Who Should I Start? Christian Kirk or DeMario Douglas

Friday, January 16, 3:12 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk posted an underwhelming regular season in his first year with the team, recording 28 receptions for 239 yards and a touchdown on 52 targets across 13 games played. However, the 29-year-old broke out with a dominant performance in Houston's Wild Card Weekend win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, hauling in eight catches for 144 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. With star Texans wideout Nico Collins (concussion) exiting the game in the second half after suffering a concussion, Kirk stepped into a more prominent role in his team's offense. Collins has not practiced this week and is reportedly trending towards missing Houston's Divisional Round matchup against the New England Patriots. As a result, Kirk could see another week as the primary target-earner from Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. If Collins is ruled out, fantasy managers should view Kirk as the top wide receiver option in Houston for the Divisional Round.

Sunday, December 28, 11:57 AM

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas (hamstring), who was listed as questionable for Week 17, is officially active on Sunday as the team takes on the division-rival New York Jets. Douglas has been hard to trust for fantasy managers in 2025 in his third year in the NFL, as he's caught 28 passes on 41 targets for only 408 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games played. However, he should be set up for a much bigger role this weekend with Kayshon Boutte (concussion) out and Mack Hollins (abdomen) on Injured Reserve. Stefon Diggs and Kyle Williams figure to be New England's top two wideouts on Sunday in a plus matchup, but don't sleep on Douglas as the starting slot receiver in deeper fantasy football formats as a sneaky flex play. The 25-year-old pass-catcher has an opportunity to go over 50 receiving yards for only the third time this season.