Who Should I Start? Xavier Worthy or Ricky Pearsall

Wednesday, December 24, 4:24 PM

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy will now be the unquestioned WR1 for the team moving forward. The Chiefs placed Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton on IR on Wednesday morning, opening the door for Worthy to step into a more prominent role. Worthy led the wide receivers in receiving yards last week, catching two passes for 41 yards on three targets. Despite being the lead receiver, Worthy will have to deal with downgraded quarterback play and a difficult matchup in Week 17. Chris Oladokun is now the Chiefs starting quarterback, and they face the Denver Broncos on Christmas Day. Oladokun has 16 passing attempts in his career, and the Broncos defense has allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season. Worthy's role in the offense could potentially be valuable, but he has a lot working against him this week. Worthy is ranked WR56 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR ranking, making him a desperation flex option this week.

Tuesday, December 30, 12:59 AM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle) logged five receptions for 85 yards on eight targets in their 42-38 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday night. Pearsall led the team in receiving yards and was second to backup tight end Jake Tonges in receptions and targets. After missing six weeks due to injury, Pearsall returned in Week 11 only to hit a three-game slump wherein he had a mere five catches for 20 yards. However, since the 49ers' bye in Week 14, Pearsall has been a worthwhile investment in fantasy. He missed last week due to injuries but had a six-catch, 96-yard game in Week 15. Pearsall has 36 catches for 528 yards and is still seeking his first touchdown of 2025 as the 49ers head into a Week 18 matchup against the Seahawks.