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.

Sunday, February 15, 4:31 AM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is trending up ahead of the NFL offseason. Fellow Niners receiver Jauan Jennings is headed for free agency, and given that his relationship with the team is rocky, it seems likely that he'll sign somewhere else. If Jennings does leave, and Brandon Aiyuk also departs as expected, that will open the door for Pearsall to step into the No. 1 receiver role. He showed the ability to handle a top role at times in 2025, but injuries prevented fantasy managers from being able to fully evaluate him. He ultimately finished his second pro season with 36 catches, 528 yards, and zero touchdowns across nine games. Because of his injury history, it might be tough for the 49ers to trust Pearsall as their No. 1 receiver. We wouldn't be surprised to see them go out and grab a top pass-catcher via trade or free agency, leaving Pearsall in the No. 2 role once again. He can absolutely still offer upside in fantasy football, though. The 49ers have a very capable offense, so Pearsall will be able to turn any workload into fantasy points. He ranks as a fringe top-36 fantasy receiver for 2026 and would jump into the top 24 if the 49ers don't bring in any competition for him.