Who Should I Start? Matthew Stafford or Michael Penix Jr.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23.3 | 3.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Matthew Stafford News
Monday, July 6, 11:52 AM
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford had a historic season in 2025, throwing for 4,707 yards, 46 touchdowns, and eight interceptions across 17 games and being named the NFL's MVP. Stafford was an elite fantasy QB last season, particularly in leagues that award six points per passing touchdown. Still, there are multiple reasons to expect regression from Stafford in 2026. For one, the veteran quarterback is entering his age-38 season and has a history of back and neck issues. Stafford also posted a 7.7% touchdown rate as a passer in 2025, which is well above his career mark of 4.8%. By measure of per-game scoring, Stafford finished outside the top-24 at the quarterback position in 2024. However, he's currently being valued as a low-end QB1/high-end QB2 by average draft position in redraft formats. Unless his price continues to come down, Stafford may be a player for redraft managers to avoid in 2026.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.3 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Michael Penix Jr. News
Wednesday, July 15, 12:12 PM
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) is still difficult to price before training camp. He threw for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions in nine starts last season, then a partially torn left ACL ended his year in Week 11. This was his third ACL surgery. Penix made it back for individual and seven-on-seven work in the spring, but Atlanta kept him out of full-team periods while Tua Tagovailoa ran the offense. The expectation was that Penix would be ready for 11-on-11 work in camp, pending medical clearance. Until that happens, there is not much of a competition to judge. The fantasy profile has its own problem. Penix completed 60.1% of his passes and added only 70 rushing yards, so he needs the arm to carry the value. Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts Sr. give him enough help if he wins the job. RotoBaller has Penix at QB29 in dynasty, which is low enough to hold through camp but not cheap enough to ignore the knee and Tua. Superflex buyers should wait for clarity rather than paying for his previous upside.
Matthew Stafford vs. Michael Penix Jr.
Still trying to decide between Stafford and Penix Jr.? 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 23.3 points this week while Michael Penix Jr. is projected to score 8.3 points.
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