Fantasy POV: Quarterbacks – 1st quarter report card and week 5 picks

The first quarter of the 2020 NFL season is over and it is time to pass out awards to fantasy football quarterbacks.  The winners include the brightest and best like Russell Wilson of Seattle and Dallas QB Dak Prescott.  The “losers” include Denver’s Drew Lock and Tyrod Taylor of the Chargers.

The following information lists the quarterback by category and week of the season.  A “1st Quarter” winner and week 5 selection are included for each category.

Surefire Starters

• Week 1 – Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens; (tie) Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys, and Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
• Week 2 – Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs and Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
• Week 3 – Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks and Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
• Week 4 – Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks and Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
• 1st Quarter – Since the Fantasy POV articles recommend two “Surefire Starters” every week, the co-winners in this category are Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott.

Summary: Seattle QB Russell Wilson is clearly the leading candidate for MVP with 122.9 fantasy football points (FFP).  Prescott only trails Wilson by 0.7 points in the battle for the top fantasy football quarterback spot. For week 5, stick with these two quarterbacks as Wilson and Seattle face Miami, and Prescott and the Cowboys play the New York Giants.

Riding the Bench

• Week 1 – Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami Dolphins and Daniel Jones, New York Giants
• Week 2 – Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams and Tyrod Taylor, Los Angeles Chargers
• Week 3 – Drew Lock, Denver Broncos and Tyrod Taylor, Los Angeles Chargers
• Week 4 – Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings and Dwayne Haskins Jr., Washington
• 1st Quarter – Since our articles recommend two quarterbacks ride the bench every week, the co-winners in this category are Drew Lock and Tyrod Taylor.

Summary: Though they have both missed games due to injuries, Lock and Taylor have a combined total of one touchdown pass.  Lock’s QBR is 46.8 and Taylor is 28.8.  When Lock returns, he may resume his role as the Broncos’ starting quarterback.  Taylor has been replaced by rookie Justin Herbert.

Underrated

• Week 1 – Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
• Week 2 – Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
• Week 3 – Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams
• Week 4 – Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
• 1st Quarter – Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Summary: Rodgers has thrown 13 touchdown passes and no interceptions. He is the most “Underrated” QB of the first quarter of the season.  Unfortunately, it is Green Bay’s “Bye” week so Houston QB Deshaun Watson steps into the role of the “Underrated” QB for week 5.

Overrated

• Week 1 – Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles
• Week 2 – Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns
• Week 3 – Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
• Week 4 – Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
• 1st Quarter – Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

Summary: Cousins is ranked No. 28 among starting quarterbacks with a 14.7 FFP per game average.  Cousins’ touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio is 1:1 based on his 6 touchdown passes and 6 interceptions, which makes him the “Overrated” QB going into week 5’s football games.

Sleeper QB of the Week

• Week 1 – Mitch Trubisky, Chicago Bears
• Week 2 – Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
• Week 3 – Cam Newton, New England Patriots
• Week 4 – Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
• 1st Quarter – Cam Newton, New England Patriots

Summary: No football “expert” could be totally certain that Cam Newton could be a productive starting quarterback for the New England Patriots.  Thankfully, for some former Panther and current Patriot fans, Newton has thrived in New England and is No. 7 among quarterbacks with a 23.8 FFP per game average.  If Newton remains asymptomatic for the rest of the week, he can start against Denver this Sunday and is the week 5 “Sleeper QB”.  If he is still showing signs of COVID-19 symptoms, he will miss this weekend’s game and Ben Roethlisberger steps in as the “sleeper” quarterback for week 5.