8/15/06
Peyton Manning, then who?
That’s a question that can have many different answers this
season when ranking the top fantasy quarterbacks.
Going into 2005 fantasy drafts, there was a consensus top four –
Manning, Daunte Culpepper, Donovan McNabb and Trent Green. There
also was a clear solid group of quarterbacks behind that group –
Marc Bulger, Kerry Collins and Brett Favre.
This year is a different story.
Culpepper is coming off a major knee injury and changed teams. McNabb
doesn’t have Terrell Owens to throw to any more. Green threw
only 17 touchdowns last season. Bulger played in only eight games
last year and never seems to reach his potential. Collins is without
a team. And how much Favre has left in the tank after a 29-interception
season is in serious question.
This year, after Manning, Cincinnati’s Carson Palmer is a
popular pick. But after coming off a major knee injury, his fantasy
value is up in the air as he may not be ready to start the season.
New England’s Tom Brady is a solid choice, but he doesn’t
have the preseason hype that Culpepper and other No. 2 preseason
fantasy quarterbacks have had in past years.
So what does this mean when you’re drafting?
If you can’t grab Manning in the early rounds, then wait to
draft a quarterback and focus on taking running backs (as you should
every year) and top-notch wide receivers.
There isn’t a clear group of top-notch quarterbacks behind
Manning and there’s a large number of quarterbacks that can
grouped together after Manning, so taking a quarterback in the early
rounds doesn’t make much sense.
Breakthrough Player
Eli Manning, N.Y. Giants: The
third-year quarterback made significant progress last year, throwing
a touchdown pass in every game but one. He should continue to
improve and approach 4,000 yards and 25 to 30 touchdowns.
Underrated
Jake Delhomme, Carolina: He’s
one of the safest quarterback picks. He threw for 3,421 yards
and 25 touchdowns last season and 3,886 and 30 in 2004. With the
addition of Keyshawn Johnson to perhaps the league’s best
receiver, Steve Smith, Delhomme should have another strong year.
Overrated
Michael Vick, Atlanta: If your
league awards points for SportsCenter highlights, then Vick is
your guy. Every year it seems fantasy owners wait for a breakout
year from Vick and get disappointed. This year will be no different.
He’s never thrown for 3,000 yards or 20 TDs, and his running
prowess doesn’t make up for his throwing inconsistency to
make him an elite fantasy quarterback.
Sleeper
Drew Bledsoe, Dallas: The veteran
is this year’s Kerry Collins – his value gets a big
boost with the addition of an elite wide receiver. The difference
between Bledsoe and Collins is that Bledsoe is a Hall of Fame
quarterback who is coming off a solid season. Bledsoe threw for
3,639 yards and 25 touchdowns last season and with the chance
to fling touchdown passes to Terrell Owens, those numbers only
should get better.
Quarterback Rankings
- Peyton Manning
- Tom Brady
- Matt Hasselbeck
- Donovan McNabb
- Carson Palmer
- Eli Manning
- Drew Bledsoe
- Daunte Culpepper
- Marc Bulger
- Michael Vick
- Trent Green
- Jake Delhomme
- Kurt Warner
- Aaron Brooks
- Brett Favre
- Jake Plummer
- Drew Brees
- Ben Roethlisberger
- Byron Leftwich
- Steve McNair
- Phillip Rivers
- David Carr
- Mark Brunell
- Brad Johnson
- Chris Simms
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