Who Should I Start? Zay Jones or Ja'Lynn Polk

Friday, August 23, 4:20 PM

The NFL has suspended Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Zay Jones for the first five games of the season due to violating the league's personal conduct policy. The suspension follows a misdemeanor domestic battery charge from his time with the Jaguars last season, which the Florida state attorney's office eventually dropped. Despite this, the NFL conducted its investigation and imposed a five-game suspension. Last year, Jones recorded 34 receptions for 321 yards and two touchdowns with Jacksonville. He will be eligible for reinstatement on October 7, following the Cardinals' Week 5 game against the 49ers, meaning his earliest return to regular-season action would be October 13 against the Packers. In his absence, Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, and Greg Dortch are expected to lead the team's wide receiver corps for the season opener on September 8 against the Buffalo Bills. While this impacts Kyler Murray somewhat, Trey McBride and Harrison Jr. will likely receive even more targets.

Sunday, September 29, 8:56 PM

New England Patriots wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk converted seven targets into three catches for 30 yards during Sunday's Week 4 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Polk had not commanded more than three targets in a single game through the first three weeks of the season, but that evidently changed this week as Polk led the Patriots with seven passes thrown his way. Despite the increased volume, Polk still didn't deliver a very appealing fantasy performance due to his lower catch and yardage totals. On a promising note, he made an impressive grab in heavy coverage along the sideline. It was ruled incomplete, but only because Polk just barely missed getting both feet in bounds. The play should give fantasy managers optimism that Polk can make flashy catches against starting cornerbacks in the NFL. The rookie isn't a reliable option for Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins, but his long-term value continues to grow as he makes an impression early in his Patriots career.