RADIO
Fantasy football rankings - quarterbacks (QB) Week 2 rankings early edition for 2026. Read the top-accuracy fantasy football QB rankings.
This past week we saw many high-scoring games and some great fantasy quarterback play from Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Caleb Williams, and Jalen Hurts. We are marching into Week 2, and can NFL teams replicate the offensive success for the upcoming week? We'll find out soon enough. At RotoBaller HQ, we already prepared our quarterback rankings early fantasy football quarterback rankings for Week 2. Whether you are streaming the position or need to make a tough call for your Superflex or QB2, use our QB rankings to help make those important decisions.
Our quarterback fantasy football rankings for Week 2 are put together by Nick Mariano. Below the rankings, you will also find a summary of the important QB fantasy football news for this week. There are always key injuries and developments to keep track of, so check back throughout the week for updates.
Be sure to bookmark our fantasy football rankings portal and check back regularly for updates. Most importantly, our free mobile app is a must-have - download it and configure your push notifications. We deliver all the top NFL news, injuries, and fantasy analysis 24x7 with our free push notification alerts... all for free!
Bookmark our updated and revamped fantasy football rankings portal for all league formats!PPR rankings | Half-PPR rankings | Standard rankings | Rookie rankings | Superflex rankings | Dynasty rankings | Who To Start? | Injuries | Matchup Ratings | Strength of Schedule
Week 2 Quarterback Rankings for Fantasy Football
Bookmark our PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, and standard (non-PPR) rankings
| QB Tier |
QB Rank |
Player Name |
Pos. |
| 1 | 1 | Josh Allen | QB |
| 1 | 2 | Lamar Jackson | QB |
| 1 | 3 | Caleb Williams | QB |
| 2 | 4 | Brock Purdy | QB |
| 2 | 5 | Jalen Hurts | QB |
| 2 | 6 | Jayden Daniels | QB |
| 2 | 7 | Dak Prescott | QB |
| 3 | 8 | Trevor Lawrence | QB |
| 3 | 9 | Joe Burrow | QB |
| 3 | 10 | Justin Herbert | QB |
| 3 | 11 | Jaxson Dart | QB |
| 3 | 12 | Jared Goff | QB |
| 4 | 13 | Kyler Murray | QB |
| 4 | 14 | Drake Maye | QB |
| 4 | 15 | Patrick Mahomes II | QB |
| 4 | 16 | Matthew Stafford | QB |
| 4 | 17 | Jordan Love | QB |
| 5 | 18 | Baker Mayfield | QB |
| 5 | 19 | C.J. Stroud | QB |
| 5 | 20 | Malik Willis | QB |
| 5 | 21 | Bryce Young | QB |
| 5 | 22 | Bo Nix | QB |
| 5 | 23 | Tyler Shough | QB |
| 5 | 24 | Carson Wentz | QB |
| 6 | 25 | Daniel Jones | QB |
| 6 | 26 | Jacoby Brissett | QB |
| 6 | 27 | Kirk Cousins | QB |
| 6 | 28 | Aaron Rodgers | QB |
| 6 | 29 | Geno Smith | QB |
| 6 | 30 | Drew Lock | QB |
| 6 | 31 | Cam Ward | QB |
| 6 | 32 | Cooper Rush | QB |
| 6 | 33 | Deshaun Watson | QB |
| 6 | 34 | Michael Penix Jr. | QB |
Week 2 Quarterback News
Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix did not look good at all in his first regular-season action since fracturing his ankle in the team's overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round back in January. In the Broncos' 31-10 loss in Kansas City to the division-rival Chiefs on Monday night, Nix struggled to get anything going on offense, going 17-for-28 passing for 131 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He was sacked four times for a loss of 16 yards and ran the ball three times for only two yards gained.
This definitely was not how the 26-year-old wanted to get his third year in the NFL started, and it will not get any easier the next two weeks against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2 and the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3. As long as Nix is healthy, though, he will surely bounce back in an offense surrounded by weapons on the ground and through the air. But after his poor performance against the Chiefs, fantasy managers will not be in a hurry to use him as a starter in single-QB leagues in Week 2 against the Jags.
Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough shook off a rough first half to post a monster performance in his team's overtime loss to the Detroit Lions, completing 35 of 56 pass attempts for 410 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. Turnovers were an issue for Shough, as he also lost a fumble in addition to throwing the two picks. However, the 26-year-old nearly led his team all the way back from a 21-point deficit by leading touchdown drives on four of the Saints' final six possessions of the game.
Shough was impressive down the stretch of the 2025 season after taking over as the Saints' QB1 in Week 9, throwing for over 1,300 yards and collecting eight total touchdowns over the team's final five games. If this past Sunday is any indication, he could be in line for a year-2 breakout in 2026. Shough profiles as a must-start quarterback in two-QB formats, and he's worth targeting on the waiver wire in 12-team, single-QB fantasy leagues as well.
Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) was ruled out for the season-opening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, and the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says that it might be "a bit too early" for Penix to be ready to make his 2026 season debut in Week 2 against the division-rival Carolina Panthers. The Falcons clearly view Penix as their man under center this year, but only when he is fully recovered from the partial ACL tear in his knee that he suffered late in 2025.
Tua Tagovailoa (oblique), who was brought in this offseason in free agency as an insurance option for Penix, was slated to start against the Steelers before injuring his oblique in practice last Thursday and eventually being ruled out. Veteran backup Cooper Rush made the start on Sunday and predictably struggled, throwing for 143 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. If Tagovailoa cannot go in Week 2 against Carolina, Rush could be forced into a second straight start for Atlanta. It sounds like a more realistic date for Penix's 2026 season debut could come on Thursday, Sept. 24, at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers.
Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken told reporters on Monday that he anticipates veteran quarterback Deshaun Watson will start on Sunday at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Monken said that "there were some really good things on film" despite the Browns being blown out 34-10 in the season opener on Sunday at the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 31-year-old completed 16 of his 22 pass attempts (72.7%) for 205 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
He also added 38 rushing yards on six carries. Watson fumbled the ball but ended up recovering it, so he avoided any costly turnovers. His lone touchdown pass was a 46-yard deep strike to rookie receiver Denzel Boston, but it came with under two minutes left in the fourth quarter with the game already well over. Watson has plenty of arm strength and was accurate in his first NFL game since 2024, but he could have his hands full in Week 2 against a blitz-heavy Buccaneers defense, making him merely a low-end, low-upside QB2 in superflex fantasy leagues.
Who Should I Start Tool
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Week 2 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: Caleb Williams, Brock Purdy, Drake Maye, Tyler Shough, Bo Nix, Jordan Love, Bryce Young, Justin Herbert, Kirk Cousins, Deshaun Watson, Michael Penix Jr., and Jacoby Brissett. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 2.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 2 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 2 (2026)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 2 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 2 for Caleb Williams, Brock Purdy, Drake Maye, Tyler Shough, Bo Nix, Jordan Love, Bryce Young, Justin Herbert, Kirk Cousins, Deshaun Watson, Michael Penix Jr., and Jacoby Brissett:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.
