First, we should address the injury of note at the position. In one of the more unfortunate scenes during Week 2, Tua Tagovailoa suffered another concussion, which has him heading to the IR while he gets more opinions on his future in the NFL. We hope for the best for Tua and his family. For fantasy purposes, this means that the entire team takes a big step back. De’Von Achane may be able to provide value independent of quarterback play, but outside of Achane, it gets much worse. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle both dropped into the WR2 and WR4 range, respectively. It may seem drastic, but it’s warranted when we look at their production in Miami with a non-Tua player at quarterback.
On to the rest of this week’s quarterback rankings.
This week, there are roughly 19 quarterbacks that you could fire up with some degree of confidence. While I hesitate on the latter half of that group, the position provides more than enough value, even with an erratic start to the season for most offenses. The value once again comes with the quarterbacks who can give you value with their legs. Five of the top six players this week all provide elite rushing upside, and 60% of my top 10 for Week 3. The only reason Anthony Richardson finds himself as QB9 is due to his matchup against the Chicago Bears’ stout defense and premier secondary.
The two names to watch for me among the top 12 are Kyler Murray and Jayden Daniels. Murray was electric in Week 2 and didn’t even need to finish the game due to his hot start. His connection with Marvin Harrison Jr. was evident as he found the towering wide receiver for two scores in the first few minutes of the first quarter. Daniels is the most intriguing of the group, showing that he is, in fact, a weapon as a passer. He wasn’t perfect, but if he can find a way to combine what he did in Weeks 1 and 2, he will officially be a staple among the elite fantasy football quarterbacks.
In the orange tier of players, the two that will be very important to monitor will be the former Bear Justin Fields and the current Bear Caleb Williams. Both players may be on rosters due to injuries or draft capital, and while they are risky based on their performance to date, their matchups are beatable. Williams gets to face a much easier pass rush in the Indianapolis Colts, who really only have Kwity Paye to focus on. The offensive line will need to improve, but if Williams can avoid the onslaught of pressure he did in Week 2, he could find his first passing touchdown in the NFL in Week 3. Fields is an excellent Tua replacement for teams. He has a rushing upside and has been winning, which means he will likely remain the starter for the foreseeable future.