Who Should I Start? Chris Olave or Ricky Pearsall

Saturday, September 6, 10:56 AM

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave enters the season as the clear No. 1 option in the passing game, but he remains difficult to trust as a weekly fantasy starter. Now in his fourth season, Olave has already suffered four concussions, including one that sidelined him for the final eight games in 2024. Before that, he topped 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons. While he's likely to see a high target share, Spencer Rattler under center makes it uncertain whether Olave can replicate the 72.7% catch rate he posted last year. Against the Cardinals, Olave profiles as a boom-or-bust WR3 in a sneaky difficult matchup.

Saturday, September 6, 7:05 AM

Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is poised for a strong start to his sophomore season in a Week 1 matchup against the Seahawks. With Deebo Samuel now gone, Brandon Aiyuk (knee) on the PUP list, and Jauan Jennings (calf) having spent most of the preseason nursing an injury and engaged in a contract dispute, Pearsall is now a key player on the 49ers' offense. Over the last two weeks of the 2024 season, Pearsall showed us what he is capable of when he is featured, catching 14 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns. Pearsall is projected as a borderline WR3/4, but Christian McCaffrey's (calf) status might force San Francisco to rely more on their pass game, which could further benefit Pearsall's production.