Who Should I Start? Joe Burrow or Anthony Richardson Sr.

Wednesday, July 23, 10:52 AM

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said that quarterback Joe Burrow will play more this preseason than ever before as the team looks to get off to a faster start than in years past. Burrow played sparingly last year, going 5-for-7 for 51 yards and one touchdown in his first action in the preseason since 2021. The Bengals got off to a slow start in 2024 that they could never recover from, so they're hoping to avoid that same situation in 2025 and come out firing in Week 1. The 28-year-old former first overall pick was excellent last year, leading the league in passing yards (4,918), completions (460), pass attempts (652), yards per game (289.3) and touchdowns (43) in 17 starts. It was a nice rebound from his injury-shortened 2023 campaign and a reminder that he's a QB1 in fantasy with perhaps the best receiving duo in the league in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Saturday, July 26, 7:44 PM

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. "was with the starters to begin 11-on-11 work" on Saturday, with Daniel Jones working with the second team. Both players will continue to compete for the starting job throughout training camp and into Week 1. However, it appears Richardson has the early edge, although that can certainly change moving forward. The signal-caller has struggled since entering the National Football League as the No. 4 overall selection in the 2023 draft, throwing for 2,391 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions while adding 111 carries for 635 yards and 10 scores. With that in mind, Richardson's durability is an issue, appearing in 15 regular-season games in his first two seasons, so he may need to rely more on his arm during the 2025 campaign. Unfortunately, he's completed only 50.6% of his throws, which could make that more difficult. At any rate, managers should monitor things in the weeks ahead, but it's safe to say neither player can be trusted fully to spearhead a fantasy team.