Who Should I Start? Tim Patrick or Dante Pettis

Friday, January 17, 1:44 AM

Detroit Lions wide receiver Tim Patrick delivered a solid four-game stretch where he looked like one of the best No. 3 receivers in the NFL, but a subpar finish to the regular season has stripped him of some fantasy appeal as the Divisional Round gets underway. This week, Patrick gets ready for a matchup with the Washington Commanders, who have ranked near the middle of the league in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers. They've also fared equally well against both slot and perimeter weapons, so Patrick's tendency to operate out wide doesn't give him much of an advantage. The veteran receiver caught two passes on three targets over his final three games during the regular season, consistently playing between 55 and 65 percent of the offensive snaps. His experience and veteran status do give him a slight boost in the playoffs, but he's still tough to trust given his reduced volume to end the regular season. Look for him to rank as a fringe top-24 fantasy receiver this week.

Monday, January 6, 2:27 AM

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Dante Pettis caught two of his six targets for 16 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 27-19 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Pettis was the only Saint to find the end zone in the season finale with the rest of New Orleans' points provided by the leg of kicker Blake Grupe. Pettis was signed to the Saints practice squad partway through the season and was added to the active roster in December to accommodate for the team's lack of depth at wide receiver. Over the course of the season, Rashid Shaheed (knee) and Bub Means (ankle) were lost to season-ending injuries and Chris Olave (concussion) missed a total of nine games after suffering two separate concussions. Pettis will finish the season with 10 receptions for 120 yards in his limited role.