Ricky Pearsall vs Xavier Worthy: Who Should You Start?
Ricky Pearsall and Xavier Worthy are both viable fantasy wide receivers heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. Ricky Pearsall averaged 7.8 PPG across 9 games with the San Francisco 49ers, while Xavier Worthy posted 6.3 PPG in 14 appearances for the Kansas City Chiefs.
A 1.5-PPG gap gives Ricky Pearsall 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.
Both are workload receivers with similar target shares. Ricky Pearsall turned 53 targets into 528 yards and undefined touchdowns, while Xavier Worthy converted 73 looks into 532 yards and 1 scores. When target volume is this close, game script and defensive matchup typically decide the weekly winner.
Ricky Pearsall has his bye in Week 9, and Xavier Worthy rests in Week 6. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at wide receiver for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
