Bye Weeks: New York Giants (Eli Manning) and San Francisco (Colin Kaepernick)
We’ve almost made it to the halfway point of the 2014 NFL season, and if Robert Griffin III doesn’t return from his injury we’ll be looking at adding one more name to the list of quarterbacks to start at least one game in the NFL this year.
There’s been quite the upheaval at the position this year, either due to injury or ineffective play. If we add up all the names, 42 different quarterbacks have made at least one start this year in the NFL. That number will grow to 43 if Colt McCoy starts this week.
If you play in 2-QB leagues that number matters. A lot. Because in any given week you could find yourself being a Jake Locker owner and having to start Charlie Whitehurst or being a Carson Palmer owner and having to start Drew Stanton. It’s happened multiple occasions this year, and it could happen again.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, you need to be up-to-date on the quarterback depth charts in the NFL if you play in 2-QB fantasy football leagues…
Below are a few quarterback names to keep in mind for Week 8 and beyond…
Colt McCoy
This is one is pretty simple. Kirk Cousins has been benched. RG3 hasn’t been cleared to play yet. Colt McCoy is next in line.
Cousins was 10-of-16 for 139 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception vs. Tennessee in Week 7 before being benched in favor of Colt McCoy. Washington was losing 10-6 going into halftime, and McCoy‘s first pass was a 70-yard touchdown catch and run to Pierre Garcon. They eventually won 19-17.
On the day, McCoy completed 11-of-12 passes for 128 yards and that lone touchdown to Garcon. Take away that long bomb score and McCoy would have completed 10 passes for 58 yards. Nothing special.
If you’re desperate for quarterback help in your 2-QB league adding McCoy might be your only resource, but trusting him in your starting lineup against a Cowboys defense is a different story.
Dallas did allow Eli Manning to throw for 248 yards and three touchdowns in Week 7, and have given up two games of 300+ passing yards and multiple touchdowns (Austin Davis and Drew Brees). But they also held Ryan Fitzpatrick and Russell Wilson in check back-to-back weeks before Eli’s scoring outburst.
Also, if RG3 is still available in your 2-QB league pick him up. NOW.
Zach Mettenberger
Jake Locker is the “starting quarterback” for the Tennessee Titans when “healthy.” Charlie Whitehurst has been the fill-in during the games Locker has missed, and has gone 1-2 as a starter. The Titans have scored 17, 16, and 17 points in the three games Whitehurst has started.
The 2-5 Titans don’t seem like a team that’ll make any noise this year. If they know what they have in Locker and Whitehurst, then Mettenberger’s time could be coming. Sooner rather than later. Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt had a couple of interesting quotes in regards to Mettenberger potentially playing this year:
“He’s gotten some reps, especially with the starting offense just because of the quarterback situation the last couple weeks.”
“I think he’s got to work hard and prepare as best he can. Because at some point he’ll play. He’ll get his chance.”
Whether Mettenberger starts a game or not, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared for the moment he does by rostering him or monitoring him on the waiver wire.
Ryan Mallett
Ryan Fitzpatrick over his last games: 65 percent completion rate, 209 passing yards/game average, 3:2 passing touchdowns to interceptions ratio. The Houston Texans are also 0-3 during that span.
It hasn’t been that bad of a fantasy season for the guy that used to play at that really smart college, as he’s QB19 in standard scoring fantasy leagues on the year. His 82 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown do help boost that number though.
The Texans are currently 3-4 and in the midst of a three-game losing streak. They traded for Ryan Mallett in the offseason, and are second in the AFC South. But the Indianapolis Colts are the class of that division and a Wild Card berth might be a reach for Houston.
There’s no guarantee Mallett will start this year, but if the Texans keep losing, turning to the former Patriots backup signal caller might be something head coach Bill O’Brien will have to think about. Even if it’s not right now.
#Texans' O'Brien said Ryan Mallett has improved every week. Needs to improve accuracy. "Fitzy is our quarterback."
— Brian T. Smith (@ChronBrianSmith) October 21, 2014
Stashing Mallett as a handcuff to Fitzpatrick, or being ready to snatch him up from the waiver wire in your 2-QB league are both moves worth considering.
*Stats used in this article courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference, ESPN, Yahoo!, and FantasyData
