Who Should I Start? Xavier Hutchinson or Arian Smith

Saturday, October 4, 11:56 AM

Houston Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson continues to be the most involved receiver on the outside across the field from Nico Collins, with Christian Kirk playing in the slot. He hasn't had much production in the Texans' ineffective passing game, but he's getting enough work to be worth monitoring coming into this week's matchup with the Ravens, who have allowed the third-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season. Hutchinson played 68% of the team's snaps in Week 4, ahead of both rookie Jayden Higgins (44%) and rookie Jaylin Noel (24%). Hutchinson also had three targets, converting two into catches for 17 yards, while Higgins and Noel only had one target each. Higgins made the most of his catch with a touchdown, but it still looks like Hutchinson is ahead of him on the depth chart. Even with his bigger role and good matchup, Hutchinson is only the WR74 in the RotoBaller rankings, so he is best left on the bench or waiver wires until something changes.

Saturday, October 11, 3:51 PM

New York Jets wide receiver Arian Smith should see the field more in Week 6 when his team takes on the Denver Broncos at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The rookie has amassed just five targets and four catches through five games in 2025. However, with the news that teammate Allen Lazard (personal) will be ruled out this Sunday, Smith should get a bit of extra run behind fellow wideouts Josh Reynolds and Garrett Wilson. The path to fantasy relevance is narrow, particularly with tight end Mason Taylor carving out a significant target share from quarterback Justin Fields. Still, New York may be forced to air it out a bit more with Denver's defense allowing the fifth-fewest rushing yards per game to opposing ground attacks (88.4). Smith isn't an option in season-long lineup leagues, but he's worth monitoring for dynasty purposes. The former Georgia Bulldog is RotoBaller's PPR WR116 for his matchup with the Broncos.