Who Should I Start? Calvin Austin III or Luther Burden III

Friday, December 12, 6:38 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III (calf) was added to the Week 15 injury report and was listed as limited in Friday's practice, according to Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. Austin's status for Monday night's game against the Miami Dolphins is now in question, but we'll have a better idea of his availability after Pittsburgh's final practice of the week on Saturday. It's unclear if the 26-year-old sustained a calf injury during Friday's practice. Austin hasn't been a major contributor for the Steelers or fantasy managers in his third NFL season, catching 27 of 46 targets for 309 yards and only two touchdowns in 11 games. He has not found the end zone since Sept. 21 and has not cleared 50 receiving yards since Nov. 2 against the Colts. There is nobody for fantasy managers to trust in starting lineups in Pittsburgh's WR corps beyond DK Metcalf. If Austin cannot play against Miami, veteran Adam Thielen could have a bigger role in his second game with the team.

Thursday, December 11, 10:11 AM

Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III led the team in receiving in Week 14, hauling in four of six targets for 67 yards in the 28-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers. With Rome Odunze (foot) inactive last week, Burden handled the duties as the lead receiver for the first time in his NFL career and played well against the strong Packers secondary. Burden has increased in snaps in every game since Week 11, playing a career-high 71% in Week 14. The 2025 second-round pick is making his way up the depth chart in Chicago, and fantasy managers should be fully aware of his emergence. He faces the tough Cleveland Browns defense, which has allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers this season. Week 15 will be a tough test for Burden, but he's checked every box so far, except for becoming a reliable option for fantasy managers to count on.