Who Should I Start? Joe Flacco or Jared Goff

Thursday, February 19, 2:02 PM

After starting games for both the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals in 2025, veteran quarterback Joe Flacco enters 2026 as an unrestricted free agent. The 2008 first-round draft pick, who has now started for six different teams, recently turned 41, but he has no plans to retire anytime soon. While a handful of teams could be in the market for a bridge quarterback when free agency opens in March, Flacco will likely find more suitors as one of the most reliable backups in the league. He has expressed a willingness to resign with Cincinnati to play behind Joe Burrow, which, outside of a starting role, might be his most valuable landing spot from a fantasy perspective. Flacco finished as a QB1 in four of his six starts with the Bengals, including a stretch of three straight weeks inside the top five, while Burrow has missed meaningful time in three of his first six seasons. As such, Flacco is worth holding through the offseason in superflex dynasty leagues.

Sunday, February 22, 4:46 AM

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff had another strong season in 2025, completing 68% of his passes for 4,563 passing yards, 34 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He also lost five fumbles. Goff ranked as the overall QB9 in fantasy football, delivering his fourth consecutive top-10 finish. The Lions dealt with a lot of adversity last season, including the departure of superstar offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, and Detroit ultimately missed the playoffs. However, from a fantasy perspective, Goff appeared unaffected. He turned in his lowest interception total since 2022, though his increased fumble total wasn't ideal. Part of Goff's fantasy success can be attributed to the superstar group of offensive weapons around him, but he deserves plenty of credit, too. The veteran quarterback has learned how to protect the football while still making aggressive passes that rack up yards or result in a touchdown. Goff doesn't have the rushing upside that makes so many fantasy quarterbacks great, but his talent as a passer keeps him in the top-10 range for 2026 redraft leagues. Dynasty managers might consider selling high on Goff, because he is a candidate for regression over the next few seasons, even if it doesn't happen right away.