Who Should I Start? Jimmy Garoppolo or Joe Burrow

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.

Wednesday, September 17, 1:18 PM

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said he has "not shut the door" on a return this year for quarterback Joe Burrow (toe), according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. However, Taylor doesn't have any timeline updates and doesn't know yet when Burrow will undergo surgery to fix torn ligaments in his toe. The 28-year-old is also dealing with turf toe after getting hurt in the Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. While there is no official timeline for his return, Burrow is expected to miss at least three months, making it possible he could return at the tail end of the regular season. Fantasy managers with an IR spot available could stash Burrow, but just know that he may not end up helping you from here on out if you make a run in the playoffs. In the meantime, backup Jake Browning will run Cincy's offense. The Bengals offense will surely take a hit, but Browning can serve as a high-end QB2 in the right matchups.