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.

Tuesday, January 27, 12:58 PM

Heading into 2025, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was a popular pick to have a breakout season. However, the former first-round pick battled through a knee injury and recorded just 36 receptions for 528 yards and zero touchdowns on 53 targets across nine games played. Availability has been a consistent issue for Pearsall so far in his NFL career, as he's played in just 20 games across his first two seasons. Even when on the field, the 25-year-old has not yet emerged as a featured option in the San Francisco passing game. He's logged just 99 targets in his career, an average of fewer than five per contest. However, Pearsall will likely have an opportunity for a larger role with the 49ers in 2026. Star San Francisco tight end George Kittle (Achilles) suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the team's NFC Wild Card Round win over the Philadelphia Eagles and will likely miss time in 2026 as a result. Additionally, 49ers wideout Jauan Jennings is set to hit unrestricted free agency in mid-March after leading the team's wide receiver corps in targets in 2025. Fully buying in on Pearsall remains difficult until he proves the ability to stay healthy for an extended stretch. Still, he appears to have a clear pathway to a lead role in the San Francisco passing game in 2026.