Only one week has gone by but already there have been some massive shakeups at the quarterback position. Vince Young, Brodie Croyle and some guy named Tom Brady all went down, while a pair of rookies in Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco didn’t fail miserably in their first starts as most newcomers do. Additionally, current stars such as Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer looked average while Trent Edwards and Chad Pennington looked good.
With many things up in the air after a crazy first week, here’s the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Week 2 Quarterback Rankings.
--------------------
1. Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints) @ Washington
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees proved that he and Saints weren’t going to experience a second consecutive slow start to the season by throwing for 343 yards, three touchdowns and one interception against a good Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense. The addition of tight end Jeremy Shockey to the offense had opened it up and allowed more space for running back Reggie Bush and receivers Marques Colston and David Patten. However, with the injury to Colston (thumb) the Saints need Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem to play a bigger role in the offense. This week the Saints get to play the Redskins, who allowed Eli Manning to pass for 216 yards on them. The Washington Redskins also could be without their top two cornerbacks in Shawn Springs and Fred Smoot. Even without Colston, we feel Brees is a sure bet to be a top flight fantasy option in Week 2.
Point Projection: 22 points
--------------------
2. Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) @ Cleveland
Pittsburgh’s continued dedication to the running game is alright with us because it certainly freed up Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to make some plays through the air. All he did against the Texans was go 13-of-14 for 137 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Cleveland’s defense, especially the secondary, was a complete mess against the Dallas Cowboys in week one so expect a big week from Roethlisberger.
Point Projection: 22 points
--------------------
3. Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia Eagles) @ Dallas
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb made an emphatic statement that he is far from done and that he deserves to remain an Eagle as he torched the St. Louis Rams for 361 passing yards and three touchdowns against no interceptions. The Cowboys defense looked good against an overmatched Browns defense but do have some issues in the secondary as a Adam “Pacman” Jones may start at corner. The Eagles have injury concerns of their own at receiver but that hasn’t affected them in the past nor did it affect McNabb in the win over St. Louis.
Point Projection: 20 points
--------------------
4. Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts) @ Minnesota
Missing the entire preseason definitely appeared to have an effect on Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning in the team’s loss to the Bears. The entire offense was out of sync, routes weren’t properly run, blocking assignments were missed and it looked ugly. However Manning owners shouldn’t panic after just one game. Manning is historically good at bouncing back from good games and a week of practice should help shore up the timing issues. Also, while the Minnesota Vikings have a great defense, the pass defense leaves a little to be desired. Cornerback Antoine Winfield, though a great tackler, is terrible in coverage while the team is starting rookie Tyrell Johnson at free safety.
Point Projection: 20 points
--------------------
5. Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys) vs. Philadelphia
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo didn’t seem to have much trouble throwing the ball last week against the Browns despite playing with a busted chin. But the thing is that the Browns defense is awful. Romo is rewarded with a divisional game this week against what appears to be a rejuvenated Eagles team that likes to blitz a lot. In Romo’s last game against the Eagles, he completed just 13-of-36 passes for no touchdowns and three interceptions, however earlier in the season he went 20-of-25 for 324 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Expect something in between those two games but lying closer to the latter.
Point Projection: 17 points
--------------------
6. Kurt Warner (Arizona Cardinals) vs. Miami
It appears as if the Arizona Cardinals’ decision to go with Kurt Warner at quarterback over Matt Leinart was the right one. Warner passed for 197 yards and one touchdown and more importantly had no turnovers in the teams win over the San Francisco 49ers last week. The Miami Dolphins aren’t nearly as bad as they were last year, but still their secondary won’t be able to hang with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.
Point Projection: 17 points
--------------------
7. Philip Rivers (San Diego Chargers) @ Denver
It was once thought that the San Diego Chargers would just run the ball as often as they could with LaDainian Tomlinson and simply ask quarterback Philip Rivers not to screw anything up. Those days are over as Rivers is now being asked to make plays with his arm so the team doesn’t have to rely exclusively on Tomlinson and the result we saw last week was the young quarterback throwing for 217 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. The Denver Broncos are dealing with some injuries on the defensive side of the ball and are very weak at the safety position.
Point Projection: 17 points
--------------------
8. Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) @ Detroit
After all the hoopla that went on during the offseason, training camp and preseason surrounding the quarterback situation in Green Bay, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers came out and had a great game against a tough defense. Against the Vikings on Monday, Rodgers was 18-of-22 for 178 yards with two total touchdowns and no interceptions. Now he gets to play against a much weaker defense in the Detroit Lions and he should continue to excel.
Point Projection: 17 points
--------------------
9. Eli Manning (New York Giants) @ St. Louis
Against the Redskins in the opener Manning was sharp and found little trouble in carving apart the defense as well as finding his top target in Plaxico Burress. He did encounter trouble trying to find the end zone but managed to score on a naked bootleg. It appears that Manning is become a better decision-maker in the pocket and if this continues to happen you can expect his completion percentage to go up. Against St. Louis this week, Manning will have no trouble finding his first passing touchdown. In fact, he’ll probably get two of them.
Point Projection: 17 points
--------------------
10. Jay Cutler (Denver Broncos) vs. San Diego
Despite playing without his favorite receiver in Brandon Marshall, Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler played phenomenally against the Raiders on Monday. Cutler looks like he’s started to take the next step in his progression as a quarterback and could be on his way to a Pro Bowl season. The San Diego defense represents a good challenge for Cutler and the Broncos but the Chargers weren’t spectacular against an average Carolina offense. Expect another good week out of Cutler.
Point Projection: 16 points
--------------------
11. Matt Hasselbeck (Seattle Seahawks) @ San Francisco
The Buffalo Bills made the Seattle Seahawks and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck look like they were playing together for the first time. But the Bills defense will likely surprise a lot of people this year with how good they are while at the same time Hasselbeck should bounce back nicely against a 49er defense that didn’t get a single turnover from a team that loves to give the ball away. The biggest concern for Hasselbeck is the health of his receivers, as he will be without his top three targets. Still, expect a solid game from Hasselbeck.
Point Projection: 16 points
--------------------
12. Chad Pennington (Miami Dolphins) @ Arizona
Apparently Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington didn’t buy into the rumors of his demise. Pennington played well in his debut for his new team as he passed for 251 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the loss to his former team, the New York Jets. That interception, by the way, came on a Hail Mary on the last play of the game. This week Pennington gets the Cardinals, who have an improved secondary but they weren’t all that impressive against a weak 49ers offense.
Point Projection: 15 points
--------------------
13. Jake Delhomme (Carolina Panthers) vs. Chicago
So it appears the Tommy John surgery did not affect Delhomme all that much as he was 23-of-41 for 247 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in the last-second win over the Chargers. It was also nice to see that Delhomme didn’t hesitate either showing that he has complete confidence in his surgically-repaired right elbow. Even though the Panthers have to go against a good Bears defense that held the Colts in the check, expect similar numbers as he had last week.
Point Projection: 14 points
--------------------
14 Brett Favre (New York Jets) vs. New England Patriots
New Jets quarterback Brett Favre had an impressive debut as he was 15-of-22 for 194 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. However, one of those touchdowns came on a pass Favre threw up for grabs on fourth down that his receiver just happened to come down with. Favre is still adjusting to and learning the offense and will face a much tougher defense this week against the Patriots so temper any expectations of Favre having a huge game this week. The Jets haven’t faired well against the Patriots during the Bill Belichick era so Favre won’t put up big numbers.
Point Projection: 14 points
--------------------
15. Trent Edwards (Buffalo Bills) @ Jacksonville
It’s clear now why the Bills decided to go with Edwards as their quarterback over J.P. Losman. Edwards has incredible upside and until that potential is reached, he just helps the team win games. Against a good Seattle defense, Edwards was 19-of-30 for 215 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Edwards will face another test this week against the Jaguars but if week one was any indication, perhaps it won’t be that much of a challenge for the second-year quarterback.
Point Projection: 14 points
--------------------
16. David Garrard (Jacksonville Jaguars) vs. Buffalo
Jaguars quarterback David Garrard and the offense was stymied last week by a tough Titans defense and in the process lost two starting offensive linemen. Garrard tried to rally the team and ended up going 23-of-35 for 215 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. One more interception would’ve tied the number he threw all of last season so it’s clear Garrard and the Jaguars were out of their element. The Bills have a great defense this year and a stingy secondary so with Jacksonville being down two linemen, don’t expect a vast improvement in numbers for Garrard.
Point Projection: 14 points
--------------------
17. Carson Palmer (Cincinnati Bengals) vs. Tennessee
After not practicing or playing together much during the preseason, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer and receivers Chad Ocho Cinco and T.J. Houshmanzadeh were completely out of sync in the team’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens last week. Palmer was 10-of-25 for 99 yards with no touchdowns and one interception as Ocho Cinco and Houshmanzadeh combined to catch just four passes. There is no relief this week as the Bengals get to play against an incredibly tough Tennessee defense that registered seven sacks and forced two interceptions last week.
Point Projection: 14 points
--------------------
18. Jon Kitna (Detroit Lions) vs. Green Bay
The loss of offensive coordinator Mike Martz, who left to take the same position in San Francisco, didn’t appear to affect Kitna and the Lions all that much in their opening game against the Atlanta Falcons. Kitna was 24-of-33 for 262 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a losing effort. However, the Falcons defense isn’t nearly as good as the defense Kitna will face this week in the Packers. Kitna didn’t fare so well against Green Bay last year, throwing three interceptions against two touchdowns while completing less than 50 percent of his passes in two contests against Detroit.
Point Projection: 13 points
--------------------
19. Damon Huard (Kansas City Chiefs) vs. Oakland
Brady wasn’t the only quarterback in the game last week between the Chiefs and the Patriots, as Brodie Croyle left the game with a separated right shoulder. Huard took over and went 8-of-12 for 118 yards, one touchdown and one interception and almost led the Chiefs to a comeback. This week Huard will start against a defense that isn’t as good as New England but one that has a good secondary. With some new faces on offense, including the offensive line, don’t expect too Huard to put up Jay Cutler like numbers on Oakland, but he should get the job done.
Point Projection: 13 points
--------------------
20. Derek Anderson (Cleveland Browns) vs. Pittsburgh
Browns quarterback Derek Anderson was a hot player last year that fizzled down the stretch. Now it appears the league may have caught up to Anderson and the Browns offense as the second-year starter was just 11-of-24 for 114 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions against the Cowboys last week. This week Anderson gets to face an even tougher defense so don’t expect a miraculous turnaround.
Point Projection: 12 points
--------------------
21. Jason Campbell (Washington Redskins) vs. New Orleans
Watching the Redskins offense try to grasp the West Coast offense that new head coach Jim Zorn brought with him was painful at best. However, as bad as it was to watch and as much blame as Campbell shouldered for the team’s poor performance, the numbers indicate otherwise. Campbell completed 15-of-27 passes for 133 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions despite some drops by his receivers. New Orleans made a lot of improvements to its defense but still has some holes so Campbell should put up some alright numbers again.
Point Projection: 12 points
--------------------
22. Marc Bulger (St. Louis Rams) vs. New York Giants
Trying to learn the Al Saunders playbook and execute it flawlessly in the first week of the season would be akin to trying to read War and Peace in one sitting. It just can’t be done. With over 700 plays to learn, Bulger and the rest of the Rams offense are still trying to get a grasp of everything and may struggle for a few more weeks. St. Louis will play at home against the New York Giants this week, not exactly a good defense to cut your teeth on. Bulger will play better than the season opener, but don't expect him to find his groove just yet.
Point Projection: 12 points
--------------------
23. Matt Cassel (New England Patriots) @ New York Jets
The biggest story of the first week of the season was the torn ACL suffered by Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Brady is now out for the season and, for the time being, Cassel is the starter. While he is surrounded by one of the best and most talented offenses in the league, Cassel is extremely inexperienced. The last time Cassel started a competitive football game was 1999 as a high school player. His numbers in relief of Brady against a weak Chiefs defense were good, but don’t expect anything more than average against a much better Jets defense.
Point Projection: 12 points
--------------------
24. Matt Schaub (Houston Texans) vs. Baltimore
Schaub and the Texans were expected by some to turn the corner this season but they were rewarded with a difficult schedule to open the season. Against the Steelers last week Schaub was 25-of-33 for 202 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. While his numbers weren’t spectacular, it was an OK performance against a tough defense. Schaub gets another tough defense this week in the Ravens, which held Palmer and the Bengals to just 99 passing yards and no offensive touchdowns last week. Expect a similar performance this week to last week from Schaub.
Point Projection: 11 points
--------------------
25. Kerry Collins (Tennessee Titans) @ Cincinnati
In the second half of the Titans win over Jacksonville in the first week, Vince Young sustained a sprained knee, which is expected to keep him out 2-4 weeks. So the ageless wonder Kerry Collins will get the start for the Titans. The last time Collins threw a touchdown pass was week 3 of the 2006 season. The Cincinnati defense is horrible, though the cornerbacks are decent, but expect Collins to break that streak this week.
Point Projection: 11 points
--------------------
26. Brian Griese (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) vs. Atlanta
Buccaneers regular quarterback Jeff Garcia has been suffering from a jammed right pinkie finger, as well as a strained right calf and Head Coach Jon Gruden thought it would be best to go with Griese in Week 2. Entering his 10th NFL season, Griese knows what it takes to perform at a high level and his matchup against the Atlanta Falcons inexperienced secondary should allow him to post decent statistics. He isn't fantasy worthy, but don't be surprised if he plays well.
Point Projection: 11 points
--------------------
27. Tarvaris Jackson (Minnesota Vikings) vs. Indianapolis
Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson is an enigmatic quarterback and last week’s performance did nothing to solve that puzzle. Jackson, at times, makes some great plays while other times looks like he shouldn’t be starting. Against a tough Green Bay defense Jackson was 16-of-35 for 178 yards with one touchdown and one interception and this week he gets to face another tough defense in the Colts. Jackson is a productive quarterback when the Vikings are able to establish their running game early. The Colts defense may not be as good as originally advertised, but don't expect much from Jackson this week.
Point Projection: 11 points
--------------------
28. Joe Flacco (Baltimore Ravens) @ Houston
Ravens rookie quarterback Joe Flacco became the starter by default because of injury to Kyle Boller and a Troy Smith illness. Regardless of how he got there, Flacco is there to stay after a solid performance in a win over the Bengals. The numbers weren’t that great as he was just 15-of-29 for 129 yards with a rushing touchdown but the important thing to note is that he didn’t turn the ball over once. He also showed a good ability to go through his progressions and looked comfortable under center after spending the majority of his college career in the shotgun. The foundation is there, but it will be a little bit longer before Flacco becomes a viable fantasy option.
Point Projection: 9 points
--------------------
29. J.T. O’Sullivan (San Francisco 49ers) @ Seattle
In his first start of his NFL career, 49ers quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan was 14-of-20 for 195 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. To us that means that he’s starting to pick up the intricacies of the Mike Martz offense as displayed by his accuracy, but is still trying to grasp everything as evidenced by not throwing a touchdown. O’Sullivan also lost two fumbles so his pocket presence needs to improve. This week he gets to go up against an even tougher defense in Seattle, and will probably be prone to an INT or two. Though we feel he will throw his first TD pass.
Point Projection: 9 points
--------------------
30. Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons) @ Tampa Bay
On his first pass attempt of his NFL career, Falcons rookie Matt Ryan threw a 62-yard touchdown to Michael Jenkins. After that, Ryan attempted just 12 more passes and completed eight of them as the Falcons focused primarily on their running game. With two strong backs, expect Atlanta to continue to be a run-heavy team and don’t expect much from Ryan this week from a defense in Tampa Bay that is much tougher than what he saw last week.
Point Projection: 8 points
--------------------
31. Kyle Orton (Chicago Bears) at Carolina
Bears quarterback Kyle Orton won the starting job over Rex Grossman in training camp and the initial reaction was that of confusion. Orton never displayed great passing ability in the playing he’d received before but did help the team win. Well, against the Colts last week Orton helped Chicago upset Indianapolis while going 13-of-21 for 150 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Orton is a game manager, somebody just in there to keep the offense moving without turning the ball over so don’t expect anything good from Orton this week against the Panthers.
Point Projection: 8 points
--------------------
32. JaMarcus Russell (Oakland Raiders) at Kansas City
The Raiders are a mess. The receiving corps is one of the worst in the NFL and the offensive line is porous at best. JaMarcus Russell is basically a rookie and head coach Lane Kiffin has acknowledged they are treating him as such. Russell may one day be a good quarterback but that won’t happen this week against the Chiefs. Don’t be fooled by his two touchdown passes in Week 1, the Broncos had their backups in for the most part.
Point Projection: 8 points
--------------------
WEEK 2 RANKINGS (click to view)
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
Kickers
Team Defense
--------------------
Past Waiver Wire Articles (click to view)
Waiver Wire - Week 1 (Sunday Edition)
Waiver Wire - Week 1 (Monday Edition)
--------------------
::Questions? Comments? How about you SIGN UP for an account and leave a comment. Plus, by signing up you can MANAGE ALL of your FANTASY FOOTBALL teams from ONE ACCOUNT::
