QB2s To Target In Dynasty Fantasy Football Startup Drafts: Bryce Young, Michael Penix, and More

Most of you dynasty managers play in either 1QB leagues or SF leagues. You know how valuable quarterbacks are in that later format since you have the option to play two of them each week. However, some of you play in true 2QB leagues where you HAVE to play two quarterbacks each week.

For those of you in that cohort, here are four options for you to consider when drafting your second QB in your dynasty fantasy football startup drafts this summer.

Four QB2s to Target in 2QB Dynasty Fantasy Football Startup Drafts

Brock Purdy - 49ers

Jonathan: As long as Brock Purdy is playing in a Kyle Shanahan offense, he has an incredibly high fantasy floor, which makes him an ideal QB2 in dynasty. The good news for fantasy managers is that it looks like he will be playing in that system for several years to come after signing a massive contract extension with San Francisco this offseason.

Since he entered the NFL, Purdy has attempted more than 1,200 passes and is slightly above a 5.6% TD rate. That is getting to be a large enough sample size to say we can expect him to be one of the more efficient TD scorers among pocket passers (for reference, Joe Burrow is at 5.5% for his career).

The 'pocket passer' moniker might even be selling Purdy a bit short, considering he added 323 rushing yards and five rushing TDs to his stat line in 2024. That's enough to make a difference in a few games throughout the season and help separate Purdy from the true statue pocket passers.

In his two seasons as a full-time starter, Purdy has been a top-10 fantasy quarterback in points per game, yet he is still being drafted as a QB2 in dynasty startups. That undervalues the combination of season-long floor and weekly upside that he offers. Purdy is also only 25 years old, so he will retain solid trade value for years to come if you ever need to rebuild.

Pairing Purdy with a top-six QB is very viable and would make for an extremely strong duo that should be a weekly advantage over the rest of your league.

Michael Penix - Falcons

Jonathan: Further down the draft board, Michael Penix is a really intriguing option. He sat for most of his rookie season but got to play towards the end of the year and flashed an impressive 7.4 yards per attempt. The sample size was small, but it is more than we have seen from guys like J.J. McCarthy and Cam Ward who have yet to play a regular season game and are going ahead of him in startups drafts

I like the supporting cast in Atlanta, and as a top-10 NFL Draft pick, Penix has a multi-year runway as a starter, which gives him a reasonable fantasy floor. He was something of a mixed bag as a prospect, but there is enough to like about his talent and situation to make him a nice value in dynasty startup drafts.

Every startup draft is unique, but based on ADP, Penix represents the end of a tier of young quarterbacks with solid job security, which is another reason to target him as the cheapest option of that archetype.

Penix has a much wider range of outcomes than established veterans like Jared Goff and Dak Prescott, who go in a similar range of drafts, but their value is only going to decline year over year as they approach the later stages of their careers, which is something I care about in startup drafts.

An encouraging 2025 season from Penix would cause his value to spike, which would be an instant win for dynasty managers. To that end, Atlanta is also projected to have one of the easier schedules by forecasted win totals, and the NFC South is set up for plenty of shootouts.

All things considered, I view Penix as a player who will contribute to a competitive dynasty roster right away while also having the potential for his value to rise significantly heading into the 2026 campaign.

Trevor Lawrence - Jaguars

Sam: Trevor Lawrence has quickly become one of my most-written-about players this offseason, and I am absolutely here for it.

Yes, the former No. 1 overall pick has never quite lived up to the hype, but all the pieces are in place for a truly special season in 2025.

New head coach? Liam Coen has done nothing but provide fantasy goodness for managers during his stops both with the Rams and most recently with the Buccaneers.

In case you forgot, Coen helped orchestrate a breakout season for Baker Mayfield last season to the tune of 4,500 passing yards and 41 TDs.

Offensive weapons? You already know about Brian Thomas Jr. and the newly drafted Travis Hunter. The backfield could also be fruitful for this offense (even if it's frustrating for fantasy managers) as Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby, and Bhayshul Tuten offer a uniquely imposing trio for opposing defenses.

I also love it when other, smarter Fantasy Life analysts like the same players that I do. Dwain McFarland has a 31% exposure to Lawrence in his 2025 fantasy drafts thus far. If Dwain is putting real money down on Lawrence, you better believe I'm listening.

My perspective on Lawrence is more dynasty-focused, but I'm glad to see he's getting love in the short term as well. With a community valuation of just QB18, he's the perfect QB2 target in your 2QB dynasty startup drafts.

Bryce Young - Panthers

Sam: In addition to Lawrence, Bryce Young is another one of my favorite QB2 targets in 2QB dynasty startup drafts.

Ranked just behind Lawrence at QB20, Young has a few different things going his way as he heads into Year 3.

After a disastrous rookie season and a rough start to his sophomore campaign, Young turned it around in a big way. Over his last 10 games, he threw 15 TDs and rushed for another five more. In fact, during that stretch, he posted the sixth-best passer rating (83.7) according to PFF.

Young will look to parlay that strong finish into an even better 2025 season, especially since he'll have a legit weapon in Tetairoa McMillan. The Panthers drafted him No. 8 overall, and he checked in at No. 2 in our Rookie WR Model.

The Panthers still don't project to be a very good team overall, and their defense could still use some work. Even so, at his current price point, Young is an ideal target who could pay massive dividends to your dynasty squad for many years to come.

If you lock down a top-end QB1 and want to fill out the rest of your roster before addressing your second QB slot, Young is the target you need to keep an eye on.