Who Should I Start? Michael Penix Jr. or C.J. Stroud

Sunday, November 8, 6:10 PM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed 20 of his 31 pass attempts for 162 yards, one touchdown, and one interception during Sunday's Week 9 loss against the Cincinnati Bengals. He also ran for 50 yards on three rushing attempts. Penix's solid rushing output helped to make up for his low passing yard total, but overall, it was a relatively disappointing outing from the former first-round pick. This was definitely not the way Penix wanted to play in his first game back from a four-turnover showing in Week 8. He now has 10 touchdowns and seven turnovers through seven games in 2026, and he doesn't have a clear path to the top-12 quarterback tier given that the Falcons employ a run-heavy offense centered around Bijan Robinson. Penix may have a little more upside in a projected negative game script environment against the Chiefs in Week 10, but we still think managers could find better options aleady on their roster or on waivers.