Outlook: A few things stuck out to me as I prepared this write-up about Dalton. The first tidbit was that he actually finished in the top 12 of overall quarterback scoring despite not having a game with more than 2 touchdowns and only 18 total passing scores. This is probably more of an indictment of injuries hitting some major young stars, but I digress. The second was that his finish came with top targets, A.J. Green, and Tyler Eifert missing a combined 14 games last season. Dalton was white hot out of the gates with two straight 360-plus yard games, and eventually piled up a near career high 4,206 yards passing.

Even if his touchdown numbers don't pop off the page, Dalton has underrated arm strength and athleticism. He should have Green and Eifert healthy and ready to go starting in Week 1, and the Bengals added a dynamic back in Joe Mixon and blazing receiver in John Ross. Dalton is going to possibly have the finest set of skill position players he's had since he's been in the NFL which should translate into better overall numbers.

Despite the improvement in final stats, I think Dalton is due for a regression in overall finish. He was able to get into the top-12 due to injuries to young guns like David Carr, Cam Newton, and Marcus Mariota. He was also harassed and sacked 41 times last season (7th worst in the league) behind an offensive line that seems to have gotten worse on paper. If I'm waiting to draft a quarterback late, I'm simply going to go with players with a higher ceiling than Dalton. Cinci is going to lean on the running game and a young aggressive defense to stay in games and that leads to a much lower attempt total. Other than elite top tier quarterbacks, fantasy signal callers need volume for production, and I just don't know that Dalton is going to get it. Consider The Red Rifle a fine fantasy back-up that won't kill you if you're forced to start him but won't give you a match-up advantage either.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: Progressing in each season of his career so far, the hype continues to grow for 26-year-old Derek Carr. His impressive 2016 season had him firmly in the NFL MVP conversation and his value was extremely noticeable in his team's Week 17 loss against the Broncos and subsequent first round playoff defeat at the hands of the Texans - both games in which Carr was unable to suit up. Now entering his fourth season, Carr will again have the opportunity to throw to arguably the league's best one-two punch at wide receiver, Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper, and he will also add a big-bodied and physically talented tight end in Jared Cook to the mix. The addition of Marshawn Lynch to the running back committee should give fantasy owners some pause as Lynch has been one of the more productive red zone runners in the league throughout his career. That could potentially lead to fewer passing attempts near the goal line for Carr. In addition, Carr's struggles against his divisional competition have to be a big concerning. He threw for an average of just 211 yards per game and just four touchdown passes in the five games he started against AFC West opponents in 2016. None of those teams should take a significant step back defensively in 2017, so Carr is not necessarily a no-brainer every week starter for fantasy purposes at this point in his career. Still, the Oakland offense has tremendous upside overall and there's little reason to be worried that his seasonal numbers will take a dramatic dip down.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: Cousins posted a second consecutive top-10 season in 2016 with 379.9 fantasy points (23.7 per game), yet his long-term future in Washington is still up in the air as the Redskins front office used the franchise tag on him as trade rumors swirled all off-season. The primary knock on Cousins is his poor decision making in playoff games, especially in the red zone, which has cost his team points in critical situations.

Neither issue should keep fantasy owners from drafting Cousins as a top-10 option in 2017, as he has proven to be a top-tier performer in an offense that reloaded after the departure of free agents Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson. The signing of Terrelle Pryor from Cleveland will give Cousins a viable deep threat and a big body in the red zone, and the emergence of former first-round pick Josh Doctson should help fill the void left by Garcon.

The Cousins-led offense finished as the No. 8 ranked passing attack in both 2015 and 2016, and another top-10 finish is likely as the Redskins' poor defense (fifth-most points allowed in 2016) will force the offense to put up a large number on the scoreboard to keep pace. The loss of former offensive coordinator Sean McVay to the Rams could be a cause of concern for Cousins owners, but the fact that former quarterbacks coach and Cousins confidant Matt Cavanaugh was promoted to offensive coordinator should ease most worries.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: A preseason injury to Tony Romo last season opened the door for rookie fourth-round pick Dak Prescott to take over the starting quarterback job for the Dallas Cowboys. Along with fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott, Prescott led the Cowboys to an NFC-best 13-3 record and a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Prescott would finish second to Elliott in rookie of the year voting while setting NFL records for completion percentage (67.8), passer rating (104.9), and TD-INT ratio (23-4) by a rookie QB. To avoid a sophomore slump, Prescott will need to overcome a tough schedule with road games against Denver and Arizona, and three home games against the Giants, Rams, and Packers before the bye.

In addition, the vaunted Dallas offensive line that helped protect Prescott and open gaping holes for Elliott is without two starting players, as Ronald Leary left via free agency to Denver and veteran right guard Doug Free opted for retirement.

Despite these knocks, Prescott delivered a record-setting performance by a rookie quarterback by making smart decisions with the ball and limiting his mistakes. If he can continue to limit turnovers and score touchdowns with his feet, he once again could be a viable fantasy quarterback for those owners who opt to wait on QB. However, if the offensive line takes a step back and teams are able to limit Elliott and the ground game, Prescott could be forced to take on more of a role in the offense, which could lead to more interceptions and limit his fantasy value.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: With a talented wide receiving corps led by Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard, it is somewhat surprising that Eli Manning finished well out of fantasy relevancy as the No.23 quarterback in fantasy points per game last season. Although he managed to top the 4,000-yard plateau for the third consecutive season, he was nine off his touchdown mark from 2016, resulting in four fewer fantasy points per game. The addition of Brandon Marshall to the passing game will no doubt help Manning in the red zone, as Marshall's size and body control near the goal line will give Manning a second weapon alongside OBJ. First round draft pick Evan Engram should also provide a spark on passes over the middle, with Engram's size and speed creating a mismatch for tight ends looking to cover the quicker Engram, who by some accounts looks more like a slot receiver that a true tight end. A positive regression to his TD average of 33 under Ben McAdoo is not out of the question for Manning, assuming that Marshall provides a red zone spark and Manning can keep his interception number close to 15. But with the sheer number of viable fantasy quarterbacks, Manning will be more of a streaming option for most owners in 2017.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: One of the most underrated fantasy football quarterbacks since taking the starting job in Buffalo back in 2015, Tyrod Taylor has quietly posted two consecutive seasons with at least 3000 passing and 500 rushing yards.

His 20.9 points per game average last year was better than Russell Wilson and just .10 of a point less than Derek Carr, two quarterbacks who have typically been drafted well ahead of Taylor in fantasy drafts this year.

Although Taylor managed to throw only 17 touchdowns last season, his 508 rushing yards and career-high six rushing touchdowns more than made up for his deficiency throwing TDs. With a healthy Sammy Watkins and the addition of second round rookie Zay Jones, Taylor has arguably his best-receiving duo since joining the team in 2015.

With a QB rank outside the top 12, Taylor will likely be used initially as a streaming quarterback in most 12 and ten team leagues, with Week 4 at the Falcons and home games against the Jets, Saints, Raiders, and Colts as possible lucrative matchups to exploit. But don't count out Taylor as a possible full time starting option, especially if he and Sammy Watkins can recreate the chemistry that made them a force in 2015. Taylor is an ideal target for those fantasy owners employing a late-round QB approach to their draft.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: The Jaguars were one of seven teams to throw the ball over 600 times last year but Bortles' fantasy production didn't produce the same results as his epic 2015 campaign. The lack of production on offense led to a decrease of 3.6 points per game from 2015 to 2016 and the eventual firing of Gus Bradley before the conclusion of the regular season. As a result, HC Doug Marrone and OC Nathaniel Hackett will bring a hybrid Air Coryell system to Florida. Marrone is better known for making running backs into quality fantasy starters but Bortles is better than previous signal callers working in this scheme. The good news for those hoping Bortles flourishes under Marrone is that the offense has enough weapons to make Bortles a top-five fantasy QB. The bad news is most of the offense hasn't played in this scheme and they are highly motivated to run the ball this year. A more effective running game led by rookie Leonard Fournette will help Bortles, but it may cut into his passing attempts. Fewer attempts for a quarterback that has yet to attain a completion percentage of 60-percent makes it tougher to predict a career year and more likely that his numbers suffer slightly. Keep expectations for Bortles more in line with a fringe fantasy starter that will likelybe better as the season progresses.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: Wentz looked every bit the top three pick at the start of his rookie season in 2016, posting double-digit touchdown games in three of his first four career starts, including 301 yards and two passing TD's Week 3 against Pittsburgh. As the season progressed and the Eagles faced tough defenses, Wentz struggled with interceptions and a poor completion percentage, highlighted by a two-interception, zero-TD loss Week 6 on the road against Washington.

It did not help the rookie passer to lose starting right tackle Lane Johnson to suspension for most of the season, and the Philadelphia receiving corps was arguably the worst in the league. Both issues were addressed in the off-season with Johnson ready to start the season Week 1, and the Eagles front office adding Torrey Smith and Alshon Jeffery via free agency.

As a sophomore, Wentz commands an offense with one of the better offensive lines in the league, a revamped wide receiving group, and a productive running back stable of LeGarrette Blount, Darren Sproles, and Ryan Mathews. The depth of the quarterback position will make him a fringe draft pick in most 10 and 12 team leagues, but home games against weak defenses like the 49ers in Week 8 and the Bears Week 11 are excellent streaming options.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: Carson Palmer was a legitimate NFL MVP candidate during the 2015 season, but the wheels started to come off in 2016. It's hard to tell whether it was age, injuries, play-calling or a lack of performance from his receivers, but Palmer took a huge step back this past season. Realistically, Palmer's unbelievable 8.7 yards per pass attempt from 2015 was unsustainable. But to see that number drop down to 7.1 yards per attempt - his worst number in six seasons - was a bit shocking. Of course, the departure of Michael Floyd and the recurring illnesses of John Brown were not helpful. One major concern is the Cardinals have seemingly transitioned into an offense centered around the skillset of running back David Johnson, who absolutely exploded this past season with gigantic production despite struggles from the majority of the other players in the offense.

Given the age, size and injury history of the receivers on the roster, Palmer simply doesn't have the weapons he has had at his disposal in the past. The truth is that we're unlikely to ever see Palmer put together another season similar to the whopping 35-touchdown, 4,600-plus yard season he did in 2015. However, that doesn't mean that he's guaranteed to be the same guy we saw struggle with efficiency this past season. Palmer is firmly entrenched as a QB2 at the moment, but he's never been particularly safe with the ball, which certainly limits his upside. He's a high-floor option when he's healthy, but he's dealt with injuries in the past so there is some risk there as well.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: Joe Flacco has turned one fortunate Super Bowl run and a series of mediocre seasons into a highly lucrative career. Maybe because it's his quiet nature, or humble beginnings as a Blue Hen from Delaware, but Flacco seems to dodge much of the criticism of other highly paid quarterbacks are subjected to. He throws a pretty deep ball, but turns the ball over too much compared with how many touchdown passes he adds.

He was the same ho-hum quarterback he's been most of his career last year, throwing 20 touchdown passes to 15 interceptions, even though he set a career high in yardage with 4,317. I've said for years that Flacco is a better quarterback when his pass attempts are limited. Unfortunately low volume generally means low production for fantasy. Compounding his general malaise is an early season back injury that has cost him the first few weeks of camp. It doesn't look to be a long term concern, but back injuries are notoriously fickle, especially ones that are happening to 6'6" statues in the pocket. Even with the addition of Jeremy Maclin, Flacco's receivers don't jump off the page, and the upside in his game just isn't there. Outside of two-quarterback or very deep standard leagues, Flacco isn't worth much roster consideration.

Player Page | Track this player

Outlook: Smith is practically the prototype for a player to avoid in fantasy football. Despite missing Jamaal Charles in 2016 which should have presumably led to an increased reliance on the passing game, Smith continued to perform about as poorly as he always has as a passer, throwing for more than one touchdown just four times and never throwing for more than two scores. He threw for 300 yards just once all season - Week 1 against the Chargers. But while we don't really expect Smith to be a prolific passer, he also was not nearly as productive as a runner. While he did sneak through with an impressive five rushing scores, Smith ran for more than 15 yards in a game just twice. Now without Jeremy Maclin on the roster, Smith will be relying on a superstar tight end and a breakout wide receiver as the only pass catchers he shares chemistry with. Worse yet, the Chiefs have made an investment toward the future at the quarterback position, leading to speculation that Smith may not even finish the season as Kansas City's starter. The limited upside and the questions at wide receiver along with his potential competition should leave Smith undrafted in most leagues.

Player Page | Track this player