The second Sunday of the NFL season was kinder to fantasy football managers than the first, with six players surpassing 30 PPR points, led by three of the top wide receivers in the sport.

Well, it was kinder unless you are one who relies on Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow. While seven games featured 50 or more combined points (entering Monday night) and individual scoring was abundant, the long-term absence of last season's No. 3 fantasy scorer among quarterbacks should have the most lingering effects to fantasy managers.

Unfortunately, the bad quarterback news isn't limited to Burrow. New York Jets dual threat Justin Fields is in the concussion protocol and could miss Sunday's road game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Washington Commanders star Jayden Daniels is dealing with a knee injury and is uncertain for Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders; and Minnesota Vikings starter J.J. McCarthy is dealing with an ankle injury and not expected to play against the Bengals on Sunday.

Each Monday, before the current NFL week ends, we will identify players available in at least 50% of ESPN standard leagues worthy of your attention, from standard formats to deeper options. The NFL is a weekly league, and player valuation and roles seldom remain stagnant. It does not matter how you acquire players for your fantasy rosters, just that you get them.

Quarterback

Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals (rostered in 0.0% of ESPN leagues): We start with this career backup, but many fantasy managers can do better in single-QB formats. Browning, 29, made seven starts during the 2023 season, and he played capably, averaging 20 fantasy points per game. Burrow (toe) is expected to miss three months. Browning scored 17.74 points in Sunday's win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, though that included three interceptions. He gets to throw to excellent WRs Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and RB Chase Brown isn't so bad, either. Still, he may be more for the superflex/2QB community. The Bengals play challenging opponents in Minnesota and Denver the next two weeks.

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (33.5%): If you're going to lose a fantasy star in a standard league, let it be a quarterback. There is depth here. For example, while Stafford hasn't registered a top-10 fantasy week yet, scoring 13.6 points against the Houston Texans in Week 1 and 17.32 Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, he is a solid player and far too available. He is playing through a back injury, but he is playing. Let him represent, for this space, numerous veteran passers that deserve streaming attention over Browning. The Rams play a revenge game (from last season's playoffs) in Philadelphia this week, but Stafford threw for 324 yards and two scores there in January. He shouldn't be overwhelmed.

Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts (21.2%): Fantasy managers may not have bought into his Week 1 performance, when he ran for a pair of touchdowns. They wanted to see more in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos. Jones topped 20 points again, scoring his third rushing touchdown, but he also passed for 316 yards. The Colts play the Tennessee Titans in Week 3, and that is an attractive matchup. Jones may not rise all the way past 50% this week, but he appears worth relying on this week.

Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers (0.6%): Jones filled in capably for starter Brock Purdy (toe), throwing for 279 yards and 3 TDs at New Orleans. Jones is no rookie, and certainly there are talented playmakers (and good coaching) surrounding him. He may be starting in Weeks 3 and 4 at home against the Cardinals and Jaguars. We recommend him over Browning, but then again, Browning should have the starting job for considerably longer, and that is a consideration for desperate fantasy managers, too.