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It’s Labor Day Monday (at the time of this writing) and Trey Lance still isn’t throwing a football following a “micro-chip fracture of a finger” when his hand hit the helmet of a Raiders defender in the Aug. 29 preseason finale. Move Jimmy G waaaaay up those draft boards, especially if the Niners promote Nate Sudfeld (further indicating that they wouldn’t use Trey Lance in Week 1).
Hard to imagine Trey Lance having much of a role Week 1 if he’s still not taking snaps or throwing. Good bet Nate Sudfeld gets elevated if Lance isn’t doing work with footballs by Wednesday. No point in having $26M Jimmy Garoppolo to rush Lance back from a throwing hand injury.
— Chris Biderman (@ChrisBiderman) September 6, 2021
There is ZERO reason for the Niners to push Lance that I can see. Be smart, San Francisco. Don’t ruin this for us, in the short-term or the long-term.
I’m also fond of the Sam Darnold revenge game in Week 1. You can’t make this stuff up, with Darnold immediately squaring off against the team that gave up on him. Run-CMC sure is a nice luxury out of that backfield...
I’m dinging Justin Herbert a bit against that ferocious Washington defense, instead opting for a Trevor Lawrence splash against woeful Houston and a big effort from Baker Mayfield in a glitzy matchup.
I could be too down on Big Ben, as he may offer more upside than Tua or Mac Jones, both guys I ranked ahead of him in the first pass. We’ll see how the week shakes out, eh?
Who are YOU trusting in Week 1, fantasy footballers? The season is ON!
Top 32 QBs for Week 1
Rank | Player Name | Team | Opponent | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | Player Name | Team | Opponent | Notes |
1 | Patrick Mahomes | KC | vs CLE | Get used to Mahomes being No. 1 most weeks. Find me a reason not to... |
2 | Lamar Jackson | BAL | @ LV | LV hired Gus Bradley to fix its defense, but still allowed 29.9 PPG last year (third-worst). |
3 | Kyler Murray | ARI | @ TEN | A road 'dog vs. TEN, should throw plenty in this one |
4 | Josh Allen | BUF | vs PIT | PIT has some new pieces on defense, and BUF is an ELITE offense. |
5 | Russell Wilson | SEA | @ IND | It doens't get any safer than Russ Wilson. WR Eskridge and TE Everett add intriguing pass game elements, too. |
6 | Jalen Hurts | PHI | @ ATL | A dome game with his legs? This ranking might be too low. |
7 | Dak Prescott | DAL | @ TB | Dak says he's healthy, and CeeDee Lamb is an explosive complement to Amari Cooper. I'm biting. |
8 | Tom Brady | TB | vs DAL | The first guy on this list who can't run--but this game has shootout potential. |
9 | Aaron Rodgers | GB | @ NO* | His supporting cast from his blazing 2020 is intact, plus the added familiarity of slot WR Randall Cobb. |
10 | Ryan Tannehill | TEN | vs ARI | High-scoring potential, at home, and over his bout with Covid-19. Lost Corey Davis and Jonnu, but added JULIO. |
11 | Matthew Stafford | LAR | vs CHI | What can he do with Woods, Kupp, Higbee, and a competent play-caller in McVay? I'm salivating. |
12 | Trevor Lawrence | JAC | @ HOU | Lawrence should begin his career with a bang against a Texans unit that should be one of football's worst in 2021. |
13 | Baker Mayfield | CLE | @ KC | Baker was the QB11 from Weeks 11-17 last year. He's a bona fide streamer all year, and it starts in Week 1 since he'll be forced to throw. |
14 | Justin Herbert | LAC | @ WAS | He's got a deep stable of returning weapons and an upgraded OL, but WAS is just NASTY. Don't expect the moon. |
15 | Kirk Cousins | MIN | @ CIN | CIN was one of the league's worst teams in 2020, and YOU LIKE THAT if Cousins is your QB2 this week. |
16 | Sam Darnold | CAR | vs NYJ | Revenge game alert! High-end QB2 numbers incoming for Darnold. |
17 | Jimmy Garoppolo | SF | @ DET | Don't let the battle with Trey Lance fool you. This is a PRIME matchup. Move this veteran up your board for Week 1. |
18 | Matt Ryan | ATL | vs PHI | Calvin Ridley vs Darius Slay is the M/U to watch, but Kyle Pitts should be busy out of the gate given ATL's interior OL woes. |
19 | Joe Burrow | CIN | vs MIN | You can't expect much running off of last year's knee injury. |
20 | Carson Wentz | IND | vs SEA | A few weeks removed from foot surgery...will Indy be rusty based on missed reps with their new QB? |
21 | Ryan Fitzpatrick | WAS | vs LAC | You're throwing darts at this point, and I'd rather do so with Fitzmagic than with the next guy... |
22 | Jameis Winston | NO | vs GB* | He's the starting QB in New Orleans, but for how long? |
23 | Mac Jones | NE | vs MIA | He may not need to do too much, as the Pats should be a tough out at home. |
24 | Tua Tagovailoa | MIA | @ NE | A tall test on the road for Tua, but new weapons Jaylen Waddle and Will Fuller should help (eventually, if not this week). |
25 | Ben Roethlisberger | PIT | @ BUF | I may be too down on Big Ben, but this is a rough draw. |
26 | Daniel Jones | NYG | vs DEN | A quintessential QB3 type--lots of upside and downside. |
27 | Zach Wilson | NYJ | @ CAR | It's his and HC Robert Saleh's first game. Despite flashes this preseason, this isn't a situation to lean on heavily. |
28 | Tyrod Taylor | HOU | vs JAC | Am I the only one who doesn't hate TyGod in the early going? Side effect of liking Jordan Akins more than most, I suppose. |
29 | Derek Carr | LV | vs BAL | Doesn't get more boring than this, folks. |
30 | Teddy Bridgewater | DEN | @ NYG | He'll have useful QB2 weeks, but the Giants' defense is no joke. |
31 | Jared Goff | DET | vs SF | He doesn't run, he's no longer tied to McVay, and his receiving corps is boring. Yikes. |
32 | Andy Dalton | CHI | @ LAR | I almost ranked his backup ahead of him, that's how much I don't like Dalton. Give us Justin Fields, already. |