Who Should I Start? Sterling Shepard or KhaDarel Hodge

Sunday, February 22, 10:27 AM

Across 13 games in 2025, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard recorded 39 receptions for 371 yards and one touchdown on 53 targets. With veteran Buccaneers wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin Jr. sidelined for a significant portion of the year by injury, Shepard saw increased opportunity for playing time, particularly early in the season. However, he was largely unable to hold off Bucs rookie wide receivers Emeka Egbuka and Tez Johnson, and the late-season return of second-year wideout Jalen McMillan pushed Shepard even further down the depth chart. Shepard is now set for unrestricted free agency, and a change of scenery away from the crowded wide receiver room in Tampa Bay could help his fantasy outlook. Still, Shepard is entering his age-33 season and has not recorded 40 receptions in a season since 2020. Regardless of where he ends up in 2026, Shepard's fantasy-relevant days may be behind him.

Saturday, November 22, 5:17 PM

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge could be in line for a bump in volume in Week 12 against the Saints as Drake London (knee) is sidelined due to injury, with London's double-digit target volume up for grabs. The team's other back-end receiving options, David Sills V and Casey Washington, will also be vying for targets, but now in his fourth year with the team, Hodge has more familiarity in the offense and with Kirk Cousins. It may not amount to much more than a few catches, as it did in Week 8 when London was absent and Hodge compiled eight targets from Cousins, converting three of them for 31 yards. Managers in deep 14-team leagues or larger and those who play DFS could take a shot on the 30-year-old wideout as an under-the-radar lottery ticket in the event he finds the end zone.