QB rankings and streaming advice for Week 3 of the 2020 fantasy football season.
The consequences of short camps and no preseason reared their ugly heads in Week 2. Though there was plenty of entertaining football to watch, it was largely marred by several injuries.
The quarterback position was not spared. Specifically:
- Drew Lock exited Sunday’s game in the first quarter after suffering a severe rotator cuff strain that will leave him sidelined for at least another two weeks. While Jeff Driskel could not pull out a win for the Broncos in relief, from a fantasy perspective he had a productive three quarters, finishing with 256 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
- Jimmy Garoppolo went out in the first quarter with a high ankle sprain and will likely be out for Week 3. Nick Mullens managed to hold the 49ers lead in his stead but was less than efficient fantasy-wise with 71 yards and one interception.
- In pregame, Tyrod Taylor was sent to the hospital due to tightness in his chest, paving the way for rookie Justin Herbert to make his first NFL start. Though the Chargers lost by a field goal as time-expired, Herbert had himself a day with over 300 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. Taylor’s recovery is “week-to-week” according to head coach Anthony Lynn, who says Taylor has the starting job when he is ready to return.
The chaos didn’t end there … Derek Carr beat the Saints and threw three touchdowns, Baker Mayfield had his highest first-half passer rating (156) in any half since 2018, Dak Prescott became the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for more than 400 yards and rush for three touchdowns in the same game…. I could go on, but I’d digress.
Regarding my picks from last week, Ryan Tannehill continued to stun fans with three passing touchdowns in the first half (four total) yet still somehow remains in streamer-worthy territory (less than 55% owned in ESPN leagues) while Gardner Minshew became the first Jaguars player with three touchdown passes in three consecutive games in franchise history (franchise QB here we come?). Unfortunately, I fumbled Philip Rivers’ bounceback as he continued to struggle for fantasy owners, though his 214 yards and single touchdown was enough to pull out a win against Minnesota.
| TwoQB | Ryan Tannehill | 26.8 FP |
| Streamer | Gardner Minshew | 23.5 FP |
| Bounceback | Philip Rivers | 10.9 FP |
And just like that, we’re into Week 3. These are my last picks before the bye weeks get underway. Yet injuries and missteps still make QB streaming a hot commodity on the waiver wire.
Disclaimer: If Ryan Tannehill is still available in your league, pick him up and keep him.
