Who Should I Start? Tyler Lockett or George Pickens

Friday, November 22, 7:14 PM

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett has been a low-end flex option throughout most of the season. He checks in as such in Week 12 against the Arizona Cardinals, but it comes with a lot of risk. Lockett's usage out of the Seahawks' Week 10 bye was puzzling and could be prescriptive for the rest of the season. Lockett was clearly operating as the Seahawks' No. 3 wide receiver in Week 11 against the San Francisco 49ers. In his last three games played, Lockett has only averaged 3.3 targets per game after averaging 6.6 targets per game over his first seven games. The emergence of wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba as a preferred target for quarterback Geno Smith is eating significantly into Lockett's volume. With the Seahawks switching to a less pass-heavy attack after the bye week, there may not be enough targets to go around for the Seahawks' top three wide receivers. With six teams on a bye this week, Lockett is still a risky flex play.

Friday, November 22, 11:23 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens came down with four of his seven targets for 48 yards in a 24-19 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Outside of a 31-yard deep ball he caught in the first quarter, it was a relatively quiet night for Pickens, who had four straight showings with over 70 yards heading into Thursday night. The weather conditions in Cleveland weren't ideal for big plays downfield and surely impacted Pickens' performance. While Pickens has been incredibly productive with yardage this season, his touchdown upside is limited in this Steelers offense that has struggled to find the end zone over the past two weeks. He'll look to get back on track against another divisional opponent in the Cincinnati Bengals next week.