Who Should I Start? Matthew Stafford or Jared Goff

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, 10:18 PM

Through six weeks, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff leads the NFL in both completion percentage (75.9%) and touchdown passes (14). The Lions were held to just 17 points by the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6, but the team is still averaging 31.8 points per contest. Detroit will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7 in a matchup that looks on paper like it should be a shootout. The Bucs currently rank 23rd in the NFL in passing yards allowed (1,520) and have allowed the fourth-most receptions of 40-plus yards (four). The Lions will go into the game without both starting safeties and their two top cornerbacks, so the pressure could be on Goff and the offense to keep the pedal to the metal from start to finish. Goff profiles as a solid fantasy starter in single-quarterback formats in Week 7 against Tampa Bay.