Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Tua Tagovailoa

Saturday, December 21, 9:10 AM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins is expected to be released before his $10 million roster bonus is due on March 17, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Cousins signed a hefty four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons last offseason, but the move hasn't panned out very well for Atlanta. The veteran quarterback has the Falcons at 7-7 and second place in the NFC East. He has completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns, and a career-high 16 interceptions. Cousins was benched for first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. ahead of Week 16, and with the news that he'll be cut loose next March, it's possible that the veteran signal-caller doesn't register another snap in a Falcons jersey. The 36-year-old's proven track record should help him land a job somewhere else, but he won't get nearly as lucrative of a deal. He likely won't be a shoo-in to start with his next team, either.

Saturday, December 21, 9:19 AM

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (hip) has been removed from the injury report after he was a full participant in practice on Friday. The 26-year-old has been cleared to play against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon. Tagovailoa has produced a mixed bag of results this season, completing 73.7 percent of his passes for 2,652 yards, 18 touchdowns, and seven interceptions through 10 games. He turned over the football four times last weekend, but he has fared much better at home, which keeps him on the fantasy radar for Week 16. For context, in six games at Hard Rock Stadium this year, Tagovailoa has 12 touchdowns and just three interceptions and all three of those interceptions came in one game (Week 2 versus Buffalo). Losing Jaylen Waddle (knee) this week does make Tagovailoa's job a little more challenging, but he's still worth deploying as a low-end fantasy QB1 versus San Francisco.