Who Should I Start? Derek Carr or Josh Allen

Friday, February 23, 2:00 PM

The New Orleans Saints restructured quarterback Derek Carr's contract on Friday for salary cap purposes, a move that was expected to give the team around $23 million in cap relief for the 2024 season, according to sources. Carr is due $30 million in base salary this year, so converting a portion of that into a signing bonus provides immediate savings. The 32-year-old veteran signal-caller is under contract with the Saints through 2026. In his first year in the Big Easy, he threw for 3,878 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions while amazingly not missing a single game despite suffering multiple concussions, cracked ribs and a shoulder sprain. Carr is as tough as they come and can give fantasy managers low-end QB1 lines on occasion, but he's best drafted as a fantasy backup.

Friday, July 12, 4:09 PM

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is widely regarded as one of the best players in the NFL, and he is the current face of the Bills organization. Heading into 2024, he'll be counted on more as a leader following the departures of Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, and Tre'Davious White, among others. Left tackle Dion Dawkins said he is taking that next step. "Josh is one of those guys that will do what it takes at that moment," Dawkins said. "He's definitely a barker when that time comes. I've actually seen the bark a lot more this OTAs where he's been very, very verbal, because our team is different. It's different. We've got some young dudes that, when they come in, they see a little bit of success, and they can change, so Josh is doing exactly what he should." Allen, who has finished as the overall fantasy QB1 in three of the last four seasons, could struggle early in the season while he builds chemistry with his new supporting cast, but his rushing upside insulates his value as a high-end QB1 again in 2024.