The fantasy football got off to a roaring start, with quarterbacks determining matchups in Week 1. Justin Herbert led the Los Angeles Chargers to victory on Friday, Justin Fields played one of the best games of his career, and both Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson shone on Sunday night. But which quarterbacks are rising and falling in fantasy football rankings ahead of Week 2?
There are no byes this week, so every quarterback will be available. As of Tuesday afternoon, Brock Purdy's toe and shoulder are the only injury concerns, which could lead to Mac Jones starting for San Francisco. Brock Bowers and Puka Nacua are both expected to be good to go in Week 2, ending the two most significant offensive injury concerns of the week. Fantasy managers should be in a good spot moving forward.
Which quarterbacks are rising and falling after Week 1?
Top fantasy football quarterback for Week 2
Josh Allen takes over the top spot in the fantasy football quarterback rankings after a ridiculous comeback in Week 1. The Buffalo Bills were down 40-25 late in the fourth quarter to the Baltimore Ravens before scoring 16 unanswered points. Allen struggled to start, but racked up a ridiculous 38.7 points. He takes the top spot from Lamar Jackson after beating his rival on Sunday night.
Jackson was part of the collapse for the Ravens on Sunday, but the first 50 minutes of the game were sensational. He had 29 points thanks to a mix of running and passing in the big game. Now, he faces a much worse defense in the Cleveland Browns, needing a win to get back to .500. Jackson showed that he has not lost a step and should be among the top fantasy quarterbacks.
Jalen Hurts did not have an excellent passing day, but he showed why he has been a top fantasy football quarterback for years. He ran for two touchdowns to salvage 24 points out of a day where he could not find AJ Brown. Expect better performances from the Super Bowl MVP as the season rolls on, including this week against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Sleeper quarterbacks for Week 2
Sometimes, it just takes one week for offseason storylines to disappear into thin air. On Sunday at MetLife Stadium, any conversation about Aaron Rodgers and Arthur Smith not being a good fit stopped. Rodgers diced up his former team for four touchdowns in a 34-32 win. If you need a new quarterback for Week 2, Rodgers vs the Seattle Seahawks is a solid option.
Speaking of a veteran on a new team, Geno Smith racked up 362 passing yards against the New England Patriots in Week 1. He found both Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer for big gains, Ashton Jeanty was solid, and it ended in a Raiders win. Fantasy football managers, especially in two-QB leagues, should target Smith moving forward.
Justin Fields was one of the biggest fantasy football sleepers coming into the season and proved why in Week 1. He had one of the best games of his career against the Steelers, putting up 29.5 points. There will be a rush to pick Fields up off the waiver wire in the leagues where he is available. If you have priority, take the chance on Fields.
Bust quarterbacks for Week 2
The Patriots were dreadful on offense in Week 1, and Mike Vrabel showed no growth in his 4th down strategy late in the game. That cost Drake Maye a lot of fantasy football points, landing at 17.78 for the game. While there was a lot of hype around the second-year quarterback coming into the year, he did not live up to it in Week 1. Even against a dreadful Miami Dolphins defense, you may want to find a different option than Maye.
CJ Stroud had a great rookie season that led to a lot of promise for the Houston Texans and fantasy football managers. After a rough season with a bad offensive line last year, there was hope that things would go back to 2023 this year. That did not happen in Week 1, with just 8.72 points against the Los Angeles Rams. They host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2, which could be another tough matchup.
Jared Goff and the Lions' offense struggled in their first game without Ben Johnson as the offensive coordinator. If you put your fantasy football season in his hands, you may want to look elsewhere for Week 2. With Johnson and the Bears coming to town in Week 2, it could get ugly if Detroit gets off to a tough start.
Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings for Week 2
24. Trevor Lawrence, JAX (@ CIN)
23. Drake Maye, NE (v MIA)
22. JJ McCarthy, MIN (v ATL)
21. Brock Purdy, SF (@ NO)
20. Daniel Jones, IND (v DEN)
19. CJ Stroud, HOU (v TB)
18. Geno Smith, LV (v LAC)
17. Aaron Rodgers, PIT (v SEA)
16. Bo Nix, DEN (@ IND)
15. Jared Goff, DET (v CHI)
14. Dak Prescott, DAL (v NYG)
13. Matthew Stafford, LAR (@ TEN)
12. Jordan Love, GB (v WSH)
11. Sam Darnold, SEA (@ PIT)
10. Patrick Mahomes, KC (v PHI)
9. Justin Fields, NYJ (v BUF)
8. Baker Mayfield, TB (@ HOU)
7. Justin Herbert, LAC (@ LV)
6. Kyler Murray, ARI (v CAR)
5. Joe Burrow, CIN (v JAX)
4. Jayden Daniels, WSH (@ GB)
3. Jalen Hurts, PHI (@ KC)
2. Lamar Jackson, BAL (v CLE)
1. Josh Allen, BUF (@ NYJ)
