Who Should I Start? Ricky Pearsall or Matthew Golden

Sunday, January 5, 10:47 PM

San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall followed last week's breakout game with another strong showing in Sunday's 47-24 Week 18 loss to the Cardinals in Arizona. The Arizona native caught six of eight targets for 69 yards, including a six-yard touchdown grab on a contested slant pattern from backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs. Pearsall, who started his 49ers career on a terrifying note -- being shot in the chest during an armed robbery attempt -- had an up-and-down year once he debuted in Week 7. Pearsall produced four fantasy-useful performances in 2024 but seven in which he was held below six half-PPR points. With momentum and the validation of his first-round pedigree this season, Pearsall could be an intriguing late-round fantasy pick in 2025 depending on the health of Brandon Aiyuk's knee, and if Pearsall can move past Jauan Jennings and/or Deebo Samuel Sr. in the 49ers' hierarchy.

Monday, May 19, 10:07 PM

The Green Bay Packers announced on Monday that they signed first-round wide receiver Matthew Golden to his four-year rookie deal, according to general manager Brian Gutekunst. Golden will receive a fully-guaranteed $17.57 million with a signing bonus of $9.42 million, according to OverTheCap.com. The Packers took the 21-year-old pass-catcher in the first round at the end of April, the first time they had taken a receiver in the first round since 2002. The 5-foot-11, 191-pounder caught 58 passes for 987 yards and nine touchdowns at Texas in 2024. Golden should play right away in Green Bay, especially with Christian Watson (knee) potentially out for half the season. He will primarily be a field-stretcher for the Packers and could be a boom/bust fantasy commodity in his first NFL campaign in a wideout corps that also includes Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks.