Who Should I Start? Joe Burrow or Justin Herbert

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.

Thursday, July 24, 5:55 PM

The Athletic's Daniel Popper writes that Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey's chemistry with quarterback Justin Herbert continues to blossom in Year 2 and described it as a "seemingly telepathic connection." McConkey knows when to sit down on routes against certain defensive looks, when to manipulate defensive leverages and when to expect the ball from Herbert on either shoulder. Head coach Jim Harbaugh said this week that McConkey "is uncoverable right now by one guy." For the 23-year-old Georgia product to really thrive, he needs one of Quentin Johnston or rookies Tre Harris and Keandre Lambert-Smith to threaten defenses deep down the field. McConkey was a stud in his first year in the NFL, catching 82 of his 112 targets for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns. Despite being in a run-first offense, he's a low-end WR1/high-end WR2 in fantasy.