Who Should I Start? Michael Thomas or DK Metcalf

Wednesday, September 11, 8:40 PM

The National Football League on Wednesday announced that it has lifted the suspension of free-agent wide receiver Michael Thomas. Thomas was suspended for the first game of the 2024 NFL season for an incident with a construction worker near his home last year. The fact that the 31-year-old remained without a team all offseason is a sign that he may struggle to latch on with an organization despite the fact that he's past his one-game suspension. Just several years ago, Thomas was the best receiver in the league, but injuries have limited him to 20 games since the start of the 2020 campaign, and he played in just 10 games with the New Orleans Saints last year before a knee injury ended his season. He caught 39 passes for 448 yards and one touchdown in 2023. Thomas belongs on the waiver wire in all leagues and is unlikely to be on the fantasy radar in 2024.

Wednesday, February 4, 4:33 PM

Wide receiver DK Metcalf's first year in Pittsburgh with the Steelers didn't go as planned after he signed a four-year, $132 million contract with the team in March of last year. Metcalf was the team's leading receiver, but he finished under 1,000 yards for the second straight year while catching 59 of a career-low 99 targets for 850 yards and six touchdowns in 15 regular-season games. A two-game suspension to close out the year for punching a fan didn't help his cause. The 28-year-old didn't show much chemistry with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but in Metcalf's defense, the Steelers' lack of WR led to plenty of double-teams. The two-time Pro Bowler is still one of the most physically gifted receivers in the game, but the Steelers need to get him some help. His two-year decline will drop his fantasy value in 2026, especially since there's a good chance Metcalf will be working with a new QB in his eighth year in the NFL.