Who Should I Start? Kyle Williams or Matthew Golden

Monday, January 5, 10:33 PM

New England Patriots rookie wide receiver Kyle Williams struggled to carve out a consistent role in his team's offense in 2025, recording 10 receptions for 209 yards and three touchdowns on 21 targets across 17 games. Williams saw more involvement over the second half of the season, with all but two of his receptions coming from Week 10 onward. However, he went without a target or a reception in New England's final game of the regular season in Week 18 against the Miami Dolphins. The Patriots will remain without veteran wideout Mack Hollins (abdomen) for their Wild Card Weekend matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, which could mean continued playing time for Williams. The 23-year-old is averaging 20.9 yards per reception, so he offers clear big-play upside. Still, Williams' role as a downfield target will likely lead to some boom/bust variance for fantasy managers in playoff leagues to be aware of entering the postseason.

Thursday, January 29, 4:36 PM

As his team's first first-round wide receiver selection since 2002, Green Bay Packers wideout Matthew Golden entered the 2025 season with plenty of hype. However, the 22-year-old failed to carve out a consistent role as a rookie, finishing the year with 29 receptions for 381 yards and zero touchdowns on 44 targets across 14 regular-season games. From Week 9 onwards, Golden played fewer than 50% of Green Bay's offensive snaps in every game but two. With another offseason to develop chemistry with Packers quarterback Jordan Love and earn the trust of his coaching staff, Golden could be in line for a significantly larger role in 2026. However, Green Bay will likely still roster plenty of competition for playing time at the wide receiver position, even with veteran wideout Romeo Doubs set to hit free agency. Between Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks, Golden will have to fight for playing time with three wide receivers who were all ahead of him on the team's depth chart at different times in 2025. While he remains an intriguing long-term prospect, Golden's value to fantasy managers in dynasty leagues has taken a hit relative to where it was this time last year.