Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Sam Darnold

Saturday, December 27, 4:31 PM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins has a 5:1 TD:INT over the last two weeks as he's focused his attention on the team's top playmakers rather than spreading the ball around. The 37-year-old may have to continue to air it out in Week 17 as the Falcons are 7.5-point underdogs for a Monday Night Football showdown against the Rams that has one of the higher expected point totals on the slate (49.5). It has been easier to throw on the Rams than to run it, too, with Los Angeles allowing the second-most yards per game through the air over the last three weeks (277.7) while yielding the fifth-fewest rush yards per game over that span (97.3). No. 1 wide receiver Drake London (knee) heads into the contest with a questionable tag, but if he were to miss the game, those targets would likely be divvied up between Kyle Pitts Sr., David Sills V, and Bijan Robinson. Despite some solid stats over the past couple of weeks, the 4x Pro Bowler shapes up as a low-end QB2 for MNF, albeit with some slight upside with all of the talented weapons at his disposal.

Friday, December 26, 11:24 PM

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is a risky streaming option against a talented Carolina Panthers pass defense in Week 17. The Seahawks' passing game has been inconsistent in recent weeks, further adding to the risk factor for Darnold. Carolina is No. 8 against opposing quarterbacks in fantasy. They have also forced 13 interceptions, which is good for No. 9 in the league. Darnold himself has thrown 13 interceptions this season. Seattle should be able to move the ball on the ground, and they may lean less heavily on Darnold and the passing game this week than in normal weeks. Darnold, of course, should continue his smooth connection with wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but a high enough passing output to merit a fantasy start may not be in the cards. Proceed with caution with Darnold in Week 17 if you have struggled with injuries at quarterback this year.