Who Should I Start? Tank Dell or Jacob Cowing

Wednesday, January 21, 12:14 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (knee) is on schedule to participate in offseason workouts, according to general manager Nick Caserio. "Tank is doing awesome. We would anticipate him being ready for the start of the offseason program," Caserio said. Head coach DeMeco Ryans also said earlier this week that he was excited to see Dell return next season. Dell was on the Physically Unable to Perform list for the entire 2025 season after he tore his ACL, MCL, and LCL in Week 16 of the 2024 season. The 26-year-old needed multiple surgeries to fix his knee, although he appears to be making notable progress and could be ready for the start of the 2026 regular season this fall, depending on how he progresses during the offseason. The Texans are optimistic that Dell will be able to contribute next year, but in what could be a crowded WR room in Houston, fantasy managers should pump the brakes on Dell returning to fantasy relevance immediately.

Monday, January 5, 7:45 PM

The San Francisco 49ers will open the 21-day practice window for wide receiver Jacob Cowing (hamstring) this week, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. Cowing will practice with the team on Wednesday, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. The 24-year-old is getting closer to returning from Injured Reserve, but he could still be unlikely to be activated to play in the Wild-Card playoff game this Sunday against the hosting Philadelphia Eagles. If Cowing does end up playing against the Eagles, he will most likely only have a role on special teams after missing the entire 2025 regular season. The former fourth-round selection in 2024 out of Arizona caught four of his six targets for 80 yards in 15 games last year in his first season in the NFL. Cowing will be a long shot to surface as an option in playoff fantasy formats.