Who Should I Start? Cooper Rush or Rico Dowdle

Sunday, September 13, 7:57 AM

Atlanta Falcons backup quarterback Cooper Rush (back) is officially active for Sunday's Week 1 season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers after dealing with minor back spasms on Saturday, according to Tori McElhaney of the team's official website. The Falcons had already ruled out both Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) and Michael Penix Jr. (knee) for Week 1, leaving Rush and undrafted rookie Jack Strand as the only QBs on the roster for the Falcons to begin the 2026 regular season. It is good news that Rush is ready to go, but Rush leading Atlanta's offense in Week 1 is not what fantasy managers of Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts Sr. had in mind when they drafted those players. Against a very capable Steelers defense, the expectation is that Atlanta's offense will struggle to move the football effectively on Sunday, so fantasy managers who have Robinson, London, and Pitts in their lineups in Week 1 should be tempering expectations for their overall production. As far as Rush, he is simply a low-upside streaming option in superflex leagues that fantasy managers should be avoiding, especially since he could suffer a setback with his back mid-game.