Who Should I Start? Bryce Young or Ladd McConkey

Monday, September 15, 12:54 AM

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young completed 35 of 55 pass attempts for 328 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception during Sunday's Week 2 contest against the Arizona Cardinals. He also took three sacks in the loss. While Young and the whole Panthers offense were slow to get going, they showed real signs of life in the fourth quarter and nearly pulled off an improbable comeback. The former No. 1 pick's three touchdowns are a testament to his ability to lead pass-heavy scoring drives and keep the Panthers competitive even when playing from behind. Both of these skills will serve him well going forward, as sportsbooks continue to set the Panthers as underdogs, indicating that Young will need to continue throwing the ball often and with success. Next week, he'll face the Atlanta Falcons, who dismantled J.J. McCarthy this week but allowed Baker Mayfield to throw for three touchdowns in Week 1. Young should rank as a mid-range QB2 heading into the divisional battle.

Tuesday, September 16, 2:00 PM

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey caught all five of his targets for 48 yards against the Las Vegas Raiders in the team's 20-9 win on Monday night. He has been reliable through two weeks but hasn't received a single red-zone target. That limits his touchdown potential and raises some concerns for fantasy managers. In Week 3, McConkey might face Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II, though it's unlikely he'll shadow him given Los Angeles' other weapons. McConkey's role stays consistent as a short-to-intermediate option. He's a safe floor play in PPR formats, but managers should temper their scoring expectations at this point in the season.