Who Should I Start? Tyler Lockett or Tetairoa McMillan

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.

Monday, December 29, 11:15 AM

Tetairoa McMillan had the worst game of the season in Week 17 against the Seattle Seahawks. The rookie WR was targeted four times but only caught one pass for five yards. Although he reportedly worked past an illness to play, he finished with 1.5 PPR points, marking the second time in the last three weeks he totaled less than 5.0 PPR points. In Week 18, the Panthers will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, their NFC South rival, for the division title. The Buccaneers ranked sixth in Fantasy Points Per Game allowed to WRs over the last four weeks leading up to Week 17. In Week 16 against Tampa Bay, McMillan had six receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown. He totaled 19.3 PPR points in one of his best games of the year. Despite the seemingly unfavorable matchup, McMillan may bounce back against a Tampa Bay team he performed well against previously. Fantasy leaguers who are playing in Week 18 can consider starting McMillan as a WR3 or flex option in a winner-take-all game for Carolina.