Who Should I Start? Sterling Shepard or Michael Wilson

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.

Tuesday, February 24, 1:37 PM

Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort made it sound like the team is interested in a long-term contract extension with wide receiver Michael Wilson, according to AZCardinals.com. "Michael is about everything we want in our program to be about, and hopefully he is here for a long time," Ossenfort said on Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine. Wilson is heading into the final year of the four-year, $5.34 million contract he signed with the team in May of 2023, and he's coming off his best year as a pro. The 26-year-old was a beast down the stretch and finished with career-highs across the board in catches (78), targets (126), receiving yards (1,006), and touchdowns (seven) in 17 games played. He had an 8-52-1 line through the first five games in 2025. Wilson proved last year he's ready to take on a bigger role in the passing game, and his fantasy stock is on the rise. However, questions at QB in Arizona may make things difficult on Wilson as he looks for a second straight 1,000-yard season.