Who Should I Start? Brock Purdy or Aidan O'Connell

Sunday, October 20, 10:52 PM

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had a rough day at the office in a 28-18 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Purdy finished with 17 completions on 31 attempts for 212 yards, no passing touchdowns, and three interceptions. Overall, it was a sloppy performance but Purdy's day was saved in fantasy with a couple of touchdowns on quarterback sneaks. He finished with eight rushes for 27 yards and the two scores. Although a substandard Purdy made his share of mistakes, it didn't help that he was without receivers Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Deebo Samuel Sr. (illness) for most of the game. Looking ahead, Purdy will probably slip in weekly rankings if Aiyuk has suffered an ACL tear as feared, at least until rookie receivers Ricky Pearsall and/or Jacob Cowing prove reliable. A return by Christian McCaffrey (Achilles/calf) at some point would help buoy Purdy's value. Purdy gets the Dallas Cowboys at home next Sunday night.

Monday, October 21, 1:18 PM

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell (thumb) will be placed on Injured Reserve after fracturing his right thumb in the Week 7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, according to sources. O'Connell was making his second start of the year on Sunday but will now be out for four to six weeks and will miss at least the next four games after going on IR. He'll have a chance to return this season, but the earliest O'Connell can return would be in Week 13 against the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 8. In his two starts, O'Connell went 33-for-50 for 279 yards with a TD and an interception. Gardner Minshew II will now take over as Vegas' starter, but he's nothing more than a low-upside, low-end QB2 in superflex fantasy leagues. After relieving O'Connell on Sunday, Minshew went 15-for-34 for 154 yards with three interceptions and also lost a fumble.