by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)

Week 1 of the NFL season is in the books, so we have a clearer picture of who are the top options in the league, who is destined to disappoint and which defenses we want to exploit, right?  Of course not!  One game is never going to bring real clarity and NFL teams are always evolving (whether it’s injuries, better game plans or something else entirely).  It will take a few more weeks before we get true clarity, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a better idea.  Let’s take an early look at how things shake out heading into Week 2:

1. Aaron Rodgers – Green Bay Packers – at Atlanta
2. Matt Ryan – Atlanta Falcons – vs. New Orleans
3. Tom Brady – New England Patriots – at New Orleans
4. Drew Brees – New Orleans Saints – vs. New England
5. Derek Carr – Oakland Raiders – vs. New York Jets
6. Cam Newton – Carolina Panthers – vs. Buffalo
7. Philip Rivers – Los Angeles Chargers – vs. Miami
8. Jameis Winston – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – vs. Chicago
9. Ben Roethlisberger – Pittsburgh Steelers – vs. Minnesota
10. Carson Palmer – Arizona Cardinals – at Indianapolis
11. Marcus Mariota – Tennessee Titans – at Jacksonville
12. Russell Wilson – Seattle Seahawks – vs. San Francisco
13. Alex Smith – Kansas City Chiefs – vs. Philadelphia
14. Sam Bradford – Minnesota Vikings – at Pittsburgh
15. Kirk Cousins – Washington Redskins – at Los Angeles Rams
16. Jay Cutler – Miami Dolphins – at Los Angeles Chargers
17. Matthew Stafford – Detroit Lions – at New York Giants
18. Eli Manning – New York Giants – vs. Detroit
19. Joe Flacco – Baltimore Ravens – vs. Cleveland
20. Jared Goff – Los Angeles Rams – vs. Washington
21. Carson Wentz – Philadelphia Eagles – at Kansas City
22. Tyrod Taylor – Buffalo Bills – at Carolina
23. Andy Dalton – Cincinnati Bengals – vs. Houston
24. Dak Prescott – Dallas Cowboys – at Denver
25. Mike Glennon – Chicago Bears – at Tampa Bay

Thoughts:

• After torching the Seattle Seahawks for 311 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT it’s hard not to think that Aaron Rodgers is going to keep things rolling against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2.  Obviously we all know that he’s among the elite options in the league, but this type of yardage against Seattle (regardless of the number of attempts) shows that last year’s early season struggles should no longer be a concern.
• The Chicago Bears allowed 321 yards to Matt Ryan and company through the air in Week 1.  While we haven’t seen Jameis Winston and company yet this season, we know the running game is going to be questionable and Winston has Top 5 upsisde.
• The New York Jets let Tyrod Taylor burn them for 224 yards and 2 TD in Week 1, and while the yardage isn’t a huge number can you imagine what Derek Carr and company will do to them in Week 2?  Carr had a good showing himself (262 yards and 2 TD) and the biggest concern is Oakland getting off to a big lead and limiting the opportunities Carr has to throw the football.
• No one is going to argue the potential when it comes to Russell Wilson or Eli Manning, and while the latter will hopefully get Odell Beckham back at his disposal both quarterbacks face significant offensive line questions.  Unless they get better protection neither is going to be able to perform like a QB1, and therefore both are going to be tough to trust in the short-term regardless of the opponent.  Consider Wilson the better option and a borderline option but you may want to look to an alternative in the shorter-term.
• It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Joe Flacco was limited in Week 1 (9-17, 121 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) and while things should expand in Week 2 he is still working his way back.  Consider him a mid-lever QB2 given the matchup, but the questions remain.
• With the loss of David Johnson, the focus on Carson Palmer and company will only grow.  With more opportunities to throw and a favorable matchup it’s impossible not to consider him a QB1 in all formats.
• It’s hard to trust Alex Smith, considering his track record, but his Week 1 performance also can’t be ignored.  Consider him a borderline QB1, though we’d be much more comfortable using him as a QB2.

Make sure to check out all of our Week 2 rankings: