The quarterback position this year for fantasy football is without question, the deepest it has been possibly in the history of the game.
Last season, 11 QB’s threw for over 4000 yards, 5 threw for over 30 touchdowns, and not a single QB threw 20 interceptions. So what does this mean? Means all the talk about the NFL being a passing first league is absolutely true.
What does it mean for fantasy football? Means the day of the getting a top tier QB in rd 1 is over, and drafting necessity in positions that aren’t that deep (RB) early on is a must.
With that said, in standard league mock drafts (12 teams), I have found this to be the blueprint to where QB’s are falling. I’m going to do the first 7 rounds this article and then the final 8 next week. I’m hoping this list will help those find out where their favorite QB is going and where would be an ideal spot to stretch for him if needed.
Rd 1-2- Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers
They average nearly 40 td’s and over 4,000 passing yards (5,000 in Brees’ case) a year, what’s not to love?
rd 3-4 Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Cam Newton
You can’t play it anymore safe than Brady or Manning. Both can easily be penciled in for over 4000 yds passing, and between 30-40 tds. Cam on the other hand is the wild card of the group. His rushing yards and TD’s are the difference makers as to him being a stud or a bust.
rd 5- Matt Ryan, Colin Kaepernick,
Here’s where things get interesting. On one side, you have Matt Ryan. Who has improved statistically every year, and is starting to put up numbers very close to those of Brady, Rodgers, and Manning. Then there’s Colin Kaepernick.
He seemed to provide a spark to the 49ers offense that Alex Smith could never achieve. The downside with him though, running/gimmicky QB’s don’t seem to be able to last through a full season. If you’re going to draft Kaepernick, I’d advise getting a strong backup.
Rd 6- Matthew Stafford, Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck,
How does Matthew Stafford throw over 5000 yards last season and fall to the 6th round? Oh he threw only 20 td passes and 17 int. Makes sense. However, DET has always been a pass first offense, and Stafford has Calvin Johnson to throw to. Russell Wilson snuck up on a lot of teams last year.
Even with Percy Harvin added to the squad, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not Wilson suffers a sophomore slump. Same goes with Andrew Luck. Who put up incredible stats for a rookie (nearly 4400 passing yards).
What shocked me though was for not being known as a running QB, the guy did put up decent rushing numbers (255 yards, 5 tds). With the addition of Ahmad Bradshaw and Darrius Hayward Bay, does Luck see an increase or decrease in his numbers? For round 6 value, that’s a pretty high risk to take on possibly a one year wonder.
Rd 7- Tony Romo, Robert Griffin III
Ah, the story of Tony Romo, it will never get old. The guy has the tools and weapons to be one of the best QB’s in the NFL, and yet every year, there’s always something that sets him back. His turnovers, lack of a running game, or a voodoo curse played by Jessica Simpson maybe. Who knows, but at 7th round value, you’re getting a 4000 yard passer and close to 30 TD’s, can’t complain there.
RG3, the guy’s gonna be a question mark all season with his knee. This will devalue him on draft days as well as probably lower his rushing attempts throughout the season (ended with 815 rushing yards and 7 TDs last year).
Call me crazy, I don’t buy him being this high of a pick. The guy’s talented, but there’s way too many questions this year for him to be your starter. If you draft him, get a solid backup.