Who Should I Start? Brock Purdy or Anthony Richardson

Monday, February 12, 1:06 AM

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy's best efforts failed to bring the team's first championship in 29 years in Sunday's Super Bowl matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. As the Chiefs sealed the second overtime victory in Super Bowl history, Purdy's night ended at 23 completions of 38 attempts for 255 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions against a tough pass defense. It's hard to say that Purdy had a bad game, but it may be tough to shake his "game manager" tag after this one. He kept his team in the game throughout and led an overtime drive to a field goal, but there were times when his inexperience showed, standing in contrast to Patrick Mahomes' clean game-winning touchdown drive in response. Purdy will look to get his team back for another shot and will most likely be on the QB1/QB2 border this fall in fantasy drafts.

Tuesday, May 7, 11:29 PM

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (shoulder) is progressing well and itching to get back to normal football activities, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. "Richardson feels he's full go at this point," Fowler said during an appearance on SportsCenter. "He's been throwing for a while now. He's gradually grown to where he can throw full time with minimal restrictions. The Colts could be deliberate. They could hold him out for OTAs, 11-man work, minicamp, but the feeling is he wants to get started." These comments suggest that Richardson is pushing to return in a full capacity but Indianapolis may choose to take a more cautious approach in the final stage of his recovery and rehabilitation. Regardless, he should be back to 100 percent in time for the preseason and Week 1 of the regular season. He can be a QB1 in fantasy football as long as he stays healthy. That's easier said than done given that Richardson's physical playing style made him more susceptible to big hits and injuries as a rookie. However, Richardson reportedly might tone down his physicality in 2024, which could lead to him finishing more games (even if it equates to slightly fewer rushing yards and touchdowns, as well as more sacks). He should be treated as a fringe top-12 quarterback heading into fantasy drafts.