Who Should I Start? DeAndre Hopkins or Adam Thielen

Wednesday, May 28, 3:45 PM

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is "moving great" at practice this offseason, according to head coach Jim Harbaugh. The 32-year-old signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the organization this offseason after spending last year with the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs. Hopkins, who has seven seasons of 1,000-plus receiving yards on his resume, is not likely to be a consistent producer at this stage of his career, but he could still contribute as a third or fourth option in a passing attack. In 2024, he caught 15 passes for 173 yards and one touchdown in six games for Tennessee and hauled in 41 passes for 437 yards and four scores for Kansas City. With Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews on the roster, the veteran is likely competing with Isaiah Likely and Rashod Bateman for looks in 2025. He won't be a must-start fantasy option, but he could have streaming appeal in favorable matchups during his 13th NFL campaign.

Friday, May 2, 12:02 PM

Carolina Panthers veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen said that he talked with his family, and they wanted him to play in 2025. He plans to go through a similar process after this season, which is the final year of his contract. Depending on how the 34-year-old feels and what his family thinks after the 2025 campaign, Thielen could hang up his cleats and retire. He's returning for a third season in Carolina after playing in a career-low 10 games in 2024 due to a hamstring injury. In those 10 games, he caught 48 of his 62 targets for 615 yards and five touchdowns. He should continue to be a trusted weapon for young quarterback Bryce Young out of the slot this year, but the addition of first-round rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan will surely make Thielen harder to trust as a WR3/flex in fantasy based on volume alone like he was in 2023, when he recorded the third 1,000-yard season of his career on 103 targets.