Who Should I Start? Ricky Pearsall or Xavier Legette

Tuesday, January 27, 12:58 PM

Heading into 2025, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was a popular pick to have a breakout season. However, the former first-round pick battled through a knee injury and recorded just 36 receptions for 528 yards and zero touchdowns on 53 targets across nine games played. Availability has been a consistent issue for Pearsall so far in his NFL career, as he's played in just 20 games across his first two seasons. Even when on the field, the 25-year-old has not yet emerged as a featured option in the San Francisco passing game. He's logged just 99 targets in his career, an average of fewer than five per contest. However, Pearsall will likely have an opportunity for a larger role with the 49ers in 2026. Star San Francisco tight end George Kittle (Achilles) suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the team's NFC Wild Card Round win over the Philadelphia Eagles and will likely miss time in 2026 as a result. Additionally, 49ers wideout Jauan Jennings is set to hit unrestricted free agency in mid-March after leading the team's wide receiver corps in targets in 2025. Fully buying in on Pearsall remains difficult until he proves the ability to stay healthy for an extended stretch. Still, he appears to have a clear pathway to a lead role in the San Francisco passing game in 2026.

Monday, December 29, 10:18 PM

Xavier Legette caught one pass for three yards in the Carolina Panthers' 27-10 loss against the Seattle Seahawks. The Carolina WR finished the game with 1.3 PPR points. It was his fifth consecutive game with fewer than 6.0 PPR points scored. In Week 18, the Panthers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a winner-take-all game for the NFC South title. The Buccaneers ranked sixth in Fantasy Points Per Game allowed to the WR Position in the last four weeks leading up to Week 17. In Week 16 against Tampa Bay, Legette had one reception for 12 yards and 2.2 PPR points scored. Legette has seen 5+ targets in only three games since Week 5, and he has averaged 4.3 targets per game this season. Legette is not a consideration for those still playing in Week 18 or DFS bargain hunters. He doesn't have much dynasty appeal, either.