Week 1 had a handful of elite fantasy football quarterbacks struggle while Mac Jones ranked among the elite. What a world. Options like Joe Burrow (vs. BAL) and Dak Prescott (vs.NYJ) are in tough spots this week, so let’s get you set with the Week 2 QB streamers if you are taking to the wire.
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Top QB Streamers for Week 2
Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (at LAR)
The NFL’s first player to ever go 6-0 while throwing multiple touchdown passes in each of his first six regular-season starts heads to Los Angeles to face a talent-short Rams team that overachieved last week. We were all down on the Rams entering this season, and one good game should not be enough to sway your opinion. This is a plus matchup, so let’s take a look at Purdy.
He’s smart. No, IQ points don’t count in your fantasy football box score, but on a team like this, there is a direct correlation. Let me explain. In this quick read of Kyle Shanahan’s scheme, Purdy is almost only looking at his elite playmakers. He has a quartet of high-end YAC guys at his disposal (Christian McCaffrey, Goerge Kittle, Debo Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk) … they saw 92.9% of his targets in Week 1.
You don’t have to even think that highly of Purdy to acknowledge that he offers a nice fantasy floor and is a strong Week 2 waiver wire pickup. With McCaffrey piling up yards on the ground, Purdy may not have a top-five ceiling, but this offense is designed for him to appear in an article like this every single week. Like it or not, he’s going to produce numbers that rank him in the QB8-QB14 range most weeks, and that’s all you can ask if you’re streaming the position.
Sam Howell, Washington Commanders (at DEN)
Howell threw a touchdown pass and ran for another against the Cardinals in Week 1, and that is exactly the profile we, as QB streamers, want. We are targeting a quarterback that can provide value in a variety of ways, and Howell proving to be as much has him trending up in our PFN Consensus Rankings.
The Broncos defense is stout, but that doesn’t mean that can’t be had. In their Week 1 loss to the Raiders, Jimmy Garoppolo completed 20 of 26 passes for 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
MORE: Early Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Picks for Week 2
That’s not elite, but it’s passable, and it could have been an even bigger fantasy game if Vegas wasn’t so committed to the run. Not a single one of their 29 carries gained more than eight yards, and yet, they still had more rush attempts than passes.
The Commanders don’t have an All-Pro running back as the Raiders do, so logic would state that they could look to move the ball through the air early and often. With Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson capable of making big plays, a healthy TE streamer in Logan Thomas, and a pair of capable running backs, Howell has the support to post top-15 numbers in this spot.
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. CHI)
Mayfield was fine after a slow start last week against one porous NFC North defense, and he gets another this week. This is more a play on the pass catchers around Mayfield … in something of a 2022 September Geno Smith vibe. Remember when we thought Smith would submarine the value of Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, but instead, those two were able to elevate him?
BAKER MAYFIELD AND THE BUCS (+180 ML) ✅
IN HIS BUCCANEERS DEBUT:
21/34
173 YDS
2 TDSpic.twitter.com/wyMKCefFh1— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) September 10, 2023
I’m not saying that is the case for this season, but for Week 2? It could be. Jordan Love averaged 1.45 fantasy points per completion against these Bears in Week 1 … without his top receiver. I don’t expect efficiency like that from Mayfield (or anyone for that matter), but the point holds: This defense shouldn’t scare you. He scored 16 fantasy points last week, and he’s a good bet to finish in that 15-19 range again.