With Week 2 starting today, let’s take a look at some underrated and risky fantasy football quarterback options. You can also check out my full fantasy football quarterback rankings for Week 2.
Baker Mayfield: Mayfield and the Buccaneers will be playing the Cleveland Browns in Week 2 at Raymond James Stadium in what will be the home opener for the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay is coming off of a close Week 1 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on the road, where they lost the matchup 33-27. They’ll be looking to rectify that loss in Week 2 and get their season back on track by winning their first home game of the season.
They won’t get a better chance to get back to .500 than facing off against the Cleveland Browns, who were hammered 34-10 in their opening game against the Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence threw for 245 yards and four touchdowns against the Browns defense last week, and fantasy owners should expect Baker and the Buccaneers to find similar success this week against a rebuilding Browns squad.
Jordan Love: Love and the Packers are coming off of a Week 1 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in which the Packers blew a first-half lead and surrendered 29 unanswered points in the second half en route to losing on the road. Despite the loss, Love had a solid game for the Packers, throwing for 387 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Love was able to connect well with his top targets in Christian Watson, Matthew Golden and Tucker Kraft, and he should find similar success on the road against the Jets this week.
The Jets won their Week 1 matchup versus the Titans, but the Packers will be their first real challenge of the season. If Green Bay’s offensive line does a better job of holding up than they did against the Vikings, Love and the Packers could be in for a big day and be a top quarterback option for fantasy.
Bryce Young: The Panthers had a crazy high-scoring matchup in Week 1 against the Bears in which they lost 59-37. Although it was a day to forget for the Panthers defense, the offense and Bryce Young had a strong day. Young threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns as well as one interception. He did all he could to keep the Panthers in the game, but it was too much for the blazing-hot Bears offense. Young and the Panthers should get a slightly easier matchup in Week 2 as they’ll face the Falcons, with Cooper Rush potentially under center once again.
The Falcons looked underwhelming on both sides of the football in their season opener, and after how Young and the Panthers offense looked in Week 1, Young could be an underrated starting fantasy quarterback option after the steam he generated last week.
Trevor Lawrence: Lawrence and the Jaguars had an exceptional Week 1, dominating the Browns to a 34-10 win at home. Despite his four-touchdown performance, I think there’s some additional risk to starting Lawrence this week, mainly due to the Jaguars’ Week 2 matchup against the Broncos. The Broncos have one of the best secondaries and overall defenses in the league, and although they handily lost 31-10 against the Chiefs in Week 1, most of the damage was inflicted through Kenneth Walker and the Chiefs’ run game.
Lawrence could certainly keep his momentum going if the Jaguars offense shows up prepared on Sunday, but I think the Broncos’ home-field advantage and success against the pass may warrant some risk towards starting Lawrence in fantasy this week.
Tyler Shough: Despite their Week 1 overtime loss, Shough and the Saints surprised many fans and experts with how they performed in the season opener. Shough threw for a Week 1-high 410 yards alongside three touchdowns and two picks. Shough rallied the Saints’ comeback and was nearly able to help them overcome the Lions at home.
Despite Shough’s surprising Week 1 performance, the Saints find themselves against a tough Ravens squad who had a phenomenal season opener, scoring 41 points against the Colts. Shough could surprise us all again, but it’s more likely the Ravens control Sunday’s game and relegate Shough back to deep-league starter/bench status.
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