Who Should I Start? A.J. Brown or Ricky Pearsall

Monday, February 10, 12:36 AM

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown caught three of his five targets for 43 yards during Sunday's Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Brown had a quieter start to the playoffs, but he eventually came on strong with nine catches, 139 yards, and two touchdowns over his final two contests. The 27-year-old has shown an ability to produce in a crowded offense, compiling 1,079 yards and seven touchdowns in the regular season despite fighting to earn opportunities over stars like Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert. There are certainly many mouths to feed in Philadelphia, but Brown has shown that he can be the primary receiving option en route to ranking as a strong WR1 for fantasy purposes.

Sunday, January 5, 10:47 PM

San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall followed last week's breakout game with another strong showing in Sunday's 47-24 Week 18 loss to the Cardinals in Arizona. The Arizona native caught six of eight targets for 69 yards, including a six-yard touchdown grab on a contested slant pattern from backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs. Pearsall, who started his 49ers career on a terrifying note -- being shot in the chest during an armed robbery attempt -- had an up-and-down year once he debuted in Week 7. Pearsall produced four fantasy-useful performances in 2024 but seven in which he was held below six half-PPR points. With momentum and the validation of his first-round pedigree this season, Pearsall could be an intriguing late-round fantasy pick in 2025 depending on the health of Brandon Aiyuk's knee, and if Pearsall can move past Jauan Jennings and/or Deebo Samuel Sr. in the 49ers' hierarchy.