Who Should I Start? Bryce Young or Cameron Ward

Tuesday, December 30, 9:31 AM

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young has a chance to get his team to the playoffs, as he looks to bounce back from a rough outing last week against the Seahawks. He only managed 54 passing yards and also threw an interception in tough weather conditions in his team's Week 17 home loss. The 8-8 Panthers can still win the division, though, if they knock off the Buccaneers in Tampa on Saturday afternoon. Carolina will also make the playoffs even with a loss if the Falcons beat the Saints on Sunday. Young and the Panthers just faced and beat the Bucs in Week 16, with the QB throwing for two touchdowns and 191 yards in the 23-20 victory. On the season, Young has 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while averaging 183 passing yards per game. If he can duplicate his Week 16 performance, he is a streaming option in two-QB leagues, although the tough matchup on the road keeps him from being a strong play in single-QB formats.

Tuesday, December 30, 4:12 PM

Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Cameron Ward, the first overall pick back in April, has completed 59.6% of his passes for 3,117 yards, 15 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in his first year in the NFL. He's added 148 rushing yards and a score while also fumbling a league-high 11 times (losing seven). Ward's 79.8 passer rating ranks 26th out of 27 qualifying QBs. He's been sacked 55 times, tied for the most in the NFL. The 23-year-old came into the NFL with a sharp learning curve after spending most of his college career in an Air Raid system. Ward has made some wow plays with his strong arm, but "there are some around the NFL who are concerned his accuracy will have a ceiling if he doesn't refine his mechanics," according to The Athletic's Jeff Howe. Ward's scrambling ability can help him compensate for some of it, but in the long term, he could be inconsistent if he doesn't clean up his mechanics.