Welcome to the second edition of my weekly NFL DFS quarterback primer article. Each week I will be looking to find an edge at the quarterback position for daily fantasy football contests.
In this weekly column, you will find the best value quarterbacks for tournaments and head-to-head cash games. Additionally, I will highlight one or two quarterbacks to avoid in the upcoming week.
Last week we missed big on Nick Foles and Jameis Winston in tournaments, but anyone who read this column won big with Lamar Jackson in cash.
Without further ado, let's dig in.
Best Overall Plays of the Week
Ben Roethlisberger (FanDuel Price: $7,600) -- Big Ben struggled in Week 1 in a tough matchup against the defending Superbowl champions. Attempting 47 passes, Roethlisberger produced a meager 276 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Ben's 39.6% success rate also ranked in the bottom half of the league for Week 1. However, there are a few key reasons we should expect Ben and the Steelers to bounce back in Week 2.
One thing working in Roethlisberger's favor this week is he has been historically much better at home than on the road. The longtime quarterback for the Steelers has averaged 2.4 passing touchdowns at home but only 1.4 touchdowns on the road dating back to 2012.
Big Ben's 10 passing attempts that traveled 16+ yards tied for the third most in Week 1. Against a much weaker Seahawks secondary than he faced in Week 1, Roethlisberger should connect more than two deep passes. Our projections have Roethlisberger with three more passing attempts than any other Quarterback on the main slate making him a great play in all formats.
Tournament Plays
Derek Carr ($6,600) -- Derek Carr's 69% success rate in Week 1 ranked second among all QBs, trailing only Dak Prescott. Carr turned 26 passing attempts into 259 yards, one touchdown. and zero interceptions. We can expect Carr to pass the ball much more in week 2 in a potential shootout with the Chiefs. There were a total of 33 passing attempts made by the Jaguars against the Chiefs in Week 1, and only six of them were incomplete. As mentioned last week, the KC defense allowed five different quarterbacks to throw for three or more touchdowns in road games last season. They find themselves on the road again after letting up three touchdown passes to the Jaguars. Our projections have Carr completing the fourth-most passes and scoring the 12th-most passing touchdowns in Week 2, making him one of my favorite value plays of the week.
Andy Dalton ($7,100) -- Andy Dalton was one of only five quarterbacks to have 10 or more attempts travel 16+ yards in Week 1. Dalton cashed in on his deep throws last Week, completing 5 such passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Dalton is going up against a 49ers defense that just stopped the Tampa Bay passing attack hype train dead in its tracks last week, but if Dalton continues to push the ball downfield we will be forced to consider him in tournaments each Week. Our projections view Dalton as the 6th best value play of Week 2.
Cash-Game Plays
Lamar Jackson ($8,200) -- Another week, another Lamar Jackson recommendation. Jackson sees an uptick in price compared to last week as the third most expensive QB on the slate, but it is not enough to stop considering him in cash games. Jackson was not forced to run the ball much last week, but he remains one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the league when he scrambles. Despite a limited role as a rusher last week, Jackson is still projected for more carries than any other QB in Week 2.
We must take what Jackson did as a passer last week with a grain of salt, going up against a Dolphins secondary that is likely the worst in the league. However, if Jackson truly has made a second-year leap as a thrower you will need him in some of your tournament and cash lineups every week. He is the number one value play in Week 2 according to numberFire's projections.
Josh Allen ($7,500) -- Josh Allen led all QBs with 10 rushing attempts in Week 1. That alone is enough to at least consider Allen in cash-games. Our Projections have Allen with the 3rd most rushing attempts, trailing only Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson for Week 2. Up against a Giants secondary that just let up 405 yards and four touchdowns to Dak Prescott, Allen comes with a nice ceiling in Week 2. Our models have Allen as the 9th best value play of the week.
Quarterback to Avoid
Kyler Murray ($6,500) -- Kyler Murray could be an enticing option at his price this week, but we should be cautious of the rookie in his second career game. The Cardinals have the second-lowest implied team total in Week 2, trailing only the Miami Dolphins. Going up against a Ravens defense that only allowed one quarterback to score more than 2 touchdowns at home last season, we should be avoiding Kyler Murray in all formats this week. Our projections have Murray with the 18th most points at the position this week.
Samuel Factor is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Samuel Factor also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Samfact2. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.