Who Should I Start? Terry McLaurin or Michael Pittman Jr.

Thursday, January 16, 5:16 PM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin should be viewed as a high-end WR1 during the divisional round when he faces the Detroit Lions on Saturday evening. Last weekend, McLaurin led the way in their upset victory in Tampa Bay, bringing in seven of his ten targets for 89 yards and a score. His targets were the most on the team. Over his previous seven games, McLaurin has scored in six of them (eight total TDs) and averaged a solid 66.3 yards and 19.3 PPR points per game. During this span, he has seen 8.4 targets per game and caught just under six of them in each contest. Given his role as Jayden Daniels' go-to option, he carries elite upside in a favorable matchup, as the Lions have allowed the second-most PPR points to opposing wideouts this season. McLaurin should be targeted in all DFS competitions this weekend.

Friday, January 10, 12:10 PM

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said that wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) will not require surgery for the fractured back that he played through late in the 2024 season. "One tough dude. Example of what you want," Ballard said. It's a testament to Pittman's toughness that he missed just one game due to his back injury. But the 27-year-old's back issues and inconsistent play from the quarterback position in Indianapolis in 2024 led to Pittman posting only 808 receiving yards -- his fewest since his rookie season in 2020 -- to go with 69 receptions (also his lowest mark since 2020) and only three touchdowns in 16 games. Better health will give him a chance to rebound in 2025, but his overall upside might be dependent on quarterback Anthony Richardson's health and his ability to improve as a passer.