Who Should I Start? Chris Godwin or Ricky Pearsall

Tuesday, April 1, 1:34 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said that he's optimistic that wide receiver Chris Godwin (ankle) will be ready to play in Week 1 of the 2025 regular season. "I'm hoping he's on the field Week 1. I'll have more to know about that after [this] month goes on - see how he feels when he gets running and practicing and everything else," Bowles said. Despite suffering a dislocated left ankle in Week 7 of 2024 that sidelined him for the rest of the season, the Bucs re-signed Godwin this offseason to a three-year contract. The 29-year-old pass-catcher will continue to form an excellent one-two punch with veteran Mike Evans when he's healthy, but there will be plenty of skepticism about his fantasy value until we see him get back on the field this offseason. The good news is he was averaging a career-high 19.7 PPR fantasy points per game last year before his injury.

Sunday, January 5, 10:47 PM

San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall followed last week's breakout game with another strong showing in Sunday's 47-24 Week 18 loss to the Cardinals in Arizona. The Arizona native caught six of eight targets for 69 yards, including a six-yard touchdown grab on a contested slant pattern from backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs. Pearsall, who started his 49ers career on a terrifying note -- being shot in the chest during an armed robbery attempt -- had an up-and-down year once he debuted in Week 7. Pearsall produced four fantasy-useful performances in 2024 but seven in which he was held below six half-PPR points. With momentum and the validation of his first-round pedigree this season, Pearsall could be an intriguing late-round fantasy pick in 2025 depending on the health of Brandon Aiyuk's knee, and if Pearsall can move past Jauan Jennings and/or Deebo Samuel Sr. in the 49ers' hierarchy.