Who Should I Start? Christian Kirk or Calvin Austin III

Friday, December 26, 9:03 AM

Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk is coming off one of his best games of the season last week against the Raiders, as the veteran played his most snaps (39) since Week 9 and had his most targets (5) since Week 12. He'll have a tougher matchup this week against the Chargers on Saturday and is a high-risk play for fantasy purposes since his role is still extremely shaky. He finishes second on the team in receiving yards and tied for second in targets last week, though, so it's possible he'll continue to trend up as the Texans continue their playoff push. Since he only has 25 catches for 241 yards and a touchdown this season, Kirk is a high-risk option in this tough matchup in Los Angeles, and he's just the No. 67 WR in RotoBaller's rankings. He can be left on the bench or waiver wire in most leagues, but it is worth monitoring his involvement to see if last week's performance was a matchup-based outlier or the start of a trend.

Friday, December 26, 4:25 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's Week 17 contest against the Cleveland Browns. Austin suffered this injury during their thrilling victory over the Lions last weekend. This week, Austin was unable to participate in any practice sessions and will set his sights on returning in Week 18, when the Steelers face the Baltimore Ravens. Austin will join top wideout DK Metcalf on the sidelines as he will be unable to play in each of the final two regular-season games due to a suspension. As a result, fantasy managers should expect the Steelers to deploy Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Adam Thielen, Scotty Miller, and Roman Wilson as the starting wideouts. However, managers should expect both running backs, Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, and tight ends Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, and Jonnu Smith to operate as the top pass catchers.