Who Should I Start? Kendrick Bourne or Luke McCaffrey

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.

Tuesday, December 16, 12:50 PM

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said he doesn't expect wide receiver Luke McCaffrey (collarbone) to be activated from Injured Reserve for the final three weeks of the season, according to Ben Standig. McCaffrey suffered a broken collarbone in the Week 9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and won't be back in 2025. The 24-year-old former third-round pick in 2024 out of Rice will finish his second year in the NFL with 11 catches on 15 targets for 203 yards and three touchdowns in nine games. McCaffrey averaged a healthy 18.5 yards per reception as a deep threat down the field for quarterbacks Jayden Daniels (elbow) and Marcus Mariota, but for fantasy purposes, he was much too inconsistent to trust in starting lineups in most leagues. McCaffrey will be looking to become a more consistent part of Washington's offense in his third year in the league in 2026.