Who Should I Start? Brock Purdy or Michael Penix Jr.

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.

Tuesday, August 12, 10:08 AM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will not play in the team's second preseason game on Friday, per ESPN's Marc Raimondi. Backup quarterback Kirk Cousins is also unlikely to play, although it has not been completely ruled out by the team. Neither Penix Jr. nor Cousins played in Atlanta's first preseason game against the Detroit Lions last Friday, leaving Easton Stick and Emory Jones to handle signal-calling duties. Penix Jr. has a long injury history dating back to his time in college, so it makes sense why the team would want to be cautious with him in the preseason despite his limited NFL experience as a starter (three games).