Fantasy Football rankings: Week 2 quarterback rankings
By Leo Howell
Week 1 is in the books, and you’re either on top of your league with one win, or you’re at the bottom looking to rebound. That means you need to get your lineup in order, so every week Fansided will bring you rankings to set your lineups with.
This week, the rankings were established by establishing an average of the rankings of myself and Zachary Thompson. Let’s take a look at the quarterbacks and how they rank for Week 2:
1 – Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
Peyton Manning and the Broncos will take on his brother’s New York Giants this week, and that means Week 1’s fantasy star is Week 2’s top ranked quarterback. The Giants aren’t the perfect matchup, which is why he’s only third in my personal rankings, but Zachary has him as the number one quarterback this week, and that earns him the top spot.
2 – Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Similar to Peyton Manning, Rodgers left Zachary and I on opposite sides of the ranking spectrum. I believe that Rodgers’ matchup with the Redskins is as good as Peyton’s matchup (if not better), and Rodgers’ ability to throw and run gives him the edge. You’re starting Rodgers or Manning if you have them, but in salary cap or weekly games, I feel like you should go with Rodgers. Zach says Manning. Take that for what it’s worth.
3 – Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees has what could be a fairly tough matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but on the other hand, he’s Drew Brees. He’s easily one of the five best quarterbacks every week until something drastically changes, which means you start him every single time.
4 – Tom Brady, New England Patriots
The New York Jets gave Josh Freeman a tough time in Week 1, but they’re unlikely to give a similarly difficult experience to Tom Brady in Week 2. Brady will be missing two more of his biggest targets, as Shane Vereen will be out and Danny Amendola is likely to be on the bench. That doesn’t matter, though. He’s still Tom Brady.
5 – Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
Ryan and the Falcons only scored 17 points against the New Orleans Saints in Week 1, and now have a tougher matchup with the St. Louis Rams in Week 2. But since there’s really no fantastic matchups among the top quarterbacks, you can feel confident with Ryan this week.
6 – Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
No quarterback caused more disagreement between Zachary and I than Cam Newton. I have Newton as the second best quarterback this week thanks to his matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Zachary, however, did not include Newton among his top-10 QB plays this week. I believe that Buffalo will offer some resistance to Newton, but Newton is the only thing going in the Carolina offense. I say start him in every single format, and target him in weekly games.
7 – Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles
Did you watch the Chip Kelly offense? Did you see the San Diego defense’s collapse? That’s what we call “money in the bank.” Vick will be impressive against the Chargers this week.
8 – Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
Andrew Luck got off to a solid start against the Raiders, but he has a slightly tougher assignment Week 2 against the Dolphins. But since there’s no signs of a reliable running game in Indy, so Zach and I agree that Luck will be the centerpiece of the Colts’ offense this week.
9 – Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
The only player Zach and I ranked exactly the same, Romo is our consensus number nine quarterback this week. Romo and the ‘Boys face Kansas City, which isn’t the best matchup, but Romo will still provide volume with the high amount of passes he’ll throw against the Chiefs.
10 – Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers
Zachary ranked Kaepernick as the eighth best quarterback this week, and while I disagree, it’s hard to argue with Kaepernick’s Week 1 performance. He has emerged as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL after shocking the league with his quick start last season, so he could very well become a matchup-independent player shortly. Start Kaepernick if you have him, but his tough matchup against the Seahawks makes me shy away in daily leagues.
Honorable Mention: Terrelle Pryor, Oakland Raiders and Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
If you play in a 4-point passing touchdown league, Pryor remains a must start in nearly every matchup. He will run for his life and get points galore as a result.
And Stafford takes on a tough Arizona defense, but it’s clear that there’s no reliable running game in Detroit. He’ll get plenty of work.