Who Should I Start? Geno Smith or Dillon Gabriel

Sunday, August 24, 1:17 PM

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith looked sharp in Sunday's preseason finale, leading the first-team offense on a 60-yard scoring drive in his lone series. The veteran capped the drive with a 17-yard strike to rookie wideout Dont'e Thornton Jr. in the end zone. Smith has shown poise throughout camp, and with Chip Kelly's up-tempo offense beginning to click, expectations are rising in Las Vegas. While Smith enters the year projected as a fantasy QB2, his efficiency and potential volume in a suddenly explosive system could make him a sneaky value pick in deeper formats.

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.