Who Should I Start? Aidan Hutchinson or Kayvon Thibodeaux

Thursday, May 22, 1:02 PM

Detroit Lions star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (leg) told reporters on Thursday that he's fully cleared from his leg injury, which is a significant announcement that could help him land a blockbuster contract. Defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers also recently said that Hutchinson has looked "really good" during voluntary offseason workouts after the 24-year-old suffered a fractured tibia and fibula around seven months ago, ending his season. Hutchinson was initially given a timetable of four to six months, but he appears to be ahead of scheduled. He has been running at full speed and taking part in individual drills, so barring a setback once the pads come on, Hutchinson should be ready to go for Week 1 this fall. The former second overall pick in 2022 out of Michigan has quickly proven to be an elite edge rusher in the NFL with 28.5 sacks in his first three seasons over 39 regular-season starts.

Tuesday, February 4, 6:07 PM

According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, the New York Giants are expected to pick up the fifth-year option on linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux. Duggan noted that while Thibodeaux has shown flashes of elite upside, he has not made the impact the team had hoped, given that he was selected with the fifth-overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. As a result, Duggan expects the team to pick up his option instead of discussing a long-term contract. After tallying just four sacks with 48 tackles in his rookie season, Thibodeaux enjoyed a massive sophomore season where he tallied 11.5 sacks. In that season, he totaled 50 tackles and three forced fumbles. However, in 2024, Thibodeaux took a step back as he logged just 5.5 sacks with 28 tackles. Fantasy managers should expect Thibodeaux to have a starting role in the New York defense next season.