Who Should I Start? Joe Burrow or Tua Tagovailoa

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.

Friday, July 11, 7:16 PM

While it's probably unlikely, The Athletic's Jim Ayello points out there's a chance that the 2025 season is quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's last year with the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins aren't in a pretty salary-cap situation moving forward, so if they have a five- or six-win season this year, it's possible that ownership decides it's time for a hard reset. It's quite possible that Miami's decision-makers going into next year think that Tua's concussion history and limitations as a pocket passer don't make him an ideal franchise signal-caller. The former first-rounder's value, both in fantasy and real life, all depend on his health and what he can produce in 2025. If the Dolphins were to cut Tagovailoa after this year, it would come with a hefty $79 million dead-cap hit. There's bounce-back potential for Tua and the Dolphins offense, but fantasy managers shouldn't be taking him as anything more than a QB2 with upside.