Who Should I Start? Christian Kirk or Ladd McConkey

Friday, December 12, 10:33 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk has struggled with injuries in his first season with the Texans, and he has been in a minimal role coming into his Week 15 matchup against his former team, the Cardinals. Kirk played only 25 snaps (36%) last week in a big game against the Chiefs and caught only one of his three targets for six yards. Kirk did flash upside with five catches for 56 yards and a touchdown in Week 12 against the Bills, but he has only one catch in the two games since C.J. Stroud has been back at quarterback. With rookie Jayden Higgins as the team's second receiver and Nico Collins dominating the target share, Kirk is left sharing time in the slot with rookie Jaylin Noel. Even though he'll be facing his former team, he's only the WR77 in RotoBaller's rankings, so he can be left on the waiver wire in most standard-sized formats for this week.

Saturday, December 13, 12:18 AM

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey participated in limited practices this week due to a foot issue but does not carry an injury designation and is expected to remain the primary target in the passing game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Last week, McConkey led the team with five targets and 144 air yards but caught only one pass for 12 yards as the Philadelphia Eagles effectively shut down the Chargers' pass attack. Facing a Chiefs defense that has surrendered the ninth-fewest passing yards this season, McConkey will likely draw slot coverage from Chamarri Connor, who allows a high 85.4% catch rate but a low 7.8 aDOT. This points to the Chiefs being vulnerable to volume underneath, which is exactly where McConkey excels when Justin Herbert is under pressure. If fellow wide receiver Quentin Johnston (groin) misses the game, expect even more targets and usage. RotoBaller ranks McConkey as WR24 this week, making him a risky low-end WR2 with upside thanks to his high air yard share and red zone looks, despite the tough matchup and offensive struggles.