Who Should I Start? Matthew Stafford or Jayden Daniels

Thursday, December 25, 2:13 PM

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is coming off one of his best performances of the season in last Thursday's 38-37 shootout with the Seahawks, and remains a high-end fantasy option moving forward. Stafford tossed three touchdowns across 457 yards in Week 16's defeat. The yardage total was a career-high, and it was the eighth time he'd thrown at least three TDs and no interceptions in the 2025 campaign. The former Georgia Bulldog has been lights out this season, and managers can continue rolling him out with confidence deep into the fantasy playoffs. While LA may decide to sit the veteran and other starters in Week 18 depending on this weekend's outcomes, Stafford will be afforded an excellent outing on Monday night against a Falcons' defense that's yielded 24 points per game -- ranking in the bottom third of the league.

Monday, December 15, 3:33 PM

The Washington Commanders have decided to shut down quarterback Jayden Daniels (elbow) for the final three games of the 2025 season, sources tell Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Daniels was re-evaluated on Monday and was not cleared, so the Commanders have decided to sit the second-year signal-caller for the rest of the year since they are eliminated from postseason contention. Veteran Marcus Mariota will close out the year running Washington's offense. The 24-year-old missed his seventh game of the year in Sunday's win over the New York Giants. Daniels suffered a gruesome dislocation of his left elbow in Week 9 and didn't return until Week 14, when he aggravated the injury. The former second overall pick had an amazing rookie campaign, but he'll end 2025 with only 1,262 passing yards, eight TDs, and three interceptions in seven games. Daniels could easily bounce back in 2026, but there are some serious concerns about his durability now after he missed time with elbow, hamstring, and knee injuries this year.