The Pittsburgh Steelers will face off against the New Orleans Saints in the NFL’s first game in Paris, France. 

Tyler Shough and Aaron Rodgers will be at the forefront of their respective offense, but who is slated for a better Fantasy performance?

Tyler Shough

Shough regained his Fantasy form after a pair of disappointing Fantasy performances. Shough finished with 27.0 Fantasy points in last week’s win over the New York Giants, which was good for a QB 2 weekly finish. The Saints QB’s Fantasy performance last week marked his fourth game of the season with at least 22.4 Fantasy points. Despite the multitude of strong performances this season, Shough will have to dig deep this week against a stingy Steelers defense. 

The Steelers allow an average of 12.8 FPPG to opposing quarterbacks, which is the fourth-least in the league. The AFC North outfit have been aided with some easier QB matchups, like the Atlanta Falcons’ third-string QB Cooper Rush of the or Tampa Bay’s undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels. Nevertheless, the Steelers defense offers a difficult puzzle to solve for Shough.

A shining light for Shough Fantasy managers is the Steelers have shown blips of weakness against pass-happy quarterbacks. Joe Burrow finished with 22.6 Fantasy points in his game against the Steelers. If Tyler Shough is efficient in his volume, he can break the trend of the Steelers shutting down opposing QBs like Burrow did. 

Aaron Rodgers

Rodgers has been a decent Fantasy option this season as the 42-year-old has four games with 17-plus Fantasy points. A big part of Rodgers’ Fantasy success is the Steelers’ willingness to pass the ball. The AFC North outfit pass the ball at a 66% clip, second-highest in the NFL. 

Looking ahead to this week’s game, Rodgers will face a Saints defense, who are middle of the pack against opposing QBs. The Saints allow 18.5 FPPG to opposing quarterbacks, 14th-most in the league. 

Despite the Saints’ decent metrics in limiting QBs’ Fantasy output, Rodgers does have an avenue for a productive Fantasy day. The Saints allow 29.7 PPG, tied for most in the NFL. Playing against one of the worst defenses in the NFL will give Rodgers multiple opportunities to throw touchdowns and rack up passing yards. 

The Verdict

Popular Fantasy quarterbacks, like Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence, are on byes this week, leaving Fantasy managers in a bind. Shough and Rodgers are capable quarterbacks, who can step in this week and fill in for those Fantasy playmakers. 

Shough does have the tougher matchup out of the two QBs, but has shown an ability to produce Fantasy points, no matter who the opponent is. With four games of 20-plus Fantasy points and a recent 27.0 Fantasy points game, Shough has the potential for weekly top-ten finish every game. 

Rodgers may not have as high of a ceiling like Shough, but his consistency makes the vet QB an option this week. Factor in the Saints allow the most points in the NFL and Rodgers looks like an enticing Fantasy option this week.

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