Who Should I Start? Christian Kirk or DK Metcalf

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.

Wednesday, February 4, 4:33 PM

Wide receiver DK Metcalf's first year in Pittsburgh with the Steelers didn't go as planned after he signed a four-year, $132 million contract with the team in March of last year. Metcalf was the team's leading receiver, but he finished under 1,000 yards for the second straight year while catching 59 of a career-low 99 targets for 850 yards and six touchdowns in 15 regular-season games. A two-game suspension to close out the year for punching a fan didn't help his cause. The 28-year-old didn't show much chemistry with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but in Metcalf's defense, the Steelers' lack of WR led to plenty of double-teams. The two-time Pro Bowler is still one of the most physically gifted receivers in the game, but the Steelers need to get him some help. His two-year decline will drop his fantasy value in 2026, especially since there's a good chance Metcalf will be working with a new QB in his eighth year in the NFL.