Who Should I Start? Stefon Diggs or Ricky Pearsall

Friday, February 13, 11:26 AM

New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs pleaded not guilty on Friday to felony strangulation and other criminal charges stemming from an alleged dispute with his personal chef, according to ESPN. According to court records, the chef told officers that she and Diggs argued about the money he owed her for her work. During a Dec. 2 encounter at his home, she said Diggs "smacked her across the face" and "tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck." Diggs' attorney said he "categorically denies these allegations." "He is completely innocent. He will be completely exonerated," Diggs' attorney, Mitchell Schuster, said. The 32-year-old wideout is next scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing on April 1. In his first year in New England in 2025, Diggs helped the Pats reach the Super Bowl, finishing the regular season as the WR18 in half-PPR scoring with 85 catches for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. He should be one of quarterback Drake Maye's top targets again in 2026.

Sunday, February 15, 4:31 AM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is trending up ahead of the NFL offseason. Fellow Niners receiver Jauan Jennings is headed for free agency, and given that his relationship with the team is rocky, it seems likely that he'll sign somewhere else. If Jennings does leave, and Brandon Aiyuk also departs as expected, that will open the door for Pearsall to step into the No. 1 receiver role. He showed the ability to handle a top role at times in 2025, but injuries prevented fantasy managers from being able to fully evaluate him. He ultimately finished his second pro season with 36 catches, 528 yards, and zero touchdowns across nine games. Because of his injury history, it might be tough for the 49ers to trust Pearsall as their No. 1 receiver. We wouldn't be surprised to see them go out and grab a top pass-catcher via trade or free agency, leaving Pearsall in the No. 2 role once again. He can absolutely still offer upside in fantasy football, though. The 49ers have a very capable offense, so Pearsall will be able to turn any workload into fantasy points. He ranks as a fringe top-36 fantasy receiver for 2026 and would jump into the top 24 if the 49ers don't bring in any competition for him.