Who Should I Start? Jacoby Brissett or Sam Darnold

Friday, April 26, 2:25 PM

Rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who was taken third overall in this year's NFL draft by the New England Patriots on Thursday night, will initially compete with veteran Jacoby Brissett for the starting job in 2024. The Patriots also have former fourth-rounder Bailey Zappe and Nathan Rourke on their QB depth chart. "To go back to Bill [Belichick's philosophy], I don't think many rookies are ready to just jump in and play," first-year head coach Jerod Mayo said. "At the end of the day, our philosophy is the best players will play. We will compete and the best player will start." The 21-year-old started 26 games over the last two years for the Tar Heels and threw for 8,018 yards, 63 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Maye was more productive in 2022 and has plenty to work on. Meanwhile, he has a pretty weak supporting cast in the receiver room, so fantasy managers taking the leap on him in dynasty/keeper leagues will want to be patient.

Wednesday, May 8, 11:20 PM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold could be named the team's Week 1 starter over first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. As Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com writes, "It's only a matter of time before McCarthy becomes the Vikings' starting quarterback [...] but it is not likely to happen as quickly as some fans might hope, and if anything, the Vikings are poised to err on the side of methodical caution." Such a scenario could see Minnesota let Darnold, whom they signed this past offseason when Kirk Cousins left for Atlanta, start a few games before transitioning to McCarthy. Darnold has struggled to support major fantasy production from his playmakers at previous stops, including the Jets and Panthers, so fantasy managers might want to temper expectations with players like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson to start the year. Darnold himself falls to the low-end QB3 tier in fantasy football drafts.