Who Should I Start? Justin Jefferson or Ja'Marr Chase

Friday, October 31, 4:50 PM

The Minnesota Vikings have struggled immensely in recent weeks, but wide receiver Justin Jefferson remains a clear WR1 with his team set to travel to Detroit in Week 9. Even though Detroit has had the better of the division matchup in recent years, Jefferson has tormented the Lions during his career. In just 10 games against Detroit, Jefferson has more than 1,200 yards, 72 catches, and four touchdowns. Detroit ranks 26th against half-PPR receivers this season, largely because it has surrendered 14 receiving touchdowns in seven games. Notably, Minnesota will bring back starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle), but a second-to-last sack rate behind a beaten-up offensive line remains a major concern. The Lions will see the return of starting cornerback Terrion Arnold (shoulder), but Jefferson still should be starting in every format, as usual.

Saturday, November 1, 11:51 AM

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase entered the Week 8 loss to the New York Jets by catching at least one touchdown in each of his previous three games. While the former LSU Tiger didn't find the end zone in that one, he still had 12 catches for 91 yards. With the Bengals coming off a disappointing loss, they will try to get on track on Sunday against the Chicago Bears. Quarterback Joe Flacco (shoulder) didn't practice on Wednesday, which is not uncommon for older players, before being limited in Thursday's session. However, panic set in for fantasy managers when he didn't practice on Friday and was slapped with a questionable designation for Week 9. Fortunately, there's reason to believe the signal-caller will be out there on Sunday. It appears Flacco and Chase have quickly developed strong on-field chemistry in a short span, so the duo should continue to connect in the meeting with the Bears. If Flacco can't suit up, Jake Browning would be back under center. Although Browning's presence would presumably lower Chase's ceiling, the wideout remains a must-start for obvious reasons.