Fantasy Football Week 2 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em Quarterbacks: Justin Herbert a must play, plus more QBs to stream
Quarterbacks you want in Week 2 lineups, and those you should avoid
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1 min read
There were 15 quarterbacks who scored at least 20 Fantasy points in Week 1 in leagues with six points for passing touchdowns. We had several of the obvious guys perform at a high level like Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts. But we also had plenty of surprises.
For example, some of the best quarterbacks last week were Justin Herbert, Aaron Rodgers, Daniel Jones, J.J. McCarthy, Caleb Williams and Michael Penix Jr. Now do you see why we said to wait for a quarterback on Draft Day?
Not all of these guys will have sustained success, and you'll see that I'm concerned about a few of them in this week's Start 'Em & Sit 'Em for quarterbacks. And we're going to hopefully get several bounce-back performances for guys who struggled, notably Joe Burrow and Jared Goff, who is my Start of the Week.
Once again, quarterback is a deep position for Fantasy managers. Week 1 was a good example, and I'm excited to see what will happen in Week 2. And don't forget to check out the full-length Start 'Em & Sit 'Em with all the positions, as well as the Start of the Week, which will be posted by Wednesday evening.
QBs to Start
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Murray had a solid Week 1 at the Saints with 22.3 Fantasy points, and he should build on that performance in Week 2 against the Panthers. Carolina held Trevor Lawrence to 178 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception and four carries for 12 yards last week on the road, but Murray has averaged 24.7 Fantasy points per game in his past four home outings going back to last year. And he scored 22.4 Fantasy points at Carolina in Week 16 in 2024.
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Herbert was masterful in Week 1 against the Chiefs in Brazil with 33.9 Fantasy points, and I'm expecting him to stay hot in Week 2 at Las Vegas. He was awesome at the Raiders in Week 18 last year with 32.0 Fantasy points, and Las Vegas just allowed Drake Maye to pass for 287 yards, one touchdown and one interception, along with four carries for 11 yards. The Chargers receiving corps looks better than expected with Keenan Allen joining Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston, and Herbert looks like a No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues heading into Week 2.
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Fields looked fantastic against the Steelers in Week 1 with 31.5 Fantasy points, which was the first time he's scored at least 20 Fantasy points in a season opener in his career. He completed 16-of-22 passes for 218 yards and one touchdown and ran 12 times for 48 yards and two touchdowns. This week, he's facing a tough test against Buffalo, but the Bills struggled to contain Lamar Jackson, who ran six times for 70 yards and a touchdown and also passed for 209 yards and two touchdowns. I'm going to trust Fields as a top-10 quarterback in all leagues based on his performance in Week 1.
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Maye let me down as the Start of the Week in Week 1 against the Raiders when he only scored 17.8 Fantasy points, but there were some positives. He had career highs in completions (30), pass attempts (46) and passing yards (287), but I was hoping for more production on the ground since he only had four carries for 11 yards. He can reward us this week against the Dolphins, who made Daniel Jones look like a Hall of Famer in Week 1 with 31.5 Fantasy points. Miami's defense should be among the worst in the NFL this season, and Maye should be considered a No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues in Week 2.
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The Fantasy production wasn't there for Prescott in Week 1 when he only scored 7.8 points at the Eagles, but I thought he played well. He completed 21-of-34 passes for 188 yards, no touchdowns or interceptions and one carry for 3 yards, but the Philadelphia defense is a tough opponent. We'll see how the Giants fare on the road, and Jayden Daniels just scored 22.1 Fantasy points against New York in Week 1. Prescott has combined for 625 yards, six touchdowns and one interception in his past two meetings with the Giants, and I expect him to do well in his home opener in Week 2. Prescott should be considered a low-end No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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I expected more from Lawrence in Week 1 against Carolina, but he managed just 12.3 Fantasy points. This week, we will hopefully get a shootout for Lawrence against Joe Burrow, and this game is the highest projected total of the week at 49.5 points. Cincinnati held Joe Flacco in check last week with 290 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, but I would consider Lawrence a low-end starter based on how this game should go. Hopefully, this is the start of the breakout campaign for Lawrence in 2025.
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McCarthy rallied from a slow start in Week 1 at Chicago to finish with 26.2 Fantasy points, and he should build off that performance in Week 2 against Atlanta in his first home start. McCarthy was 13-of-20 passing for 143 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, and he added two carries for 25 yards and a touchdown, along with a two-point conversion. The Falcons gave up 28.6 Fantasy points against Baker Mayfield in Week 1, and McCarthy should be able to exploit this defense, hopefully without a late rally. McCarthy should be considered a borderline No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues in Week 2.
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The first start for Williams under new coach Ben Johnson wasn't great in reality since the Bears squandered a 17-6 lead in the fourth quarter, and Williams missed on some throws. But he also scored 26.2 Fantasy points, which we love, and he was 21-of-35 passing for 210 yards and one touchdown and had six carries for 58 yards and a touchdown. Johnson goes back to Detroit for the first time, and hopefully he'll have some fun plays designed for Williams. In two games against the Lions as a rookie in 2024, Williams was great with 590 passing yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions, along with 10 carries for 73 yards. He scored at least 26.7 Fantasy points in each outing, and he should be considered a borderline No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues in Week 2.
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QBs to Sit
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I'll feel better about Penix if Drake London (shoulder) and Darnell Mooney (shoulder) are healthy, but we might not know that until Sunday. Penix played well in Week 1 against Tampa Bay without Mooney, scoring 26.0 Fantasy points, and that's a great way to begin his first full season as the starter for the Falcons. But now he has to face his toughest test to date with the Vikings, and Penix could get exposed by Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores. I would only start Penix in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues in Week 2.
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The Colts appeared to make the right decision to start Jones and not Anthony Richardson, and Jones rewarded them with a big game in Week 1 against Miami with 31.5 Fantasy points. He was 22-of-29 passing for 272 yards and one touchdown and ran seven times for 26 yards and two touchdowns. He took advantage of a bad Dolphins defense, but this should be a tougher test in Week 2 against Denver. The Broncos should be able to limit Jones and the entire Indianapolis offense, and he's a risky starter even in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues in this matchup.
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I thought Young would perform better in Week 1 at Jacksonville, but he looked awful with just 10.2 Fantasy points. He was 18-of-35 passing for 154 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, and he added 40 rushing yards with a lost fumble. Young looked like the quarterback who got benched in 2024, and we'll see how he responds in Week 2 at Arizona. Now, he had 31.1 Fantasy points against the Cardinals in Week 16 last year, but I'm not ready to trust Young yet in one-quarterback leagues. I would only start him in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues for Week 2.
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Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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I'm nervous to trust Mahomes in Week 2 since he'll be without Rashee Rice (suspension) and Xavier Worthy (shoulder), and Eagles standout defensive lineman Jalen Carter won't be suspended for his spitting incident against the Cowboys in Week 2. Mahomes faced the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX last year, and he struggled with 257 passing yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, along with four carries for 25 yards and a lost fumble. He was sacked six times, and two of his touchdowns came in the fourth quarter of a 40-22 rout. Philadelphia just limited Dak Prescott to 7.8 Fantasy points with Carter off the field, and Mahomes might not have enough weapons to be successful in this matchup. I would only start him in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues in Week 2.
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