Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Jimmy Garoppolo

Monday, November 17, 6:18 PM

When asked if the offense will look different with quarterback Kirk Cousins taking over as the starter, Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said, "It's fair to say it'll look different." Michael Penix Jr. (knee) aggravated a bone bruise and knee sprain and also suffered ligament damage to the ACL in his left knee in Sunday's overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 11, and the 25-year-old second-year signal-caller potentially will miss the rest of the year. He will at least miss the next four games after being put on Injured Reserve on Monday. We'd expect the Falcons to lean more on running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier now that Cousins is starting again. The 37-year-old completed only 61.5% of his passes for 250 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions in three games (one start) this year. The four-time Pro Bowl may get into more of a groove after he gets settled in, but fantasy managers probably shouldn't expect him to see much passing volume.

Saturday, September 6, 9:56 PM

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay views quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as a "starting-caliber" option. Matthew Stafford is in line to start on Sunday versus the Houston Texans. However, with the veteran signal-caller battling a lingering back injury, the Rams are confident Garoppolo can fill in admirably if necessary. From a fantasy standpoint, Stafford has had a better career. Still, with concerns about his health, Garoppolo may get a chance to start at some point moving ahead. The 33-year-old played for the Patriots, 49ers, and Raiders before arriving in Los Angeles in 2024 to suit up for the Rams. In 82 regular-season contests, he's thrown for 15,828 yards, 96 touchdowns, and 52 interceptions off 67.4% passing while also leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2019. All things considered, Garoppolo doesn't have much fantasy value at the moment. If Stafford goes down this season due to the nagging back issue, Garoppolo could prove useful for those participating in deeper SuperFlex formats, especially with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams at his disposal.