Week 6 byes: Atlanta Falcons (Matt Ryan), Miami Dolphins (Ryan Tannehill)
If you read our rest of season quarterback rankings for 2-QB fantasy football leagues, you noticed a couple of notable QB1/QB2 changes from how things looked based on the 2-QB ADP in August.
The changes in question saw Michael Vick and Philip Rivers move into the QB1 tier and Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson moving into the QB2 tier. Now, those are my own personal rankings, and they’re always changing, so nothing is set in stone. I just wanted to mention that for the purposes of identifying QB2 streaming options going forward.
When looking at potential QB2 streamers we’re trying to identify “plus” match-ups for the quarterbacks in the QB2/QB3 tier that would lead us to feeling comfortable in starting them. Every week on XN sports you can find quarterback rankings for 2-QB leagues, and from there we can narrow down a few QB2 streamers to roll with.
The thing with rest of season rankings is that they’re not set in stone. Weekly rankings are done in order to break down the NFL season into weekly increments, which is why you’ll see QB1s in the QB2 tier, or vice versa.
Based on my recent rest of season quarterback rankings, two names from the QB2 tier (Andrew Luck/Alex Smith) are ranked in the QB1 tier for me this week, based on 12-team 2-QB leagues, but with the case of somebody like Luck, he was drafted more of a QB1, making him hard to bench in 2-QB leagues.
That’s why delving deep into the quarterback rankings helps identify QB2 streaming possibilities, because it forces us to take a snapshot of the quarterback position each week, and that helps us spot certain trends. Like the fact that Philip Rivers is no longer a QB2 streaming option, but rather a weekly QB1 must start.
With that out of the way, below are where most of the QB2s wound up in my Week 6 rankings.
5. Andrew Luck at San Diego Chargers
6. Philip Rivers versus Indianapolis Colts
9. Jay Cutler versus New York Giants
11. Alex Smith versus Oakland Raiders
15. Eli Manning at Chicago Bears
16. Terrelle Pryor at Kansas City Chiefs
17. Joe Flacco versus Green Bay Packers
18. Brandon Weeden versus Detroit Lions
19. Ben Roethlisberger at New York Jets
20. Matt Schaub versus St. Louis Rams
21. Nick Foles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
22. Geno Smith verus Pittsburgh Steelers
23. Chad Henne at Denver Broncos
24. Mike Glennon versus Philadelphia Eagles
25. Sam Bradford at Houston Texans
26. Andy Dalton at Buffalo Bills
27. Carson Palmer at San Francisco 49ers
28. Ryan Fitzpatrick at Seattle Seahawks
29. Matt Cassel versus Carolina Panthers
30. Josh Freeman versus Carolina Panthers
31. Thaddeus Lewis versus Cincinnati Bengals
32. Brock Osweiler versus Jacksonville Jaguars
33. Michael Vick at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
34. Drew Stanton at San Francisco 49ers
35. T.J. Yates versus St. Louis Rams
I ranked a lot of quarterbacks this week, but you can ignore the quarterbacks ranked 28 (Ryan Fitzpatrick) or lower. Either they have bad match-ups (Fitzpatrick), muddled situations (Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks) or they’re back-ups (Drew Stanton).
If you have Luck, Rivers, Smith and Cutler you’re more than likely not going to bench them for anybody else. It’s around the Eli Manning mark where things begin to make you think. Also, Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick found themselves in the QB2 tier this week, but if you own either one of them, you’re more than likely going to be starting them this week.
When you take away the four players that should be starting for you this week, and the rest that shouldn’t, here’s what we’re left with:
Eli Manning at Chicago Bears
Terrelle Pryor at Kansas City Chiefs
Joe Flacco versus Green Bay Packers
Brandon Weeden versus Detroit Lions
Ben Roethlisberger at New York Jets
Matt Schaub versus St. Louis Rams
Nick Foles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Geno Smith verus Pittsburgh Steelers
Chad Henne at Denver Broncos
Mike Glennon versus Philadelphia Eagles
Sam Bradford at Houston Texans
Andy Dalton at Buffalo Bills
Carson Palmer at San Francisco 49ers
*Red=tough or potentially tough match-up. Green=good or potentially good match-up.
When selecting the best QB2 streaming option for your team the decision is based on part talent, part match-up, and part recent play.
Match-up wise, we have some tough ones this week. Eli, Pryor, Roethlisberger, Schaub, Foles, Henne, Bradford, and Palmer all have varying degrees of tough match-ups, with Pryor facing the biggest challenge as he goes up against the Kansas City Chiefs. Last week Pryor had one of the best match-ups for the week, and that saw him finish the week as the 8th highest scoring standard fantasy quarterback.
Yes, Ryan Fitzpatrick did score over 22 fantasy points against the Chiefs last week, which was aided by 50 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown. We’ve seen Pryor play, and he is a better rusher than Fitzpatrick, but this game is in Kansas City, and the Chiefs are allowing 9th fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks on a per game basis (13.96).
It’ll be a great test this week, for both the Chiefs defense, and Pryor, to determine how legit they both are. Pryor still has the talent to trust him as a QB2 this week, but the match-up isn’t good.
After eliminating potential QB2 streaming options, based on tough match-ups, we’re left with Flacco, Weeden, Geno, Glennon and Dalton.
Even with a decent match-up, Dalton’s recent play would have me worried if I had to stream him, and if I’m choosing between him, and say Henne, I would lean Henne.
You might not think much of Henne starting against the Denver Broncos this week, but there’s plenty of potential for garbage time points to be put up in this one for the Jaguars, and a returning Justin Blackmon will give Henne one more viable target to throw to, instead of forcing everything to Cecil Shorts.
If you combine the passing totals of Michael Vick and Nick Foles in Week 4, the fewest yards thrown against the Broncos defense this season is 281. If the Broncos get out to a huge early lead, the Jaguars will have to pass a lot to get back into the game. That volume alone could make Henne a sneaky QB2 start this week.
Until Casey Hayward returns to the Green Bay Packers’ secondary, the Packers aren’t going to be a tough match-up for opposing quarterbacks. They’ve already allowed a 400+ yard passing game, a 300+ yard passing game, and in two games they gave up three passing touchdowns.
Flacco may not be lighting the fantasy football world on fire this year, and he’s not even in the QB2 tier of overall season scoring at the fantasy quarterback position, but this could be the week that sees Flacco flirt with high-end QB2 numbers. If you drafted Flacco, and have left him on your bench, this is the week you finally get to start him.
Mike Glennon is going to be an interesting name in 2-QB leagues this week, especially with teams scrambling to fill in bye weeks, and injuries. Picked up as an afterthought by many 2-QBers, hoping to not have to start him, a match-up versus the Philadelphia Eagles will make Glennon someone to consider starting in 2-QB leagues.
The Eagles’ defense is allowing the 6th most fantasy points to quarterbacks this year, and their secondary has allowed no fewer than 273 passing yards in a game. Other than that one game, the passing yards against total has been: 329 (RG3), 419 (Rivers), 327 (Peyton), and 334 (Eli). In total, 11 passing touchdowns and 5 interceptions have been thrown against the Eagles this year, and that includes the one game Alex Smith threw none of each.
Glennon didn’t show much against the Cardinals in Week 4 to make us think he’d be start worthy in fantasy this year, but he didn’t completely implode. A week working with the offense, and familiarizing himself more with the playbook will hopefully help him get a better grasp of the Buccaneers’ offense. Glennon’s not a must start this week, but if you have no better options, you could do worse than starting Glennon in your 2-QB league this week.
Hopefully you have gained some useful QB2 streaming knowledge for Week 6, and that your 2-QB line-up decisions lead to fantasy glory.
*Stats used in this article from FantasyData.com and Yahoo! Fantasy Sports
