2014 Fantasy Football QB Rankings:
Unless you’re willing to sacrifice your first round pick on the Fantasy beast that is Peyton Manning, there is no need to reach for a quarterback early. Sure, you could draft Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers in the second round, but you’ll be missing out on the few precious top tier RB’s and WR’s. If you wait, you’ll find a number of top tier talents in the middle rounds. The key to a championship football team is balance. I mean, sure, it’s nice to be going into the season with Drew Brees as your QB, but how confident will you be with Toby Gerhart , Darren McFadden and DeAngelo Williams as your RB rotation? In this article I will breakdown this years top quarterbacks.
Tier 1:
1) Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos/ Bye Week: 4/ Age: 38 years old/ 1st round
Peyton Manning
Flickr_JefferyBeal
2013 stats: Att: 659/ Comp: 450 / P.Yards: 5,477/ int: 10 / P. Td: 55 /R. Yards: -31/ R.TD: 1
2013 games with zero points: 0 / 1-9 points: 0/ 10-19 points: 4 / 20-29 points: 7 / 30+pts: 5
2013 most points: 46 pts vs Bal/ 2013 least points: 13 pts vs NE/ 2013 total pts: 432
Caution: There is very little to worry about with Peyton. The only things I can think are his age, limited mobility, and neck injury that could come back to haunt him. I doubt this will happen, but in Fantasy, there are no guarantees. Also, the price for a premium player like Peyton would, in most cases, cost you a first round pick.
2) Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints/ Bye Week: 6 / Age: 35 years old/ 2nd Round
Drew Brees
(Flickr, Eschipul)
2013 stats: Att: 650 / Comp: 446 / P.Yards: 5,162 / int: 12 / P. Td: 39 /R. Yards: 52 / R.TD: 3
2013 games with zero points: 0 / 1-9 points: 1 / 10-19 points: 5 / 20-29 points: 4 / 30+pts: 5
2013 most points: 38 pts vs TB / 2013 least points: 9 pts vs SEA/ 2013 total pts: 373 pts
Caution: Like Peyton, Drew Brees should be a sure thing. If I wanted to nit pick, you could mention his age, but the guy is the new Brett Favre. He’s football’s Cal Ripken Jr., not missing a game in what seems like forever. He’s going to cost you at least a second round pick, so be prepared to miss out on the few premium RB ‘s and WR’s.
3) Aaron Rodgers, Green Pay Packers/ Bye Week: 9/ Age: 30 years old/ 2nd Round
Aaron Rodgers
(Flickr_ Mike_Morbick)
2013 stats: Att: 290 / Comp: 193/ P.Yards: 2,536 / int: 6 / P. Td: 17 /R. Yards: 120/ R.TD: 0
2013 games with zero points: 7/ 1-9 points: 1/ 10-19 points: 4/ 20-29 points: 3/ 30+pts: 1
2013 most points: 34 vs WAS / 2013 least points: 0 pts (missed 7 weeks due to non throwing shoulder injury)/ 2013 total pts: 175
Caution: Rodgers sat out 7 weeks due to the aforementioned injury to his non throwing shoulder. He’s also had concussion issues in the past. Other than the injury concerns, I expect Rodgers to have an amazing comeback year. I hate to sound repetitive, but he too will come at a premium price costing you at least a second round pick.
4) Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions/ Bye Week: 9/ Age: 26 years old/ 5th-6th rounds
Matthew Stafford
(Flickr, Marianne O’Leary)
2013 stats: Att: 634/ Comp: 371 / P.Yards: 4,650 / int: 19 / P. Td: 29/R. Yards: 69 / R.TD: 2
2013 games with zero points: 0 / 1-9 points: 2/ 10-19 points: 6 / 20-29 points: 8/ 30+pts: 0
2013 most points: 28 pts vs DAL / 2013 least points: 5 pts vs Philly (the infamous Snow Bowl)/ 2013 total pts: 303
Caution: It’s hard to knock Stafford other than the fact that he’ll be operating with a new play book under new head coach Jim Caldwell. I’d bring up his injury history, but he’s been healthy for the past 3 season. His arsenal is full of talented weapons, including the elite Megatron, Golden Tate, Reggie Bush, and rookie TE Eric Ebron. The fact that he’s falling to the 5th round makes him an absolute steal in my opinion. I try to include a cautionary disclaimer with each player, but it’s tough to think of one with Stafford.
5) Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers/ Bye Week: 12/ Age: 25 years old/ 4th- 5th round
Cam Newton
(Flickr_PDAPHOTO)
2013 stats: Att: 473 / Comp: 292 / P.Yards: 3,379 / int: 13/ P. Td: 24 /R. Yards: 585 / R.TD: 6
2013 games with zero points: 0 / 1-9 points: 1 / 10-19 points: 7 / 20-29 points: 6 / 30+pts: 2
2013 most points: 31 pts vs MIN / 2013 least points: 7 pts vs SF/ Total Fantasy Pts: 313
Caution: The Panthers are extremely weak at WR. If rookie Kelvin Benjamin doesn’t step up it could be a long season for Cam owners. Lucky for Panther fans, Benjamin started the preseason off on the right foot by catching a nice TD pass in his debut. Another positive note about Newton, he will get you points in the air and on the ground.
6) Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts / Bye Week: 10/ Age: 24 years old/ 5th-6th round
Andrew Luck
(Flickr, Mark2400)
2013 stats: Att: 570/ Comp: 343/ P.Yards: 3,822/ int: 9 / P. Td: 23 /R. Yards: 377 / R.TD: 4
2013 games with zero points: 0/ 1-9 points: 1 / 10-19 points: 10 / 20-29 points: 3 / 30+pts: 2
2013 most points: 32 pts vs CIN / 2013 least points: 9 pts vs SD/ 2013 Total Points: 297
Caution: Luck is consistent with the double digit games, but he rarely put up big numbers, leading to a lot of games where he scored between 10-19 fantasy points. He has yet to throw over 25 TDs in a season and threw for over 300 yards in only 4 games in 2013.
7) Tom Brady, New England Patriots / Bye Week: 10 / Age: 37 years old/ Round 5
Tom Brady
(Flickr, King Jonah)
2013 stats: Att: 628/ Comp: 380/ P.Yards: 4,343/ int: 11/ P. Td: 25 /R. Yards: 18 / R.TD: 0
2013 games with zero points: 0/ 1-9 points: 4 / 10-19 points: 6 / 20-29 points: 5/ 30+pts: 1
2013 most points: 33 pts vs PIT/ 2013 least points: 7 pts vs CIN / total pts: 260
Caution: Brady’s days of being a Fantasy golden child are most likely over. He was out scored by 12 different quarterbacks last season. His main weapon, Gronk, is battling injuries and may not be available for the start of the season. I don’t expect much of an improvement for this upcoming season, but remember, it’s Tom Brady.
