Should I Start Matthew Stafford?

Saturday, September 19, 4:41 PM

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is coming off a frustrating Week 1 performance amid his attempt to defend last year's MVP title. Last week's struggles could potentially be chalked up to the team's weird travel logistics to Australia, so we expect Stafford to settle into more of a groove as he returns stateside in Week 2 to face the New York Giants. The bad news for the veteran quarterback is that he could be without wide receiver Puka Nacua (hip), who has missed practice on back-to-back days. At this point, there's legitimate concern that Nacua doesn't play, which would have an enormous impact on Stafford's fantasy football outlook. It would certainly benefit the quarterback to have his top target available against a Giants defense that allowed just 175 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception to Dak Prescott last week. If Nacua plays, Stafford will rank as a low-end QB1 in fantasy football. If he doesn't, the veteran passer falls to the mid-range QB2 tier. Managers will have to make their best guess here, as there won't be any clarity on Nacua's status until the Rams post their list of inactive players on Monday night.