Who Should I Start? Baker Mayfield or Michael Penix Jr.

Thursday, January 1, 2:43 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (knee, shoulder) practiced in full for the second straight day on Thursday and has been cleared to play in Saturday's Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Carolina Panthers. Mayfield is nursing knee and shoulder injuries, but he will be active as the Bucs look to win the NFC South this weekend with a win over Carolina and a loss by the Falcons to the Saints. The 30-year-old won't be a very inspiring QB1 option for fantasy managers still playing for something in Week 18, although he is coming off a 346-yard passing effort with two touchdowns in last week's loss to the Miami Dolphins. In the first meeting against the Panthers two weeks ago, Mayfield threw for only 145 yards with a touchdown and an interception. After four straight games without multiple passing TDs, Mayfield has two TD passes in two of his last three games.

Tuesday, January 27, 2:49 PM

New Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski spoke to the media on Tuesday about the importance of getting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) back healthy in 2026, per Tori McElhaney of AtlantaFalcons.com. "Michael (Penix) is someone I am very excited about," Stefanski said. Penix suffered a partially torn ACL in his left knee late in the season, putting his availability for the start of the 2026 campaign in question. The 25-year-old signal-caller also tore his right ACL twice in college and suffered season-ending injuries to both of his shoulders before getting to the NFL. While Stefanski and Atlanta's new coaching staff may like what Penix has put on tape early in his career, his long-term durability is a major question mark. The Falcons could move on from veteran Kirk Cousins this offseason, and if they do, they'd need to bring more QB insurance in case Penix isn't ready. The situation in Atlanta is nice for Penix, but his lengthy injury history makes him a risky QB2 in fantasy going into the 2026 season.