Who Should I Start? Joe Burrow or Jalen Hurts


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
25.2 9.4 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

Joe Burrow News

Joe Burrow to be Under Center More in 2026?

Thursday, June 25, 8:32 AM

As the Cincinnati Bengals and offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher figure out how to become more explosive on offense in 2026, they are experimenting with using quarterback Joe Burrow more under center, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. The top-five teams in usage of under-center and under-center play action in 2025 all finished in the top quarter of the league in explosive-play rate. Burrow has produced just one explosive completion while using under-center play action in the last three seasons. The 29-year-old three-time Pro Bowler has been working on under-center play-action drops during the offseason program, and he's made it clear that he's on board with tinkering in this realm. Cincy posted 0.16 EPA per play on plays with Burrow, and receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on the field the last two years, which was the best in the NFL by a wide margin. But the Bengals ranked 22nd in explosive-play rate in 2025, a fourth straight season in the bottom third of the league. Burrow played in a career-low eight games last year due to injury after passing for a league-high 4,918 yards and league-high 43 touchdowns in 2024. A bounce-back seems inevitable if he can stay on the field in 2026, especially if the Bengals offense can find more explosive plays. RotoBaller has Burrow ranked as the No. 5 fantasy QB.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
23.3 28.8 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0

Jalen Hurts News

Jalen Hurts Still Boasts League-Winning Upside in 2026

Thursday, July 2, 6:00 AM

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has played with a different offensive coordinator in each of the past four seasons, and in that time he has not finished below QB8 despite playing only one full 17-game slate. With the team set to trot out its fifth playcaller in as many years, Hurts could see new parts of his game unlocked under first-time coordinator Sean Mannion. The expectation is that the seventh-year quarterback will operate more from under center, opening up the potential for more play-action passing and bootleg runs. While the loss of three-time Pro Bowler A.J. Brown undoubtedly makes the offense worse on paper, there are reportedly some within the building who believe the unit will run smoother without him, and the team did an admirable job of retooling the position on the fly, adding Hollywood Brown and Dontayvion Wicks through free agency and trade before spending a first-round pick on difference-making slot receiver Makai Lemon. After an aggressive 2025 campaign to ban the tush push fell two votes short of passing, the subject was not broached in this year's owners' meeting, and while Hurts' rushing touchdowns fell below double digits last season for the first time since his rookie year, he remains one of the most likely quarterbacks to lead the position in goal-line scores. At RotoBaller's QB6, Hurts still boasts top-five upside at a modest discount.


Joe Burrow vs. Jalen Hurts

Still trying to decide between Burrow and Hurts? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Joe Burrow is projected to score 25.2 points this week while Jalen Hurts is projected to score 23.3 points.