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


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

Michael Penix Jr. has Good Day in 7-on-7 Drills

Monday, August 10, 6:32 PM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) had a good day in training camp practice on Monday while working in 7-on-7 drills, according to Tori McElhaney of the team's official website. Penix looked strong in the pocket and "worked the middle of the field well," hitting receiver Drake London several times. The lefty QB also dropped a long ball into tight end Kyle Pitts Sr.'s arms around 25 yards down the field, down the sideline. It's nice to hear for Penix, but the 26-year-old has yet to be cleared for team drills after suffering a partially torn ACL in his left knee in Week 11 of the 2025 season. The Falcons have yet to name a starter in their QB competition this summer between Penix and former Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa, but all signs point to Tua getting the nod, at least to begin the 2026 regular season. Penix will almost certainly sit out Friday's preseason opener against the Denver Broncos, and he'll most likely be holding the clipboard on the sideline for Tagovailoa in Week 1 of the regular season against the Pittsburgh Steelers. His redraft and dynasty value has tanked going into his third year in the NFL.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
19.6 15.7 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0

Bryce Young News

Bryce Young Will Play in Preseason Game Against Buffalo

Sunday, August 9, 8:19 AM

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said that the starters, including quarterback Bryce Young, will play in the team's preseason game this week against the Buffalo Bills, according to Panthers reporter Kassidy Hill. Young and the starters should get around 10 to 20 plays, depending on how the drives develop. The 25-year-old Young didn't take part in the team's Hall of Fame game last Thursday against the Arizona Cardinals, so he'll see his first preseason action this week. The former first overall pick in 2023 from the University of Alabama had the best year of his career in his third season in 2025, completing 63.6% of his pass attempts for 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 16 regular-season starts while leading the team to the NFC South title. However, it's debatable as to how much higher a ceiling Young has, especially since he doesn't have a big arm or very exciting targets outside of receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Young appears to be trending towards being a solid NFL starting QB, but for fantasy purposes, he's more of a low-end QB2 target with a low ceiling.


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 8.3 points this week while Bryce Young is projected to score 19.6 points.