on his opportunities more frequently before he can be trusted in fantasy lineups. Franklin is a boom or bust FLEX option in a plus matchup against the New York Jets in Week 6.

Saturday, October 18, 12:17 PM

Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III continues to struggle to carve out a consistent role in the offense through five games. Burden has just 11 catches for 150 yards and one touchdown, ranking sixth on the team in targets. Despite preseason buzz and speculation that his role would expand after the Week 5 bye, Burden played only 22% of the snaps in Week 6, while Rome Odunze, D.J. Moore, and Olamide Zaccheaus each logged over 85%. He'll face a Saints secondary that's allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers in 2025. Although the matchup is favorable, Burden's limited playing time keeps him off the fantasy radar in Week 7.