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Quarterback
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay (vs Washington)
Dan Quinn has done great work with defenses in the past, but he had a lot more to work with than he has in Washington this year. The Commanders defense is going through a transition, while the Bucs offense has Liam Coen reuniting with Baker Mayfield in what should be a comfort zone. Mayfield could be a viable high-floor QB1 in matchups like this one.
Sam Darnold, Minnesota (at NY Giants)
Darnold gets the keys to a Vikings offense that was a passing juggernaut last year despite using four different quarterbacks. The Giants defense is good up front, but vulnerable in the back. There’s a possibility that Darnold shows he is better than the quarterback we saw with the Jets and Carolina in this favorable situation, starting this week.
Bo Nix, Denver (at Seattle)
Nix is a pretty advanced quarterback for a rookie because he has taken a ton of snaps in multiple schemes. That could be a big part of why Sean Payton was set on him in this year’s draft. Davis Mattek said that Nix is a pretty good simulation of 39-year-old Drew Brees on my show this week, and that could be accurate once he’s acclimated to this offense. The Seattle defense should be a tough draw for teams that rely a lot on downfield passing, but that’s not the Broncos. Nix has some rushing upside and could be more effective for fantasy than he is on the scoreboard.