When something is too good to be true it usually is. Take Jake Locker last week. Many in the fantasy community, myself included, thought Josh Locker was going to feast on the Cowboys secondary, and that he and Justin Locker would help us increase our DFS bankroll.
But the Cowboys defense held Locker in check, especially during the first half, when he was 4-of-12 for 26 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. Locker turned things around the second half (208 passing yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception) and eventually finished the week with 10.26 standard fantasy points, which was good for QB26. Not exactly numbers you want out of your QB2 streamer.
The other two Week 2 QB2 streaming recommendations proved to be better, as Andy Dalton (without A.J. Green for most of the game) came in as QB16 for the week, and Geno Smith finished as a QB1, scoring 17.64 fantasy points (QB10 overall).
That’s a quick streaming recap for Week 2. Now let us dive into the world of Week 3 streaming quarterbacks.
Week 3 QB2 Streaming Circle of Trust
Like Jake Locker last week, Ryan Tannehill is shaping up to be the quarterback streamer of choice for Week 3. And for good reason. Tannehill faces a Kansas City defense that has allowed an average of 254 passing yards/game this season, and has given up five total touchdowns without any interceptions.
In two games vs. New England and Buffalo this year, Tannehill has combined for only 419 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. His passing volume has already been respectable from a fantasy points (32 attempts-Week 1, 49 attempts-Week 2), and without Knowshon Moreno we could see Tannehill asked to throw more.
This could be the week Tannehill busts into the high-end QB2 tier, or possibly even low-end QB1 tier.
Choosing Austin Davis as a potential QB2 streaming option might seem odd. There’s no guarantee he’ll start this week vs. Dallas, but he did receive a majority of first-team quarterback reps during the Rams’ practice on Wednesday. Shaun Hill hasn’t been cleared to return yet, and Rams head coach Jeff Fisher is adamant Hill is the starter if healthy.
If Hill can’t go this week, Davis will play a visiting Dallas Cowboys defense at home in the Edward Jones Dome. Dallas hasn’t been the dumpsterfire of a defense we expected them to be coming into the season, making this a risky choice. But Davis did look poised under center during his first full NFL start last week, connecting with Brian Quick repeatedly.
As we saw last year with undrafted free agents making first starts, there isn’t much tape for opposing teams to study, and with nothing to lose other than a return to backup status, undrafted quarterbacks come out with a bit of a fearlessness to their play. PFF noted Davis completed 3-of-4 passes of 20 yards or more in Week 2. Case Keenum, Matt McGloin, and Scott Tolzien all put up start-worthy fantasy performances early in their stints last year before losing their glass slippers. Davis might join that group this week.
Geno Smith
Geno Smith has two things going against him this week as a potential QB2 streamer: 1.) He’s playing on Monday Night, and 2.) Eric Decker is injured.
Smith’s streaming viability is directly tied to Eric Decker. If the wide receiver winds up on the inactive list, something which we won’t know for certain until Monday at some point, then Smith’s top pass catching weapons will include Jeremy Kerley and Jeff Cumberland.
In two games this season, Smith and Decker have connected on 9 catches (on 12 targets) for 137 yards and 1 touchdown. The next best in each category:
Targets – Chris Johnson – 8
Catches – Jeremy Kerley – 8
Receiving Yards – Jeff Cumberland – 64
So, yeah… If Decker is a go, you’ll feel more comfortable starting Geno Monday Night vs. a Bears defense that has allowed an average of 16.57 fantasy points/game to EJ Manuel and Colin Kaepernick.
The overall passing numbers allowed by the Bears defense this year haven’t been dreadful, but Manuel did tack on 19 yards rushing and one rushing score to his passing totals, and Kap ran for 64 yards against Chicago in Week 2. Coming into this game, Geno has averaged 42 rushing and scored four total rushing touchdowns his past six games.
If Decker is out you won’t have any other choice but to start Geno, because Cutler is the quarterback on the other side of the field and he won’t be available to pick up in your 2-QB league. If you’re deciding between Geno and and someone else that plays Sunday (such as Kirk Cousins) as your QB2, going with the latter option might be the safer route.
*Stats used in this article from FantasyData, Yahoo, ESPN, Pro-Football-Reference, and rotoViz
