Who Should I Start? Justin Jefferson or George Pickens

Friday, December 12, 4:23 PM

Week 15, which marks the start of the fantasy playoffs in many leagues, brings about an especially difficult call for fantasy managers who roster Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson ahead of a primetime game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. On one hand, Jefferson remains one of the game's best; he's healthy, and he's up against a Cowboys defense that has allowed more points to fantasy receivers than any other team. On the other hand, the superstar receiver's recent lack of production is staggering. Jefferson hasn't finished among the top 20 PPR receivers since Week 9, and he has just 15 combined receiving yards in Minnesota's past two games. Managers who have been burned surely feel cautious; however, the matchup is favorable, and Jefferson is still too good to completely overlook. Factoring in the offense's struggles as they break in quarterback J.J. McCarthy, Jefferson is more of a WR2/high-end flex, but there is serious potential against a Dallas defense that has given up a ton of production to wide receivers this season.

Friday, December 12, 7:47 PM

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens is coming off one of the worst showings of his breakout season, but he is still worth viewing as a WR1 in all formats when he faces the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night. Last Thursday, Pickens brought in just five of his nine targets for a mere 37 yards. This was his lowest total since Week 1, when he tallied only 30 yards on three receptions. His production last week was quite disappointing as the team's No. 1 WR, CeeDee Lamb, exited with a concussion. Still, Pickens was unable to connect with quarterback Dak Prescott. However, managers should continue to view Pickens as a must-start option as he enters Week 15 as the overall WR2 in PPR scoring despite his Week 14 dud. During Weeks 11 through 13, Pickens averaged an elite 24.6 PPR points per game and totaled 126 yards per game with two receiving scores. Overall, Pickens has found the back of the end zone eight times, which is the same number of times he found the end zone as a Steeler during the 2023 and 2024 seasons combined. Despite facing an elite Minnesota secondary that enters the fantasy playoffs allowing the fewest PPR points to opposing WRs, and Lamb cleared for action, Pickens still carries immense upside in all formats and is a must-start WR1 in all league types.