Week 9 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Jaxson Dart vs. Jordan Love
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There have been a lot more key quarterback injuries this season than usual, and also getting hit with bye weeks. Because of that, fantasy owners are missing stars like Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, and Baker Mayfield. Luckily, a lot of the start-of-season QB2 options have stepped up and become usable fantasy assets. Two of those quarterbacks are rookie Jaxson Dart and Jordan Love. Many fantasy owners have to decide which one of these options to start this week. It's not an easy call, but the tough decisions have to be made.
QB Jaxson Dart, New York Giants
The Case For Jaxson Dart
Dart has been a bit of an up-and-down option since taking over the starting job from Russell Wilson, but it's been his rushing upside that has really given him his value despite being an inconsistent passer. He has scored a rushing touchdown in four of his five starts and cleared 50 rushing yards in three of those games. His yardage hasn't been anything special through the air. His season-high was 283 yards, but after that, he only cleared 200 yards once, with 202 yards.
However, he has thrown eight TDs and just three interceptions for a total of 12 TDs in five games. This week, he's matched up against the 49ers, whose defense just continues to get worse as the injuries pile up. Last week, they allowed 318 passing yards, two TDs, and 30 rushing yards to CJ Stroud without Nico Collins. Going into that game, Stroud hadn't topped 244 yards all season and had just nine TD passes. This matchup is better than the year-long numbers show.
The Case Against Jaxson Dart
How many losses can Dart overcome? The offensive line is banged up, and the Giants' top two weapons, Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo, are now out for the season. If we start Dart, we are banking on him producing with Wan'Dale Robinson and Theo Johnson as his top weapons. That is a bit nerve-racking. Also, it's worth noting that the 49ers have not allowed a rushing TD to a quarterback all season. With so much of his value coming from his legs, that could be bad news. While he'll likely be able to throw at will, they could give him a tough time as a rusher.
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QB Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
The Case For Jordan Love
Love is the more established quarterback with better weapons in a better offensive system. Through seven games, he has thrown for 1,798 yards, 13 TDs, and just two interceptions. He just got Christian Watson back last week, and Tucker Kraft looks to be fully healthy again. There is no doubt that he's a more mature quarterback and a significantly better passer. The case for Love basically boils down to him currently being a better quarterback with better weapons.
The Case Against Jordan Love
While Love is the better passer, he doesn't bring much value on the ground. He does have 109 rushing yards this season, but he's coming off a game with -1 rushing yards and hasn't scored a TD on the ground. The matchup against the Carolina Panthers is also significantly tougher than the 49ers. They are allowing the 11th-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. Love does have better wide receivers, but they still aren't anything special. You can question how much of an advantage they really give Love here.
The Verdict: Jaxson Dart vs. Jordan Love
This one could go either way, but we are going with Dart for his upside. His ability to run raises his ceiling to heights that Love will really struggle to reach in a tough matchup with just his arm. Love is admittedly the safer option, but give us the upside here.
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-0e06b43c57ceb063781f337e307e72d4.png "Mark Morales-Smith")
Mark Morales-Smith is a father of five, a former college football scout and semi-pro football player. Morales-Smith is a long-time competitive fantasy football player with well over a decade of professional writing experience at multiple high-level sites, including Sports Illustrated, FullTime Fantasy, FantasySP, and more.
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