Who Should I Start? Dillon Gabriel or Spencer Rattler

Saturday, August 30, 7:40 PM

Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel has "gained a lot of trust from the coaching staff just in terms of how he worked, and we feel good about it," assistant general manager Glenn Cook said. After setting a college football record with 63 starts over six seasons divided among Central Florida, Oklahoma, and Oregon, the third-round pick impressed the Browns' coaches enough to beat out fifth-round rookie Shedeur Sanders and now-Las Vegas Raider Kenny Pickett for the backup QB job. The new role doesn't faze Gabriel, who told Zac Jackson of The Athletic: "It's not daunting. I have ultimate confidence in myself and who I am." Gabriel looked decent in two preseason games, going 25-for-37 for 272 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him starting at some point in 2025. The only real roadblock is 40-year-old starter Joe Flacco, a stopgap who has played in nine or fewer games in seven straight seasons.

Monday, September 15, 12:47 AM

New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler completed 25 of 34 pass attempts for 207 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Sunday's Week 2 contest against the San Francisco 49ers. He also took three sacks and rushed for 14 yards. While Rattler finished with relatively modest passing yardage, his three touchdowns kept the Saints in the game against San Francisco and also resulted in a very solid fantasy performance. It's evident that New Orleans will be playing from behind in plenty of games this year, but Rattler is still able to play clean football and keep New Orleans competitive for a full 60 minutes. These two factors, along with his clearly demonstrated ability to throw for touchdowns, makes him a very intriguing waiver wire option. Fantasy managers dealing with injuries or underwhelming production at the quarterback position should feel inclined to place a claim or bid on Rattler, especially ahead of his Week 3 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, who have allowed 421 passing yards and four total touchdowns to quarterbacks over the last two weeks combined.