Who Should I Start? Zay Flowers or Ricky Pearsall

Wednesday, July 30, 3:58 PM

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (knee/leg) did not practice on Wednesday, but head coach John Harbaugh said the Pro Bowl wideout had "camp-like" stuff pop up and will get a day or a few days off. It sounds like Flowers is dealing with a minor ailment, so fantasy managers should not be concerned at this point. In his second NFL season last year, Flowers secured 74 of his 116 targets for 1,059 yards and four touchdowns. The former first-round pick out of Boston College has been excellent to start his NFL career, but high-end WR1 upside for fantasy football is likely out of reach thanks to the Ravens' dominance on the ground. Either way, he's a solid WR2/3 or flex option and has the big-play ability to produce spike weeks. His competition for targets in the wide receiver room remains weak entering 2025.

Thursday, September 4, 12:15 PM

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the San Francisco 49ers believe wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is "poised for a Year 2 Jump." The former first-round pick dealt with a myriad of issues during his rookie campaign, but is slated to handle a large workload in 2025 with the 49ers' wide receiving corps in shambles. Fellow wideout Jauan Jennings' recent return somewhat throws a wrench in that, at least for the time being. Still, it's unclear if Jennings will require ramp-up time as he's dealt with a calf injury for the majority of the summer. Pearsall and quarterback Brock Purdy have spent time this offseason developing chemistry, and San Francisco's passing offense has been excellent with him at the helm. If Jennings is slow to find his groove, the Florida State product could be in for a tremendous season.