Who Should I Start? Kadarius Toney or George Pickens

Wednesday, February 12, 5:18 PM

Former New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney has been arrested on one count of aggravated assault by strangulation of a woman, per TMZ. Toney was booked in Douglas County in Georgia on Feb. 6 on counts of aggravated assault -- strangulation and obstructing/harassing 911 calls. A judge set a bail of $25,000 on each count, and records show that Toney was not in custody on Feb. 7. Police documents allege that Toney put his hand around a woman's throat and squeezed "with enough force to cause her to be unable to breathe." The 26-year-old former first-round pick by the Giants played in three games with the Cleveland Browns in 2024 but didn't catch any passes before being waived in early December. Per the NFL's personal-conduct policy, Toney could be facing a suspension to begin the 2025 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.