Who Should I Start? Jaquan Brisker or Jalen Pitre

Sunday, November 5, 12:13 PM

The Chicago Bears defense will be short-handed in a Week 9 matchup against the New Orleans Saints on the road on Sunday. Defensive backs Jaquan Brisker (concussion) and Terell Smith (illness) and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (knee) have been ruled out. Brisker suffered a concussion in Week 7 and will now miss his second straight game. It remains to be seen if the 24-year-old safety will be ready to play in Week 10 on a short turnaround next Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers. Fantasy managers that had been rolling with Brisker in their starting lineups at defensive back prior to his injury in Week 7 must go in another direction for the second straight week. Duron Harmon will make another start in Chicago's secondary on Sunday.

Friday, November 24, 2:28 AM

Houston Texans safety Jalen Pitre has had a disappointing 2023, but he could be in for a better game in Week 12 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans vs. Jaguars game has the highest projected point total of the weekend, and the Jaguars, a slight favorite, could throw the ball frequently. Fantasy safeties against the Jaguars score more points than average. After leading all defensive backs in tackles his rookie season, Pitre is having a down year, with just 31 tackles. He has missed 20.4% of the tackles he has attempted. Last season, Pitre also missed a lot of tackles and was not graded well for his play, but he racked up fantasy points in part because the Texans' defense was so bad that they were always on the field and had to rely on their safeties for tackles. This year, the Texans' defensive improvement has hurt Pitre's production. However, he is a viable start in Week 12.