Who Should I Start? Jalen McMillan or Luther Burden III

Friday, October 10, 2:10 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles replied, "I hope so," when asked whether wide receiver Jalen McMillan (neck) will play in 2025, per Greg Auman of Fox Sports. Bowles did note that McMillan is "getting better" but is "still in the neck brace." The second-year wide receiver suffered a neck injury during the preseason and is currently on Injured Reserve. McMillan recorded 37 catches for 461 yards and eight touchdowns on 58 targets in 13 games last season, but it does not appear he is close to making his 2025 debut. The Buccaneers' wide receiver corps is currently quite depleted, with wideouts Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (fibula) both set to miss the team's Week 6 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Evans and Godwin are both expected to return before McMillan, but Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka could have an extended run as the team's WR1.

Saturday, October 18, 12:17 PM

Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III continues to struggle to carve out a consistent role in the offense through five games. Burden has just 11 catches for 150 yards and one touchdown, ranking sixth on the team in targets. Despite preseason buzz and speculation that his role would expand after the Week 5 bye, Burden played only 22% of the snaps in Week 6, while Rome Odunze, D.J. Moore, and Olamide Zaccheaus each logged over 85%. He'll face a Saints secondary that's allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers in 2025. Although the matchup is favorable, Burden's limited playing time keeps him off the fantasy radar in Week 7.