Who Should I Start? Matthew Stafford or Aidan O'Connell

Monday, March 3, 5:59 PM

By agreeing to a contract restructure last Friday with quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Los Angeles Rams were able to stay on year-to-year terms with the veteran signal-caller. The adjusted contract will be structured under his existing framework that runs through 2026, according to The Athletic's Jourdan Rodriguez. No new years were added, so both sides expect to revisit the matter again next offseason. The specific dollar amount of the adjusted contract are unknown, but Stafford surely receives a double-digit raise from the existing $27 million he was scheduled to be paid in 2025. "We're taking it a year at a time," head coach Sean McVay said. Rodrigue also adds that despite keeping Stafford for this year, the Rams will look to the future at the position. For fantasy purposes, although Stafford almost led L.A. to the NFC Championship, he should be considered a midrange QB2.

Sunday, January 5, 9:55 PM

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell completed 24 of 34 pass attempts for 214 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception during Sunday's Week 18 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. He also rushed four times for an additional 13 yards on the ground. O'Connell has delivered modest production over the last three weeks, tallying four passing touchdowns and one turnover during that span. He has benefitted from the breakout seasons of both Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers, but his production might not be enough to deter Vegas from selecting a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Purdue product finished this year with a 63.6 percent completion rate, eight touchdowns, and six turnovers through parts of nine games. Dynasty managers should hold O'Connell on their rosters for now, as he'll be hard to sell but is a little too valuable to drop in leagues with 14 teams or more. From a redraft perspective, he'll trend down as long as the Raiders add a notable quarterback especially if it's a rookie during the upcoming months.