The List: Ranking Each Position for Week 2

QB Notes

• Lamar Jackson stays at one overall for the second-straight week, this time drawing a matchup against a Houston Texans team prone to shootouts. Patrick Mahomes stays at number two despite a matchup against a Chargers defense that battered Joe Burrow last week. It will take an especially bad situation to knock either of Jackson or Mahomes from the top two spots for the time being.
• Dak Prescott‘s Week 1 was a bit underwhelming, but immediately gets a prime Week 2 matchup against the Falcons to turn things around. Russell Wilson lit this Atlanta defense on fire last week, and the Falcons’ passing game will keep up with Prescott enough to turn this into a fantasy goldmine of a game. Atlanta had the 7th worst passing yards per attempt allowed in the league in 2019, and they showed no signs of improving on that number in the opener.

• Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson draw difficult matchups here in Week 2, but they are too talented to drop down the list. Wilson looks on top of his game already, and Watson showed in the Thursday Night matchup against Kansas City that he can salvage a bad day in garbage time. There are very few options you should be starting over these two, even against tough defenses.
• Kyler Murray passed a major test against the San Francisco defense in Week 1, rushing for 100 yards until losing yardage on kneel-downs. Washington presents another challenge, as they will likely try to play ball-control offense while sending their talented defensive line after Murray. Washington sacked Carson Wentz eight times in Week 1, so this will be an interesting litmus test early in the 2020 season for both sides. Start Murray with confidence, however, his QB8 ranking is simply a sign of the talent at the position.

• Cam Newton vaults up my ranks after rushing 15 times and scoring two touchdowns on the ground against the Dolphins. He looked a little slower than prime Newton, but he is a physical runner and seemed capable of handling the workload. The one concern is the Patriots’ pace of play, as they look very satisfied to play ball-control offense and tough defense. The Seahawks may pull them into a shootout, but Cam will be at risk in lower scoring games of being a bit touchdown-dependent. He just misses the top tier, but not by much.
• For being QB11 on the week, Drew Brees has an awfully nice matchup against the Raiders. His lack of rushing ability, and the questions around the health of Michael Thomas, are just enough for me to favor other options. But don’t worry too much about his struggles against a rock-solid Tampa Bay defense that knows him well from their divisional battles over the years.