Who Should I Start? Bailey Zappe or Will Howard


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Bailey Zappe News

Browns Elevate Bailey Zappe from Practice Squad, Will Serve as Cleveland's QB2 in Week 12

Saturday, November 22, 1:01 PM

The Cleveland Browns have elevated quarterback Bailey Zappe from the practice squad to the active roster ahead of their Week 12 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. With quarterback Dillon Gabriel (concussion) sidelined by a concussion, Zappe will serve as Cleveland's QB2 in Week 12 behind rookie Shedeur Sanders. Across 15 career NFL games (nine starts), Zappe has completed 62.1% of his pass attempts for 2,223 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. He last appeared in an NFL game with Cleveland in 2024. Gabriel is not expected to face an extended absence, so Zappe's time on the active roster could be limited to one week.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.8 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Will Howard News

Will Howard Battling for the QB2 Job in Pittsburgh?

Friday, July 24, 8:43 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks Will Howard and Mason Rudolph could be battling for the "QB2 job and, potentially, a spot on the 53-man roster" in training camp, per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. A sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Howard battled injury as a rookie and did not see any game action in his first professional season. Aaron Rodgers remains atop the Steelers' depth chart for 2026, leaving Howard unlikely to play a fantasy-relevant role as long as Rodgers remains healthy. The Steelers also drafted quarterback Drew Allar in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, leading to speculation that Howard's place on the Pittsburgh roster could be in major jeopardy. While Howard may still end up off the Steelers roster, it appears that he may have a legitimate chance to beat out both Allar and Rudolph for the team's backup job entering 2026. Rudolph has 34 games (19 starts) of NFL experience under his belt, but Howard may be the higher-upside option. In deeper fantasy leagues, Howard could still be worth stashing in case he establishes himself during the preseason.


Bailey Zappe vs. Will Howard

Still trying to decide between Zappe and Howard? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Bailey Zappe is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Will Howard is projected to score 0.8 points.