Who Should I Start? Matthew Stafford or Baker Mayfield

Saturday, October 18, 9:36 AM

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has been terrific this season, ranking as the overall QB10 in fantasy football. While he has a long track record of success in the NFL and has proven that this season's results are no joke, managers should temper expectations with the veteran signal caller this week. First of all, he will be without Puka Nacua (ankle), who is the heart and soul of Los Angeles' receiving corps. That will leave Davante Adams as the de facto No. 1 receiver. While Adams is dominant, too, he hasn't flashed the strongest rapport with Stafford, which could be an issue now that he's in a bigger role. Furthermore, Stafford will be tasked with overcoming the challenges of international travel; he arrives in London on Saturday and will take on the Jaguars just one day later. Both of these factors reduce Stafford's fantasy value, but he still cracks the top 12. It helps that Jacksonville has allowed the fifth-most passing yards to quarterbacks this season, as well as the 11th-most fantasy points to the position. Stafford is a low-end QB1 for this week.

Saturday, October 18, 8:21 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has been playing at an elite level early in the season. Heading into Week 7, Mayfield has thrown for 1,539 passing yards with 12 touchdowns and one interception. He's missing multiple key contributors on offense, but continues finding ways to get it done on the field. At the moment, it's unclear if the Bucs will have Mike Evans (hamstring) or Emeka Egbuka (hamstring) for Monday's game against the Detroit Lions. Despite that, Mayfield finds a way to succeed despite a shorthanded roster. Fantasy managers should continue to plug in Mayfield as a locked-in QB1 for Week 7.