Who Should I Start? Sterling Shepard or George Kittle

Sunday, December 22, 11:25 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard (hamstring) injured his hamstring in the Sunday night game against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16 and was ruled out. It was a frustrating night for anyone that used Shepard in their starting fantasy lineups in deeper leagues, as he ends up finishing the contest with only one reception on three targets for 20 yards. The 31-year-old veteran pass-catcher injured his hamstring during a run in the third quarter. If he is unable to play in Week 17 versus the division-rival Carolina Panthers in a good matchup, Trey Palmer would most likely serve as Tampa's No. 3 wideout behind Mike Evans and rookie Jalen McMillan. Shepard came into the Week 16 game on Sunday night outside of the top 50 receivers in half-PPR points scored per game this year, so he hasn't been much more than a bye-week streamer, even with Chris Godwin (ankle) out for the season.

Monday, December 23, 12:27 AM

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle delivered another solid performance during a Week 16 loss to the Dolphins in Miami on Sunday. The two-time first-team All-Pro took a co-team-leading nine targets to pace the 49ers in receptions (8) and receiving yards (106). Besides missing two games with injury, Kittle has been extremely reliable this season, surpassing half-PPR Yahoo projections in 10-of-13 starts. One would imagine that Kittle will be well-represented among fantasy teams vying for championships in Week 17 when the 49ers host the Detroit Lions. Kittle will be a no-brainer start in that one regardless of matchup but should be played with increased confidence as the Lions' prolific offense is likely to force the 49ers to make heavy use of their passing attack.