Week 1 Fantasy Football Advice Mailbag: Comeback Quarterback Season

Welcome back to your direct line of fantasy football advice, our mailbag article series powered by the Fantasy Football Advice Network. I’m Nicolette Rojo, and I will be the writer of this season’s mailbag series as I continue being the brains behind In-Between Media (IBT)’s social channels.

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Fantasy Football Advice: Week 1 Mailbag

Which Quarterback Coming Back Has a Better Season: Kirk Cousins or Aaron Rodgers? – @WishList

“Brat Girl Summer” may be over, but “Fantasy Football Autumn” is kicking off with comeback season in the eyes of two old-man quarterbacks: Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers.

I love a good comeback story. While I am bullish on a solid return for both quarterbacks, fantasy football is a different story. Both quarterbacks are coming off serious Achilles injuries and are in the latter part of their playing careers.

Prior to his injury, “Kirko Chainz” was throwing the rock, leading the Minnesota Vikings to a playoff run. He finished with 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns and just five interceptions in eight games. Unlike Rodgers, Cousins was not looking to return to the field in four months, but his recovery has reportedly been smooth. His “bad” ankle is on his backfoot, which is something to keep an eye on when throwing the deep ball.

Meanwhile, Rodgers has been the talk of the NFL’s offseason. He attempted to return to the New York Jets during the holidays last season. This did not happen, and he did not play a snap in preseason after only playing four snaps last season in Week 1. Both quarterbacks have yet to play a full game with their squads, but Rodgers missing offseason time with the Jets raised a question. He will certainly be a future Hall-of-Famer and is only two years away from his last MVP season. However, Rodgers is also 40-years-old. Age and serious injuries are not a solid combo for either quarterback.

Aaron Rodgers vs. Kirk Cousins

I’ll be honest: I am not the biggest fan of either option fantasy football-wise for Week 1. However, Cousins’ Atlanta Falcons debut will be at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and have home-field advantage. Meanwhile, Rodgers will face a very tough San Francisco 49ers defense, who allowed an average of 206.9 passing yards and 290.1 yards of total offense last season, in the Bay Area. Cousins will still face a tough Pittsburgh Steelers squad, but I like the home-field advantage here.

Rodgers is clearly the better gun-slinger and has more notable weapons like Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. History favors Rodgers, especially with his injury not as fresh as Cousins’s. However, I do not trust Nathaniel Hackett’s playbook and calls to jump over a dangerous 49ers defense. Zac Robinson is a disciple of the Sean McVay coaching tree, so there will certainly be a more aggressive approach in the long ball and passing game.

Atlanta’s offense consists of Drake London, Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts and Darnell Mooney. Cousins also has more to lose than Rodgers. The Falcons drafted Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., which surprised the NFL world and the veteran quarterback himself.

The Verdict

Cousins simply has more weapons and a better situation than Rodgers, so I would start Cousins if I had to pick. But look for other options moving forward if you cannot in Week 1.

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*Photo Credit: Ed Mulholland – USA TODAY Sports*

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