Who Should I Start? Jermaine Burton or Luke McCaffrey

Thursday, January 30, 2:42 PM

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton was selected with the No. 80 overall pick (third round) in the 2024 NFL Draft after a strong final season at Alabama. However, the 23-year-old played sparingly in his rookie season and caught just four passes for 107 yards on 14 targets in 14 games. At the Senior Bowl this year, Bengals director of player personnel spoke on Burton's status with the organization. "He's done nothing, and he's going to have to start doing something quickly. We knew we were taking a risk. We felt comfortable that we could help him through some of the challenges he's had in the past, and we're going to continue to try to help him," Tobin said. "But this is professional football, and you have to take accountability, and you have to be accountable to your teammates, your coaches, and the team that you're playing for, and he has to figure that out." Burton notably did not travel with the team for a must-win game against the Pittsburgh Steelers late in the 2024 campaign and seems to be falling out of favor with the coaching staff and front office quickly. The speedster could be at risk of being released or traded before the next regular season.

Sunday, December 29, 10:26 AM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Luke McCaffrey is expected to see an expanded role for the Week 17 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. Fellow wideout Dyami Brown (hamstring) has been ruled out for this game, which should push McCaffrey into a bigger role. McCaffrey hasn't done much on the field this season with two receptions or less in every game since Week 5. He figures to be the third passing option behind Terry McLaurin and Olamide Zaccheaus. That being said, McCaffrey could see a few more passes come his way, but he'll remain a shaky fantasy option for Week 17.