Who Should I Start? Matthew Stafford or Mason Rudolph

Monday, September 15, 6:52 PM

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 23 of his 33 pass attempts for 298 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception during Sunday's Week 2 win over the Tennessee Titans. The veteran signal caller was quite productive on the road, finishing just a couple of yards away from a 300-yard, two-touchdown performance. He put together this dominant showing despite Los Angeles leading for more than half the game. In a situation where some teams might run the ball more, Stafford was still given an opportunity to rack up passing yards. He also did so against a solid Titans pass defense that intercepted Bo Nix twice just one week earlier. Stafford's lack of rushing upside is unfortunate, but fantasy managers should rest assured that there's no concern about Los Angeles deviating from a pass-heavy approach while leading in future weeks. He's firmly in the mid-range QB2 conversation for Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Friday, August 22, 10:43 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph completed six of his eight pass attempts for 36 scoreless yards and an interception in Thursday night's 19-10 preseason win over the Carolina Panthers. Rudolph took the field for the team's first three offensive possessions and could not get much of anything going. The Steelers punted twice in the first quarter before Rudolph opened the second period with an ill-advised throw to Ke'Shawn Williams that Carolina picked off. Rudolph's brief showing was quickly outshined by teammate Skylar Thompson, who led Pittsburgh on three straight scoring drives. Nonetheless, the 30-year-old Rudolph should be expected to maintain QB2 duties heading into the regular season as the most experienced backup on the roster, especially if rookie Will Howard (finger) is placed on IR.