Week 1 of the NFL season featured plenty of surprises, including the New Orleans Saints dismantling the Green Bay Packers and the Arizona Cardinals blowing out the Tennessee Titans. In another surprise, Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr leads the league in passing yards after a thrilling overtime victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1.
The top five fantasy quarterbacks in Week 1 were Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes, Jameis Winston, Jared Goff and Jalen Hurts. While two of those are projected to be top quarterbacks, the rest of the list is unexpected. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan underwhelmed with 1.3 and 7.3 fantasy points, respectively. Here’s which quarterbacks you should look for to break out in Week 2 and which ones are unlikely to perform.
Week 2 Quarterback Starts
Russell Wilson, Seahawks vs. Titans
The Titans just gave up 289 yards and four touchdowns to Murray. Wilson is coming off a four-touchdown performance against the Colts. The Titans will try to control the ball more, but their defense looks very similar to last year’s unit which ranked 29th in passing yards allowed per game. This is a great opportunity to keep Russ cooking.
Justin Herbert, Chargers vs. Cowboys
Herbert threw for 337 yards and a touchdown against Washington’s strong defensive unit, so what will he do to the Cowboys? The Chargers are going to have to score points to keep pace with Dallas’ high-powered offense, so this is a chance for Herbert to have a big game. The yards were there in Week 1; fantasy owners will hope the touchdowns are there in Week 2. This is a good matchup for a quarterback on the rise.
Week 2 Quarterback Sits
Derek Carr, Raiders vs. Steelers
It may be odd to see Carr in this category given his impressive showing in Week 1, but he does not have a great matchup. The Steelers defense went into Buffalo and shut down Josh Allen completely. They’re going to see Carr on their home turf and should be able to contain Darren Waller more effectively than the Ravens. Carr has to show he can find other targets successfully if he wants to have success against this unit.
Carson Wentz, Colts vs. Rams
Wentz probably shouldn’t be considered an option to start in fantasy football in most leagues, but this is a particularly bad week for the Colts quarterback. The Rams demolished the Bears in Week 1 in all phases of the game. The defense remains opportunistic despite Brandon Staley’s departure and even though Indianapolis has a strong offensive line, Aaron Donald is a gamebreaker every week. Wentz was average in Week 1, but he’s facing a tough defense Week 2. Look elsewhere this upcoming week.