Who Should I Start? Tim Patrick or Kendrick Bourne

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.

Saturday, February 22, 12:03 PM

The Athletic's Chad Graff suggests that it could be time for the New England Patriots to move on from wide receiver Kendrick Bourne this offseason, even if he's their top player at their biggest position of need. Bourne missed the start of the 2024 season while recovering from a torn right ACL and caught only 28 passes on 38 targets for 305 yards and one touchdown in 12 games (nine starts) once he returned. With a new coaching regime in town, the Patriots could move on from Bourne, who will be heading into his age-30 season in 2025. New England would save $4.9 million in salary cap space if they cut him before June 1 or $6.3 million if they cut him with a post-June 1 designation. Bourne is under contract with the Patriots through the 2026 season, but it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see this rebuilding organization go in another direction as they completely rebuild their receiving corps.