Who Should I Start? Mason Rudolph or Brock Purdy

Friday, August 22, 10:43 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph completed six of his eight pass attempts for 36 scoreless yards and an interception in Thursday night's 19-10 preseason win over the Carolina Panthers. Rudolph took the field for the team's first three offensive possessions and could not get much of anything going. The Steelers punted twice in the first quarter before Rudolph opened the second period with an ill-advised throw to Ke'Shawn Williams that Carolina picked off. Rudolph's brief showing was quickly outshined by teammate Skylar Thompson, who led Pittsburgh on three straight scoring drives. Nonetheless, the 30-year-old Rudolph should be expected to maintain QB2 duties heading into the regular season as the most experienced backup on the roster, especially if rookie Will Howard (finger) is placed on IR.

Monday, October 20, 7:35 PM

The San Francisco 49ers will continue to monitor quarterback Brock Purdy (toe) this week, and there is no certainty that he will return for the Week 8 contest on Sunday against the Houston Texans, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. Purdy has been sidelined since aggravating his turf-toe injury in Week 4, and he has only played in two games through the first seven weeks due to the injury. According to head coach Kyle Shanahan, it could be a stretch for the 25-year-old to return this weekend, but it will all depend on how much he can do in practice leading up to Sunday's contest. Purdy was limited in three practices last week, and he will probably need to put in a full practice this week to have a realistic shot at returning. Fantasy managers should consider him on the wrong side of questionable as of right now. Mac Jones would make his third straight start in a tough matchup against Houston if Purdy misses a fifth game.