Who Should I Start? Adam Thielen or Terry McLaurin

Monday, January 6, 3:37 PM

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen said that he will go through his normal process and evaluate whether he wants to continue his playing career this offseason. Thielen said he's leaning in a certain direction, "but I'm not going to tell you what that is." If the Panthers choose to do so, they can cut the 34-year-old with only a $5 million dead salary cap hit to get out of the final year of his deal. He missed time in 2024 due to a hamstring injury that landed him on Injured Reserve, but Thielen was productive when healthy as quarterback Bryce Young's favorite target, catching 48 passes on 62 targets for 615 yards and five touchdowns in 10 starts. Staying in Carolina is the likely outcome if Thielen chooses to play another season. His chemistry with Young would give him a solid fantasy floor as a flex, depending on what the rest of the WR room looks like in 2025.

Sunday, January 12, 11:34 PM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin caught seven of his ten targets for 89 yards and a touchdown during their victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His ten targets and seven catches were the most on the team. His 89 yards tied him for the most alongside Dyami Brown. McLaurin was Jayden Daniels' go-to option all evening. McLaurin found the back of the end zone in the fourth quarter on a five-yard strike from Daniels. The 29-year-old wideout has now scored in back-to-back games and eight times over the past seven games. During this seven-game stretch, McLaurin has tallied at least 60 yards in all but one game. He should be viewed as a high-end WR1 in DFS formats, facing a struggling Detroit secondary next weekend.