Who Should I Start? Jayden Reed or Ladd McConkey

Wednesday, September 17, 10:18 AM

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed underwent successful surgeries on both his shoulder and foot on Tuesday. Reed broke his clavicle in Week 2 while also playing through a Jones fracture, and with surgery already needed for his shoulder, he opted to address both issues at once. The second-year wideout is expected to return before the end of the season, but his fantasy outlook is murky. Matthew Golden might begin to emerge, Christian Watson is nearing a full return, and Green Bay could explore a trade before the deadline. For now, Reed is best stashed on injured reserve in fantasy leagues, with no guarantee he regains a significant role down the stretch.

Wednesday, September 17, 6:20 PM

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey (biceps) is on the Week 3 injury report and was listed as a non-participant at Wednesday's practice. It could help explain why McConkey wasn't all that involved in the Monday night win over the Las Vegas Raiders, when he caught all five of his targets for 48 yards. In the season-opening win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the second-year pass-catcher caught six of nine targets for 74 yards. McConkey is a must-start each week in fantasy lineups if he's active, especially with quarterback Justin Herbert looking strong early in 2025, but his status will be worth monitoring going into Sunday's divisional tilt in Week 3 against the Denver Broncos. If McConkey is unable to play this weekend, Keenan Allen and Quentin Johnston will both draw more targets, as will rookie Tre' Harris. The return of Allen and the emergence of Johnston, who has three touchdowns in two games, has certainly lowered McConkey's fantasy ceiling so far.