Who Should I Start? Philip Rivers or Jack Bech

Thursday, December 25, 10:20 AM

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers has entered streaming territory ahead of his Week 17 tilt against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Despite not appearing in an NFL game since the 2020 season, the 44-year-old has looked quite comfortable in the Indianapolis offense and has flashed solid upside for fantasy. In his season debut in Week 15, Rivers faced a tough Seattle defense and went 18-for-27 with 120 yards and a 1:1 TD:INT. However, on Monday evening, Rivers took a massive step forward, going 23-for-35 with 277 yards, two scores, and just one interception during their loss to the 49ers. On Sunday, Rivers has a very favorable matchup against a Jaguars defense that is allowing the ninth-most PPR points to opposing QBs. Rivers carries high-end QB2 upside and viable streaming appeal for those in deeper 12+ team one-QB formats.

Saturday, December 20, 8:18 AM

Las Vegas Raiders rookie wide receiver Jack Bech was pretty quiet in Week 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles, logging two receptions for 17 yards off three targets. Notably, the young pass catcher's playtime was remarkably consistent between Weeks 14 and 15. In both games, Bech played 81% of the snaps, ran 82% of the team's routes, and had two targets with over ten air yards. The rookie wide receiver has a terrible matchup in Week 16 on the road against the Houston Texans and their top-rated defense, which is likely to hamper his fantasy production. Bech is quarterback Geno Smith's (shoulder, back) fourth or fifth receiving option, but he is carving out his niche and potential future with the Raiders heading into the season's final weeks. As a result, the rookie remains relevant only in dynasty leagues as a stash and is unlikely to warrant a starting position in Week 16 for redraft leagues.