Who Should I Start? Cooper Rush or Patrick Taylor

Saturday, December 21, 12:09 PM

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush is set up with a friendly matchup on Sunday Night Football against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16 as he looks for a second straight strong performance. Rush had one of his better performances of the year in last week's win over the Carolina Panthers, throwing for 214 yards and a season-high three touchdowns in the 30-14 win. He'll now take on a Buccaneers defense that is tied with the bad Cincinnati Bengals defense for the second-most fantasy points allowed to opposing signal-callers. They've allowed 23 touchdown passes on the year with only seven interceptions, and they've also surrendered the fourth-most passing yards overall. The 31-year-old veteran backup's ceiling obviously isn't a high one, but Rush has the potential to be a very serviceable QB2 in superflex leagues in a primetime game at home on Sunday evening.

Friday, December 20, 10:01 PM

San Francisco 49ers running back Patrick Taylor Jr. is expected to draw his first career start filling in for the ruled-out rookie Isaac Guerendo (foot, hamstring) in Miami on Sunday. With Guerendo healthy enough to play, the undrafted 26-year-old Taylor Jr. received neither touch nor target in last week's loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The last time Taylor was involved was in Week 14 versus Chicago when he took seven carries for 25 yards, one touchdown, and one unfulfilled target. On the surface, Taylor Jr. may seem like a must-start since head coach Kyle Shanahan always rides his lead back heavily, but it's appropriate to temper expectations. If one includes Elijah Mitchell -- who was ruled out for the year in the preseason -- San Francisco is down to their fifth-string running back whose career YPC (3.9) is significantly below all four backs ahead of him. As a result, Shanahan may be compelled to use some combination of Taylor Jr., Israel Abanikanda, and Ke'Shawn Vaughn. Taylor Jr. is also less likely than his injured teammates to produce as a receiver. Miami's D is ranked 14th in running back half-PPR points against. The talent and usage questions place Taylor Jr. firmly in RB3/FLEX territory, even in a decent matchup.