Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Jared Goff

Thursday, January 9, 12:26 PM

Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said that the team is comfortable moving forward next year with quarterback Kirk Cousins as the backup to Michael Penix Jr. It's very unlikely that Cousins will be in Atlanta next year as a backup with a $40 million salary cap hit. The more likely outcome this offseason is that the Falcons end up trading Cousins to a team looking for a veteran QB while they find their signal-caller of the future in the draft. If Cousins were to be cut before June 1, he'd carry a $65 million cap hit for 2025. The 36-year-old is also due a $10 million roster cut on March 17, so if he's not traded, Atlanta is expected to cut him before then. Cousins was benched for Penix in Week 16 and ended up being a bust after signing a four-year, $180 million deal last offseason. The four-time Pro Bowler threw for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns and a league-high 16 interceptions in his 14 starts.

Friday, January 17, 1:03 AM

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff remains an appealing fantasy option as he prepares for the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the Washington Commanders. The veteran quarterback has never been a very mobile player, but he has been able to maintain high upside thanks to his sharp passing skills and strong group of weapons. Throwing passes to players like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, and Jahmyr Gibbs in 2024, Goff was able to rank as the overall QB6. This week, he should crack the top five fantasy quarterbacks as he takes on a suspect Washington Commanders defense. The Commanders have shown real potential, allowing the seventh-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this year. However, their defense is typically regarded as mediocre at best, and they just surrendered two passing touchdowns to Baker Mayfield in the Wild Card Round. Furthermore, they failed to pick off Mayfield, despite the Buccaneers' quarterback leading the NFL in interceptions during the regular season. Goff may not post an absurdly high yardage total, but he should still be relied upon for a couple of touchdowns and potentially turnover-free football. He continues to be a top option for fantasy and betting purposes.