Who Should I Start? Tyler Lockett or Adam Thielen

Saturday, December 6, 6:47 PM

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tyler Lockett is looking to bounce back after giving fantasy managers a dud last week. Lockett struggled to make an impact, hauling in his lone target for 11 yards in the loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Before that, Lockett was actually playing well with three catches or more in each of his three previous contests. Lockett has also finished with 40 receiving yards or more in two of his four games in Las Vegas. The familiarity with quarterback Geno Smith has probably helped Lockett get more comfortable in this offense. The biggest problem is that the Raiders' offense hasn't been able to successfully move the ball through the air this season. There is hope that Lockett can have a bounce-back game in Week 14. He hauled in five receptions for 44 yards during the last meeting against the Denver Broncos. Fantasy managers should put Lockett in the low-end flex category for this weekend.

Sunday, December 7, 12:53 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen are active for Sunday's Week 14 contest against the Baltimore Ravens. Both players are making their team debuts. Valdes-Scantling was signed from the Steelers' practice squad earlier this week after previously playing for the Buffalo Bills. In five games with Buffalo, he caught four of his eight targets for 40 yards. Meanwhile, Thielen was claimed off waivers after he and the Minnesota Vikings mutually agreed to part ways. The 35-year-old had caught just eight passes through 11 games. He is one year removed from a solid 2024 campaign with the Carolina Panthers in which he caught 48 passes for 615 yards and five touchdowns. Neither player is much of a hot commodity in fantasy football, but they both have the potential to carve out significant roles. After all, the Steelers have been underwhelmed by the wide receiver position across the entire depth chart, including receivers DK Metcalf and Calvin Austin III, and could be looking for meaningful contributions from new faces.