Who Should I Start? George Pickens or Trey McBride

Sunday, December 21, 6:49 PM

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens bounced back with a massive performance during Sunday's contest against the Los Angeles Chargers. Before this game, Pickens was held to under 40 receiving yards in each of his last two contests. Pickens rebounded with a massive performance against the Chargers' defense in Week 16. He hauled in seven of his nine targets for 103 yards and a touchdown in the loss. This marked the fifth time this season that Pickens has surpassed 100 yards in a single game. The 24-year-old has been elite with 88 receptions, 1,342 yards, and nine touchdowns heading into the Week 17 matchup against the Washington Commanders.

Saturday, December 20, 4:02 PM

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride remains a top fantasy option despite a difficult matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16. On paper, it may appear that the odds are stacked against McBride. Not only is he facing a Falcons defense that has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to tight ends in 2025, but he could also face additional competition if Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel, questionable) returns from his two-game absence. However, McBride has consistently established himself as matchup-proof this year, so he should feast despite facing Atlanta. Furthermore, he could still lead the team in targets and catches, even if Harrison does return to the mix. In total this year, the 26-year-old has 105 catches, 1,071 yards, and a career-high 10 touchdowns. He is on track to finish this year as the overall TE1 in PPR leagues after finishing 2024 as the TE2. McBride has especially benefited from the presence of quarterback Jacoby Brissett. In full-PPR leagues, he averaged 12.5 fantasy points per game with Kyler Murray (foot) as the starter, and a whopping 23.3 fantasy points per game with Brissett as the starter. We should expect more otherworldly, video-game numbers from McBride this week. He's the undisputed TE1 in this week's fantasy rankings and should be a must-start as the fantasy playoffs continue.