Who Should I Start? Calvin Austin III or Drake Maye

Sunday, December 22, 8:14 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III caught four of his five targets for 65 yards during Saturday's Week 16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. With George Pickens (hamstring) sidelined, the Steelers called upon Austin to be one of their primary pass-catchers for the second week in a row. Over his last two games combined, he now has nine catches for 130 yards through the air. Austin's big-play upside gives him decent fantasy appeal, but Pickens' potential return on Christmas Day would knock Austin off the fantasy radar once again. Fantasy managers hoping to plug in Austin as a WR3/FLEX play in Week 17 should continue to monitor the Steelers' injury reports.

Friday, December 20, 11:33 AM

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye will get his first taste of December football in Orchard Park during Sunday's divisional matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Maye is coming off a solid game against the Arizona Cardinals in which he registered 202 passing yards, 14 rushing yards, two total touchdowns, and one interception. While the No. 3 pick has been prone to turnovers this year, last Sunday's interception wasn't his fault as a well-placed pass tipped off his receiver's hand and into the arms of a Cardinals. Moving forward, Maye continues to rank just outside the top 12 fantasy quarterbacks. This week's game has a potential high-scoring factor if the Bills take an early lead and force the Patriots to throw the football while playing from behind. However, the Patriots have a shown a reliance on the rushing attack this year, so it's possible that New England's coaching staff looks to shorten the game by putting the ball in the hands of Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson more often. Maye's rushing upside is capped against a Bills defense allowing the fewest rushing attempts and 10th-fewest rushing yards to opposing quarterbacks in 2024, but he should still make an impact through the air. Maye is worth starting in two-quarterback leagues, as well as leagues with at least 14 teams.