Who Should I Start? Jimmy Garoppolo or Tony Pollard

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, December 7, 6:09 PM

Tennessee Titans running back had 25 carries, 161 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns during Sunday's Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns. His touchdowns came on long runs from 32 and 65 yards out, respectively. Pollard's big performance seemed to come out of nowhere. Over the last three weeks, he struggled to amass more than a dozen touches per game, averaged fewer than 4.5 yards per carry, didn't score a touchdown, and essentially split snaps 50/50 with Tyjae Spears. However, that entire dynamic changed this Sunday as Pollard shattered his previous season-high rushing attempt total (20) and posted his best fantasy performance of the season. Pollard played well early in the game, so it seems like Tennessee simply rode the hot hand and kept him in the game as long as he continued to play well. That same trend should continue in Week 15 against the San Francisco 49ers, and Pollard has the early advantage over Spears given his excellent showing this Sunday. He's back into the RB2 tier for Week 15.