Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Riley Leonard


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
19.6 3.6 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
1.1 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Riley Leonard News

Riley Leonard Pulls Ahead in Backup Competition

Sunday, August 23, 4:16 AM

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Riley Leonard started the Colts' second preseason match against the Atlanta Falcons, completing seven of his 14 pass attempts for 62 yards in the team's 34-6 loss on Saturday. After the first quarter, Leonard and the Colts' offense could nn't findomentum and struggled to gain first downs, often playing behind the sticks due to penalties. However, fellow quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr., Leonard's competition for the number two spot, did not perform any better. Richardson started the second half and completed three of his nine pass attempts for 24 yards, rushed for 15 yards off three carries, and took two sacks. While neither quarterback outshone the other, Leonard's marginally better efficiency and the fact that he started this game suggest he may have overtaken Richardson on the depth chart to backup quarterback Daniel Jones. Dynasty managers in deep leagues who are interested in either Leonard or Richardson should pay close attention to quarterback usage, decision-making, and efficiency in next Saturday's preseason finale against the Detroit Lions.


Kirk Cousins vs. Riley Leonard

Still trying to decide between Cousins and Leonard? 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 19.6 points this week while Riley Leonard is projected to score 1.1 points.