Who Should I Start? Aaron Rodgers or Jimmy Garoppolo

Friday, September 12, 8:39 PM

Even Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers' biggest supporters may have been surprised that he turned back the clock to throw four touchdowns in a 34-32 Week 1 win over his former team, the New York Jets, last Sunday. Rodgers did it on 22-for-30 passing while throwing for 244 yards. Only one time last year did Rodgers throw for four TDs with the Jets, and it came in the Week 18 regular-season finale. The 41-year-old future Hall of Famer's back was tight and limited his mobility against the Jets, but he was not on Pittsburgh's injury report this week and is cleared for a Week 2 meeting with the Seattle Seahawks in his Steel City debut. Seattle allowed Brock Purdy to throw for 277 yards and two TDs against them in Week 1, but they also picked him off twice. Rodgers proved he still has a little magic in him, but the ceiling and floor remain low for fantasy purposes, and the bottom line is that most weeks, the Steelers are hoping he won't have to wear a cape.

Saturday, September 6, 9:56 PM

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay views quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as a "starting-caliber" option. Matthew Stafford is in line to start on Sunday versus the Houston Texans. However, with the veteran signal-caller battling a lingering back injury, the Rams are confident Garoppolo can fill in admirably if necessary. From a fantasy standpoint, Stafford has had a better career. Still, with concerns about his health, Garoppolo may get a chance to start at some point moving ahead. The 33-year-old played for the Patriots, 49ers, and Raiders before arriving in Los Angeles in 2024 to suit up for the Rams. In 82 regular-season contests, he's thrown for 15,828 yards, 96 touchdowns, and 52 interceptions off 67.4% passing while also leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2019. All things considered, Garoppolo doesn't have much fantasy value at the moment. If Stafford goes down this season due to the nagging back issue, Garoppolo could prove useful for those participating in deeper SuperFlex formats, especially with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams at his disposal.