Who Should I Start? Joe Flacco or Bryce Young

Friday, October 17, 12:34 AM

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco completed 31 of his 47 pass attempts for 342 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Thursday's Week 7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also took two sacks. Just nine days removed from his trade to Cincinnati and three weeks removed from his benching in Cleveland, the veteran quarterback showed flashbacks to the peak of his career back in the 2010s. This was Flacco's first performance with three passing touchdowns and zero turnovers since Week 1 of the 2018 season. Perhaps most impressive -- beyond the fact that Flacco dug Cincinnati out of a multiple-possession deficit -- was the veteran quarterback posting such a good performance despite a matchup against a talented Pittsburgh Steelers defense. He didn't let T.J. Watt fluster him, nor did he have much trouble keeping the ball away from a solid secondary. Flacco has shown upside in years past, but he seems to have unlocked a whole new ceiling with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins at his disposal. He'll vault into the high-end QB2 range for Week 8 against the New York Jets.

Saturday, October 18, 4:13 PM

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young has played better of late and is coming off his most efficient game of the season against the Cowboys, completing 17 of 25 passes for 199 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. After a brutal Week 4 showing in a 42-13 loss to New England, Young has responded with two solid performances. The third-year QB has performed well at home, leading the Panthers to wins in all three contests in Carolina, but he's struggled on the road. Young will look to change that as the team travels to New York to face the 0-6 Jets in Week 7. He offers QB2 value, but the ceiling is limited.