Who Should I Start? Mason Rudolph or Kenny Pickett

Tuesday, November 18, 11:12 AM

With Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (wrist) dealing with a fracture in his left wrist, backup quarterback Mason Rudolph may be in line to make the start in Week 12 against the Chicago Bears. Rudolph finished Pittsburgh's Week 11 win over the Cincinnati Bengals and played well, completing 12 of 16 pass attempts for 127 yards and a touchdown. Across 32 career games (18 starts), Rudolph has completed 64.1% of his pass attempts for 4,754 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. At 30 years old, Rudolph is an established NFL quarterback with limited upside. However, he could be a decent streaming option off the waiver wire for fantasy managers in two-quarterback formats. Rodgers has not yet been ruled out for Week 12, so managers will need to monitor his progress throughout the week before moving to Rudolph.

Thursday, September 4, 9:39 AM

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kenny Pickett (hamstring) logged a full practice on Wednesday and is cleared to suit up in Week 1 when the Raiders face the New England Patriots. Pickett began the offseason with the Cleveland Browns but was traded to the Raiders in exchange for a fifth-round pick. The former first-round pick has been dealing with a hamstring injury, but appears to have moved past it. Fantasy managers should expect Pickett to operate as the backup option to Geno Smith. Currently, Aidan O'Connell (wrist) is on the injured reserve, which means Pickett will likely be given all of those opportunities under center if Smith were to miss time. Last season, Pickett spent time as Jalen Hurts' backup in Philadelphia but was deployed as a starter across his first two seasons in Pittsburgh. He is only worth a look in deeper superflex leagues if he were to take over the starting job.