Who Should I Start? Tyler Lockett or Ricky Pearsall

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.

Friday, January 9, 4:57 PM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle) is considered questionable to play on Sunday against the hosting Philadelphia Eagles in a Wild-Card playoff game, according to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. The questionable tag leaves the door open for Pearsall to play this weekend, but he's definitely on the wrong side of questionable after missing a full week of practice for the second straight week. The 25-year-old aggravated a PCL sprain in his knee that caused him to miss a big chunk of the regular season as well. Fantasy managers definitely shouldn't expect him to be active on Sunday. If Pearsall is officially out for a second straight game, Jauan Jennings should operate as the team's clear WR1, with both Demarcus Robinson and Kendrick Bourne filling bigger roles behind Jennings. Tight end George Kittle should also be heavily targeted.