Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Trey Lance

Thursday, January 29, 3:55 PM

Atlanta Falcons veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins has two years left on his deal, but he's expected to be released in early March after the Falcons restructured his contract so that he'll be owed $68 million if he's on the roster on March 13, according to The Athletic's Josh Kendall. Cousins could be released and re-signed on a less-expensive contract as the Falcons look for insurance at the position behind Michael Penix Jr. (knee). The 37-year-old QB started the final seven games in 2025 after Penix tore his ACL in Week 11. Cousins ranked 37th in the NFL in EPA per dropback and threw for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions in his 10 games (eight starts). Even though new head coach Kevin Stefanski has a previous working relationship with Cousins from their time together with the Vikings in 2019, the feeling is that Atlanta is ready to move on from him this offseason. Penix's recovery this offseason could be the determining factor in whether Atlanta brings Cousins back in 2026.

Sunday, January 4, 10:32 AM

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Trey Lance will make his first start of the season during Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Denver Broncos. The former first-round pick is starting in place of Justin Herbert (coach's decision) as the Chargers look to keep their No. 1 quarterback healthy for the upcoming playoff stretch. Turning to Lance puts Los Angeles as a 14-point underdog, and they could still finish anywhere between the No. 5 and No. 7 seed in the AFC. The young quarterback has flashed upside in the past, and perhaps the Chargers still hope that he can live up to his first-round draft stock. However, the odds are stacked against him this week. For starters, the Broncos have an elite defense anchored by Patrick Surtain II and Nik Bonitto. Denver has allowed the fourth-fewest passing yards and eighth-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in 2025. Furthermore, Lance is playing behind an offensive line that PFF ranked second-worst heading into Week 18. Every Chargers offensive lineman finished with a PFF grade below 70 last week. This is not the right time to start Lance in fantasy football. Managers should avoid him in all leagues.