Who Should I Start? Geno Smith or Jimmy Garoppolo

Monday, December 8, 6:48 PM

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll said that he didn't have an update on Monday on quarterback Geno Smith's right-shoulder injury that he suffered in the second half of Sunday's loss to the Denver Broncos, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN. "I won't know for a couple of days," Carroll said. Smith injured his fingers and shoulder in Week 14, but it was his right-shoulder injury that knocked him out of the game in the second half, and he never returned. The 35-year-old apparently avoided serious damage to his throwing shoulder, but the lack of an update suggests Smith's availability for Week 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles is up in the air. At this point, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the struggling Raiders give backup Kenny Pickett his first start of the year against his former team. Smith has been a bust in his first year in Vegas, completing 67% of his passes for 2,648 yards and 16 touchdowns. He leads the league in interceptions (16) and sacks taken (49).

Saturday, September 6, 9:56 PM

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay views quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as a "starting-caliber" option. Matthew Stafford is in line to start on Sunday versus the Houston Texans. However, with the veteran signal-caller battling a lingering back injury, the Rams are confident Garoppolo can fill in admirably if necessary. From a fantasy standpoint, Stafford has had a better career. Still, with concerns about his health, Garoppolo may get a chance to start at some point moving ahead. The 33-year-old played for the Patriots, 49ers, and Raiders before arriving in Los Angeles in 2024 to suit up for the Rams. In 82 regular-season contests, he's thrown for 15,828 yards, 96 touchdowns, and 52 interceptions off 67.4% passing while also leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2019. All things considered, Garoppolo doesn't have much fantasy value at the moment. If Stafford goes down this season due to the nagging back issue, Garoppolo could prove useful for those participating in deeper SuperFlex formats, especially with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams at his disposal.