Who Should I Start? Matthew Stafford or Jalen Hurts


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
26.1 4.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Matthew Stafford News

Matthew Stafford Delivers a Season-Opening Letdown in Australia

Thursday, September 10, 9:12 PM

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 15 of his 25 pass attempts (60% completion rate) for 155 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. He didn't take a sack in the contest. That stat line would be subpar for any quarterback, but it's especially frustrating for a veteran passer who won the league MVP award last season while having Puka Nacua and Davante Adams at his disposal. Stafford was unable to keep the Rams in this game for long, and he ended up getting replaced by Stetson Bennett once the score got out of hand. There's no real excuse for this performance, but if it's any consolation, managers should expect him to play a little better once he's not traveling to Australia and turning around to play a football game less than 24 hours later. The Rams will return to the United States soon, giving Stafford 11 days to get back on track before his next game against the New York Giants in Week 1. Largely thanks to his supporting cast, Stafford remains a fringe top-12 fantasy quarterback for the time being.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
26.7 29.8 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.0

Jalen Hurts News

Jalen Hurts Looks to Thrive in Philadelphia's New Offense in Week 1

Saturday, September 12, 1:27 AM

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts enters his seventh season in the NFL in 2026, and his first under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion - whom Hurts recently referred to as a "North Star." Hurts and the Eagles take on the NFC East rival Washington Commanders in Week 1. Hurts finished the 2025 season as the No. 9 quarterback in total fantasy points, and the No. 7 quarterback in fantasy points-per-game. He saw an increase in his passing production in 2025, as he threw for 3,224 yards and 25 touchdowns in 16 games last year (compared to 2,903 yards and 18 touchdowns in 15 games in 2024), but his rushing production decreased significantly. In 2024, Hurts amassed 631 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground, but those numbers dipped to 421 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in 2025. He only threw six interceptions last season, but he also lost four fumbles. Hurts also lost his No. 1 target from the 2025 season after the Eagles traded A.J. Brown (121 targets in 2025) to the New England Patriots in June. Hurts will rely on DeVonta Smith (who had similar production to Brown in 2025), Dontayvion Wicks, Makai Lemon, Dallas Goedert, Saquon Barkley, and others in 2026. The Commanders ranked near the bottom of the NFL in passing yards allowed per game in 2025 (242.5), checking in at 28th. Hurts ranks as RotoBaller's No. 5 quarterback heading into the 2026 campaign. He is a must-start player for Week 1 and a strong DFS option as well.


Matthew Stafford vs. Jalen Hurts

Still trying to decide between Stafford and Hurts? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Matthew Stafford is projected to score 26.1 points this week while Jalen Hurts is projected to score 26.7 points.