Who Should I Start? Joe Burrow or Drake Maye

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.

Sunday, October 19, 10:36 PM

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye continued to prove he's one of the best young players in the NFL by dominating the Tennessee Titans in Week 7 and leading his team to a 31-13 win. Maye completed 21 of 23 pass attempts for 222 yards and two touchdowns, adding eight rush attempts for 62 yards as well. The 23-year-old has now thrown for 1,744 yards and 12 touchdowns while also rushing for 200 yards and two touchdowns through his first seven games of 2025. He's topped 250 total yards in every week but one so far this season. Maye looks every bit like a must-start fantasy quarterback heading into a Week 8 matchup with the Cleveland Browns.