Who Should I Start? Xavier Restrepo or Tez Johnson

Tuesday, November 25, 10:00 PM

After spending the first 11 weeks of the 2025 season on the Tennessee Titans' practice squad, rookie wide receiver Xavier Restrepo finally made his NFL debut in Week 12 against the Seattle Seahawks. The 23-year-old earned six targets from Titans quarterback Cameron Ward and hauled in two receptions for 26 yards. Restrepo's path to game action was aided by injuries to Titans wideouts Calvin Ridley (leg) and Elic Ayomanor (hamstring). Ridley will miss the rest of the season, while Ayomanor could return as soon as Week 13 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, if Ayomanor remains sidelined, Restrepo could have another chance to prove himself against Jacksonville. While fantasy managers will need Restrepo to play more than the 19 offensive snaps he played in Week 12, in some ways, it's encouraging that he was able to log six targets despite the limited playing time. Restrepo can't be trusted as a fantasy starter yet, but he could be worth monitoring for deep-league fantasy managers if the wide receiver injuries in Tennessee persist.

Tuesday, December 30, 9:18 PM

Across a seven-game stretch from Week 5 to Week 12, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tez Johnson recorded 22 receptions for 274 yards and five touchdowns on 34 targets. However, Tampa Bay has welcomed wide receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin Jr., and Jalen McMillan back from injury in recent weeks, burying Johnson on the depth chart. Over his last five games, Johnson has hauled in just four catches for 18 yards. The 23-year-old has also played 16 or fewer offensive snaps in three consecutive outings. Heading into the team's Week 18 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, there is little indication that Johnson is ticketed for a significant role in the Tampa Bay offense. Johnson has shown enough in his rookie season to carry some upside in dynasty formats, but he should likely be off the radar of redraft fantasy managers in Week 18.