Who Should I Start? Adam Thielen or Ricky Pearsall

Friday, September 26, 4:50 PM

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen should be kept out of starting lineups when his team takes on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in Ireland. Now that receiver Jordan Addison (suspension) is back in the fold, Thielen is likely to see a significant decrease in snaps. Even with high snap rates in the first three weeks, Thielen caught a meager two passes. At this point, it's fair to wonder if he'll earn more snaps or targets than fellow receiver Jalen Nailor, to say nothing of Addison, top receiver Justin Jefferson, and tight end T.J. Hockenson. Given his lack of production and his situation on the depth chart, Thielen can be sent to waiver wires in standard redraft leagues.

Monday, October 13, 8:13 PM

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Monday that wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) will be evaluated on Wednesday with the hope that he can do more in practice this week, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. Pearsall suffered a PCL injury to his right knee in Week 4 and has missed the last two games as a result. He was unable to practice at all last week, but he was able to do conditioning work on side fields with trainers. The 25-year-old second-year pass-catcher appears to be making progress, but it's premature to think that he'll be able to return for a Week 7 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. When Pearsall does finally return, tight end George Kittle (hamstring) could be back from Injured Reserve, which would mean fewer targets in the passing game. Fellow wideout Jauan Jennings (ribs) returned in the Week 6 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he revealed he played with five broken ribs.