Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Graham Mertz

Saturday, December 6, 11:42 AM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for 234 yards and one touchdown in last week's 27-24 loss to the Jets, spreading the ball around to seven different receivers, each with at least two targets apiece. The veteran QB now has an unremarkable 3:1 TD:INT in three starts this season, and heads into a tough matchup in Week 14 against the Seahawks. Seattle's defense has yielded just 152.7 yards per game passing over their last three contests (sixth-fewest) and is middle of the pack in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing QBs. The game will be played indoors in Atlanta, but with the Falcons missing their top receiver, Drake London (knee), and with an implied team total of just 19 points, they are not expected to find the end zone frequently. It all points to Cousins being a very low-end QB2 for Sunday's showdown.

Monday, August 25, 6:32 AM

Houston Texans quarterback Graham Mertz got the start in the team's preseason finale in Detroit on Sunday, and the sixth-round rookie had a very strong showing while leading his team to a 26-7 win over the Lions. With starter C.J. Stroud and primary backup Davis Mills getting the day off, Mertz completed 14 of his 16 pass attempts for an efficient 145 passing yards. He threw a touchdown to Quintez Cephus and led three scoring drives before halftime. He also added 20 rushing yards on two carries. Mertz played ahead of Kedon Slovis, who was on the Texans' practice squad last year and took over for the second half of Saturday's win. Mertz likely secured the third spot on the quarterback depth chart with his strong showing, while Slovis could be headed back to the practice squad.