Who Should I Start? Cooper Rush or Mac Jones

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.

Friday, October 3, 12:42 AM

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones completed 33 of his 49 pass attempts for 342 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Thursday's win over the Los Angeles Rams. Jones made his third start of the season, getting the nod in place of Brock Purdy (toe). The former first-round pick has consistently impressed under center for San Francisco, amassing 905 passing yards, six touchdowns, and one interception through three games. It will be a shame to see his talent and fantasy production get sent back to the bench when Purdy returns, but at least the 49ers know they have an extremely capable backup who can dominate in a spot start. After all, he took down a division rival during overtime on national television Thursday. If Purdy misses Week 6 against the Buccaneers, Jones will rank as a high-end fantasy QB2. However, that game is 10 days away, leaving plenty of time for Purdy to get healthy.