Who Should I Start? Kendrick Bourne or Irvin Charles

Friday, January 9, 9:29 AM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne recorded 37 receptions for 551 yards (14.89 YPC) and zero touchdowns on 53 targets in 16 games in 2025. The majority of Bourne's production came in early October, when he stepped in as the team's main pass-catcher, with George Kittle, Jauan Jennings, and Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle) all ruled out for a brief time. Bourne's role faded as the team continued to get healthy; however, should Pearsall miss Sunday's contest against the Philadelphia Eagles, Bourne could find himself playing more often and would likely be elevated to the team's No. 2 wide receiver alongside Jennings. Additionally, according to Novig, the Niners are underdogs (+4.5) and should be in a game flow that favors a pass-happy approach, which would result in more target opportunities for Bourne should he get more playing time. Demarcus Robinson would likely be operating more in three-wide receiver sets. Pending Pearsall's availability, Bourne would be a bit of a dart throw in fantasy playoff leagues, but would be worth a roster as a long-shot option.

Friday, March 28, 9:10 PM

The New York Jets re-signed exclusive-rights free-agent wide receiver Irvin Charles (knee) to an undisclosed deal on Friday. Charles will return to the Jets in 2025, although it's highly unlikely he'll be ready for training camp this summer or the start of the regular season after tearing his ACL in Week 14 of last year. The 27-year-old former undrafted free agent appeared in 13 games (no starts) in 2024 and was unable to catch his only target on offense. In his two NFL seasons, he has yet to catch a pass on just two targets over 25 games (no starts), mainly contributing on special teams. Charles logged 212 special-teams snaps last year and will likely resume a similar role at some point next year when he's cleared from his knee injury. He's nowhere near the fantasy radar.