Who Should I Start? Xavier Smith or Tez Johnson

Saturday, August 16, 11:52 PM

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Xavier Smith caught all four of his targets for 48 receiving yards during Saturday's preseason victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. He also rushed for five yards. Smith has been quite productive this summer. He paced the team with 55 receiving yards last week, and he now has a total of eight touches and 108 scrimmage yards through two preseason contests. NFL opportunities have been few and far between for the 27-year-old Florida A&M product, but he did total six receiving yards, 36 rushing yards, and a pair of first downs in 2024. Los Angeles' first four wide receiver spots are essentially locked up, which means they only have two or three spots to divide over seven remaining receivers (Smith, Tru Edwards, Mario Williams, Konata Mumpfield, Drake Stoops, Britain Covey, and Brennan Presley).

Monday, September 1, 11:54 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tez Johnson could carve out a role on offense as early as Week 1 this season. The rookie out of Oregon could see opportunities to contribute right away with Chris Godwin (ankle) and Jalen McMillan (neck) temporarily sidelined. We saw Tampa Bay support three fantasy-relevant receivers at times last year, so it's safe to assume that could happen again in 2025. Mike Evans and Emeka Egbuka are essentially locks to produce right away, leaving Johnson and Ryan Miller vying for the No. 3 role. The early advantage may go to Miller, who started three games (and played in 11 total) last year, so he is familiar with the system. Plus, he led the team in receiving yards during the 2025 preseason. However, Johnson has a promising outlook, too, as he totaled 2,080 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns through two seasons at Oregon. Meanwhile, he had the most targets and second-most receiving yards among all Buccaneers players this preseason. Tampa Bay is no stranger to getting its depth receivers involved, so don't be surprised if Johnson contributes right away. He should be stashed in all dynasty leagues, and he could even have some appeal in deeper redraft formats.