Who Should I Start? Philip Rivers or George Pickens

Wednesday, December 17, 11:39 AM

Making his first start since January 2021, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers managed to hold his own in Week 15 against the Seattle Seahawks. The 44-year-old completed 18 of 27 pass attempts for 120 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, and nearly led his team to an upset victory on the road. The Colts announced that Rivers will make another start in Week 16 against the San Francisco 49ers, who are expected to be a more manageable matchup than Seattle. Fantasy expectations should remain limited for Rivers, as he provides zero value as a rusher and averaged just 4.4 yards per pass attempt against the Seahawks. However, Rivers may be more productive as he gains more time to work with the Colts' pass catchers and becomes more familiar with the team's offense. In deep, two-quarterback fantasy leagues, Rivers could be a streaming option off the waiver wire in Week 16.

Friday, December 12, 7:47 PM

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens is coming off one of the worst showings of his breakout season, but he is still worth viewing as a WR1 in all formats when he faces the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night. Last Thursday, Pickens brought in just five of his nine targets for a mere 37 yards. This was his lowest total since Week 1, when he tallied only 30 yards on three receptions. His production last week was quite disappointing as the team's No. 1 WR, CeeDee Lamb, exited with a concussion. Still, Pickens was unable to connect with quarterback Dak Prescott. However, managers should continue to view Pickens as a must-start option as he enters Week 15 as the overall WR2 in PPR scoring despite his Week 14 dud. During Weeks 11 through 13, Pickens averaged an elite 24.6 PPR points per game and totaled 126 yards per game with two receiving scores. Overall, Pickens has found the back of the end zone eight times, which is the same number of times he found the end zone as a Steeler during the 2023 and 2024 seasons combined. Despite facing an elite Minnesota secondary that enters the fantasy playoffs allowing the fewest PPR points to opposing WRs, and Lamb cleared for action, Pickens still carries immense upside in all formats and is a must-start WR1 in all league types.