It’s just like riding a bike, isn’t it? NFL Fantasy Football is back in our lives, and with that fun, also comes the research necessary to stay on top of things to win your fantasy leagues. But don’t fear! FantraxHQ is doing the work for you. Whether it’s matchups to exploit, injury replacements, or flat-out hot takes, we’ve got your fix. In this article, we’ll highlight three potential quarterback sleepers and streamers for NFL Week 2 that could help you win your matchups.
Week 2 Quarterback Sleepers and Streamers
Malik Willis, Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love has gone down with an ankle/knee ligament injury that will sideline him for the next few weeks at the very least. As is always the case in the NFL…next man up. In Green Bay’s case, that next man is Malik Willis. Willis is a 6’1″, 220 lb, QB out of Liberty. He ran a 4.5 40-yard dash at the combine in 2022, and he threw for 47 TDs in his last two seasons in college. He was drafted in the 3rd round to Tennessee, but as you can see: he’s now with the Green Bay Packers.
Rookie QBs used to at least get the entirety of their rookie contracts to show their teams something before they get shipped out. Things need to go horribly wrong for a team to give up on an early-round pick like Willis (e.g. Trey Lance). While Willis had very few attempts last year, they never looked comfortable. The same goes for 2022. And his preseasons have been pretty horrendous, which is worrisome considering the defenses that one sees in the preseason aren’t nearly as complex as regular season defenses. In his biggest sample size, he threw for 23 attempts in a 2022, Week 16 game vs. Houston. Willis passed for fewer than 100 yards, with a 60% completion percentage (BAD!), and two interceptions (ALSO BAD!). I think you’re starting to see why he’s on my quarterback sleepers list if you haven’t already.
Let’s talk about the positives. Sometimes an athletic freak can score you fantasy points, even when they aren’t playing well (see Anthony Richardson’s Week 1 matchup). While Malik Willis is not Anthony Richardson… not even close, he does possess elite speed for a QB, as his 4.57 40-yard dash was 94th percentile in his draft class. He has scored one rushing touchdown in his short career. Further, his cast around him is stellar. We’ve seen what this offense can look like when someone as competent and talented as Jordan Love is at the helm. Between Watson, Doubs, Wicks, Reed, and their tight ends, Willis can not say he doesn’t have anyone to throw to. Last and probably most important, Willis is going to have time to process what’s going on around him. He’s not been good. And he still has a rookie’s amount of game experience, but he’s been able to be a pro QB, and be around pro QBs for three years now. That means he’s a professional. Green Bay’s offensive line is Top 10 in yards before contact at 1.4. That means their offensive line isn’t getting bullied. They’re getting push, and they’re going to be able to keep Willis clean, should he get the ball out relatively quickly. Don’t be too surprised if Willis gets you 20+ fantasy points this week against an Indianapolis defense that wasn’t exactly lockdown vs. Houston.
Daniel Jones, New York Giants
“Be greedy when others are fearful.” – Warren Buffet. The billionaire was talking about Daniel Jones when he made this quote. It might be hard to believe, but you can look it up (please don’t). I know it’s part of our culture to pile onto someone when they’re universally considered to be bad, but Daniel Jones earned his (4-yr/$160M) contract off of the strength of being better than replacement level before he got hurt. Would I have given Jones that contract? Probably not. But the front office that gave him that contract is not out of their minds. They analyzed his performance, free agents available, and potential draft picks, and they chose Jones. As we see multiple QBs come back from season-ending injuries, there’s going to be variance in their performance over the course of the season (Cousins, Rodgers, etc.).
He was horrendous in Week 1. Let’s move past it. The reason you might want to target Jones for Week 2 is because he’s playing a dreadful Washington defense. The case could be made that Washington has the single worst cornerback roster in the NFL. According to Pro Football Focus, Washington’s top three perimeter cornerbacks, Benjamin St. Juste (21), Emmanuel Forbes (18), and Davis (18) combined for 57 explosive pass plays allowed last season. And they were torched by Baker Mayfield in Week 1, as he threw for just under 300 yards passing and 4 TDs. I don’t know if Jones’ confidence will allow him to repeat that performance, but if you’re in a pinch and you need a QB, don’t be scared to start Jones for this Week 2 matchup.
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Speaking of Baker Mayfield… DAMN! I bet the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers wish they had a QB like Mayfield on their roster these days… oh, wait… they DID! Everybody loves a comeback story, and I think Mayfield qualifies as that. Former #1 pick dumped by the franchise that drafted him (after taking them to the playoffs), and put into bad situations in the years following, and he’s finally landed on his feet with Tampa Bay. After throwing for 4,000+ yards last year, Mayfield started off his season giving Washington 4 TDs, and just shy of 300 yards. Another week like that and he won’t be on the quarterback sleepers list because he will be rostered everywhere.
Now the Bucs face the Detroit Lions in Week 2. While their defense is tough and should be respected, they let Matthew Stafford throw for over 300 yards passing against them in Week 1, and that was after losing Puka Nacua for most of the game to a knee injury. I’m not saying Stafford is a scrub by any means, but I am saying that the Bucs have a better WR corp lining up against the Lions than the Rams did for three quarters. Fantasy Football is supposed to be fun at its core. Keep it simple. Roll with the hot hand.
Got a beef with Bradlee’s Week 2 Quarterback Sleepers and Streamers? Let him hear about it in the comments below!