Who Should I Start? Philip Rivers or Lamar Jackson

Wednesday, December 17, 11:39 AM

Making his first start since January 2021, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers managed to hold his own in Week 15 against the Seattle Seahawks. The 44-year-old completed 18 of 27 pass attempts for 120 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, and nearly led his team to an upset victory on the road. The Colts announced that Rivers will make another start in Week 16 against the San Francisco 49ers, who are expected to be a more manageable matchup than Seattle. Fantasy expectations should remain limited for Rivers, as he provides zero value as a rusher and averaged just 4.4 yards per pass attempt against the Seahawks. However, Rivers may be more productive as he gains more time to work with the Colts' pass catchers and becomes more familiar with the team's offense. In deep, two-quarterback fantasy leagues, Rivers could be a streaming option off the waiver wire in Week 16.

Tuesday, December 16, 12:18 PM

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said last week that he was "feeling better" after battling through multiple lower-body injuries this season, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN. Although Jackson's performance was pedestrian in the 24-0 shutout win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, the team snapped a two-game losing streak, and Jackson looked more like himself. He had the fewest completions of his eight-year career in a full game with eight, throwing for 150 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. The two-time MVP's 136 passing yards were his most in a first half this season, and he was back to producing touchdowns and stretching the field. Jackson ended a career-worst streak of five games without multiple TD passes. The 28-year-old's production has dipped recently in tandem with his reduced practice time, as he's missed at least one full practice in each of the last five games due to ankle, knee, and toe ailments. If Jackson is indeed putting his injuries in the rearview mirror, we could finally start to see the high-end QB1 version, although it might already be too late for fantasy managers.