Who Should I Start? Andy Dalton or Carson Wentz

Thursday, August 21, 6:05 PM

Carolina Panthers backup quarterback Andy Dalton (elbow) is being held out of the team's preseason finale on Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Panthers beat writer Darin Gantt. Starter Bryce Young will also be held out, leaving QB duties on Thursday to Jack Plummer and Bryce Perkins, who was just signed on Monday. The 37-year-old Dalton suffered a muscle strain in his right elbow in the team's second preseason tilt last Saturday against the Houston Texans. While the injury isn't considered overly serious, Dalton is strictly focused on being available for the club's Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Red Rifle is purely a backup at this point in his career. In six games (five starts) played last year in Carolina when Young was benched, he threw for 989 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions.

Monday, September 15, 3:23 PM

With Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) looking unlikely to play in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals due to a high-ankle sprain that he suffered in Sunday night's loss to the Atlanta Falcons, veteran signal-caller Carson Wentz is now in line to start this Sunday. Wentz, a former first-rounder by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016, hasn't been a full-time starter since 2021 with the Indianapolis Colts. Since then, he's appeared in only 13 games, making nine starts for the Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Rams, and Kansas City Chiefs. The 32-year-old has gone 201-for-319 for 2,036 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in that span. McCarthy could easily miss multiple weeks, making Wentz a candidate for a waiver-wire pickup in superflex leagues. With All-Pro wideout Justin Jefferson as his WR1 and with Jordan Addison being available as soon as Week 4, Wentz could have a decent run for fantasy managers as a short-term fill-in at the QB position.