Who Should I Start? George Pickens or Kayshon Boutte

Friday, December 12, 7:47 PM

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens is coming off one of the worst showings of his breakout season, but he is still worth viewing as a WR1 in all formats when he faces the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night. Last Thursday, Pickens brought in just five of his nine targets for a mere 37 yards. This was his lowest total since Week 1, when he tallied only 30 yards on three receptions. His production last week was quite disappointing as the team's No. 1 WR, CeeDee Lamb, exited with a concussion. Still, Pickens was unable to connect with quarterback Dak Prescott. However, managers should continue to view Pickens as a must-start option as he enters Week 15 as the overall WR2 in PPR scoring despite his Week 14 dud. During Weeks 11 through 13, Pickens averaged an elite 24.6 PPR points per game and totaled 126 yards per game with two receiving scores. Overall, Pickens has found the back of the end zone eight times, which is the same number of times he found the end zone as a Steeler during the 2023 and 2024 seasons combined. Despite facing an elite Minnesota secondary that enters the fantasy playoffs allowing the fewest PPR points to opposing WRs, and Lamb cleared for action, Pickens still carries immense upside in all formats and is a must-start WR1 in all league types.

Monday, December 15, 9:39 PM

New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte was unproductive during Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills, tying his season low with one target in the defeat. The third-year wideout has hit a slump over the last few weeks. Boutte hasn't surpassed 35 receiving yards in a game since Week 8. The good news is that Boutte is heading into a plus matchup against the Baltimore Ravens defense in Week 16. The expectation is that the Patriots should have more success passing the ball in that one. Boutte isn't a high-end streaming option, but he should offer deep-league appeal in a flex spot. He has hauled in six touchdowns and is one of the better red-zone threats in this offense. Fantasy managers should expect a bounce-back outing from the 23-year-old this weekend.