Who Should I Start? Calvin Ridley or Michael Pittman Jr.

Saturday, December 14, 12:21 PM

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley enters the Week 15 matchup against the visiting Cincinnati Bengals as the WR28 in half-PPR points through 14 weeks of the season. He's coming off a seven-catch, 59-yard performance in last week's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in which he had 12 targets, just the second time all season he's seen double-digit looks. The efficiency has not been there (50.5% catch rate) in Tennessee's low-volume passing offense, which can make Ridley a very frustrating fantasy play. The 29-year-old is averaging 9.7 half-PPR points a game, which ranks 43rd among wideouts. The good news is he could have a boom week for fantasy managers on Sunday against a porous Bengals defense that has allowed 235.2 passing yards per game (sixth-most in the NFL). Ridley has opportunity, but he's also had fewer than 60 yards in three of his last four games. It's why he's a volatile WR2 for fantasy managers.

Friday, December 20, 10:52 PM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. was a full participant in practice on Friday. The 27-year-old did not practice on Wednesday, but was back to a full participant the following two sessions to close out the week. The 6-foot-4 wideout has dealt with back issues seemingly all season long, but it has cost him just one week of playing time. The former second-round draft pick has been Anthony Richardson's preferred target in the passing game over the last four weeks since being reinstated as the starting QB, averaging over five catches per contest, albeit for just 60 yards per game. The fifth-year pro hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 6, which happened to be against his Week 16 opponent, the Tennessee Titans. Although he found paydirt in that first meeting, he did so on just three catches for 35 yards. With the Titans allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers and with Richardson completing less than 50% of his passes on the season, expectations for Sunday's divisional showdown should be tempered. While the Colts are 3.5-point favorites in this one, there is a low expected total of 42.5 and Pittman Jr. projects as a WR4 this week, so hopefully fantasy managers have other options.