Who Should I Start? Christian Kirk or Darius Slayton

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.

Saturday, December 27, 12:09 PM

Across 13 games this season, New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton has recorded 31 receptions for 468 yards and a touchdown on 51 targets. Slayton is coming off one of his worst games of 2025 in Week 16, hauling in just one catch for eight yards on two targets against the Minnesota Vikings. However, the 28-year-old is now facing a far easier matchup in Week 17 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Entering the week, Las Vegas ranks 18th in the NFL in yards per pass attempt allowed (7.1). The Raiders have also ruled out star edge rusher Maxx Crosby (knee) with a knee injury, which should make life significantly easier on Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart. Before his Week 16 dud, Slayton had recorded at least 9.3 PPR fantasy points in four out of his last five games. He profiles as a low-end deep-league flex option for fantasy managers in Week 17.