Who Should I Start? John Ross or Tim Patrick

Tuesday, December 3, 6:33 PM

The Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday released veteran wide receiver John Ross (undisclosed) from their practice squad. Ross was active for one game with the Eagles this year and caught one of his two targets for a six-yard pickup and had been on the practice-squad injured list due to an undisclosed ailment since Oct. 21. The 29-year-old speedster will now go back on the open market and he's unlikely to sign with another team with only five weeks remaining in the 2024 season. The former ninth overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals back in 2017 out of Washington played in 10 games (one start) with the New York Giants back in 2021 and had 11 receptions on 20 targets for 224 yards and one touchdown. Ross did have seven scores in his second season in 2018 with Cincy and had a career-high 506 receiving yards the following year, but that was the extent of his production in the NFL.

Friday, January 17, 1:44 AM

Detroit Lions wide receiver Tim Patrick delivered a solid four-game stretch where he looked like one of the best No. 3 receivers in the NFL, but a subpar finish to the regular season has stripped him of some fantasy appeal as the Divisional Round gets underway. This week, Patrick gets ready for a matchup with the Washington Commanders, who have ranked near the middle of the league in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers. They've also fared equally well against both slot and perimeter weapons, so Patrick's tendency to operate out wide doesn't give him much of an advantage. The veteran receiver caught two passes on three targets over his final three games during the regular season, consistently playing between 55 and 65 percent of the offensive snaps. His experience and veteran status do give him a slight boost in the playoffs, but he's still tough to trust given his reduced volume to end the regular season. Look for him to rank as a fringe top-24 fantasy receiver this week.