Who Should I Start? CeeDee Lamb or Ricky Pearsall

Tuesday, February 3, 4:12 PM

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb missed three games due to injury in 2025 and was overshadowed by fellow wideout George Pickens. Lamb still managed to reach the 1,000-yard mark for the fifth straight season, but his 1,077 yards and 75 receptions marked his lowest output since his rookie campaign in 2020. The 25-year-old was targeted 117 times and had a career-low three touchdowns in his 14 games played. Pickens' presence was definitely an issue, as quarterback Dak Prescott targeted his new toy 137 times, which ranked eighth among WRs. Lamb should bounce back with better health in 2026, but with Pickens expected to be back at least on the franchise tag, his hopes of rebounding to high-end WR1 status might be unattainable. The four-time Pro Bowler finished last season as the WR19 in half-PPR scoring, averaging 12.6 fantasy points per game.

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.