Who Should I Start? Tyler Lockett or Chris Olave

Sunday, December 28, 7:59 PM

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tyler Lockett tallied two receptions and nine yards off his three targets during Sunday's 34-10 loss to the New York Giants in Week 17. The veteran wide receiver's fantasy day was saved by his reception in the back of the end zone on a quarterback Geno Smith (ankle) scramble late in the third quarter. Lockett was competing for targets with the fourth-round rookie wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr., but the Raiders' offense struggled to sustain drives or keep a clean pocket against the Giants' defense. If rookie wide receiver Jack Bech (back), who was a late addition to the Week 17 injury report and was ruled out before kickoff on Sunday, Lockett should resume his part-time WR3 role in Week 18 against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs' defense is a bottom-10 matchup for opposing wide receivers, keeping Lockett in deep-league WR4/Flex territory heading into the final game of the 2025 season.

Thursday, January 29, 9:55 PM

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave will be in WR1 territory in 2026 fantasy football drafts in what will be quarterback Tyler Shough's first full year as the starter. In his fourth year in the NFL in 2025, Olave set career-highs across the board in targets (156), receptions (100), receiving yards (1,163), and touchdowns (nine) despite failing to play in a full season for the fourth time. The 25-year-old former first-rounder missed the Week 18 season finale due to a blood clot in his lung. Thankfully, the expectation is that Olave will be fully ready for the start of next season. If not for an injury last year, Olave most likely would have reached the 1,000-yard mark in all four of his campaigns. Injuries might be a deterrent for fantasy managers, but the chemistry that Olave showed with Shough is a great sign. Olave will come off the board in the early rounds of fantasy drafts later this year.