Who Should I Start? Jimmy Garoppolo or Drake Maye

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.

Thursday, January 15, 5:00 PM

In his first career playoff appearance, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye led his team to a 16-3 win in the Wild Card round over the Los Angeles Chargers. The 23-year-old completed 17 of 29 pass attempts for 268 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while adding 66 rushing yards on 10 attempts. However, Maye also fumbled twice, one of which was recovered by the Chargers. Maye's production upside remains sky-high, but any potential ball security issues may only be exacerbated in the Divisional Round against the Houston Texans. Houston allowed the seventh-fewest passing yards (3,486) in the regular season while ranking tied for third in interceptions (19). The Texans' defense is also coming off a dominating performance in the Wild Card round against the Pittsburgh Steelers, in which it forced two turnovers, recorded four sacks, and allowed just six points. Maye's rushing ability could carry him to success, but the difficult matchup makes him a low-end quarterback option for fantasy managers in the Divisional Round.