Who Should I Start? Xavier Smith or Jacob Cowing

Sunday, August 25, 7:43 AM

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Xavier Smith caught four passes for 34 yards on five targets to lead all Rams receivers in Saturday's loss to the Houston Texans in the final preseason game. Smith was efficient in catching four of his five looks but didn't stretch the field much on his catches. The Rams went deep into their depth chart in the last preseason game, giving Smith a big opportunity. He did nicely with his chance but is not someone who will be on the fantasy radar this season.

Friday, June 13, 12:14 PM

The Athletic's Matt Barrows writes that one of the themes among coaches and players this spring was that nobody took better advantage of the offseason than San Francisco 49ers second-year wide receiver Jacob Cowing. The 24-year-old was selected 135th overall (fourth round) last year but had a minimal role, catching just four passes for 80 yards in 15 games (zero starts). However, he trained with quarterback Brock Purdy and receiver Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) early in the offseason and had a prominent role during spring practices. It helped that Pearsall, Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Jauan Jennings (calf) were sidelined, but it's notable nonetheless. Cowing has great speed and is doing a better job of maintaining it throughout his cuts and breaks. He's good with the ball in his hands and could be a nice little gadget player in 2025, although it's unlikely to amount to much fantasy value.