Who Should I Start? Adonai Mitchell or Ricky Pearsall

Sunday, January 5, 9:28 AM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell has been fairly quiet outside of his six-catch performance in Week 10. Last week, Mitchell hauled in two of his four targets for 22 yards in the loss to the New York Giants. The rookie wideout has put together a lackluster rookie season with 23 receptions for 312 yards and zero touchdowns heading into the Week 18 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Mitchell is too far down on the depth chart to be considered a viable option right now.

Sunday, January 5, 10:47 PM

San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall followed last week's breakout game with another strong showing in Sunday's 47-24 Week 18 loss to the Cardinals in Arizona. The Arizona native caught six of eight targets for 69 yards, including a six-yard touchdown grab on a contested slant pattern from backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs. Pearsall, who started his 49ers career on a terrifying note -- being shot in the chest during an armed robbery attempt -- had an up-and-down year once he debuted in Week 7. Pearsall produced four fantasy-useful performances in 2024 but seven in which he was held below six half-PPR points. With momentum and the validation of his first-round pedigree this season, Pearsall could be an intriguing late-round fantasy pick in 2025 depending on the health of Brandon Aiyuk's knee, and if Pearsall can move past Jauan Jennings and/or Deebo Samuel Sr. in the 49ers' hierarchy.