Several great fantasy quarterbacks fell flat in Week 1. Was this a warning sign, or should managers confidently stick with them?
There was a time when Daniel Jones elevated his fantasy floor with his legs. In 33 games spanning the 2021, 2022, and 2023 seasons, he compiled a 222-1,212-10 rushing line. Those days are almost certainly over for the 29-year-old. Historically, as a passer, Jones has been subpar, adequate, or occasionally good. But rarely has he been great.
His disappointing performance on Sunday (9.0 points) won't be the norm. But it's hard to envision him being a weekly streamer.
Should we worry about Baker Mayfield (11.6 points)? He'll get six games against the Saints, Falcons, and Panthers. Some might justifiably argue that without
former offensive coordinator Liam Coen, the Bucs' passing attack won't rise to 2024 levels, when Mayfield was fantasy's QB4. The thing is, it doesn't have to be nearly that good for Mayfield to be fantasy relevant. Last year he had 10 outings with 16.8+ points. That's a reasonable expectation in a plus offense.
Finally, the enigmatic Justin Herbert, whose Chargers have had terrible injury luck in recent years. Surely his 13.3-point effort against the Cardinals can be "fixed." The question is whether fantasy managers' expectations are too high. Ever since he was the overall QB2 in 2021 at just 23, he's been viewed as an elite-upside quarterback.
Maybe we should simply shift expectations. Herbert is one of about 20 fantasy QBs who could realistically finish in the top 12. He'll snap back, though probably not anywhere close to peak levels.
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This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Forsaken or forgiven? Assessing slumping fantasy QBs entering Week 2
