Who Should I Start? Alex Erickson or Tim Patrick

Wednesday, January 15, 2:10 PM

The Houston Texans signed wide receiver Alex Erickson to the practice squad on Wednesday, according to NFL.com. This move came after the team released veteran wideout Diontae Johnson on Tuesday and promoted Jared Wayne to the active roster. Erickson, a 32-year-old undrafted free agent out of the class of 2016, has hauled in 112 passes for 1,373 yards, and two touchdowns across 105 NFL games with the Bengals, Panthers, and Chargers. He last suited up for the Chargers in 2023. Unless Houston suffers another wide receiver injury and advances to the AFC Championship Game, it would be a surprise if Erickson sees game action.

Friday, March 14, 1:02 PM

The Detroit Lions announced on Friday that they re-signed wide receiver Tim Patrick to an undisclosed deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. After missing all of the 2022 and 2023 seasons due to devastating injuries while with the Denver Broncos, Patrick latched on with Detroit's practice squad last fall and ended up playing in 16 regular-season games (nine starts) while contributing 33 catches on 44 targets for 394 yards and three touchdowns as the No. 3 wideout behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. The 31-year-old will return to a high-powered Lions offense that remains relatively unchained outside of a new offensive coordinator. Patrick could have some decent games again for the Lions in 2025, but unless St. Brown or Williams miss extended time due to injury, he'll be hard to justify as a flex option in standard 12-team fantasy leagues.