Who Should I Start? Tyler Lockett or Courtland Sutton

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.

Tuesday, January 20, 6:37 PM

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton posted a modest performance in his team's Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills, hauling in four receptions for 53 yards. Sutton functioned as Denver's WR1, earning a team-high nine targets. He could be in line for another sizable target share in the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots, particularly with fellow Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant (concussion) questionable to play after suffering a concussion against the Bills. However, the Denver pass game will be without starting quarterback Bo Nix (ankle), who will miss the remainder of the postseason after breaking a bone in his ankle late in the game against Buffalo. As a result, Sutton will be catching passes from Broncos backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who has thrown for 1,422 yards, eight touchdowns, and eight interceptions across 20 career NFL games (four starts). While Sutton should remain heavily featured against New England, he may struggle against the tough Patriots defense while working with a backup quarterback.