Who Should I Start? Cedric Tillman or Drake Maye

Saturday, December 27, 11:01 AM

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman looks to be fighting for the team's WR2 position going into an AFC North battle against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17. The third-year wide out appears to be in a timeshare with rookie wide receiver Isaiah Bond, with Tillman playing 48% of the snaps, barely edging out Bond, and running 55% of routes compared to Bond's 58%. Whereas the team is getting Bond involved in trick plays and schemes, Tillman does not have much to show aside from his combined three receptions off eight targets for 36 yards since Week 12. If rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (groin) is inactive on Sunday, rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders may look to his wide-outs to pick up the slack, which would benefit Tillman. The Steelers' pass defense has tightened up over the past four weeks, allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, making Tillman an even less appealing pivot option for deep league managers. If Fannin Jr. were to miss Week 17, Tillman would get a slight bump to fringe WR4/Flex territory in 14+ person leagues. However, he is the third option on an offense averaging just 169 passing yards per game, which is the fourth-fewest in the NFL.

Monday, February 2, 4:26 PM

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (shoulder) threw the football around on Monday and said he felt "good." "I threw a good bit (today). I threw as much as I would in a practice, and it felt great. I'll be just fine," Maye said. The second-year signal-caller injured his right (throwing) shoulder in the AFC Championship game win over the Denver Broncos and was listed as questionable for the Super Bowl after three practices last week. Maye was limited in two practices and did not see the field last Friday while dealing with an illness. The Patriots haven't been concerned at all about his availability for the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 8, against the Seattle Seahawks, so fantasy managers shouldn't be either. The matchup against a tough Seattle defense should be more concerning, especially since Maye hasn't been nearly as good in his first three career playoff games as he was during the regular season.