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.

Sunday, September 14, 6:08 AM

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is hoping for a bounce-back season after a down year in 2024, but the new season didn't start well in the Texans' 14-9 loss to the Rams in Week 1. Stroud was limited to just 188 passing yards while completing 19-of-27 passes. He was under pressure from the Rams' strong pass rush most of the day and wasn't able to create enough big plays down the field. His interception came on a pass that was snatched out of the hands of his receiver, so it wasn't really on him. However, he didn't make enough big plays or lead any touchdown drives. Even with new offensive coordinator Nick Caley in command, the issues from last season were evident once again in Week 1. Stroud and the Texans will look to get on track against the Buccaneers in the first game of Monday Night Football's doubleheader, but with how rough the Texans' offense looked, it's hard to support Stroud as a QB1. In the RotoBaller rankings, he's QB17, making him a decent QB2 but a long shot to start in standard, single-QB leagues.