George Pickens vs Luther Burden: Who Should You Start?
George Pickens and Luther Burden are at different tiers heading into 2026. The Dallas Cowboys wide receiver averaged 14.4 PPG in 2025, a full 7.4 points per game ahead of Luther Burden's 7.0 with the Chicago Bears. That kind of gap doesn't close on matchup alone.
A 7.4-PPG gap gives George Pickens 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. George Pickens saw 137 targets in 2025, while Luther Burden drew 60. That workload gap usually translates into a higher weekly floor for George Pickens, even in weeks where Luther Burden 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 7 bye. That means you need a backup plan at wide receiver for that week, especially if one of these two is your starter.
