Who Should I Start? Allen Robinson or Ricky Pearsall

Tuesday, December 31, 9:44 AM

Detroit Lions wide receiver Allen Robinson II brought in his lone target for 21 yards during their victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday evening. Robinson's lone reception came in the third quarter. While the vast majority of the passing opportunities went to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, and Jahmyr Gibbs, it is a positive sign for Robinson to see more targets than the presumed No.3 option, Tim Patrick. Robinson has now seen at least one target in two of his past three contests. However, given how often Jared Goff looks to his top pass-catching options, Robinson may only see a handful of targets in each game moving forward. As a result, fantasy managers should not view Robinson as a viable play in Week 18 and in any postseason competitions.

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.