Who Should I Start? Adam Thielen or Tyler Shough

Friday, May 2, 12:02 PM

Carolina Panthers veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen said that he talked with his family, and they wanted him to play in 2025. He plans to go through a similar process after this season, which is the final year of his contract. Depending on how the 34-year-old feels and what his family thinks after the 2025 campaign, Thielen could hang up his cleats and retire. He's returning for a third season in Carolina after playing in a career-low 10 games in 2024 due to a hamstring injury. In those 10 games, he caught 48 of his 62 targets for 615 yards and five touchdowns. He should continue to be a trusted weapon for young quarterback Bryce Young out of the slot this year, but the addition of first-round rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan will surely make Thielen harder to trust as a WR3/flex in fantasy based on volume alone like he was in 2023, when he recorded the third 1,000-yard season of his career on 103 targets.

Sunday, August 17, 4:34 PM

New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough started the first half of Sunday's preseason 17-17 tie against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He went 9-of-12 for 66 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. The offense struggled to get going early, managing just three points across four drives with Shough under center, including two three-and-outs. Once expected to be the frontrunner for the Saints' Week 1 starting job, his inability to consistently move the ball, even with starting receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed on the field, combined with Spencer Rattler's solid performance, suggests momentum may be shifting against him. Shough remains a player to monitor, but he should stay off fantasy radars outside superflex or dynasty leagues.