Who Should I Start? Kalif Raymond or Adonai Mitchell

Wednesday, December 24, 10:32 PM

Detroit Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond had his best performance of the season in Week 16 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, recording four catches for 62 yards and a touchdown on five targets. Raymond could see an expanded role again in Week 17 against the Minnesota Vikings, as top Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown (knee) is questionable to play due to a knee injury. However, if St. Brown is active, there's reason to believe Raymond's performance in Week 16 is unlikely to be repeated. Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw 54 passes against Pittsburgh, 17 more than he attempted in his first matchup of the season against the Vikings in Week 9. Additionally, Minnesota has been a very tough matchup for opposing passing attacks. The Vikings enter the week ranked second in the NFL in total passing yards allowed (2,790) and tied for second in passing touchdowns allowed (14). Raymond has some upside as a deep-league flex option for fantasy managers if St. Brown is sidelined. If St. Brown is active, fantasy managers should likely avoid Raymond in Week 17.

Thursday, January 29, 4:49 PM

New York Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell is coming off an up-and-down 2025 season. A second-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2024 NFL Draft, Mitchell recorded just 32 catches over the first 25 games of his career with Indy. However, he was seemingly rejuvenated by a midseason trade to New York, where he finished the season by hauling in 24 receptions for 301 yards and two touchdowns on 58 targets across eight games played. The Jets afforded Mitchell his first chance at extended playing time, as he played at least 80% of the team's offensive snaps in six of his eight contests. Heading into 2026, star Jets wideout Garrett Wilson's (knee) return from injury will push Mitchell down the depth chart. However, Mitchell appears to be in the mix for the team's WR2 role, depending on the additions made by New York in free agency and the draft. It's worth noting that Mitchell remained an inefficient pass-catcher even after being acquired by the Jets, as he averaged just 5.2 yards per target. Still, he's a talented young player with a possible playing time runway who should be on the radar of fantasy managers in both dynasty and redraft formats.