Who Should I Start? Jimmy Garoppolo or Brian Hoyer

Wednesday, November 1, 12:03 PM

The Las Vegas Raiders are expected to start rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell in Week 9 against the New York Giants and going forward, with Jimmy Garoppolo heading to the bench. The Raiders cleaned house Tuesday night by firing both head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, and they also axed offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi on Wednesday. The Raiders are going in a new direction after a 3-5 start. The 25-year-old O'Connell has completed 65.4% of his 52 pass attempts in his first two NFL games (one start) this year, throwing for 313 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Given the way Garoppolo had been playing, O'Connell has a low bar to clear to be considered an improvement, and it will start with involving All-Pro wideout Davante Adams more. O'Connell will be a low-end QB2 option for fantasy managers this Sunday against the Giants and moving forward.

Sunday, October 22, 4:46 PM

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Brian Hoyer completed 17 of 32 passes (53%) for 129 yards and two interceptions in the Week 7 loss to the Chicago Bears. Hoyer, filling in for injured Jimmy Garoppolo, struggled to get the offense going at Soldier Field. The veteran quarterback had zero passing touchdowns and was sacked once. Hoyer has now lost 13 straight starts dating back to 2016. The Raiders got down big in this contest and eventually placed rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell in the game. O'Connell threw the only touchdown of the game for the Raiders in the fourth quarter. The Raiders take on the Detroit Lions in Week 8. The Lions have been middling against quarterbacks this season. Hoyer had a bad game, and it will be hard to trust him as a starter if Garoppolo misses more time. Fantasy managers should stay away from Hoyer regardless of the matchup.