Who Should I Start? DeAndre Hopkins or Sterling Shepard

BENCH

Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
2.2 0.0 0.0 0.9 9.5 0.1

DeAndre Hopkins News

DeAndre Hopkins Hard to Trust in Week 15

Saturday, December 13, 12:03 PM

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is coming off of his lowest snap share of the season in Week 14 and his third time producing a goose egg. Head coach John Harbaugh talked about getting Hopkins more involved, which is like listening to a broken record at this point. Rashod Bateman (ankle) is currently listed as questionable, so Hopkins does have a chance to move up in the depth chart. While the Cincinnati Bengals' defense has been the butt of a lot of jokes, they've only allowed 15.13 fantasy points per game to opposing receivers over the last four weeks. That combined with being fourth or fifth in the target pecking order make Hopkins hard to trust. Especially with a WR83 projection in RotoBaller's rankings this week.

START

Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
2.3 0.0 0.0 0.9 9.7 0.1

Sterling Shepard News

Sterling Shepard May Be Aging Out of Fantasy Relevance

Sunday, February 22, 10:27 AM

Across 13 games in 2025, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard recorded 39 receptions for 371 yards and one touchdown on 53 targets. With veteran Buccaneers wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin Jr. sidelined for a significant portion of the year by injury, Shepard saw increased opportunity for playing time, particularly early in the season. However, he was largely unable to hold off Bucs rookie wide receivers Emeka Egbuka and Tez Johnson, and the late-season return of second-year wideout Jalen McMillan pushed Shepard even further down the depth chart. Shepard is now set for unrestricted free agency, and a change of scenery away from the crowded wide receiver room in Tampa Bay could help his fantasy outlook. Still, Shepard is entering his age-33 season and has not recorded 40 receptions in a season since 2020. Regardless of where he ends up in 2026, Shepard's fantasy-relevant days may be behind him.

DeAndre Hopkins vs. Sterling Shepard

Still trying to decide between Hopkins and Shepard? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that DeAndre Hopkins is projected to score 2.2 points this week while Sterling Shepard is projected to score 2.3 points.