Who Should I Start? Michael Wilson or Xavier Smith

Sunday, January 4, 9:01 PM

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson caught five of his eight targets for 99 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 18 loss against the Los Angeles Rams. The highlight of his performance was a 43-yard touchdown in the third quarter that temporarily pulled Arizona within one possession. The Cardinals limped to a 3-14 record this season, but Wilson ended up being a league-winner in many fantasy leagues thanks to his incredibly strong second half of the campaign. The 25-year-old eclipsed 1,000 yards for the first time in his career, and he ranked as the overall WR2 from Week 11 through the end of the season. On paper, Marvin Harrison Jr. might enter the 2026 season as Arizona's No. 1 receiver. However, based on track record, Wilson has made quite the case to be the Cardinals' top pass-catcher not named Trey McBride. Quarterback uncertainty creates some questions about Wilson's fantasy stock for next year, but there's no denying that he has top-12 upside heading into next summer's drafts.

Saturday, August 16, 11:52 PM

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Xavier Smith caught all four of his targets for 48 receiving yards during Saturday's preseason victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. He also rushed for five yards. Smith has been quite productive this summer. He paced the team with 55 receiving yards last week, and he now has a total of eight touches and 108 scrimmage yards through two preseason contests. NFL opportunities have been few and far between for the 27-year-old Florida A&M product, but he did total six receiving yards, 36 rushing yards, and a pair of first downs in 2024. Los Angeles' first four wide receiver spots are essentially locked up, which means they only have two or three spots to divide over seven remaining receivers (Smith, Tru Edwards, Mario Williams, Konata Mumpfield, Drake Stoops, Britain Covey, and Brennan Presley).