Who Should I Start? Michael Thomas or Ja'Marr Chase

Wednesday, March 13, 5:56 PM

Wide receiver Michael Thomas (knee) is no longer under contract with the New Orleans Saints, according to a source, and is now officially a free agent. It was a formality this offseason since his deal was only really for one year. The 31-year-old was designated as a post-June 1 cut by the Saints. Thomas missed the final seven games of the 2023 season due to a knee injury and isn't likely to have a very robust market given all of the injuries he's endured since leading the NFL in receptions (149) and receiving yards (1,725) in 2019, the last year he was named to the Pro Bowl. Since then, the former second-round pick by the Saints in 2016 out of Ohio State has played in only 20 games and has caught 95 passes for 1,057 yards and four touchdowns.

Sunday, January 7, 9:35 PM

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase finished the Week 18 win over the Browns by catching four of six targets for 19 yards. The Bengals had nothing to play for but pride on Sunday, and with Chase battling a shoulder injury over the last few weeks, the team didn't want to take any chances with their superstar wideout. Nonetheless, the 23-year-old capped off another strong year, finishing with 100 catches for 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns. But with Chase entering his fourth season in the league, contract rumblings will run rampant until he signs a new deal. Yet, regardless of how talks pan out moving forward, he'll remain a first-round fantasy option heading into the 2024-25 campaign. He'll need Joe Burrow (wrist) to stay healthy if he hopes to come close to capturing the magic he had on the offensive end as a rookie.