Gardner Minshew vs Kirk Cousins: The Full Breakdown
If you are choosing between Gardner Minshew and Kirk Cousins for your lineup, you are not alone. Gardner Minshew finished the 2025 season at 12.4 PPG for the Las Vegas Raiders (12 games), and Kirk Cousins averaged 15.4 for the Atlanta Falcons (16 games).
That 3.0-point weekly advantage for Kirk Cousins is meaningful but not automatic. Fantasy football is a week-to-week sport, and the answer to "who should I start" often changes based on opponent, recent form, and game environment. Season averages set the baseline; weekly context makes the call.
Both lean on arm talent and offensive scheme as traditional pocket passers. Gardner Minshew threw for 2420 yards and 14 touchdowns, while Kirk Cousins posted 3588 yards and 23 scores. Volume, red zone efficiency, and game script are the key week-to-week differentiators when neither carries rushing upside.
Gardner Minshew has his bye in Week 10, and Kirk Cousins 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.
