Who Should I Start? Anthony Richardson or Caleb Williams

Tuesday, January 21, 1:08 PM

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, the fourth overall pick in 2023, dealt with more injuries in his second NFL season in 2024 and did nothing to solidify himself as the long-term franchise QB in Indy. Richardson regressed as a passer, with his completion percentage dropping more than 11% points from his rookie year. In addition, his interceptions went up and there were questions about his off-field preparation, which led to a two-game benching in the middle of the year. The good news is that Richardson is healthy this offseason after missing the last two games of the year with a back injury, and he's already resumed throwing. His work this offseason with include refining his throws and throwing with more touch. Richardson will also be focusing on overall technique and plans to work with biometric expert Chris Hess. If Richardson can stay healthy and improves his footwork and throwing mechanics, he absolutely has QB1 upside in fantasy.

Tuesday, January 21, 1:29 PM

The Athletic's Dan Pompei believes that new Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson will likely empower quarterback Caleb Williams heading into his second year in the NFL after an up-and-down rookie campaign. Johnson gave QB Jared Goff authority with protection adjustments that not all signal-callers have while serving as the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator, in addition to eliminating plays that Goff didn't like. Johnson was also a big proponent of going for it on fourth down, so the Bears offense should be much more aggressive under Williams in 2025. It's the main reason why Johnson was Chicago's top pick to be their next head coach. Despite plenty of weapons on offense in 2024, Williams was one of the worst downfield passers in his rookie season and had a 62.5% completion percentage to finish as the QB16 in fantasy. The addition of Johnson will surely make Williams a popular breakout candidate in 2025.