Who Should I Start? Stefon Diggs or Christian Kirk

Saturday, December 27, 8:34 AM

New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs' snap share has been held in check this season. The veteran has been on the field for just 54.2% of the snaps in 2025, which has allowed him to remain productive while also staying fresh and healthy. However, he could be tasked with handling more snaps in Week 17 against the New York Jets, purely out of necessity. New England is dealing with numerous wide receiver injuries; Kayshon Boutte (concussion) is ruled out, Mack Hollins (abdomen) is ruled out, and DeMario Douglas (hamstring) is listed as questionable. Diggs, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism are the Patriots' healthy receivers, and even if Douglas suits up, the Patriots will need all four receivers to handle larger roles. That could mean that Diggs, who caught nine passes for 138 yards on a 59% snap share last week, could get on the field for more than two-thirds of the offensive plays. In theory, more snaps should lead to more targets for Diggs, who could feast against a Jets defense that most recently surrendered 10 catches, 148 yards, and two touchdowns to Chris Olave. The veteran pass-catcher is a strong WR2 option in most fantasy leagues this week.

Friday, December 26, 9:03 AM

Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk is coming off one of his best games of the season last week against the Raiders, as the veteran played his most snaps (39) since Week 9 and had his most targets (5) since Week 12. He'll have a tougher matchup this week against the Chargers on Saturday and is a high-risk play for fantasy purposes since his role is still extremely shaky. He finishes second on the team in receiving yards and tied for second in targets last week, though, so it's possible he'll continue to trend up as the Texans continue their playoff push. Since he only has 25 catches for 241 yards and a touchdown this season, Kirk is a high-risk option in this tough matchup in Los Angeles, and he's just the No. 67 WR in RotoBaller's rankings. He can be left on the bench or waiver wire in most leagues, but it is worth monitoring his involvement to see if last week's performance was a matchup-based outlier or the start of a trend.