With the likes of Matt Ryan, Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers and Michael Vick on a bye, most fantasy owners are going to have to dig deep into their roster to find a viable QB1 option come gametime this morning.

So, without further ado here are some solid start/sit options as it relates to the quarterback position. Instead of providing you with the obvious, I am going to look at four current QB2s that you should consider starting today.

Start

Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

Needless to say, Romo and the Boys’ haven’t hit their stride in the passing game as of yet. They were much improved against what is a weak Baltimore Ravens secondary last week, but definitely not hitting on all cylinders.

The picking might be ripe today against the Carolina Panthers, a pass defense that ranked 19th in the NFL through the first six weeks of the season. However, those numbers are a bit misleading. They have given up an average of over 300 passing yards per game against the likes of the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants and New Orleans Saints, while putting up solid numbers against weaker pass offenses in the form of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks.

Despite the fact that Dez Bryant is banged up again, I fully expect Romo to put up some solid numbers against a weak Panthers’ defense.

Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts

The Cleveland Browns have been torn apart through the air to the tune of nearly 300 passing yards per game. The fact that they have to go up against Luck, who is on pace for over 4,700 passing yards this season, probably bodes well for those planning on starting the rookie quarterback today.

I am expecting Luck to go to Reggie Wayne and T.Y. Hilton a great deal down the field. While Joe Haden might make a difference in his second game back from suspension, I just don’t see Cleveland being able to matchup in the defensive secondary.

Think 300 yards and multiple scores here, which is definitely top of the line QB1 production on the part of Luck.

Carson Palmer, Oakland Raiders

Even indicating that Palmer is a viable QB1 option still has me looking back over the statistics to make sure I didn’t make a mistake. However, the stars seem to be aligning for the veteran quarterback here.

Last week Palmer and the Raiders passing game got it going to the tune of over 350 passing yards against what had been a stingy Atlanta Falcons defense. They now go up against a Jacksonville Jaguars pass defense that is ranked 23rd in the NFL and has given up over 250 passing yards in four of their first five games.

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

Why not? It isn’t like Pittsburgh has any resemblance of balance on the offensive side of the ball. Big Ben ranks third in the NFL with about 40 pass attempts per game and is on pace for nearly 4,800 passing yards and 32 touchdowns.

Pittsburgh goes up against a decent pass defense when it travels to Cincinnati to take on a Bengals team reeling from two consecutive losses.

Look for Pittsburgh to put it up early and often in this one, going in the direction of both Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown a great deal. I am expecting another 300-yard, multiple touchdown performance from Roethlisberger this evening on NBC.

Sit

Christian Ponder, Minnesota Vikings

Ponder has thrown four interceptions in his last two games after being turnover free through the first four games. As you well know, he isn’t going to put up large sums of yards, so limiting mistakes is important for his fantasy value.

Minnesota goes up against an Arizona Cardinals pass defense that ranks 10th in the NFL, despite getting blown apart by Ryan Tannehill and the Miami Dolphins a couple weeks ago. I am not expecting much more than 200 yards and a single score here, definitely not QB1 numbers.

Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens

Flacco has probably been a solid QB1 option in standard leagues through the first six games of the season, but Baltimore is yet to face a defense as stellar as the Houston Texans, who they go up against this afternoon.

Improved secondary play has led to a No. 8 overall ranking against the pass. Instead of airing it out today, I expect Baltimore offensive coordinator to dial up Ray Rice more than we have seen in the past. This makes a whole lot of sense considering the way Rice has performed thus far this season. But again, who knows what the enigmatic Cameron has up his sleeve? Either way, look at other options outside of Flacco today, if at all possible.

Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals

Once again, the Pittsburgh Steelers are among the best pass defenses in the NFL this season. They rank No. 4 in the league in this category at a tad over 200 yards per game. More importantly, Dalton has struggled a great deal in the Bengals last two games, both losses. He is relying too heavily on A.J. Green and seems to be making poor decision in the passing game.

I really don’t like this matchup for Dalton, who is a borderline QB1 option when all is said and done. However, you might be forced to go in his direction with the amount of solid fantasy quarterbacks on a bye this week.