Who Should I Start? Sterling Shepard or Michael Wilson

Friday, December 20, 5:38 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard (foot) has been cleared ahead of the Week 16 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Shepard didn't practice on Wednesday and got in two limited sessions after that, but apparently that was enough to clear Shepard for this weekend. The veteran wideout posted a dud last week. Shepard hauled in his lone target for 16 yards in the win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Rookie wideout Jalen McMillan has proven himself to be a viable option over the last two weeks. McMillan is likely going to take away targets from Shepard, which is going to make the veteran wideout a risky play for Week 16. Fantasy managers should be able to find a better option than a wideout who is probably going to be third or fourth in the pecking order.

Saturday, December 21, 9:26 AM

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson remains a risky WR3/FLEX play in deeper leagues as he prepares to take on the Carolina Panthers. The 24-year-old has been a beacon of availability this season, playing at least 66 percent of offensive snaps in all 14 games. He has a modest stat line of 41 catches, 482 yards, and four touchdowns so far, ranking 52nd among wide receivers in terms of fantasy points (PPR). He had come on strong with 25.2 fantasy points between Weeks 13 and 14, but he dropped down to just 2.9 points with a pair of catches for nine yards last weekend. This week, Wilson faces the Panthers, who have been mediocre in terms of defending wide receivers. Carolina has allowed the 14th-fewest fantasy points to slot receivers this year, as well as the 12th-most fantasy points to receivers who play out wide. For context, Wilson has taken 212 snaps from the slot (30.6 percent), which is the 34th-most among NFL receivers. Managers can certainly justify starting him in deeper fantasy formats, but we'd advise looking elsewhere for production in leagues with 12 teams or fewer.