Who Should I Start? Christian Kirk or Marquise Brown

Thursday, January 8, 12:25 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk won't be a very popular fantasy option for playoff leagues going into the team's Monday night Wild-Card matchup against the hosting Pittsburgh Steelers, even though the Steelers' defense was a top-10 matchup for opposing wideouts in 2025 in terms of half-PPR points per game. In the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Indianapolis Colts, Kirk caught just one of two targets for minus-three yards, even with top receiver Nico Collins getting the day off. However, the Texans did bench starting quarterback C.J. Stroud after halftime. Still, the 29-year-old Kirk had fewer snaps than both rookie Jayden Higgins and Xavier Hutchinson, and he has only 28 catches for 239 yards and one touchdown on 52 targets all year. Kirk has been on the field plenty for Houston, but he hasn't been targeted much and has basically been sharing slot duties with rookie Jaylin Noel of late.

Wednesday, December 24, 4:30 PM

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown will face the Denver Broncos on Christmas Day in Week 17. Brown caught three passes for 22 yards on three targets in last week's loss to the Tennessee Titans. With Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton placed on IR, Brown's role in the passing attack should increase. The veteran receiver should be more involved, but with Chris Oladokun operating as the Chiefs QB1, Brown's upside could be severely capped. Brown will also have to deal with a Denver Broncos defense that has allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season. Brown is ranked WR79 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, making him a difficult player to start in any league regardless of depth or format.