Honorable mention Starts: Baker Mayfield (TB), Russell Wilson (PIT), Aaron Rodgers (NYJ)
Honorable mention Sits: Spencer Rattler (NO), Bryce Young (CAR), Drake Maye (NE)
Start: Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Folks, what can I say? I’m going back to the Murray well this week, even after the dud he laid at our feet in Week 1 of the playoffs. And he was in such a good spot, too, against the Patriots. To be fair, I did say he was boom or bust (unfortunately, I picked boom). Friends, the matchup this week is even better, and I have faith. If he could just find the endzone the numbers would be there, and this is as good a week as any. The Panthers are one of the best matchups for QBs, and the Cardinals need Murray to have a game to keep their playoff hopes alive. Cooper Rush just dropped 27+ on them, and I’m certain Murray can do at least that this weekend. Another juicy matchup next week with the Rams, so if Kyler does it here, we’re on cruise control next week, also.
Start: Cooper Rush, Dallas Cowboys
Speaking of Cooper! Lou and I were chatting a couple of weeks ago about Cooper and Aidan O’Connell (RIFP – rest in fantasy peace) having pudding schedules coming up and if I was a moron for considering these guys over Purdy and Herbert. Well, folks, it turns out we were on to something. While O’Connell went down to injury against the Bucs, Cooper has been very palatable. In fact, if you go back five matchups, Rush has finished below 20 only once, highlighted by a 27-point, three-touchdown game on Sunday. This week it’s the Bucs who have been better as of late and have held their own against “lesser” QBs (DeVito, O’Connell, etc.). I’m not concerned about the matchup, though, as I expect a lot of offense here, and Rush is going to do enough to factor for us (Rico and CeeDee also).
Sit: Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Did someone say Purdy? And he flashed (QB7) in Week 14 against a tough Bears team, right? Got our hopes up, and then Thursday night happened (and almost cost my season). Sigh. Purdy has been super sporadic since the bye week, and I sort of get it, what with the decimation of the RB group and inconsistency of the WR group? Kittle has been his steady, but it just hasn’t been enough for Brock or us. Purdy’s last five weeks – QB31, QB7, QB32, QB12, QB5. Do you want to trust that against a Miami defense that ranks first on the season and nearly top 10 in the last four weeks? Can you trust it may be the better question. I can’t. I won’t. I refuse.
Sit: Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Did someone say Goff? Kidding, no one said it. And most certainly, you won’t see him in sit column this week after dropping nearly 500 yards and five touchdowns on the Bills. Except here. Me. I’m recommending him as a sit this week. Last week, I said sit Jalen and Baker, and we know how that turned out. But here I am recommending another stud as a sit. And the same thing as last week – if you go the other way, I would understand. And it may not be an absolute sit, but it definitely has big potential for a floor game. Look what the Bears just did to Darnold from a fantasy perspective – QB20 and barely 12 points. I know the aforementioned Brock dropped a QB7 on them, but the Bears continue to be one of the best defenses against QBs for fantasy scoring. During the Chicago Bears eighth straight loss on Monday, they flashed a graphic that I think is worthy of notice – the Bears have (had) the fourth-highest pressure rate in the league. Now, this makes sense because pressured QBs don’t play as well (a select few do), which has been the case for teams playing the Bears all season. This is a matchup consideration against a stingy unit in a bitterly cold game (real feel in the 20s), in a game where a heavy dose of Jahmyr Gibbs makes too much sense. Remember what I said – floor game.