Who Should I Start? Cooper Rush or Justin Fields

Saturday, October 4, 1:54 PM

Baltimore Ravens backup quarterback Cooper Rush is a fringe QB2/Superflex option with his team taking on the Houston Texans in Week 5. The veteran is filling in for the injured Lamar Jackson (hamstring) for what has been a highly effective offense, but obviously is not a 1:1 replacement for Jackson's part in the running game. Additionally, Rush will have a tough matchup, as Houston's defense is leading the NFL in scoring percentage (19%) by a significant margin and has been particularly hard on fantasy quarterbacks, allowing the second fewest points. Baltimore's offense has enough talent to give Rush a chance on Sunday, but only fantasy managers in deeper, two-QB formats should be considering him as a lineup option.

Sunday, October 5, 7:07 PM

New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields completed 32 of 46 pass attempts for 283 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Sunday's Week 5 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He took five sacks but also rushed for 26 yards. Although the Jets are 0-5 this season, Fields has been quite productive from a fantasy perspective. In the three games where he has been fully healthy, Fields is averaging 28.2 fantasy points. He has seven total touchdowns and zero interceptions this year, though he also has two lost fumbles to his name. We've known about his rushing ability for quite some time, but we're also starting to see flashes of what he can do throwing the football -- even if it comes in garbage time. The Ohio State product is a mid-to-low fantasy QB1 for Week 6 against a strong Denver Broncos defense.