Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Malik Willis


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
3.9 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Kirk Cousins News

Kirk Cousins Opens Raiders Camp as Starting Quarterback

Tuesday, July 28, 12:14 PM

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak said Kirk Cousins will take the field as the starting quarterback when the team opens practice Wednesday, according to Ryan McFadden. Kubiak said Cousins deserves the first opportunity because he has played "really good football," while adding that he wants No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza and Aidan O'Connell to push him. Cousins joined Las Vegas after completing 166 of 269 passes for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions across 10 games with Atlanta in 2025. The 37-year-old also has familiarity with Kubiak's system after the two worked together for three seasons in Minnesota. Mendoza remains the Raiders' long-term investment after being selected first overall in April, and Kubiak previously said Cousins, Mendoza, and O'Connell would all receive first-team opportunities during camp. Cousins enters the competition atop the depth chart and has the clearest immediate path to the Week 1 job, though Mendoza's presence limits his long-term security.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
20.8 37.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0

Malik Willis News

Malik Willis a Low-Risk, High-Reward Swing at the End of 2026 Drafts

Tuesday, July 21, 6:13 AM

Over his six career starts, Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis has scored 8.5 fantasy points per game with his legs alone. While that sample size is almost unusably small, it's easy to get excited about what a full season might look like, particularly when considering his draft cost against some of the league's elite mobile quarterbacks. Willis is being drafted as a low-end second quarterback, all but eliminating the risk of banking on an unproven starter in what projects to be one of the league's least exciting offenses. With the Dolphins most dynamic playmaker, De'Von Achane, sharing the backfield with Willis, it could be easier for defenses to keep both players bottled up without a true downfield threat, but Willis faced a similar situation as a rookie in Tennessee, where he was able to top 40 rushing yards in two of his three starts with a receiving room consisting of Robert Woods, Treylon Burks, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. If Willis can continue to make strides in the passing game while leaning on his legs to keep the chains moving, he could provide week-winning upside from the closing rounds of 2026 drafts as RotoBaller's QB21.


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 3.9 points this week while Malik Willis is projected to score 20.8 points.