Who Should I Start? Deshaun Watson or Brock Purdy

Friday, September 13, 8:20 PM

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson turned in a disappointing outing in a Week 1 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The veteran signal-caller will look to bounce back in a road matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2. Jacksonville's defense struggled to contain opposing quarterbacks in 2023, allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the position and just over 18 fantasy points to Tua Tagovailoa in Week 1 this season. That being said, Watson's recent struggles don't evoke much confidence in him in fantasy, even in a favorable matchup. Treat him as a low-end QB2 heading into Week 2.

Saturday, September 14, 12:36 AM

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will try to pick up a second-straight win in a Week 2 matchup versus the Vikings in Minnesota on Sunday. He'll be going up against a defense that was almost exactly league-average in 2023 for fantasy points per game allowed to opposing quarterbacks, but who held Purdy to 272 yards, two interceptions, and one touchdown last year (albeit without stud tackle Trent Williams and receiver Deebo Samuel). The Vikings made mostly minor changes to their defensive personnel in the offseason, most notably losing standout edge rusher Danielle Hunter and replacing him with first-round pick Dallas Turner. In their opener last week, the Vikings made New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones look horrible but how much credit goes to the defense versus Jones' ineptitude is debatable. Last week, Purdy was solid but rather unhelpful for fantasy managers in a home victory over the New York Jets, with 231 yards passing, 11 yards rushing, and no touchdowns or picks. At any rate, he'll have his whole complement of receivers in this one -- save for running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) -- so Purdy should be in for a decent day, especially with wideout Brandon Aiyuk getting another week of practice under his belt. Look for Purdy to find the end zone in Week 2, as he sits on the fantasy QB1/2 border.