Who Should I Start? Ricky Pearsall or Tetairoa McMillan

Wednesday, November 5, 5:50 PM

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) will not practice on Wednesday, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Pearsall has not practiced or played since spraining his PCL in the Week 4 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he doesn't appear to be on track to make his long-awaited return this weekend for the divisional battle against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday in Week 10. The 25-year-old former first-rounder is still rostered in 77% of Yahoo leagues, but he's running out of time to make an impact this year for his fantasy managers. And at this point, it's fair to wonder if even Brandon Aiyuk (knee) will be back with the Niners before Pearsall. In his four games played in 2025, Pearsall has 20 receptions for 327 yards and no touchdowns. If Pearsall can't return this weekend, his next chance to play will come in Week 11 for another divisional affair against the Arizona Cardinals.

Monday, November 3, 12:44 PM

Tetairoa McMillan was the top receiver for the Carolina Panthers again in their 16-13 upset over the Green Bay Packers in Week 9, but the numbers were not outstanding. The rookie wide receiver totaled 46 yards on four receptions with 8.6 PPR fantasy points. Carolina's defense kept the game close, and the Panthers prioritize the running game over the passing game. Although McMillan remains the target hog for the team in the passing game, Carolina's run-first approach is likely to be on display again in Week 10 against the Saints. New Orleans ranks 28th in the last two weeks in fantasy points per game allowed to running backs (29.3), and gave up 172 rushing yards to the Rams RBs in Week 9. Despite the Panthers favoring the running game, fantasy players should continue starting McMillan in lineups, especially as he can flash upside in any given week.