Who Should I Start? Michael Penix Jr. or Bryce Young


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Michael Penix Jr. News

Michael Penix Jr. Not Cleared for 11-on-11 Work

Wednesday, May 27, 1:38 PM

Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said that quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) has not yet been cleared to take part in 11-on-11 drills during OTA practices, according to Marc Raimondi of ESPN. Penix suffered a partially torn ACL in his left knee last year and underwent season-ending surgery in mid-November. The 26-year-old former eighth overall pick in 2024 out of the University of Washington has already taken part in 7-on-7 drills and has done individual work during the Falcons' offseason program, but he's still behind as he eventually looks to compete with Tua Tagovailoa for the starting QB gig this summer in training camp. Reports have suggested that Penix is doing great in his rehab, but until he's at full speed, he'll be fighting an uphill battle to win the starting QB job to open the 2026 campaign. There are plenty of playmakers in Atlanta in an offense that could improve under Stefanski, but Penix's injury history alone -- he tore his ACL twice in college -- has seriously put a damper on his long-term fantasy outlook.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Bryce Young News

Bryce Young's Dynasty Value Impacted by Inconsistency

Monday, June 1, 6:02 AM

Carolina quarterback Bryce Young has had an up-and-down career since the Panthers made him the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The soon-to-be-25-year-old signal caller was briefly benched in his second season before reclaiming the job due to injury, and in his third season in 2025, he led the Panthers to an 8-9 record and their first playoff appearance since 2017. His fantasy results have also been held down by a lack of consistency, with finishes of QB23, QB20, and QB19. Young's five 2025 weekly results as the QB12 or better marked a career high, but through three seasons in the league, he has yet to string two such finishes together in consecutive weeks, making him a difficult weekly play outside of best ball formats. His best outing in 2025 came in a Week 11 overtime win over the Falcons, in which he threw for 448 yards and scored more than 36 fantasy points. By contrast, in the two games prior, he scored a combined 0.54 fantasy points while playing 100% of the snaps. At RotoBaller's dynasty QB28, Young is a passable QB2 in superflex leagues, but his devastating lows make him more suitable as a luxury third quarterback.


Michael Penix Jr. vs. Bryce Young

Still trying to decide between Penix Jr. and Young? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Michael Penix Jr. is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Bryce Young is projected to score 0.0 points.