Who Should I Start? Tim Patrick or D.J. Chark

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.

Thursday, January 9, 9:34 PM

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver D.J. Chark could be looking at an increased role in the passing game when the Chargers open up their playoff campaign against the Houston Texans on Wild Card Weekend. Chark barely saw the field this season due to a combination of injury and depth chart issues, but with fellow wide receivers Quentin Johnson (thigh/illness) questionable and Joshua Palmer (foot) out, it could fall on Chark to work alongside rookie Ladd McConkey as the top two LA wide receivers. Chark was able to catch his first touchdown of the season in last week's Week 18 win, so he's on the closest thing to a hot streak that he'd had in a Chargers uniform. If Johnston plays, Chark is unlikely to make much noise, but he'd be a value pick with some upside if he's the second wide receiver on the depth chart for the game.