Who Should I Start? Jimmy Garoppolo or Kyler Murray

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, September 13, 9:29 AM

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray finished just outside of QB1 territory in Week 1 after throwing two touchdowns against the New Orleans Saints. His accuracy looked good most of the time, but the passing attack didn't gain many yards (163), and he was sacked five times. Fortunately, for Murray and company, the Carolina Panthers gave up 378 total yards and didn't register a single sack against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. With the Panthers' run defense especially looking horrendous, Murray gains even more value given the report that the team has tried to scheme more scrambling opportunities. Fantasy managers can look to Murray as a QB1 heading into Week 2, hoping that he gains even more chemistry with Marvin Harrison Jr.