Who Should I Start? Christian Kirk or Luther Burden III

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.

Tuesday, December 16, 9:41 PM

Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III (ankle) is dealing with an ankle injury that caused him to miss practice on Tuesday ahead of Chicago's Week 16 matchup against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. If Burden III can get back on the practice field and prove healthy enough to play, he could see his best opportunity of the season to make an impact in Chicago. Bears wideout Rome Odunze (foot) also missed practice on Tuesday and is considered week-to-week with a stress fracture in his foot. With Odunze sidelined in Week 15, Burden III recorded six catches for 84 yards on seven targets despite being limited to just 29 offensive snaps due to the ankle injury. Burden III's role has been steadily growing over the second half of the season, as he's earned at least five straight targets in five straight games after failing to hit that mark in any of his first eight contests. Depending on Odunze's return timeline and his own health, Burden III could emerge as a league-winner over the final weeks of the fantasy season.