Sunday was a really good day for the 2014 NFL Draft quarterback class. Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel and Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr all won their games. Not coincidentally, a lot of those guys are hot pickups.
Fantasy football waiver wire: 7 quarterbacks to target for Week 3
The young guns had a big day for Week 2 while Tony Romo went down. Should fantasy owners be aggressive for a quarterback as we get closer to the bye weeks?
If you lost Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo or New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, you’re probably going to be after a QB this week. Here are a few who are owned in less than 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues, plus a couple other guys who might be available in smaller leagues.
Tyrod Taylor, Buffalo Bills (owned in 14 percent of leagues)
Thanks to playing in the spotlight against the New England Patriots, the NFL world found out about Tyrod. He threw three touchdowns, ran for one score, had 242 passing yards and 43 yards rushing. The Bills didn’t get the win, but they still put up 32 points.
As great as this line was, the Patriots defense is shaping up to be one of the worst in the league. He really didn’t look too spectacular, but he’s getting some better chemistry with his guys. Receivers Sammy Watkins, Percy Harvin and Robert Woods are starting to come together, which is a big step in the right direction.
Taylor still isn’t very accurate, but he loves to throw the ball down the field and he has the weapons to do it. Looking ahead, he has a favorable schedule coming up. The Bills get the Miami Dolphins in Week 3, the New York Giants in Week 4 and the Tennessee Titans in Week 5.
Johnny Manziel, Cleveland Browns (owned in 3 percent of leagues)
It’s Johnny Football season. He’s getting the ball down the field with his ability to extend the play. That’s a big reason why he hit receiver Travis Benjamin on two big plays on his way to 172 passing yards and two touchdowns on just 15 pass attempts. The Browns were up for much of this game, which explains the low pass total.
He’s obviously going to be hit-or-miss and his fantasy owners probably aren’t going to want to start him just yet. On the other hand, if he goes off again on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders, it could be too late. If you are feeling uneasy about your quarterback or are afraid of a low upside, Johnny Football could be your guy.
Waiver Wire
Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars (owned in 9 percent of leagues)
He had himself a nice first half in Week 2, finishing with 273 passing yards, 27 rushing yards on two carries, two passing touchdowns and no turnovers. The Jaguars don’t really have any household names at receiver right now, but Allen Robinson blew up yesterday and has become the go-to guy.
It could get even better for Bortles with tight end Julius Thomas set to come back in the next few weeks. That will help the Jags pass more around the goal line to create more scores for the QB.
Looking ahead, his schedule is very nice. Bortles gets the New England Patriots in Week 3, the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5. He could be a top-10 QB in the next month with that schedule.
Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders (owned in 14 percent of leagues)
He had arguably the second-best game of his career on Sunday and it came against a Baltimore Ravens defense that shut down Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning in Week 1. Carr pulled off the win with 351 passing yards, three scores, one interception and 23 rushing yards.
The Raiders really went above and beyond to help Carr produce and it showed on the first drive with a 68-yard touchdown to rookie receiver Amari Cooper. Michael Crabtree was also terrific, with 111 yards and one score on nine catches.
In Week 1, the Raiders leaned more on their backs in the passing game, but that was more due to Carr getting hurt and Matt McGloin taking over. Now, they look like they want to be a big-play offense, which is gold for fantasy football owners.
Like the guys above, Carr has a nice schedule coming up in the next two weeks. He gets the Browns in Week 3 and the Bears in Week 4. It does get a little tougher after that, but overall Carr’s schedule is favorable.
Ryan Mallett, Houston Texans (owned in 2 percent of leagues)
He’s hardly someone fantasy owners will want to trust in 14-team leagues, but owners in deeper leagues and two-QB formats can take a look here. Even though he had a bad matchup in Week 2 against the Panthers, it was hardly an impressive performance. The problem with Mallett was how he handled pressure. On his 14 passes under duress, he went 0-of-14 with a pick. If you take those out, he went 27-of-44, which still isn’t great.
Looking ahead, the Texans get a great matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3. Tampa Bay defensive tackle Gerald McCoy was hurt late in the game on Sunday and it could affect him. Plus, Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota carved up the Bucs in Week 1.
Receiver DeAndre Hopkins should make some plays for Houston and running back Arian Foster will help down the line too. If you’re desperate, Mallett could help you out.
Shallow options
Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals (owned in 77 percent of leagues)
In case he’s floating around out there, go pick him up.
Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers (owned in 65 percent of leagues)
He showed some serious signs of life in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, passing for 335 yards and two scores to go with 51 rushing yards. Maybe that high-upside guy is back this time.
