Quarterback
Marcus Mariota, Atlanta (at LA Rams)
Mariota had a good opening week as a runner and passer, and that was without much help from Kyle Pitts. His #1 receiver, rookie Drake London, was playing in his first NFL game after missing most of the summer with a knee injury. He did this against a very good Saints defense. Pitts will likely draw Jalen Ramsey, but Ramsey was roasted multiple times by Stefon Diggs last week. The Bills were outstanding against the Rams defense, and while Josh Allen deserves a lot of credit, the Rams' defense might not be as good as we thought they would be. Mariota is a solid QB2/Superflex/Dak Prescott replacement in 1QB this week.
Justin Fields, Chicago (at Green Bay)
How can we judge Fields (or Trey Lance) by what happened in Week 1? Fields will be playing in much better conditions this week, which should help his rushing stats - stats that should trend higher as he had his career high in rush attempts in Week 1 despite the sloppy field. The Packers' defense is great on paper, but Minnesota was very good against them last week, and if the Packers offense rebounds, Fields should be playing from behind, which will also give him more opportunities to run, and throw downfield, where he was successful a few times last week despite the monsoon. Fields could announce himself as a boom/bust QB1 this week.
Jared Goff, Detroit (vs Washington)
Goff was merely adequate last week for fantasy, but his offense scored five touchdowns, he just happened to only be responsible for two of them. DAndre Swift is a little banged up, and the team might not use him as heavily this week, putting more of the offense on Goff’s shoulders. The Lions' defense is still very much under construction and facing Carson Wentz, who is coming off of one of the best games of his career, so Goff might have to throw a lot to keep this game close.
Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee (at Buffalo)
Tannehill’s pass offense is low wattage, but he’ll have to be electric to keep up with Josh Allen and company this week. Derrick Henry may not remain part of the game plan for long if the Titans' defense can’t solve Allen and the well-oiled machine of the Bills passing game, leaving Tannehill to put the offense on his shoulders. Rookies Kyle Philips and Treylon Burks looked ready to play big roles last week, perhaps elevating our expectations for Tannehill.
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