Who Should I Start? Chris Olave or Ladd McConkey

Thursday, January 1, 10:28 AM

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (illness) has been ruled out for Week 18's matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. According to Saints reporter Nick Underhill, Olave had a blood clot detected in his lung and is currently at the hospital, where he is doing well. Olave's career season ends with 100 receptions on 156 targets for 1163 yards and nine touchdowns, ranking him WR6 in PPR formats. With Olave out, look for Kevin Austin and Mason Tipton to step up, while tight ends Juwan Johnson and Taysom Hill will have big roles as well. While the Saints eye their fifth straight win against the Falcons in Week 18, they'll have to do it without their best offensive weapon.

Friday, January 2, 10:20 AM

Across 16 games this season, Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey has recorded 66 catches for 789 yards and six touchdowns on 106 targets. Over the second half of the season, the 24-year-old has seen his role in the Chargers' offense minimized. Across six games since Week 10, McConkey has not recorded more than six targets, four receptions, or 43 receiving yards in any contest. While McConkey remains one of his team's top wideouts, he's not an every-down player. Over his last nine games, McConkey has played more than 76% of the Chargers' offensive snaps just twice. In Week 18, Los Angeles will rest quarterback Justin Herbert in preparation for the AFC playoffs, leaving McConkey to catch passes from backup signal-caller Trey Lance. McConkey himself could see a reduced snap share, and he's facing a tough defense in the Denver Broncos. Fantasy managers can view McConkey as a low-end WR3/flex option in Week 18.