Who Should I Start? George Pickens or Matthew Golden
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 4.7 | 70.1 | 0.4 |
George Pickens News
Wednesday, July 15, 4:10 PM
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens will officially play the 2026 season on his $27.3 million franchise tender after the deadline for tagged players to agree on long-term contracts passed on Wednesday, per ESPN. The Cowboys announced before the NFL draft in April that they didn't plan to engage Pickens in long-term extension talks, so this was the expected outcome. The last time Dallas signed a tagged player to an extension was receiver Dez Bryant in 2015. Pickens has signed his tender, which puts him under contract for 2026. Since reaching an extension with Bryant in 2015, quarterback Dak Prescott, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, tight end Dalton Schultz, running back Tony Pollard, and now Pickens have played on the franchise tag. Pickens, 25, was a first-time Pro Bowler and broke out for a career year in 2025 in his first year in Dallas after they acquired him in a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers, catching 93 of 137 targets for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns in 17 games. He'll be pricey in fantasy drafts going into his second year in Dallas, and RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 9 fantasy WR for 2026.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | 2.7 | 0.0 | 3.2 | 41.8 | 0.2 |
Matthew Golden News
Tuesday, July 14, 10:37 AM
Green Bay Packers second-year wide receiver Matthew Golden has clear breakout potential in Year 2 in 2026 and should get plenty more opportunities in the passing game with a year in Green Bay's offense under his belt and with the offseason departures of Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. Golden, a first-rounder last year, didn't perform up to expectations in his first year in the NFL in a crowded WR room in Green Bay. He was tied for 84th with 29 catches and 78th with 361 receiving yards, according to TruMedia. The 22-year-old product of the University of Texas didn't score for the first time until the playoffs. Golden will be a clear top-three wideout for quarterback Jordan Love alongside injury-prone receivers Christian Watson and Jayden Reed. He'll be an excellent buy-low target in dynasty formats and a nice sleeper to target in redraft drafts with plenty of speed (4.29-second 40-yard dash), even though he doesn't impress anyone with his size (5-foot-11, 191 pounds).
George Pickens vs. Matthew Golden
Still trying to decide between Pickens and Golden? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that George Pickens is projected to score 14.3 points this week while Matthew Golden is projected to score 9.0 points.
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