Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Malik Willis


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
20.3 28.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0

Malik Willis News

Malik Willis' Passing Progress Raises His Fantasy Ceiling

Thursday, September 3, 8:24 AM

Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis already had the rushing ability to make himself interesting in fantasy. What happened in August gave managers a little more reason to trust the rest of his game. Miami's own camp reports repeatedly pointed to Willis processing faster and getting the football out on time, with some of his best work coming late in the summer. He produced multiple explosive throws on Aug. 17, looked sharp and in rhythm during practice a week later, then closed camp with a three-play stretch that produced three touchdowns. Willis also handled his only preseason drive well, completing four of five passes for 43 yards while leading Miami 93 yards for a touchdown against Washington. The receiving corps remains a concern, and one strong camp doesn't erase how little starting experience Willis has. His legs provide a useful fallback after he rushed for 123 yards and two scores in limited action last season. RotoBaller now has Willis at QB20. The passing progress makes that late-round gamble a lot easier to see paying off.


Kirk Cousins vs. Malik Willis

Still trying to decide between Cousins and Willis? 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 Malik Willis is projected to score 20.3 points.