Drake Maye vs Matthew Stafford: Who Should You Start?
The gap between Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford is smaller than most fantasy managers think. Separated by just 0.1 PPG in 2025, this is one of those quarterback decisions that comes down to context, not name recognition. Drake Maye averaged 20.7 PPG with the New England Patriots across 17 games, and Matthew Stafford posted 20.6 with the Los Angeles Rams in 17.
When two quarterbacks are separated by less than two points per game, the decision shifts to weekly context. Who has the softer defense? Who is trending up over the last month? Which team is projected for more total points? Those are the tiebreakers that actually matter.
Drake Maye offers meaningful rushing upside with 450 yards on the ground in 2025, which separates his floor from a pocket passer like Matthew Stafford (4707 passing yards, 46 touchdowns). In games where the passing matchup looks ugly, that rushing production can be the entire difference on a start/sit call.
Drake Maye has his bye in Week 14, and Matthew Stafford rests in Week 8. 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.
