Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Tyler Shough


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
3.9 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Kirk Cousins News

Fantasy Expectations Low for Kirk Cousins in a Bridge Role

Wednesday, July 22, 6:59 AM

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins is no stranger to competing with a first-round pick in his first season with a new team, though the comparisons to his 2024 campaign with the Falcons end just below surface level. The Falcons shocked the football world by selecting Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft weeks after signing Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal. In contrast, Fernando Mendoza was always going to wind up with the Raiders, even if his selection with the first overall pick was not made official until after Cousins had signed his two-year, $12.6 million bridge quarterback contract. With new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak preaching patience for Mendoza, Cousins is expected to start the season with the starting job and could be given plenty of leash in an offense that should show signs of improvement from a year ago. That said, the soon-to-be-38-year-old's per-game fantasy production has been on the decline for years, and little is expected of RotoBaller's QB33 in 2026.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
20.6 18.2 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0

Tyler Shough News

Tyler Shough Looks Like a Prime Redraft Sleeper Entering 2026

Friday, July 17, 12:37 PM

The 40th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough took over as his team's starter under center in Week 9 of his rookie season. The 26-year-old held his own in his first taste of NFL action, completing 67.6% of his pass attempts for 2,384 yards and 10 touchdowns while rushing for 195 yards and three scores across 11 games (nine starts). From Week 9 through the end of the season, Shough ranked as the fantasy QB12 by measure of per-game scoring. Entering 2026, Shough is the unquestioned QB1 in New Orleans and has some new weapons at his disposal after the Saints added wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (undisclosed) in the 2026 draft and running back Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency. If Shough can continue his development as a passer while also adding some extra fantasy juice with his legs, he could be a steal for fantasy managers at his current redraft ADP of QB21.


Kirk Cousins vs. Tyler Shough

Still trying to decide between Cousins and Shough? 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 3.9 points this week while Tyler Shough is projected to score 20.6 points.