Nerds! The Dynasty Nerds writers are here to provide you with weekly starts and sits all season long. We will be making our recommendations based on weekly consensus PPR rankings. Here are the quarterback starts and sits from staff writer Michael Hicks.
One thing to keep in mind when making start/sit decisions; it will ALWAYS depend on who your other options are. Don’t take the players below out of (or put them into) your lineups unless the alternates are worth it. NOTE: Rankings are sourced from FantasyPros expert consensus rankings (ECR) and our terminology is for a 12-team PPR league.
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1 QUARTERBACK START
BAKER MAYFIELD I TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS I QB 14
Baker Mayfield started the season on fire, finishing as QB2 with 29.7 fantasy points. Mayfield passed for 289 yards and 4 TDs. He completed 24 of 30 passes, which gave him an impressive 80% completion percentage. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on the road in Week 2, facing the Detroit Lions. The Lions defense just gave up a QB12 overall performance to Matthew Stafford in Week 2 after they surrendered 317 yards and 1 TD.
Mayfield doesn’t need to repeat his Week 1 performance to succeed in Week 2. The matchup between the Tampa Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions Over/Under is currently at 51, the highest total for the week. Mayfield’s Fantasypros ECR( Expert Consensus Ranking) is QB14, which is too low for me. Yes, it’s a different team, but in last year’s playoffs, Mayfield had 3 TDs on 349 passing yards. You should start Mayfield in all formats, including 1QB leagues, as he has the upside to be a top-10 QB this week.
1 QUARTERBACK SIT
KYLER MURRAY I ARIZONA CARDINALS I QB 6
Kyler Murray had a good-but-not-great showing in Week 1, and it showed as he finished as QB15 overall. Murray passed for 162 yards, 1 TD, and had 5 rush attempts for 57 yards. In Week 1,the Los Angeles Rams defense was 13th against QBs, giving up 15.6 fantasy points to the Detroit Lions’ Jared Goff. Murray’s EPA (Expected Points Added) was .902 on 3rd and 4th downs. Unfortunately, he struggled on 1st and 2nd down and will need to change that if he wants to be a top-12 QB every week.
Fantasy success, at times, is not just about a player’s ability but also their matchup. The Los Angeles Rams defense was decent against the pass, but was 30th against RBs, giving up 28.7 fantasy points. The Cardinals should lean heavily on the run game against the Rams. Yes, Kyler Murray will be involved in the run game, but we will see if it leads to fantasy success. Murray’s ECR is QB6. Finishing as QB6 is a giant leap from finishing as QB15 in Week 1. Murray will improve in Week 2, but will still not perform to expectations, finishing outside of the top 12, as QB13 to QB15.
SUPERFLEX QUARTERBACK START
DANIEL JONES I NEW YORK GIANTS I QB 21
There was only one way to describe quarterback Daniel Jones’ performance in Week 1-awful. Jones was QB32 in Week 1 with only 6.9 fantasy points. Coming into the season, Jones has been under the microscope, and he might not have much time left behind center if he doesn’t turn it around soon. Fortunately, Jones is going against the Washington Commanders, who have struggled mightily in the recent past. In Week 1, the Commanders gave up 35.5 fantasy points to Baker Mayfield. In 2023, they weren’t much better, finishing worst in the NFL after giving up 24.9 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.
You might think I’m crazy to recommend that you start a player who finished as QB32 last week. But it’s not every day that you see QB32 face the worst defense against quarterbacks. In 2023, the quarterback who was 20th in fantasy points per game finished with 16.9 FPPG. Can Jones perform in a similar fashion against the Washington Commanders? Absolutely. Jones ECR is QB21. It’s a bold and risky take, but in Superflex leagues, you should start Jones over Geno Smith, Aaron Rodgers, and Trevor Lawrence. I see him as a top-20 quarterback in Week 2.
SUPERFLEX QUARTERBACK SIT
AARON RODGERS I NEW YORK JETS I QB 20
The New York Jets struggled as a team against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers was no exception. Rogers finished 13 of 21 for 167 yards and one TD. That put him as QB26 with 9.6 fantasy points for the week. He showed signs of the old Rodgers, finishing 10th in yards per pass attempt. However, he struggled to remove the rust from the torn Achilles in 2023. Yes, the Tennessee Titans had a good defensive performance in Week 1, but we must temper our expectations since that was against rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
The New York Jets will look to bounce back, but with the Titans and Jets having good defenses, the Over/Under is currently at 41. In saying that, there is a chance that the Jets will not need Rodgers to have an outstanding game. Rodgers ECR is QB20. Rodgers will still be knocking off the rust in Week 2 and could fall out of the top 24. Go ahead and bench Rodgers in all formats if you can.
QUARTERBACK PROFILE OF THE WEEK
MALIK WILLIS I GREEN BAY PACKERS I QB 27
The Green Bay Packers’ quarterback, Malik Willis, will get his first start as a Packer in Week 2 after being traded from the Tennessee Titans on August 26th. With Jordan Love sustaining a sprained MCL in Week 1. The Packers will have to count on Willis for the next few weeks. In 11 career games as a Titan, he only passed for 350 yards. Week 2 is a perfect wait-and-see situation for any fantasy manager considering playing or acquiring Willis in the near future. If Willis can have a solid performance, he could be an intriguing trade target if you need quarterback help for the short haul. Do not start Willis this week. We will see how he does against the Indianapolis Colts first.
Week 2 is upon us, and we at Dynastynerds hope you are finding the fantasy success you hoped for. If you are looking to fill in roster spots for your injured players, check out our Next Up article. It’s never too early to start looking at who to trade away and trade for in dynasty. Here are our expert dynasty rankings. See you next week, my fellow nerds.
