The first week of NFL action is in the books, and the fantasy football landscape is starting to take shape. After months of projection, the first one or two weeks of the season are the most crucial times to nail your waiver wire selections. Smart fantasy football owners know how to stream the quarterback position, and Marcus Mariota, Gardner Minshew, and Andy Dalton are three of the best quarterback waiver wire claims of the week.
Note that, in order to make this list, the player had to be available in over 50% of fantasy leagues. If you’re in smaller leagues, better players like Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott may be available. Make sure to check for players like that before going after these guys.
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Marcus Mariota, Gardner Minshew Highlight Fantasy Football Week Two Quarterback Waiver Wire Claims
Marcus Mariota
Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota is actually pretty good when he’s healthy. The biggest problem with Mariota is keeping him healthy. Mariota had a 15-game stretch in 2015 and 2016 where he posted a 16-game pace of 3,810 yards, 30 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and 453 rushing yards. He has struggled to stay healthy since that point, but he’s finally healthy and ready for the season.
Mariota currently has the best supporting cast of his entire career. Delanie Walker is back on the field to complement Corey Davis and free agent signee Adam Humphries. A.J. Brown looked like a star in the making in his season debut, and this offense has the ability to move the ball through the air. While Mariota isn’t going to put up Patrick Mahomes numbers by any means, he faces a favorable matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. Assuming he stays healthy, Mariota should be a low-end QB1 or a high-end QB2 in Week Two.
Gardner Minshew
I guarantee you that Gardner Minshew is currently available in your fantasy football league. With Nick Foles on the short-term injured reserve, Minshew is going to run the show in Jacksonville for the foreseeable future. Minshew has a limited body of work, but he’s looked good during his short time on the field. While he mostly played in garbage time, Minshew recorded an impressive 88% completion percentage for 275 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He looked comfortable in the pocket and moved the ball well against an admittedly subpar Kansas City defense.
Pro Football Focus appears to be high on Minshew’s ability. During the latest PFF NFL podcast, host Sam Munson noted that PFF’s analytics department believed Minshew to be one of the better quarterbacks from the 2019 draft. While he might not be the second-coming of Tom Brady, he should be able to put up respectable numbers against a below-average Houston Texans defense.
Andy Dalton
Nobody wants to play Andy Dalton. Dalton is one of the least exciting options in fantasy because everyone knows what he brings to the table. He’s the definition of mediocrity, but he’s more than capable of putting up solid numbers in the right matchup.
Week Two provides that right matchup. Dalton faces off against the San Francisco 49ers in Week Two, and he should be able to take advantage of their defense. While they slowed down Jameis Winston, that speaks more to Winston’s lack of ability than San Francisco’s actual talent. With Tyler Boyd and a rejuvenated John Ross by his side, Dalton should put up a respectable performance in Week Two.
Running Back Waiver Wire Claims
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Claims
Defense Waiver Wire Claims
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