Chris Olave vs Ja'Marr Chase: Who Should You Start?
Chris Olave and Ja'Marr Chase are both viable fantasy wide receivers heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. Chris Olave averaged 13.7 PPG across 16 games with the New Orleans Saints, while Ja'Marr Chase posted 15.7 PPG in 16 appearances for the Cincinnati Bengals.
A 2.0-PPG gap gives Ja'Marr Chase the edge on paper, but paper does not account for Thursday night matchups, weather games, or a star defender returning from injury. The real question is not who was better in 2025, but who is the better start this specific week.
Target volume is the story here. Ja'Marr Chase saw 185 targets in 2025, while Chris Olave drew 156. That workload gap usually translates into a higher weekly floor for Ja'Marr Chase, even in weeks where Chris Olave posts the bigger ceiling game. Consistency-minded managers lean toward target share; boom-bust managers chase the upside.
One thing to note: both players share a Week 12 bye. That means you need a backup plan at wide receiver for that week, especially if one of these two is your starter.
