Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Kyler Murray


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
20.3 4.8 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

Kirk Cousins News

Raiders Officially Name Kirk Cousins the Week 1 Starter

Wednesday, September 2, 8:52 AM

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak has officially named veteran Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback for Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN. Despite a training-camp push by first overall pick Fernando Mendoza, the Raiders have decided to let the 38-year-old veteran open the 2026 campaign as the starter under center. The expectation all along was that Cousins would open the year as the starter to give Mendoza more time to adapt to the NFL game and get used to playing under center. In 30 offensive snaps during the preseason, Cousins went 13-for-17 for 101 yards with one touchdown. Cousins could have some low-end QB2 sleeper appeal in the season opener against Miami in what should be an improved Raiders offense, but with Mendoza looming as the long-term option at the position, he makes for an unintriguing two-QB superflex option in season-long formats as he heads into his 15th NFL season.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
22.2 26.8 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0

Kyler Murray News

Kyler Murray Lands in a Great Spot for a Bounce-Back

Friday, September 4, 7:49 AM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray has a much stronger group of pass-catchers around him after his final season in Arizona fell apart. A foot injury limited Murray to five games in 2025, but Minnesota named him the starter on Aug. 11 after his competition with J.J. McCarthy. The job comes with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings at receiver, plus T.J. Hockenson at tight end. Jefferson was full-go throughout camp and started clicking with Murray late in the summer, while Jennings arrives after piling up 1,618 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns over the past two seasons. Murray has already shown what his rushing can add when healthy. In 2024, he threw for 3,851 yards and 21 touchdowns while running for another 572 yards and five scores. He enters September at QB19 in RotoBaller's updated rankings, so fantasy managers aren't paying for a full rebound yet. Durability is still the concern, but this Minnesota group gives Murray plenty of room to beat that price.


Kirk Cousins vs. Kyler Murray

Still trying to decide between Cousins and Murray? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Kirk Cousins is projected to score 20.3 points this week while Kyler Murray is projected to score 22.2 points.