Anthony Richardson vs Tua Tagovailoa: Who Should You Start?
Anthony Richardson and Tua Tagovailoa are at different tiers heading into 2026. The Indianapolis Colts quarterback averaged 19.5 PPG in 2025, a full 8.0 points per game ahead of Tua Tagovailoa's 11.5 with the Miami Dolphins. That kind of gap doesn't close on matchup alone.
The per-game difference of 8.0 points favors Anthony Richardson, though savvy managers know that gap can shrink or widen depending on the weekly slate. Defensive matchup, recent scoring trends, and health status all shift the calculus from one quarterback to the other.
Anthony Richardson offers meaningful rushing upside with 580 yards on the ground in 2025, which separates his floor from a pocket passer like Tua Tagovailoa (2660 passing yards, 20 touchdowns). In games where the passing matchup looks ugly, that rushing production can be the entire difference on a start/sit call.
Anthony Richardson has his bye in Week 14, and Tua Tagovailoa rests in Week 12. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at quarterback for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
