Who Should I Start? Olamide Zaccheaus or Malik Washington

Wednesday, October 29, 10:29 PM

Chicago Bears wide receivers Luther Burden III (concussion) and Olamide Zaccheaus (knee) did not practice on Wednesday. Both receivers' statuses are in doubt ahead of Sunday's Week 9 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals. Burden faces an uphill battle to play, as he'd first need to clear concussion protocol. The rookie entered protocol last Sunday, and while a player can be cleared in less than seven days, it's certainly improbable. Managers should pay close attention to his status on Friday, when the Bears publish their final injury report. As for Zaccheaus, the 28-year-old appears to be banged up after posting a season-high seven catches for 33 yards in Week 8. He'd likely need to log a limited session over the next two days in order to have any shot at playing this coming Sunday. DJ Moore (hip, groin) and Rome Odunze (heel) also missed Wednesday's practice, leaving Chicago at risk of playing without its top four receivers. Even if some of them are healthy in time for kickoff, we'll likely still see depth receivers like Jahdae Walker and Devin Duvernay take on expanded roles in Week 9.

Thursday, October 30, 10:01 AM

Wide receiver Malik Washington of the Miami Dolphins is a risky option, but one with some upside when his team plays host to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday. The matchup is a good one for Washington, who will see a Ravens defense that ranks 27th against fantasy receivers and has struggled to defend the pass. The diminutive receiver has seen at least five targets in six of Miami's eight games, but averages a lowly 3.5 yards per target due to a high percentage of work near the line of scrimmage. Receiver Jaylen Waddle and running back De'Von Achane are huge parts of the Miami passing game, leaving Washington as the third option, but he did catch his first touchdown of the season last week. He's a WR5 option, but has some streaming and deep-league appeal in a game that could be high scoring.