Who Should I Start? Terry McLaurin or Ricky Pearsall

Tuesday, April 1, 11:24 PM

When asked if the Washington Commanders have a desire to give wide receiver Terry McLaurin a new deal before the 2025 season, general manager Adam Peters said they've had talks with McLaurin's agent, and they've been positive so far. "We want to make Terry a Commander for a long time," Peters said. McLaurin was a Pro Bowler for the second time in 2024 and posted his fifth straight 1,000-yard campaign by catching 82 of his 117 targets for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns in 17 regular-season starts with impressive rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. The 29-year-old has one year left on the three-year, $68.2 million extension he signed in 2022. The addition of wideout Deebo Samuel Sr. shouldn't really affect Scary Terry's overall volume, although fantasy managers should expect TD regression. Still, with McLaurin paired with the upside of Daniels, he should be a popular WR2 target this fall.

Sunday, January 5, 10:47 PM

San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall followed last week's breakout game with another strong showing in Sunday's 47-24 Week 18 loss to the Cardinals in Arizona. The Arizona native caught six of eight targets for 69 yards, including a six-yard touchdown grab on a contested slant pattern from backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs. Pearsall, who started his 49ers career on a terrifying note -- being shot in the chest during an armed robbery attempt -- had an up-and-down year once he debuted in Week 7. Pearsall produced four fantasy-useful performances in 2024 but seven in which he was held below six half-PPR points. With momentum and the validation of his first-round pedigree this season, Pearsall could be an intriguing late-round fantasy pick in 2025 depending on the health of Brandon Aiyuk's knee, and if Pearsall can move past Jauan Jennings and/or Deebo Samuel Sr. in the 49ers' hierarchy.