Who Should I Start? Adam Thielen or Michael Pittman Jr.

Wednesday, March 12, 10:40 PM

Veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen will officially return for a 12th NFL season in 2025 after agreeing to a a revised contract with the Carolina Panthers, sources tell ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Thielen will now look to add to his 8,311 yards and 64 touchdowns in his career. The 34-year-old veteran wideout briefly contemplated retirement after the 2024 season but isn't quite ready to hang up his cleats after catching 48 passes for 615 yards and five touchdowns in a career-low 10 starts last year. A hamstring injury cost him seven games, but he still managed to lead the team in receiving yards and touchdowns. Thielen had a strong 103-1,014-4 line in 17 starts in 2023 in his first year in Carolina and has developed a strong chemistry with young quarterback Bryce Young. He's definitely an injury risk in fantasy, but when healthy, he should have a decent target floor as a WR4/flex in weekly fantasy lineups.

Friday, January 10, 12:10 PM

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said that wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) will not require surgery for the fractured back that he played through late in the 2024 season. "One tough dude. Example of what you want," Ballard said. It's a testament to Pittman's toughness that he missed just one game due to his back injury. But the 27-year-old's back issues and inconsistent play from the quarterback position in Indianapolis in 2024 led to Pittman posting only 808 receiving yards -- his fewest since his rookie season in 2020 -- to go with 69 receptions (also his lowest mark since 2020) and only three touchdowns in 16 games. Better health will give him a chance to rebound in 2025, but his overall upside might be dependent on quarterback Anthony Richardson's health and his ability to improve as a passer.