Who Should I Start? Christian Watson or Ladd McConkey

Thursday, January 2, 1:39 PM

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (knee) warmed up inside with the team for the first time on Thursday since injuring his knee in the Week 16 win over the New Orleans Saints, but he didn't come outside with the rest of the team to practice. It appears that Watson is making some progress with his bruised left knee, but it may not be enough for the Packers to feel comfortable throwing him out there in the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Chicago Bears. The 25-year-old does have one more day of practice on Friday, though. Given Watson's lengthy injury history, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Green Bay rest him for a second straight game so that he can be closer to full strength for the start of the playoffs next week. If Watson is ruled out on Friday, it will mean more targets for receivers Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks and tight end Tucker Kraft.

Thursday, January 2, 4:18 PM

According to Daniel Popper of The Athletic, Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey (toe) returned to practice on Thursday. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on the official injury report later on Thursday to see his status. Nonetheless, it is a positive sign to see him back on the field after sitting out during Wednesday's initial session. Last weekend, the 23-year-old brought in eight of his ten targets for two touchdowns. Over his past six contests, McConkey has seen an average of 8.3 targets per game and has tallied 93.7 yards per game with three scores. If McConkey is able to suit up on Sunday to face the Las Vegas Raiders, he should be viewed as a solid WR2 in PPR formats. If not, then Quentin Johnson should see a significant increase in targets operating as the No.1 wide receiver.