Fantasy Football Player Notes

Kirk Cousins is being tasked with jump-starting a Falcons offense that struggled last season with Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke manning the QB position. Cousins was a consistent fantasy producer during his time in Minnesota, but he tore his Achilles on Oct. 29, and as he heads into his age-36 season, we probably shouldn't assume that he'll continue to provide low-end QB1 value. Before going on IR last season, Cousins was averaging 291.4 passing yards and 2.3 TD passes a game. For fantasy managers, drafting Cousins to be your starting quarterback would be risky, but once he's fully healthy, this proven veteran should at least be able to provide solid QB2 value.

The Falcons drew heavy criticism by selecting Penix with the No. 8 pick in the draft after signing Kirk Cousins to a lucrative four-year contract in the offseason. Penix has no clear path to playing time in 2024, although it should be noted that Cousins is coming off a torn Achilles and is entering his age-36 season. Penix has a strong, accurate arm and is good at sack avoidance, having taken just 16 sacks over his last two college season. Penix has a worrisome injury history, however. He's torn his ACL twice and has also endured shoulder issues. Penix won't be draftable in most redraft leagues, though he'd become a popular waiver-wire addition if Cousins were to go down.