Who Should I Start? Cedric Tillman or Ricky Pearsall

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.

Wednesday, January 7, 3:07 PM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle) will not practice on Wednesday, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. Pearsall aggravated a PCL sprain in his right knee and was held out of the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Seattle Seahawks last Saturday. The 25-year-old former first-rounder missed a good chunk of the 2025 season due to his knee injury, so he could be fighting an uphill battle to play on Wild-Card weekend in Philadelphia against the Eagles on Sunday. If Pearsall cannot get cleared to play in the opening round of the playoffs, it will open up targets for receivers Jauan Jennings, Demarcus Robinson, and Kendrick Bourne, as well as tight end George Kittle. In the Week 18 loss to Seattle, Jennings led the team with four catches for only 35 yards. As of right now, Pearsall is likely on the wrong side of questionable to play against Philly.