Who Should I Start? Chris Conley or Adam Thielen

Sunday, January 5, 11:14 PM

Wide receiver Chris Conley had one of his best games as a San Francisco 49er during a 47-24 loss to the Cardinals in Arizona on Sunday. The 32-year-old journeyman caught all four targets for 59 yards receiving from backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs. The yardage and reception totals more than doubled Conley's 2024 production entering Week 18. Conley's stat line looks very similar to his only other productive game with San Francisco, which came on the final game of last season (three receptions for 69 yards). Over his 10-year career so far, Conley has amassed 226 receptions for 2,998 yards and 15 touchdowns. Conley will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and will likely be off the fantasy radar wherever he lands.

Monday, January 6, 3:37 PM

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen said that he will go through his normal process and evaluate whether he wants to continue his playing career this offseason. Thielen said he's leaning in a certain direction, "but I'm not going to tell you what that is." If the Panthers choose to do so, they can cut the 34-year-old with only a $5 million dead salary cap hit to get out of the final year of his deal. He missed time in 2024 due to a hamstring injury that landed him on Injured Reserve, but Thielen was productive when healthy as quarterback Bryce Young's favorite target, catching 48 passes on 62 targets for 615 yards and five touchdowns in 10 starts. Staying in Carolina is the likely outcome if Thielen chooses to play another season. His chemistry with Young would give him a solid fantasy floor as a flex, depending on what the rest of the WR room looks like in 2025.