Football season is back, and so is daily fantasy.
Every week, we’ll be breaking down each position, giving you the information you’ll need to select the best daily fantasy team you can on Sunday.
Today, it’s the quarterbacks (all prices courtesy of DraftKings):
DraftKings’ Top-10 quarterbacks for Week 2:
- Drew Brees ($8,200)
- Cam Newton ($7,900)
- Aaron Rodgers ($7,800)
- Andrew Luck ($7,700)
- Eli Manning ($7,600)
- Ben Roethlisberger ($7,500)
- Russell Wilson ($7,400)
- Matthew Stafford ($7,300)
- Derek Carr ($7,200)
- Kirk Cousins ($7,000)
Best Value: Matt Ryan ($6,800)
What is Matt Ryan?
I find myself asking this question a lot. Is he good? Is he very good? Is he overrated? Is he, well, bad? I don’t know. To me, he just is.
What I do know, though, is that with the help of Julio Jones he is capable of putting up numbers. And when going up against the Oakland Raiders’ newly formed secondary on Saturday, he’ll have the opportunity to do just that.
Last week, the Raiders allowed Drew Brees to throw for 423 yards and four touchdowns. While Ryan may not match those numbers, he could put up 300 and three, and as the 12th most expensive quarterback of the week, that’d be a steal.
Most Overpriced: Aaron Rodgers ($7,700)
You’re not going to get me to deny that Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the NFL, but he’s extremely touchdown dependent. The Packers simply don’t ask him to air it out all too often.
Last season, there were five quarterbacks that surpassed 4,500 yards passing, including the aforementioned Matt Ryan, but Rodgers was not one of them. Actually, with 3,821 yards passing, Rodgers was 17th in the league, right in front of Sam Bradford. Even more to the point, since becoming the starter in 2008, Rodgers has only surpassed 4,500 yards passing once, in 2011.
While Rodgers could easily work in three or four touchdowns, I’d be nervous, especially with him going up against the Minnesota Vikings defense. If you’re going to spend big-time money at the quarterback position this week, I’d look elsewhere.
Injury Corner: Russell Wilson ($7,400)
Russell Wilson is going to play this weekend, but will he be 100 percent?
For some quarterbacks, it doesn’t matter. When Ben Roethlisberger is dealing with an injury — which seems to be every other week — he’s fine. The same goes for Tom Brady, Drew Brees and most other pocket quarterbacks. With Wilson, though, he relies on his athletic ability about as much as any quarterback in the NFL.
If his ankle isn’t full-go, neither will that Russell Wilson magic we’ve become so accustomed to over the last few years. Yes, Wilson is a great pocket passer in his own right, but it’s his mobility that makes him a truly special fantasy quarterback.
Broncos Spotlight: Trevor Siemian ($5,200)
If there’s ever going to be a week to start Trevor Siemian in fantasy, this is it, as he’ll be facing off against a Colts secondary that’s in absolute tatters.
I’m not sure how high Siemian’s upside is — I don’t think anyone really is — but with the old Andrew Luck seemingly back and ready to go, the Broncos are going to be forced to score some points. While I’m sure C.J. Anderson will do his fair share of damage, Siemian is going to be asked to carry some of the weight, too.
He’ll have a much easier go of things than he did last week against the Panthers.
Week 1 has come and gone, but the fun is only just getting started. Make sure to sign up for DraftKing’s 100,000 free contest!
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