Who Should I Start? Sterling Shepard or Ja'Lynn Polk

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.

Friday, January 3, 6:55 PM

New England Patriots rookie wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk (shoulder) did not practice at all this week and has been ruled out for the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Buffalo Bills. Meanwhile, fellow wideout Kayshon Boutte (illness) was cleared to play. The 22-year-old Polk will finish off what has been a bad rookie season early due to a shoulder injury. The second-round selection just never had much of a chance to excel in 2024 in a bad offense with rookie quarterback Drake Maye struggling to find his footing with limited weapons around him. Polk will finish his first year in the NFL with only 12 catches on 33 targets for 87 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games (seven starts). The Patriots will surely look to bring in upgraded receiving options this offseason, giving Polk and others even more competition.