Who Should I Start? Alec Pierce or Kayshon Boutte

Wednesday, November 12, 10:06 AM

ESPN's Matt Bowen and Jeremy Fowler wrote about their 2026 NFL free agency early top-25 ranking and predictions. Alec Pierce has been on fire the last few weeks and is averaging a league-best 20.9 yards per catch. He can take the top off the defence and lift safeties to create opportunities in open coverages underneath. In eight healthy games played this season, he has 585 receiving yards on 28 receptions and one touchdown. Teams that Fowler and Bowen have spoken to anticipate that Pierce will be looking at a ballpark of $20 million per year, or at least a number of that magnitude not being out of the question. He has the size and speed that make him a player who can be a valuable asset for teams in the market for a wide receiver. We will see how things play out for Pierce, but he is on a trajectory that is setting him up to be a winner in the offseason.

Wednesday, November 12, 5:20 PM

The New England Patriots have ruled out wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) for the Thursday night game against the division-rival New York Jets, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Boutte will miss a second straight game this week after injuring his hamstring in the Week 9 win over the Atlanta Falcons. The 23-year-old's next chance to return to action will come in Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals. With Boutte sidelined again, Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, and DeMario Douglas should be New England's top receivers in a plus matchup against the two-win Jets, although rookie Kyle Williams, who had a 72-yard touchdown on Sunday, will also be more involved. Diggs has been super efficient and has had a nose for the end zone in his first year with the Pats, but Hollins should also be considered as a sneaky flex option on a short week with Boutte sidelined.