Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Spencer Rattler

Thursday, July 10, 1:51 PM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins said in an episode of the Netflix series "Quarterback" that he felt "a little bit misled" when the Falcons took Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL draft. It came just after Atlanta signed Cousins to a contract worth at least $100 million guaranteed to be their starter in 2024 and beyond. "I had no reason to leave Minnesota with how much we loved it there if both teams are going to be drafting a quarterback high," Cousins said. The 36-year-old led the team to a 6-3 start before injuring his right shoulder. After that, the Falcons lost four straight games, with Cousins throwing eight interceptions and no touchdowns in that stretch. He was eventually benched in Week 16 for Penix, who heads into 2025 as the unquestioned starter, with Cousins backing him up. Cousins could get traded during training camp, but for now he's useless in fantasy as a backup.

Wednesday, July 23, 3:07 PM

With Derek Carr's retirement this offseason, the New Orleans Saints are splitting first-team reps between Spencer Rattler and rookie Tyler Shough. Rattler will get Wednesday's reps while Shough will receive first-team reps on Thursday. Rattler completed just 57% of his passes last season, tossing four touchdowns and five picks in seven appearances. Shough, a strong-armed rookie from Louisville, was selected 40th overall by the Saints in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft and is competing with Rattler for the Saints' starting quarterback gig. With no clear leader emerging, this competition could stretch through training camp. The uncertainty under center adds risk to the fantasy outlooks of Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave, both of whom depend heavily on quarterback efficiency for consistent volume and red-zone production.