Who Should I Start? Alec Pierce or Shedeur Sanders

Thursday, December 25, 12:18 PM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce posted a strong bounce-back effort in Week 16's 48-27 loss to the 49ers, reeling in all four of his targets for 86 yards and two touchdowns. Pierce has been a solid fantasy asset all season. However, he looked to be fading two weeks ago when Indy named veteran QB Philip Rivers their starter. At the time, the 25-year-old's downfield skill set didn't appear to be a match for Rivers' current play style. That changed on Monday night, though, when the 44-year-old began pushing the ball a bit more. If Rivers won't be pigeonholed into a short, quick attack, then Pierce will still hold a bit of value down the stretch. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect a ton of volume from the former Cincinnati Bearcat, but he'll at least still be the recipient of valuable downfield targets. Pierce has led all Colts' receivers in snaps in eight of their last nine outings.

Sunday, December 21, 4:59 PM

Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders completed 20 of his 29 pass attempts for 157 yards and one touchdown, but threw two interceptions in Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Sanders managed to overcome an injured pinky finger on his throwing hand, which forced him out of the game for a few plays, and completed 69% of his passes, his best passing completion percentage of the year. Most notably, the rookie play caller had four rushes for 49 yards, also a season high. If Sanders continues to gain yards on the ground, which helps to support his fantasy points floor, he may become a more appealing deep league Superflex option. Looking ahead, the Browns will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17, whose defense gives up the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks for the year.