Who Should I Start? Dante Pettis or Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Monday, January 6, 2:27 AM

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Dante Pettis caught two of his six targets for 16 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 27-19 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Pettis was the only Saint to find the end zone in the season finale with the rest of New Orleans' points provided by the leg of kicker Blake Grupe. Pettis was signed to the Saints practice squad partway through the season and was added to the active roster in December to accommodate for the team's lack of depth at wide receiver. Over the course of the season, Rashid Shaheed (knee) and Bub Means (ankle) were lost to season-ending injuries and Chris Olave (concussion) missed a total of nine games after suffering two separate concussions. Pettis will finish the season with 10 receptions for 120 yards in his limited role.

Saturday, January 4, 4:18 AM

After opening the week with a limited session, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (chest) practiced in full for a second consecutive day and has no designation going into the team's Week 18 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 30-year-old was sidelined in Week 16 due to a combination of a back issue and illness that interrupted his rehab. In Week 17, he was active though a massive hit in the fourth quarter took him out of the game early. Even though he will be active, it will be hard to rely on MVS for fantasy purposes. His success earlier this season was tied to touchdowns and big gains on deep passes. In his three biggest games he racked up 232 yards and four touchdowns but did so on just ten targets. Spencer Rattler will be under center again for the season finale and while he has shown decent arm strength as a spot starter, his accuracy (or lack thereof) will not do MVS any favors. His potential would be further dampened by the return of Chris Olave (concussion) who is listed as questionable. Valdes-Scantling was a bright spot for a few weeks in 2024 but he should not be in a starting lineup in Week 18.