Who Should I Start? Van Jefferson or Jalen Royals

Saturday, August 23, 10:31 AM

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Van Jefferson recorded 102 yards and a touchdown on three catches in his team's 23-13 preseason victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Friday. Jefferson scored a 65-yard touchdown on a long catch-and-run in the second quarter. The 29-year-old is entering his first season in Tennessee after logging 24 catches for 276 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. Jefferson projects to open the season as the WR3 in Tennessee alongside veterans Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett. However, he may struggle to hold off the team's pair of fourth-round rookie wide receivers, Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike. Jefferson should be off the radar of fantasy managers in 2025.

Wednesday, September 3, 8:59 AM

Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals (knee) has been ruled out for Friday's season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. The fourth-round pick has been sidelined for multiple weeks with knee tendinitis and did not travel with the team to Brazil on Wednesday. Royals was expected to provide depth behind third-year starter Rashee Rice, who is suspended for the first six games. With both Royals and Rice unavailable, veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster is positioned to take on a larger role. Smith-Schuster, who rejoined the Chiefs in 2024 after Rice suffered a season-ending LCL injury, has an opportunity to stabilize the passing game early in the year. Royals' next opportunity to make his NFL debut is against the Philadelphia Eagles. - Nathan Harvey