Who Should I Start? Joe Burrow or Caleb Williams

Thursday, October 16, 9:05 PM

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (toe), who suffered a serious turf-toe injury back in Week 2, is on track to return from Injured Reserve in mid-December, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Burrow is a month into a three-month recovery after having surgery for a Grade 3 turf-toe injury. Burrow has been doing well in his rehab and has not had any setbacks, which means he's still in play to return at the tail end of the regular season if the Bengals still have something to play for. He has told people he has every intention of playing again this year, but he just needs Cincinnati to stay in the hunt in the meantime. The 28-year-old isn't guaranteed to be in play for the fantasy playoffs, so managers shouldn't feel obligated to hold onto him in redraft leagues. Jake Browning struggled with turnovers (eight picks in four games) after replacing Burrow, leading Cincy to trade for veteran Joe Flacco to try and keep the team's playoff hopes alive.

Saturday, October 25, 11:12 AM

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is coming off his worst game of the season, completing 15 of 26 passes for 172 yards and one interception in a Week 7 win over the New Orleans Saints. Despite the rough passing performance, the Bears controlled the game on the ground, and Williams' overall season remains solid. Through seven games, the second-year signal-caller is averaging 18.3 fantasy points per game, ranking as the QB14 on a per-game basis. He'll look to bounce back in Week 8 against the Baltimore Ravens, who have allowed the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. Notably, they've given up big performances to Josh Allen, C.J. Stroud, and Patrick Mahomes. With improved weather conditions expected and a soft matchup ahead, Williams profiles as a low-end QB1 with bounce-back potential in Week 8.