Who Should I Start? Kayshon Boutte or Xavier Hutchinson

Sunday, January 5, 8:27 PM

New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte caught all seven of his targets for 117 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 18 win over the Buffalo Bills. Boutte finishes 2024 as New England's best receiver. Despite a slow start to the year, he finished his second season with 43 catches, 589 yards, and three touchdowns through 15 games. He has played at least two-thirds of the offensive snaps in each of his last 13 contests, developing into New England's No. 1 option in the passing game. His role atop the depth chart is far from assured heading into 2025, especially with a new coaching regime on the way. However, Boutte has shown that he deserves to be involved, even if that's merely as a deep threat on the perimeter. He continues to trend upward in dynasty leagues, and he should also sneak into the back end of fantasy drafts next summer.

Thursday, January 9, 8:47 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson should not be considered for lineups with the Texans set to play host to the Los Angeles Chargers in a Wild Card meeting on Saturday. The 24-year-old has played more often since Tank Dell (knee) was lost for the season, but still managed just four catches for 34 yards in the past three weeks. With wide receiver Diontae Johnson now in the fold and Robert Woods still around, it's tough to say which, if any, secondary receiver will emerge behind No. 1 option Nico Collins. Additionally, Houston's offense has averaged just 15.6 points in its past five games. Hutchinson wasn't a strong option anyway, but an uncertain target share and an unpredictable passing offense make him avoidable in playoff formats.