Fantasy Football QB rankings ahead of Week 2

If you're reading this, there's a pretty good chance your fantasy quarterback didn't do great in Week 1, and that's ok because we're all in the same boat. The entire weekend was mostly one giant defensive slog, with only the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers bringing the fireworks. After the New York Giants got throttled by the Dallas Cowboys on national television, the Week 2 quarterback rankings are taking a big shift.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins, Week 1: 27.14 pts, Next opponent: @ Patriots

Tua Tagovailoa was a fantasy rockstar last year, but some nasty concussions derailed his season in a heartbeat. With Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, he always has a chance to put up points. The Patriots limited Jalen Hurts to just 207 total yards and 12.5 fantasy points, but the Dolphins might be built different after all.

2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs, Week 1: 19.54 pts, Next opponent: @ Jaguars

Without Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes was massively let down by his supporting cast, but still managed to turn in a decent fantasy performance notwithstanding the Kadarius Toney drop-turned-interception. Kelce might be back for Week 2 and Mahomes will still be Mahomes. The Chiefs' coaching staff will surely be making some adjustments to make sure Thursday's failures don't repeat themselves again this week.

3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills, Week 1: 9.04 pts, Next opponent: vs Raiders

The Monday Night Lights were too bright for Josh Allen, and the Bills' offensive line got pulverized by the Jets' front-seven. The All-Pro QB flexed his strong connection with Stefon Diggs, but that was about all the good you can say. The four turnovers were inexcusable, but thankfully Allen and the Bills have a much easier matchup against the Raiders in Week 2. Let's hope that Allen's dismal Week 1 was just a fluke.

4. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles, Week 1: 12.5 pts Next opponent: vs Vikings

Give credit where credit is due: the Patriots played their hearts out in terrible playing conditions and gave Hurts and the Eagles all they could handle. Minus the fumble, Hurts had what would've been an OK fantasy performance. The Vikings just got carved up by Baker Mayfield, so Hurts should have a nice bounce-back game in Week 2.

5. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars, Week 1: 17.74 pts Next opponent: vs Chiefs

Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars were good, but not great against an Colts team that might be better than advertised. Still, the Jaguars attempted 35 rushes to 32 passes, which limited Lawrence's overall fantasy production. Lawrence is better than Jared Goff, and Goff put on a great performance against the Chiefs last Thursday. Lawrence and Calvin Ridley are good bets for another good showing in Week 2, even with Chris Jones now back for Kansas City.

6. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns, Week 1: 20.66 pts Next opponent: @ Steelers

So, we're still waiting for Deshaun Watson's re-appearance as one of the NFL's top QBs. He went 16/29 passing for 154 yards, one touchdown, and one interception against the Bengals on Sunday, but even considering the bad conditions, it was a terrible day in the air for both teams. Watson saved his fantasy owners with a 13-yard touchdown run and a fourth quarter touchdown pass. The Steelers' defense just got decimated by Brock Purdy and the 49ers, and they'll now be without All-Pro defensive tackle Cameron Heyward for an extended period of time.

7. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts, Week 1: 20.92 pts Next opponent: @ Texans

The rookie QB balled out in his NFL debut against the Jaguars, completing 24 of 37 passes for 223 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while adding another 40 yards and a score on the ground. The Colts have pretty much nothing going at running back, so Richardson will have plenty of passing and running opportunities against a weak Texans team.

8. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens, Week 1: 6.56 pts Next opponent: @ Bengals

Lamar Jackson was a massive fantasy disappointment in Week 1, committing two turnovers and scoring zero touchdowns. He picked up just 38 yards with his legs and passed for only 169 yards with the Ravens on cruise control for their entire contest. Jackson has historically not played amazingly against the Bengals, but they have a huge opportunity to move to 2-0 and take a divisional game against Cincinnati. Plus, the rushing upside is too good to ignore.

9. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals, Week 1: 3.2 pts Next opponent: vs Ravens

For the NFL's highest-paid player ever, things could've hardly gone worse on Sunday. Joe Burrow completed less than half of his passes (14/31) and gained only 82 yards on those passes. Sure, the weather was bad and he might've been rusty. But in Week 2, Burrow needs to put all his cards on the table against the Ravens. If the Bengals lose, they'll be 0-2 and down two divisional games. This is a must-win.

10. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers, Week 1: 20.92 pts Next opponent: @ Titans

Justin Herbert got out-dueled by Tua at home as the Chargers suffered yet another close shootout loss. Herbert had one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown, but it wasn't enough for a W. The Titans boast a good defense, but they still allowed Derek Carr to pass for 305 yards on Sunday. The Chargers are going to need Herbert to flex his passing skills more going forward.

11. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers, Week 1: 16.8 pts Next opponent: @ Rams

Brock Purdy picked up where he left off last year and showed no signs of rust with another multi-touchdown pass game. Although he lost a fumble, the sophomore QB made those points back with 20 yards on the ground. An elite skill group consisting of Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Christian McCaffrey should keep Purdy fantasy-relevant every week.

12. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers, Week 1: 23 pts Next opponent: @ Falcons

Jordan Love appeared to be up to the task of taking over for Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, completing 15 of 27 passes for 245 yards, three scores, and no turnovers. The completion percentage wasn't the greatest, but he made it work with an injured Romeo Doubs and no Christian Watson. Love has a delectable fantasy matchup on deck with Atlanta in Week 2, but we should monitor the injury statuses of Aaron Jones and Watson before we get ahead of ourselves.

13. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams, Week 1: 14.46 pts Next opponent: vs 49ers

A lot of people were down on Matt Stafford heading into 2023 after a slew of elbow injuries and concussions destroyed his 2022 season. Cooper Kupp is also out on IR, but that didn't stop the wily vet from posting 334 passing yards in his return. Yes, he didn't throw for any touchdowns, but he'll regress to the mean there. Against the Seahawks, the Rams scored rushing touchdowns of one, seven, and one yards. Stafford's newfound connections with Tutu Atwell and Puka Nacua bode well for his fantasy prospects, but let's see him do it one more time against a tough 49ers defense first.

14. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions, Week 1: 14.02 pts Next opponent: vs Seahawks

Jared Goff was Jared Goff in Week 1; not good, and not bad. Still, he got a ton of balls out to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta, and Josh Reynolds looked good too. An increased amount of involvement from Jahmyr Gibbs gives Goff more upside against a Seahawks team that got carved up by Matt Stafford in Week 1.

15. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks, Week 1: 9.08 pts Next opponent: @ Lions

Geno Smith and the Seahawks struggled to move the ball a lot in the second half against the Rams, and that was partially due to the absences of Tyler Lockett, Abraham Lucas, and Charles Cross. Lockett has cleared concussion protocol, but the jury is still out on the two linemen. Thankfully, the Lions don't have Aaron Donald, so it's possible Geno can write back in Week 2.

16. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Week 1: 16.02 pts Next opponent: vs Bears

Baker Mayfield played surprisingly well in his first Bucs start, and although he only picked up 173 yards through the air, he got a lot of those yards via top wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Mayfield might not ever be a high-volume, high-yardage passer, but he has a decent enough supporting cast. On deck is a Week 2 matchup with the Bears, who just allowed 23 fantasy points to Jordan Love.

17. Daniel Jones, New York Giants, Week 1: 4.46 pts Next opponent: @ Cardinals

Not much can be said about the Giants' Week 1 performance that hasn't already been said. Daniel Jones ran for his life nearly every dropback (pressured on 66.7 percent) and took seven sacks. Saquon Barkley coughed up a ball that counted as a pick, and Jones made a hero throw that should have never been put in the air. The Giants don't look one bit improved from 2022, and the Cardinals gave Sam Howell hell in Week 1 under the tutelage of Jonathan Gannon. If Big Blue doesn't win this week, they're goners. After Arizona, their next opponents are San Francisco, Seattle, Miami, Buffalo, Washington, the Jets, the Raiders, and Dallas again.

18. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys, Week 1: 6.32 pts Next opponent: vs Jets

Dak Prescott had almost no work to do in the Cowboys' win over the Giants, but he wasn't particularly sharp passing in the rain either. Tony Pollard did all of the heavy lifting, and in Week 2 the Cowboys will host a tough Jets defense that just laid waste to Josh Allen and the Bills. After a dismal 2022 season, Prescott still has a lot left to prove to fantasy owners.

19. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos, Week 1: 15.18 pts Next opponent: vs Commanders

Well, it seems Sean Payton didn't change a whole lot for Russell Wilson and the Broncos. Another low-octane offensive performance saw them lose to the Raiders at home, and they're now 0-1 in their division too. Washington is not a great team, and maybe Jerry Jeudy will be back, but Wilson needs to seize this opporunity with Jimmy G and the Raiders playing Buffalo in Week 2.

20. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings, Week 1: 16.46 pts Next opponent: @ Eagles

The good news is that Kirk Cousins had 16 fantasy points and 344 yards passing. The bad news is he committed three turnovers in a home loss to the Bucs. As long as Cousins has Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson he'll be alright, but things aren't looking great for an away matchup with the Eagles. Week 2 has the look and the feel of a single-digit scoring Cousins game.

21. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears, Week 1: 14.54 pts Next opponent: @ Buccaneers

Justin Fields showed no signs of progress as a passer with another wildly inefficient, turnover-laden performance against the Packers. Even with an upgraded skill group, the production just wasn't there. The Bucs forced a ton of Kirk Cousins turnovers in Week 1, which makes this a terrible matchup for Fields. Still, his rushing upside keeps him fantasy-relevant.

22. Mac Jones, New England Patriots, Week 1: 24.14 pts Next opponent: vs Dolphins

Mac Jones is back Jones? Well, let's pump the brakes here. Jones is the second-highest scoring QB in all of fantasy right now, trailing only Tua, but he did so playing from behind nearly the whole game against the Eagles. His performance was encouraging, but he attempted 54 passes while Ezekiel Elliott and Rhamondre Stevenson combined for 54 yards on 19 carries. That won't happen every week, so until Mac can do it again, I'm not sold.

23. Best of the worst: Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints, Week 1: 14.6 pts

Next opponent: @ Panthers

24. Sam Howell, Washington Commanders, Week 1: 16.46 pts

Next opponent: @ Broncos

25. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans, Week 1: 10.68 pts

Next opponent: vs Colts

26. Jimmy Garoppolo, Las Vegas Raiders, Week 1: 15.1 pts

Next opponent: @ Bills

27. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers, Week 1: 9.68 pts

Next opponent: vs Browns

28. Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons, Week 1: 8.9 pts

Next opponent: vs Packers

29. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers, Week 1: 7.54 pts

Next opponent: vs Saints

30. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans, Week 1: 2.42 pts

Next opponent: vs Chargers

31. Zach Wilson, New York Jets, Week 1: 8.2 pts

Zach Wilson still appears to have a long way to go as a decision-maker at the NFL level, even after a summer of learning from Aaron Rodgers. His interception against the Bills was woeful, and a herculean effort from Garrett Wilson gave him his only score on the night. Unless the BYU product shows tremendous signs of growth during the season, avoid him at all costs. The Cowboys will be licking their chops for this Week 2 matchup.

32. Joshua Dobbs, Arizona Cardinals, Week 1: 0.98 pts

Next opponent: vs Giants