QBs to start in Week 3
Titans’ Ryan Tannehill (vs. Vikings): Through the first two weeks of the season, Ryan Tannehill appears to have picked back up where he left off in 2019. The veteran signal-caller has tossed six touchdowns and 488 passing yards, giving him just 1.8 fantasy points fewer than Patrick Mahomes right now.
Following his four-touchdown performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tannehill can continue his hot streak against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3. Mike Zimmer’s new-look defense in Minnesota has given up 578 passing yards (sixth-most in the NFL) and five passing touchdowns (tied for second-most in the NFL) to begin the season.
Jaguars’ Gardner Minshew (vs. Dolphins): Gardner Minshew must not have heard that the Jaguars were supposed to be a team fighting for the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. In the first two weeks, Jacksonville has upset the Indianapolis Colts and were narrowly defeated by the Tennessee Titans.
Minshew himself has been remarkable, completing 49 of his 65 attempts for 512 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions in 2020. On Thursday night, it will be a battle between Minshew’s mustache and Ryan Fitzpatrick’s beard. Miami’s defense will be without Byron Jones on Thursday and they’ve already allowed 572 passing yards this season (seventh-most in the NFL).
Other QBs to consider in Week 3: Bengals’ Joe Burrow (vs. Eagles), Bears’ Mitchell Trubisky (vs. Falcons), Browns’ Baker Mayfield (vs. Washington)
QBs to sit in Week 3
Panthers’ Teddy Bridgewater (vs. Chargers): The Los Angeles Chargers showed in Week 2 that they have one of the best defensive units in the NFL. Even though Patrick Mahomes ended up leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a victory on Sunday, Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram made it tough for the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Next up on the schedule for the Chargers is Teddy Bridgewater and the Carolina Panthers. Again, with McCaffrey set to miss multiple weeks with a high-ankle sprain, Bridgewater is going to be forced to lead the charge against a lethal pass rush of the Chargers. Not to mention, Los Angeles also has a secondary — even without Derwin James — that features Casey Hayward, Desmond King, and Chris Harris Jr.
Vikings’ Kirk Cousins (vs. Titans): It’s hard to pinpoint a quarterback that had a worse week than Kirk Cousins did in Week 2. The Minnesota Vikings veteran signal-caller completed only 11 of his 26 attempts for 113 yards and three interceptions against the Colts, giving him a career-worst 15.9 passer rating.
Cousins and the Vikings looked out of sync offensively and it’s hard to trust him to fix his miscues in Week 3 versus the Titans. While Cousins hopes to put his putrid performance from Week 2 behind him, he’ll have to square off with Jadeveon Clowney, Kevin Byard, Kenny Vaccaro, Malcolm Butler, and rookie Kristian Fulton. Until Minnesota’s offense gets back on track, be wary of starting Cousins this season.
