Who Should I Start? Cedric Tillman or Jalen McMillan

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, December 29, 12:17 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan exploded for seven catches and 114 yards in the team's 20-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 17. The 24-year-old's target (nine) and yardage totals were team-highs, setting personal bests across the board. Coincidentally, McMillan did not see a significant rise in snap share, hovering around the same figure he's recorded since returning from an injury. Regardless, he and Chris Godwin Jr. were the only other pass-catchers to eclipse 40 receiving yards (108). With a myriad of mouths to feed in Tampa Bay's attack, it's unlikely McMillan would have another performance such as this when they square off with the Panthers in Week 18. That said, he sports solid athleticism and offers fantasy managers big-play ability for one of the few meaningful games in the campaign's final week.