Who Should I Start? Brock Purdy or Caleb Williams

Thursday, August 14, 5:52 PM

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that he expects to play quarterback Brock Purdy and some of the other starters in the team's second preseason contest this Saturday against the Las Vegas Raiders. Purdy did not play in the preseason opener last Saturday against the Denver Broncos, so this will be his preseason debut this year, although he probably won't play more than a couple offensive series. The 25-year-old still has low-end QB1 potential with Shanahan running the offense and running back Christian McCaffrey in the backfield, but it's also concerning that San Fran's receiving corps is so beat up right now -- Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is on the PUP list and Jauan Jenninngs (calf), Jacob Cowing (hamstring) and rookie Jordan Watkins (ankle) are all hurt. Purdy's rushing ability gives him a higher floor for fantasy, even if the Niners' offense doesn't fully bounce back.

Wednesday, August 13, 2:06 PM

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson said that his starters, including second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, will play in the second preseason game on Sunday night against the Buffalo Bills. Williams and most of the Bears starters did not see any action in the preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. The 33-year-old former first overall pick in 2024 was up and down in his first NFL season and mostly disappointed, and the Bears' passing attack has struggled in training camp practices in Johnson's first year as the head coach. Williams has plenty of weapons at his disposal and should be better off in Johnson's offense, but he will need to cut down on sacks taken and improve his accuracy to take the next step. The jury is still out on Williams, but he's worth taking as a high-end QB2 with upside if he clicks with Johnson.