Week 1 is in the books, and what a week of fantasy football it was. The highs were high, and the lows were low. Unexpected heroes, points left on the bench, and injuries all led to the full scope of emotions for the fantasy football faithful.
So let’s move right on to Week 2 and start looking through what is ahead.
This article is aimed at deciphering quarterbacks outside the top 12 who have QB1 upside for the week or are performing at a higher value than their current ECR (expert consensus rank) reflects.
In the way of accountability, last week’s QB Sleeper article saw two of the three quarterbacks mentioned ending up hurt. Let’s hope that is not the start of an unintended trend.
Let’s get into it.
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Week 2: Quarterback Sleepers and Streamers
Kirk Cousins, LV vs. LAC – Deep Sleeper
Kirk Cousins was largely overlooked during fantasy football drafts for a variety of reasons. Number one, he is still Kirk Cousins. Number two, they spent the first overall pick on quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is expected to start at some point this season. Before we move on, has it been mentioned he is still Kirk Cousins? Number three, never being sure which version of Cousins is going to be on display.
In week one, the Raiders beat the Dolphins. While Ashton Jeanty was the proverbial belle of the ball, Cousins had a decent enough game in his own right. He completed 70% of his passes for 160 yards and three touchdowns. Of course, being himself, he added a couple of interceptions, seemingly just to garnish the performance.
In week two, the Raiders travel to SoFi Stadium to battle the Chargers in a divisional matchup. The same Chargers that just suffered an upset by Jacoby Brissett and the Cardinals. Brissett threw for 277 yards and one touchdown, completing 73% of his passes.
This game features a modest 43.5 over/under. Expect the Chargers to come out swinging after an embarrassing week one outing. Cousins has a limited ceiling due to his limitations from a mobility standpoint, but does offer a fairly reliable floor. Always a risk for multiple touchdowns, Cousins has more sneaky upside than his weekly Expert Consensus ranking may suggest.
Bryce Young, CAR vs. ATL – High Upside
Bryce Young started to show some positive development in the back half of the 2025 season. From week 11 on, he was the QB11 in fantasy points per game, averaging 17.9 per game. During that span, he threw 10 touchdowns to only three interceptions and tacked on 133 rushing yards and one more score on the ground.
In Week 1, the Panthers faced the Bears and put up a fight that made it one of the most entertaining games of opening NFL Sunday. In that contest, Young was mobile in and out of the pocket and displayed continued vision to see the defense and make several very good throws. He finished with 361 passing yards and four total touchdowns.
This week, Young and company travel to Atlanta to face a Falcons team with an as-yet unnamed starting quarterback. Young will have to once again be smart with the football and efficient with his throws. Both are characteristics the fourth-year signal caller has been working on, and it has been showing up on the stat sheet.
This game features an over/under of 43.5 in favor of the Panthers, by a 1.5-point margin. Young could once again outperform his ECR expectation.
Carson Wentz, MIN vs. CHI – Value Play
This one is absolutely geared towards superflex or two-quarterback leagues, or DFS players that want to maximize the rest of their roster. Wentz stepped in as relief for a concussed Kyler Murray. Not only did he step in, but he led the Vikings to an upset win over the Packers. He finished with only 133 yards, but threw three touchdowns and created no turnovers. Good, clean, football. It was a poised performance after a week of not preparing as the starter.
Kyler Murray will have to work his way back through the five steps of concussion protocol, which is difficult within the timeline between games. The median return table is typically around nine days, meaning Murray is expected to miss at least this week of action. Wentz will now have the opportunity to prepare as the starter in preparation for another tough divisional contest against a Bears team that just dropped 59 points on the Panthers.
This game is currently set at an over/under of 49.5 points, implying at least two touchdowns from the Vikings. Wentz is a value play this week for managers who suffered the loss of Murray or Sam Darnold week one, or again, a waiver wire pickup for QB needy superflex teams. The risk here is whether or not Murray clears protocol.
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