Who Should I Start? Adam Thielen or Demario Douglas

Thursday, November 21, 3:10 PM

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen (hamstring) was limited in practice for the second straight day this week on Thursday as he looks to make his return to game-day action this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs for the first time since injuring his hamstring in Week 3. Thielen was activated from Injured Reserve during the team's bye week, but he's still not in the clear to return for Week 12. An upgrade to a full practice session on Friday could do the trick. The 34-year-old veteran expects to play against KC, although the Panthers could monitor his workload on Sunday if that's the case given his long layoff. When he's fully up to speed, though, Thielen should be one of quarterback Bryce Young's top targets opposite rookie Xavier Legette. Thielen is worth stashing for WR depth in deeper leagues, but he's trending as a shaky fantasy play against a tough Chiefs defense if he's active on Sunday.

Friday, November 22, 10:18 AM

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas remains a viable fantasy football option for Week 12 against the Miami Dolphins. Douglas has maintained a steady role on offense lately, bringing his season totals to 43 catches, 415 yards, and one touchdown. He's on pace to break the statistical marks from his rookie campaign last year, both on a full-season and per-game basis. In addition to Douglas' year-long productivity, he also played quite well in his last matchup against the Dolphins back in Week 5. During that meeting, Douglas turned in one of his better performances of the season, catching six of nine targets for 59 yards. Miami has allowed the fewest fantasy points to wide receivers this year, but that number is likely skewed from the four-game stretch for which Tua Tagovailoa was sidelined; during that span, opponents adopted a run-heavy approach against the Dolphins and did not have to develop an overly aggressive passing attack. This Miami team allowed Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp to combine for 16 catches and 178 yards just two weeks ago. Douglas isn't on the same level as either Rams receiver, but the bottom line is that the Dolphins have shown they aren't going to shut down every pass-catcher they face (including Douglas when they faced him back on October 6.) Douglas is a viable WR3/FLEX option in fantasy leagues with at least 12 teams.