Fantasy football rankings at quarterback in 2-QB leagues are just plain baffling.
Week 1 of the NFL season wasn’t at all what was expected as far as quarterback fantasy football production outside of the top five. In standard scoring leagues, the top five looked relatively normal. Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Kyler Murray were our top five producers. Nothing all that wild. After that? Entirely wild.
Mitchell Trubisky outscored all but half a dozen quarterbacks in Week 1. Gardner Minshew played Deshaun Watson even and was a viable QB starter in standard leagues, let alone 2-QB or Superflex leagues. Patrick Mahomes fell outside the top 12. Dak Prescott fell even further. Drew Brees and Carson Wentz were hardly worth starting in two-QB leagues!
Unexpected performances are nothing worth detailing; they happen each week. But to mash this many topsy-turvy outcomes into the very first week of the season, before any injuries enter the equation, is something to behold. What should we do for NFL Week 2? These are your exclusive quarterback rankings for 2-QB leagues.
Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate Fantasy Football in today’s NFL Sports Debate.
Week 2 Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings
The Top 12: Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, Dak Prescott, Matt Ryan, Kyler Murray, Deshaun Watson, Josh Allen, Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford
So help you if at least one of your quarterbacks is not listed here (Dan’s two are not) because these players are performing far and away better than everyone else right now. Sure, there are anomalies but you can not gameplan for them.
13. Ryan Tannehill
Todd Salem: Possessing a lower ceiling than some of these other passers, Tannehill already feels much, much safer than anyone outside of the top 12.
Dan Salem: Consistency is the key here and that’s what Tannehill brings to the table. He’s also on a very good team, which helps ensure fewer mistakes on his part.
14. Cam Newton
Todd Salem: If he keeps running, Newton will push himself back into the top 12 where he’d be a lower-volume Josh Allen.
Dan Salem: I don’t trust Newton longterm this season, but in September he is money. The Patriots are giving him an opportunity to shine, so don’t miss the boat with his current fantasy value being so high.
15. Drew Brees
Todd Salem: I can’t remember the last time Brees was this low, but his Week 1 was that bad. With Michael Thomas doubtful for the game, things look even bleaker.
Dan Salem: I feel like Brees will improve, but considering his age and injuries at wide receiver, I don’t know when. You have to start him because he’s Drew Brees but pray the rest of your team can pick up the slack.
16. Philip Rivers | 17. Kirk Cousins
Todd Salem: I don’t believe either the Colts’ or the Vikings’ defense is as bad as it played in game one. Rivers and Cousins are solid picks this week but should expect a stouter defense than these teams gave the opposing QBs last week.
Dan Salem: Talk about a frustrating pair of quarterbacks. Both put up solid numbers, but also a solid number of mistakes each week. You can trust them to score points but how many is always in question.
18. Daniel Jones
Todd Salem: Mistakes will happen. As long as the production continues, fantasy relevance is happening. The offensive line was really bad in Week 1 but should have an easier go of things this time out, which will obviously help Jones.
Dan Salem: Jones has a ton of weapons at his disposal, so as long as he has time to throw or learns to scramble, his fantasy value will keep climbing. The Giants’ line should improve, but Jones was good last season even when it didn’t.
19. Jared Goff | 20. Carson Wentz
Todd Salem: Two closely-ranked quarterbacks facing each other yet again. Wentz is so lacking weapons, though, that Goff is the superior option.
Dan Salem: Once upon a time, these were two top-12 quarterbacks — but not this season. Perhaps Wentz turns bronze into gold with some of his receivers, but that will take time. Goff found his running game in week one, so I expect his numbers to increase as the season progresses.
21. Gardner Minshew
Todd Salem: I was riding the Minshew bandwagon last year but had given up my seat with the way Jacksonville’s offseason went. I’m currently trying to sneak back on past the usher since I threw out my ticket stub.
Dan Salem: He’s a solid play right now, but unreliable in the long run. No one believes in his team, which likely elevates his fantasy value in the early goings of the season.
22. Jimmy Garoppolo
Todd Salem: If George Kittle doesn’t go, Garoppolo immediately drops out of the top 24. As it stands now, Kittle seems more likely to play than not. Without him, the Niners simply have too few receiving weapons.
Dan Salem: Matchups are everything and playing the Jets is a nice one for Jimmy G. He’s no one’s first choice right now, but a solid second option.
23. Teddy Bridgewater | 24. Derek Carr
Todd Salem: Bridgewater and Carr are unexciting options. They face defenses that were expected to be good heading into the season, but the jury is still out. I just don’t trust anyone else left on the board to definitively put up a usable fantasy week.
Dan Salem: I hope you can avoid anyone listed this low, but at least Bridgewater and Carr have a chance, all be it small, to over-achieve this week.
Burrow on a short week? Tyrod Taylor if he runs more? Okay, but what if he doesn’t? Trubisky is going to repeat that performance? Doubt it, though the Giants defense is bad. We can’t count on anything better than a baseline Bridgewater and Carr performance.