Who Should I Start? Adam Thielen or Andrei Iosivas

Saturday, September 6, 3:43 PM

Wide receiver Adam Thielen is a risky fantasy proposition in his return to the Minnesota Vikings, who will take on the Chicago Bears in this season's first Monday Night Football game. The Vikings traded for the veteran due to instability elsewhere in their receiver room, as Jordan Addison (suspension) will miss the first three games and Rondale Moore (knee) suffered a season-ending injury. The 35-year-old figures to play quite a bit right away, but the reality is that he was a late addition who is still behind receiver Justin Jefferson and likely tight end T.J. Hockenson in the pecking order, and he's attached to a quarterback in J.J. McCarthy who has never thrown a pass in the NFL before. Thielen certainly has something left in the tank and a history of making big catches, but an uncertain target share makes him tough to rely upon in Week 1.

Saturday, September 6, 1:42 PM

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas finished last season with 36 catches for 479 yards and six touchdowns, all a career-high. He combined for three touchdowns in Weeks 2 and 3, although he would add just three more throughout the remainder of the 2024 campaign. Granted, he was able to take advantage of extra work, considering Tee Higgins was limited to only 12 contests. Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase are both healthy for the Week 1 showdown with the Cleveland Browns, meaning Iosivas is expected to have trouble being involved at a level that justifies his presence in any fantasy lineup. That's not to say he won't sneak in a touchdown grab (he's been known to do that every so often). However, he's not a trustworthy starting fantasy option. That's not going to change unless Higgins or Chase goes down with an injury.