Who Should I Start? Jalen Tolbert or Emeka Egbuka

Wednesday, February 18, 7:06 AM

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert ended up getting buried on the depth chart during a crucial contract year in 2025. Tolbert opened the year as the presumptive No. 3 receiver behind CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, but he fell down the picking order as Ryan Flournoy and KaVontae Turpin took on larger roles. Pickens' breakout in Dallas also reduced Tolbert's volume. Tolbert ultimately finished the year sixth on the team in receiving yards (203) and seventh in receptions (18). Both represented a major step backward from 2024, when he had 49 catches, 610 yards, and seven touchdowns while finishing as the WR45 in PPR leagues. Tolbert's strong 2024 season will generate some interest in free agency, but the fact that he was essentially reduced to a non-factor in 2025 really hurts his stock. Plus, at 26 years old, teams will be looking to round out their depth chart with younger upside receivers. Tolbert can be dropped in most dynasty leagues. In very deep formats, he can be held for now, then traded when he signs somewhere this offseason.

Thursday, February 19, 9:00 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round wide receiver Emeka Egbuka came out of the gates as a clear favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year, racking up 445 receiving yards and five touchdowns in the first five games of his career. Unfortunately, a Week 6 hamstring tweak and an inexplicable lack of chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield limited him to only 493 yards and one touchdown over his next 12 games. While neither Egbuka nor Mayfield missed a start, they were both clearly affected by injury at points throughout the year. With Chris Godwin Jr., Mike Evans, and Jalen McMillan in and out of the lineup with injuries of their own, Egbuka was never able to find a late-season rhythm as he worked to break through the rookie wall. Mike Evans has recently suggested he would be open to continuing his career outside of Tampa Bay, which could open a massive opportunity for Egbuka in year two. However, if the Buccaneers run it back in 2026 with the same foursome atop the depth chart, he may still struggle to find a consistent role and be viewed as a better-in-best-ball wideout.