Who Should I Start? George Pickens or Bryce Young

Wednesday, December 25, 11:07 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens hauled in just three of his seven targets for 50 yards in a Week 17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Steelers struggled to get much of anything going on offense in this one, but Pickens didn't appear to be hampered by his hamstring injury that kept him sidelined from Weeks 14 through 16. He made an impressive catch for a 41-yard gain on a deep ball from quarterback Russell Wilson and had an 18-yard reception in the fourth quarter called back due to an offside penalty. Although fantasy managers that deployed Pickens in his return were likely let down by this performance, he should still be viewed as a solid WR2 against the Cincinnati Bengals in any leagues that compete in Week 18.

Sunday, December 29, 8:22 PM

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young completed 15 of 28 passes for 203 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Sunday's Week 17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also took five sacks and rushed for eight yards. Although the Panthers were blown out by a score of 48-14, Young was able to play turnover-free football and add two touchdowns to his 2024 stat line. We would have liked to see a higher completion rate from the former No. 1 pick, but he still showed numerous flashes of upside, including an impressive 40-yard touchdown strike to Adam Thielen. Young has thrown for a touchdown in every game since returning from his midseason benching, specifically totaling 15 scores and six interceptions during that nine-week span. He will be a mid-to-high fantasy QB2 for Week 18 against the Atlanta Falcons, but he could jump up to the low-end QB1 tier if the Panthers beef up their wide receiver corps during the next offseason.