Who Should I Start? John Metchie III or Xavier Restrepo

Friday, January 2, 11:00 AM

After being acquired by the New York Jets from the Philadelphia Eagles in late October, wide receiver John Metchie III looked like a potential breakout candidate. Across his first three games with New York, the 25-year-old recorded 10 receptions for 113 yards and two touchdowns on 11 targets. However, Metchie III has been unable to maintain his hot start. Over his last five games played, Metchie III has failed to eclipse four catches or 41 receiving yards in a game, nor has he found the end zone. Metchie III's playing time has dropped off slightly as well, as he's played 77% or fewer of the Jets' offensive snaps in two out of the last three weeks. Especially with undrafted rookie quarterback Brady Cook in line to make his fourth straight start for the Jets in Week 18 against the Buffalo Bills, there's little reason to think Metchie III will reverse recent trends. He profiles as a wide receiver for fantasy managers to avoid in the final week of the 2025 regular season.

Tuesday, November 25, 10:00 PM

After spending the first 11 weeks of the 2025 season on the Tennessee Titans' practice squad, rookie wide receiver Xavier Restrepo finally made his NFL debut in Week 12 against the Seattle Seahawks. The 23-year-old earned six targets from Titans quarterback Cameron Ward and hauled in two receptions for 26 yards. Restrepo's path to game action was aided by injuries to Titans wideouts Calvin Ridley (leg) and Elic Ayomanor (hamstring). Ridley will miss the rest of the season, while Ayomanor could return as soon as Week 13 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, if Ayomanor remains sidelined, Restrepo could have another chance to prove himself against Jacksonville. While fantasy managers will need Restrepo to play more than the 19 offensive snaps he played in Week 12, in some ways, it's encouraging that he was able to log six targets despite the limited playing time. Restrepo can't be trusted as a fantasy starter yet, but he could be worth monitoring for deep-league fantasy managers if the wide receiver injuries in Tennessee persist.