Who Should I Start? Sterling Shepard or Darnell Mooney

Friday, January 10, 6:16 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard (foot) upgraded to a full practice on Friday and was removed from the final injury report for wild-card weekend. Shepard was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday but will be active on Sunday evening to face the visiting Washington Commanders. The 31-year-old veteran pass-catcher will be looking for a better performance after catching one of his two targets for 11 yards in the Week 18 win over the division-rival New Orleans Saints. Although the Bucs had one of the best passing offenses in the league in 2024, Shepard has struggled to maintain any kind of fantasy value with limited targets on a weekly basis. He'll continue to serve as the No. 3 behind Mike Evans and rookie Jalen McMillan, giving him minimal upside as a flex play in postseason leagues. Shepard's only touchdown of the year came back on Oct. 3.

Sunday, January 5, 11:48 AM

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (shoulder) is officially inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Carolina Panthers. He had been listed as questionable but had an unfavorable outlook after NFL Network's Ian Rapoport noted that Mooney faced an uphill battle to suit up this weekend. His absence should lead to an increased role for Ray-Ray McCloud III, who is the overall WR54 in PPR leagues with 58 catches, 620 yards, and one touchdown through 16 games. McCloud has quietly put together the best season of his career and possesses WR3/FLEX upside in his increased role Sunday.