Fantasy Football Week 2 Start 'Em Sit 'Em: Jaxson Dart vs Brock Purdy
Fantasy football has multiple quarterbacks that lie on the edge. They are weekly start 'em, sit 'em debates. That tier spans a handful of names. Today, we focus on two of them that have immense upside. That is, Jaxson Dart and Brock Purdy. Who is better in Week 2? Let's find out.
The Case of Jaxson Dart
Dart comes into Week 2 as the QB6. However, those are not rankings. Rather, they are projections. They take risk out of play. It measures what should happen in the most predictable outcomes based on current data.
The Giants will face the Los Angeles Rams at home on Monday Night Football. That means two important things: The Giants must travel three time zones, and the Rams will be 3 days more rested after the Melbourne game.
Even without Myles Garrett, my ratings show the Rams to be the NFL's No. 1 defense. ESPN's FPI ratings are a bit harsher, rating the Rams as the No. 9 defense. Nonetheless, they are a good unit.
I take notice of Dart's 2025 matchups when facing elite defenses:
- Vikings: 7/13, 33 Yards, 1 INT, 5 Sacks
- Broncos: 15/33, 283 Yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 4 Sacks
- Patriots: 17/24, 139 Yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
- Chargers: 13/20, 111 Yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 5 Sacks
Dart has not been shut down, but he has faced adversity in those tougher matchups. In Week 2, the Giants may have been dealt with by the Cowboys, but this is a total 180. The Cowboys could be the NFL's worst defense, and the Rams could be the best.
I do not quite think that Dart is a sit this week. Certainly not, given his profound ability to rush. I do think his ceiling is limited.
The Case of Brock Purdy
Purdy comes in at QB11 in this week's projections. He is a curious case of upside, and risk.
The upside of Purdy comes from his matchup against an awful Dolphins team. They are commonly rated as a bottom-5 defense. Some would say they are the worst. Whichever way you put, the fact is itthey lack talent. Thus, Purdy can deal.
The risk concerns the same thing. If the 49ers get up big and score more often on the run, Purdy loses his touchdown ceiling. The team goes up 17, 20, heck, maybe 30 points. Who knows? But the team will enter a run script. Purdy will lose his touchdowns and yards and have a mediocre day.
I am cautious about putting all my trust in games like these. They offer volatility for a quarterback. Rather, I prefer chasing quarterbacks who project to be in a shootout. They will have to pass late in the game. Purdy does not offer that.
Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Jaxson Dart vs Brock Purdy
Neither quarterback offers the ceiling that I so desire. In that case, I prefer fading risk. Who has the lower floor? I will fade that man.
I do think that Dart's floor is lower. His offense is rated worse. He faces a much tougher defense. While he may pass more than Purdy, he may not. That is not a lock. That is not something we can guarantee. Rather, I will fade some of those 2025-referenced outputs where Dart does not pass for 150 yards in an offensive game.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.