Quarterback Rankings 8/30/06
Fantasy drafts should all about be wrapped up. Hopefully you did not reach for a quarterback after the selections of Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. After them, there is a solid second tier of quarterbacks that can contribute well on fantasy squads. They are quarterbacks though that can fall to you deep into fantasy football drafts.
Stay tuned for bi weekly updates on all positions of rankings throughout the NFL season.
1. Peyton Manning
Any questions here than you either have not watched football in years or have are a non sports fan that was swindled into your office fantasy football league. Manning may never have the ridiculous touchdown numbers than he did a few years ago, but he is as automatic as you can have.
2. Tom Brady
Marvelous Brady has kept ringing up solid seasons year in and year out. Quietly you can compare him to Manning and get almost the same results. You may even be able to wait a round or two after Manning is selected to snatch Brady.
3. Donovan McNabb
He seems to be fully healthy and should be ready to move on with the cancerous Terrell Owens gone. The addition of Donte Stallworth will allow McNabb to air it out a bit. The best thing for McNabb is the decision for the Eagles to return to their old style. Which will involve utilizing Brian Westbrook again, who is an underrated pass catching back.
4. Trent Green
He had a down year for touchdown passes in 2005. Before last year though he was on a tear for three straight years with around 25 touchdowns and an easy 4,000 yards. Those are hard numbers to resist even if the Chiefs run the ball to death with Larry Johnson. The simple fact is that Green is at this position because of the weakening class of strength at the quarterback position. You could argue with any quarterback from five to nine that could go here, but Green is the consistent quarterback.
5. Carson Palmer
Can he last an entire season with questions in the back of his mind? Yes, he looked fantastic in PRESEASON action, but once that turns into four quarters of brutal action things will be different. Regardless his skills are too good to pass up and his progression as a quarterback in the NFL has been amazing.
6. Kurt Warner
His weapons are better than what he had in his hey day with the Rams. Everyone has downed Warner but he is a savvy veteran and can not screw up with the tools he has. Last year Warner did not have the dump off back like he had with Faulk and even Barber with the Giants. Now he has Edgerrin James and Warner suddenly feels like he can play another ten years. Too bad for him is the fact that Leinart is behind him. Don’t worry about the presence of Leinart. If the time comes, which shouldn’t be until late in the season, then worry. Until then, Warner is going to be a monster as a fantasy quarterback.
7. Matt Hasselbeck
The only reason he is here is because we all know that Shaun Alexander is a touchdown machine. Their offense runs through him, and the passing game comes a distant second. Even with that Hasselbeck has been a great fantasy quarterback. Playing the Rams, Cardinals, and 49ers twice a piece will do that.
8. Marc Bulger
All he has to do is stay healthy. Hopefully the change in the offensive philosophy will protect Bulger and help bring his name where it deserves to be in the league. He delivers a great ball and has the smarts to be the leader of this team for years.
9. Jake Delhomme
Delhomme is a veteran that knows what he needs to do. He has never been a huge fantasy quarterback but the running game may suffer early on. That means Delhomme will be throwing a bit more. He already has an amazing connection with Steve Smith, and should love possession receiver Keyshawn Johnson.
10. Daunte Culpepper
Give him some time to break in again. He has done okay thus far but has not received the necessary snaps he should have in preseason. Miami may suffer from that decision early on in the season. One thing that stood out is the fact that Culpepper still has fumbling woes. He needs to control that to be an elite fantasy quarterback.
11. Eli Manning
His accuracy has been the big question mark along with his youth. Everyone is expecting a tremendous leap of progression from last season, but don’t expect the crop before it is planted. Tiki Barber’s MVP season made Manning look better than he did last season. If Barber tails off a bit the demand may be too much for Eli.
12. Mike Vick
Some day Vick is going to live up to his hype. It may not be this year, but even a slight increase in his passing skills will land him this spot. Don’t overlook his running skills which makes him the only quarterback that you can start as an illegal third running back.
The rest
13. Jake Plummer
14. Drew Bledsoe
15. Byron Leftwich
16. Drew Brees
17. Brett Favre
18. Ben Roethlisberger
19. Mark Brunell
20. David Carr
21. Chad Pennington
22. Philip Rivers
23. Steve McNair
24. Aaron Brooks
25. Chris Simms
26. Jon Kitna
27. Brad Johnson
28. Charlie Frye
29. JP Losman
30. Billy Volek
31. Alex Smith
32. Rex Grossman