Who Should I Start? Jalen McMillan or Luther Burden III

Monday, January 13, 12:30 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan caught two of his four targets for 41 yards during Sunday's playoff loss to the Washington Commanders. It was a below-average performance from the rookie receiver, who snapped a five-game touchdown streak in the defeat. He had found the end zone seven over during this five-game window, ranking as the overall WR7 in half-PPR leagues during that span. McMillan did a great job filling in for Chris Godwin (ankle) down the stretch, and the rookie's emergence is likely enough to convince the Buccaneers that re-signing Godwin isn't a high priority. The University of Washington product offers a nice complement to Mike Evans, and the two should continue to form a solid one-two punch for years to come. McMillan remains a strong fantasy WR3 going forward, especially if he can prove that his nose for the end zone in 2024 wasn't a fluke.

Wednesday, May 21, 3:29 PM

Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III (undisclosed) is not practicing on Wednesday as he deals with a soft-tissue injury, according to head coach Ben Johnson. Johnson said, "It remains to be seen" when the rookie from Missouri will return to action. Burden was selected in the second round of last month's draft after compiling 192 receptions for 2,263 yards and 21 touchdowns in 38 career games. He added 34 carries for 234 yards and four scores as a runner. While Burden is an exciting player with the ball in his hands, it's tough to get too optimistic about his fantasy outlook in 2025. Caleb Williams is unproven at quarterback, and the Chicago pass-catching group is crowded with DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland, and D'Andre Swift. He's a solid dynasty rookie draft pick at cost, but it would be a surprise if he's a consistent producer for redraft leagues in Year 1.