Who Should I Start? Jimmy Garoppolo or C.J. Stroud

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.

Saturday, December 6, 7:45 AM

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud got a big win over the Colts in his return from a concussion last week, and he'll be in another huge matchup this week against the tough Chiefs' defense on Sunday Night Football. Stroud completed 22 of 35 passes for 276 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in last week's win, but looked very sharp overall, even though his fantasy numbers weren't huge. One encouraging sign is that he did have 35 pass attempts, continuing the team's recent trend of throwing the ball more during their current winning streak. If that trend continues again this week, Stroud has good upside if he can convert touchdowns. He's the No. 21 QB in RotoBaller's Week 14 rankings, making him a low-end QB2 that does bring potential upside despite his tough primetime matchup.