Who Should I Start? Darius Slayton or Ricky Pearsall

Sunday, January 4, 9:35 AM

New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton is expected to handle increased volume with Wan'Dale Robinson (ribs) and Theo Johnson (illness) both sidelined against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18. Robinson is headed for his first absence of the season, and Johnson has only been inactive one other time. Therefore, we haven't yet seen what Slayton can do as Jaxson Dart's No. 1 target. However, we have seen glimpses of his upside. He caught a touchdown pass in Week 13, handled 10 targets in Week 15, and has played at least 87% of the snaps in two of his last three games. The bigger role comes at a perfect time for Slayton and his managers, as the Cowboys have surrendered the league's most yards, touchdowns, and fantasy points to wide receivers this season. Managers should feel comfortable deploying Slayton as a strong WR2 option in fantasy football as he handles a bigger workload and gets a very enticing matchup.

Tuesday, January 27, 12:58 PM

Heading into 2025, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was a popular pick to have a breakout season. However, the former first-round pick battled through a knee injury and recorded just 36 receptions for 528 yards and zero touchdowns on 53 targets across nine games played. Availability has been a consistent issue for Pearsall so far in his NFL career, as he's played in just 20 games across his first two seasons. Even when on the field, the 25-year-old has not yet emerged as a featured option in the San Francisco passing game. He's logged just 99 targets in his career, an average of fewer than five per contest. However, Pearsall will likely have an opportunity for a larger role with the 49ers in 2026. Star San Francisco tight end George Kittle (Achilles) suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the team's NFC Wild Card Round win over the Philadelphia Eagles and will likely miss time in 2026 as a result. Additionally, 49ers wideout Jauan Jennings is set to hit unrestricted free agency in mid-March after leading the team's wide receiver corps in targets in 2025. Fully buying in on Pearsall remains difficult until he proves the ability to stay healthy for an extended stretch. Still, he appears to have a clear pathway to a lead role in the San Francisco passing game in 2026.