Who Should I Start? Jameson Williams or Ricky Pearsall

Sunday, February 22, 10:41 AM

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams got off to a slow start to the 2025 season, recording just 16 catches for 289 yards and two touchdowns on 17 targets across the first seven weeks of the year. However, the 24-year-old emerged following Detroit's Week 8 bye, hauling in 49 receptions for 828 yards and five scores over his final 10 games played. Williams became a bigger focal point in the team's offense once Lions head coach Dan Campbell took over play-calling duties from former offensive coordinator John Morton, who was fired after the season. At the same time, Williams' production surge can also be correlated to the absence of Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (back), who went down for the season in Week 10 with a back injury. If LaPorta can make a healthy return in 2026, it's fair to wonder if Williams may fall back into a low-volume role in a Lions' offense that also includes star wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown. Still, Williams has continued to make small steps up in production in each of his four NFL seasons, and he remains an explosive playmaker with fantasy upside in dynasty formats.

Sunday, February 15, 4:31 AM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is trending up ahead of the NFL offseason. Fellow Niners receiver Jauan Jennings is headed for free agency, and given that his relationship with the team is rocky, it seems likely that he'll sign somewhere else. If Jennings does leave, and Brandon Aiyuk also departs as expected, that will open the door for Pearsall to step into the No. 1 receiver role. He showed the ability to handle a top role at times in 2025, but injuries prevented fantasy managers from being able to fully evaluate him. He ultimately finished his second pro season with 36 catches, 528 yards, and zero touchdowns across nine games. Because of his injury history, it might be tough for the 49ers to trust Pearsall as their No. 1 receiver. We wouldn't be surprised to see them go out and grab a top pass-catcher via trade or free agency, leaving Pearsall in the No. 2 role once again. He can absolutely still offer upside in fantasy football, though. The 49ers have a very capable offense, so Pearsall will be able to turn any workload into fantasy points. He ranks as a fringe top-36 fantasy receiver for 2026 and would jump into the top 24 if the 49ers don't bring in any competition for him.