Start Troy Franklin or Tez Johnson? Week 8

Our Week 8 call

Start Tez Johnson over Troy Franklin in Week 8.

Market-based projections have Tez Johnson at 5.1 points and Troy Franklin at 4.1, a gap of 1.0. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. No player market is posted for Tez Johnson this week yet, so his 5.1 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5 and 7 (3.6 and 6.6); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. No player market is posted for Troy Franklin this week yet, so his 4.1 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5, 6 and 7 (4.2, 4.2 and 3.9); the call is rebuilt when his market posts.

What the market projects

No Week 8 player market is posted for Tez Johnson yet. His market-based projections were 3.6 and 6.6 points in Weeks 5 and 7, an average of 5.1, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

No Week 8 player market is posted for Troy Franklin yet. His market-based projections were 4.2, 4.2 and 3.9 points in Weeks 5, 6 and 7, an average of 4.1, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

That puts Tez Johnson 1.0 points ahead of Troy Franklin on these projections.

Week 8 matchups

Tez Johnson and TB host ATL on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

ATL allowed 34.4 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 7 games, the 11th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 170 yards and 0.6 touchdowns a game against ATL.

Troy Franklin and DEN host KC on Sunday at 4:25 PM ET.

KC allowed 23.7 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 6 games, the 2nd fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 122 yards and 0.2 touchdowns a game against KC.

By points allowed to the position, Tez Johnson has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Tez Johnson is not on the injury report.

Troy Franklin is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 8

Through Week 7, Tez Johnson played 38 percent of TB snaps, drew 8 percent of the targets, earned 20 percent of the air yards and had 6 percent of the red zone chances.

Tez Johnson, Week 4 against GB: 35 of 64 snaps, 1 carry for 10 yards, 2 targets and 2 catches for 17 yards.

Tez Johnson, Week 5 against DAL: 28 of 72 snaps, 1 target and 1 catch for 64 yards.

Tez Johnson, Week 6 against PIT: 25 of 74 snaps, 3 targets and 2 catches for 7 yards.

Tez Johnson, Week 7 against CAR: 41 of 63 snaps, 1 carry for 14 yards, 2 targets and 2 catches for 33 yards, 1 touchdown.

Through Week 7, Troy Franklin played 40 percent of DEN snaps, drew 5 percent of the targets, earned 12 percent of the air yards and had 4 percent of the red zone chances.

Troy Franklin, Week 4 against SF: 32 of 65 snaps, 0 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Troy Franklin, Week 5 against LAC: 39 of 62 snaps, 2 targets and 2 catches for 16 yards.

Troy Franklin, Week 6 against SEA: 31 of 60 snaps, 1 target and 1 catch for 2 yards.

Troy Franklin, Week 7 against ARI: 28 of 61 snaps, 2 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Tez Johnson played 16 games for TB and scored 92.4 PPR points, 5.8 a game, finishing WR67.

He caught 28 of 44 targets for 322 yards and 5 touchdowns, with 4 red zone targets and 212 air yards.

He was on the field for 47 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, Troy Franklin played 17 games for DEN and scored 177.1 PPR points, 10.4 a game, finishing WR31.

He caught 65 of 104 targets for 709 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 18 red zone targets and 427 air yards.

He was on the field for 60 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 8 calls

• Start Tez Johnson over Brian Thomas Jr..
• Start Cooper Kupp over Tez Johnson.
• Start DeMario Douglas over Tez Johnson.
• Start Brian Thomas Jr. over Troy Franklin.
• Start Troy Franklin over Cody White.
• Start Efton Chism III over Troy Franklin.