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Getting Started: Quarterbacks
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

  1. Peyton Manning
  2. Tom Brady
  3. Matt Hasselbeck
  4. Donovan McNabb
  5. Carson Palmer
  6. Eli Manning
  7. Drew Bledsoe
  8. Daunte Culpepper
  9. Marc Bulger
  10. Michael Vick
  11. Trent Green
  12. Jake Delhomme
  13. Kurt Warner
  14. Aaron Brooks
  15. Brett Favre
  16. Jake Plummer
  17. Drew Brees
  18. Ben Roethlisberger
  19. Byron Leftwich
  20. Steve McNair
  21. Phillip Rivers
  22. David Carr
  23. Mark Brunell
  24. Brad Johnson
  25. Chris Simms