We’re two weeks into the 2014 NFL regular season and Mike Glennon is still NOT starting. Tweeting #FreeMikeGlennon doesn’t just magically make Lovie Smith bench Josh McCown and start Glennon. Huh. Who knew? Although #FreeDrewStanton finally worked; albeit a year late…
To get you prepared for the waiver wire submission process in your 2-QB league for the week I’ve rounded up a few quarterbacks to consider adding to your 2-QB roster in the hopes of being able to acquire them before their prices skyrocket.
It pays to be one step ahead in the waiver wire game when the cost is minimal, as you can always drop a player that doesn’t perform or get off the pine in real life, than it is to make a trade for them once they’ve performed at a competent level. Below are the quarterbacks to target this week in your 2-QB league…
Blake Bortles
A Chad Henne-led offense in Jacksonville is just not working. The team is 0-2 and have been outscored 75-27. Chad Henne has been sacked a league-leading 13 times.
On the one hand the #FreeBlakeBortles movement makes sense. The Jaguars offense just can’t keep things moving for an entire game, and Henne’s 53.5 completion percentage and 6.47 Y/A aren’t inspiring. A spark from Bortles could jolt this offense. But…
Do you really want to throw a rookie quarterback behind an offensive live that has allowed their quarterback to be sacked 13 times in two games? Next on the list are Tony Romo and Aaron Rodgers, who have been sacked seven times apiece.
If I was a head coach or general manager in the NFL and I saw my offensive line continually get beat up so easily there’s no way I’d want to throw the future of my franchise into such chaos. But Leo Howell of numberFire makes an excellent argument that sacks aren’t always the fault of the O-Line. He discusses how Henne doesn’t navigate pressure well and how a bad O-Line impacts pressure of his throws. He also points out Bortles was sacked only four times out of 55 drop backs this preseason. Howell’s article paints a positive picture of Bortles playing well in Jacksonville if given the chance, and is a must-read.
Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson, Brandon Weeden, Ryan Tannehill, Geno Smith, EJ Manuel, Mike Glennon, and Derek Carr are examples of rookies that have started their freshman year in the NFL. The #FreeBlakeBortles movement might soon get their wish.
Austin Davis
From all indications, Austin Davis was okay in the absence of Shaun Hill this week.
https://twitter.com/JoshNorris/status/511923251690229760
Davis helped the Rams defeat the Bucs, and played mistake-free football in the process. The fantasy numbers weren’t eye-popping: 235 passing yards, zero touchdowns, zero interceptions, and 9.4 standard fantasy points (QB29).
But if you watch the game tape you see a quarterback that wasn’t rattled by pressure. He stepped into the pocket, took his hits, and followed through with his throws. Davis looked pretty mobile on film, scrambling out of the pocket, and rolling out to make throws. He didn’t attempt many deep balls, as there were a lot of short passes/slants to Brian Quick, but the few deep throws he connected on didn’t look like they came from an undrafted rookie. When researching Davis last season the stats (1,375 rushing yards/25 rushing touchdowns) showed a mobile quarterback worth monitoring.
A 75.9 completion percentage on 29 throws is also encouraging. So too is his 100.51 PFF QB Rating (behind only Peyton Manning, Russell Wilson, and Derek Anderson!?). When I mentioned Davis and Case Keenum in last week’s waiver wire column it was more geared with an eye to the future, as the Rams play Dallas in Week 3, followed by a bye, and then a matchup against Philadelphia in Week 5.
According to reports if Shaun Hill is healthy he’ll likely return to the starting lineup, but it’s hard to argue that an injured 34-year-old Hill is any better than Davis. If you own Hill, stashing Davis should be the move. If you’re in need of QB3/QB4 depth for your bench, and miss out on someone like Kirk Cousins then Davis makes for a fine add.
Kirk Cousins
This one’s not really a future planning pick at all because there’s a high probability Kirk Cousins is nowhere near being available on the waiver wire in your 2-QB league. But, if for whatever reason he is, he’s the top quarterback add of the is week. Cousins finds himself thrust into an offense the head coach feels is better suited to him than RG3, and even if DeSean Jackson were to miss time, Cousins showed he and Niles Paul have a connection. Plus Pierre Garcon and Alfred Morris are still around. To read more about Cousins and how to replace RG3 you can read The RG3 Replacement Plan.
Drew Stanton
The Cardinals scored 25 points against the New York Giants and Drew Stanton got the victory. Of course, QB Wins isn’t a stat we much care for in fantasy football. It’s not even one that really matters in the NFL either.
Looking at the final numbers for Stanton, and they weren’t all that impressive. He finished the day with 6.48 fantasy points. Only one starting quarterback who completed a game scored less fantasy points in Week 2 and that was Matt Cassel.
A touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald was wiped off the board after reviews showed Fitzgerald’s knee was down before he crossed the plane. Even adding those four points to Stanton’s line would have seen him only rise up to QB27.
It’s no secret I was rooting for Drew Stanton last year to get a chance to be the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals. That didn’t happen. And Carson Palmer got off to a fine start this year, picking up where he left off last season. It looked like Palmer was moving up from the QB2 streaming tier to QB2 mainstay with QB1 upside.
But Palmer was held out of Sunday’s game, and there is no timetable for his return. A report from NFL ATL says Palmer isn’t sure when he’ll be back. In the meantime, Stanton will stick around as the team’s starting quarterback and faces the San Francisco 49ers Week 3. In Week 1, San Francisco held Tony Romo to a 1:3 TD:INT ratio, but did give up 281 passing yards. Last week saw Jay Cutler throw four touchdown passes vs. San Fran. While Stanton is no Romo/Cutler, the 49ers defense isn’t as vaunted as it once was.
For now, Stanton is a starting quarterback and until we hear more news regarding Palmer’s health it’s best to stash him on your bench. After Arizona’s Week 4 bye they face Denver, Washington, Oakland, Philadelphia, and Dallas.
Mike Glennon
Thanks to his two rushing touchdowns, Josh McCown finished Week 2 as the QB8 in standard fantasy scoring leagues. Of the top-12 scoring quarterbacks for the week he threw the fewest pass attempts (21), and was tied with Geno Smith for the fewest pass completions (16).
Getting #KonamiCode points from your quarterback is always a bonus, but two rushing touchdowns is unsustainable on a weekly basis. Deduct those 12 fantasy points from his total and he finishes the week as QB32. If McCown would have scored only one rushing touchdown then he would have been the 20th-highest scoring fantasy quarterback.
The biggest advantage McCown has on keeping the starting quarterback job in Tampa Bay is that he was handpicked by head coach Lovie Smith. What Lovie wants Lovie gets. There doesn’t seem to be any indication that McCown will lose his job anytime soon. It would be interesting to see Glennon get a shot with an offense featuring improved weapons from last year.
For now Mike Glennon isn’t close to being freed, but he should still be on your 2-QB radar, if he isn’t already.
Teddy Bridgewater
Only 12 quarterbacks attempted more passes than Matt Cassel in Week 2, but only one quarterback (an injured Robert Griffin III) scored less fantasy points than the Vikings signal caller. That’s not a good recipe for success.
An Adrian Peterson-less Vikings offense wasn’t able to put up much of a fight against the New England Patriots, and Cassel throwing four interceptions didn’t help. Teddy Time could be coming up soon, and if he’s toiling around on your waiver a preemptive pickup might be in order.
*Stats used in this article courtesy of PFF, FantasyData, ESPN, Yahoo! Fantasy, and Pro-Football-Reference
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