Week 1 brought us an intriguing mix of quarterback performances. A number of players overperformed our expectations, and some surprised us with their struggles. Now, as we evaluate options heading into Week 2, we have to decipher whose performances were a result of good quarterback play, poor defense, circumstance, or a combination of all three.
Let’s break down what we saw in Week 1 in order to highlight our top quarterback fantasy football streaming options for Week 2.
Top QB Streaming Options for Week 2
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at DET)
Baker Mayfield’s outstanding Week 1 performance may have helped him start the season as the QB1 overall entering Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season. His 289 passing yards and four scores with no turnovers against the Washington Commanders were nothing short of outstanding.
Mayfield even left a little bit of meat on the bone with a mild overthrow to Jalen McMillan early in the first quarter, which was one of just six incompletions from the 2018 No. 1 overall pick in the season opener.
In Week 2, Mayfield is set to enter Ford Field to take on a Detroit Lions defense that he lit up to the tune of 349 passing yards and three scores in the Divisional Round of last year’s postseason.
If Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and the aforementioned McMillan can build off their great debut against Washington, we could see Mayfield light up the scoreboard again this week.
Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings (vs. 49ers)
This may be tough to wrap your mind around, but Sam Darnold looked very competent in this Minnesota Vikings passing attack against a formidable New York Giants pass rush on Sunday with 208 passing yards and two scores in his starting debut in Kevin O’Connell’s offense.
It doesn’t hurt that he managed to help star WR Justin Jefferson find the end zone in Week 1, and he’ll certainly need to rely on him in an attempt to keep pace with a high-powered San Francisco 49ers offense he witnessed tear up the league last year first-hand.
Another fortunate development is that Jordan Addison’s ankle injury is not expected to be serious, which is great news considering the USC product went for seven receptions for 123 yards and two scores against this Niners secondary last year.
The emergence of Jalen Nailor as a reliable third option in Minnesota’s passing attack could lay the foundation for another quality outing to make Darnold a streaming option again in Week 2.
Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints (at DAL)
If you can’t tell already, boring pocket passers tend to be the archetype you can find on the waiver wire in your fantasy league. This means we have to try to identify the best potential options to plug and play in your roster.
Quite frankly, Derek Carr looked great in the most lopsided contest of the Week 1 slate, with the New Orleans Saints absolutely dismantling the Carolina Panthers at home.
Carr’s 200 passing yards and three scores while throwing just four incompletions marks one of the cleanest performances we’ve seen from him in a Saints uniform.
The Dallas Cowboys’ defense looked outstanding against the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, but this unit can be vulnerable to explosive vertical threats who excel against man coverage. Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are both dangerous vertical options who could pop a couple big plays against this talented secondary.
Additionally, the Cowboys’ offense looked very good against a quality Browns defense in the season opener — which suggests the Saints could have to play a bit of catch-up later in the contest.
Carr doesn’t have a cupcake matchup, but his debut was encouraging enough to make him a streaming consideration if you need a quarterback entering Week 2.
Kyle Soppe’s Quarterback Rankings for Week 2
The following rankings are from Kyle Soppe and, therefore, may not directly reflect the advice above.
1) Josh Allen | Buffalo Bills (at MIA)
2) Jalen Hurts | Philadelphia Eagles (vs. ATL)
3) Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City Chiefs (vs. CIN)
4) Lamar Jackson | Baltimore Ravens (vs. LV)
5) Anthony Richardson | Indianapolis Colts (at GB)
6) C.J. Stroud | Houston Texans (vs. CHI)
7) Kyler Murray | Arizona Cardinals (vs. LAR)
8) Jared Goff | Detroit Lions (vs. TB)
9) Jayden Daniels | Washington Commanders (vs. NYG)
10) Tua Tagovailoa | Miami Dolphins (vs. BUF)
11) Brock Purdy | San Francisco 49ers (at MIN)
12) Joe Burrow | Cincinnati Bengals (at KC)
13) Matthew Stafford | Los Angeles Rams (at ARI)
14) Dak Prescott | Dallas Cowboys (vs. NO)
15) Caleb Williams | Chicago Bears (at HOU)
16) Baker Mayfield | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at DET)
17) Justin Fields | Pittsburgh Steelers (at DEN)
18) Kirk Cousins | Atlanta Falcons (at PHI)
19) Trevor Lawrence | Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. CLE)
20) Aaron Rodgers | New York Jets (at TEN)
21) Daniel Jones | New York Giants (at WAS)
22) Justin Herbert | Los Angeles Chargers (at CAR)
23) Derek Carr | New Orleans Saints (at DAL)
24) Geno Smith | Seattle Seahawks (at NE)
25) Deshaun Watson | Cleveland Browns (at JAX)
26) Sam Darnold | Minnesota Vikings (vs. SF)
27) Malik Willis | Green Bay Packers (vs. IND)
28) Jacoby Brissett | New England Patriots (vs. SEA)
29) Bryce Young | Carolina Panthers (vs. LAC)
30) Bo Nix | Denver Broncos (vs. PIT)
31) Will Levis | Tennessee Titans (vs. NYJ)
32) Gardner Minshew II | Las Vegas Raiders (at BAL)