Outlook: Entering 2013, Rams quarterback Sam Bradford faces a pivotal year as he attempts to establish himself as an upper-tier quarterback. Hopes are high that Bradford, with a bevy of speed receivers and a second consecutive year under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, will put together a career year in 2013. Of course, he will have to accomplish that without the services of Steven Jackson and Danny Amendola, both of whom departed in free agency, and Schottenheimer has never been mentioned as one of the league's top offensive minds. Despite a leaky offensive and a cast of receivers that was among the league's worst in 2012, Bradford set career highs with 3,702 passing yards and 21 touchdowns with just 13 interceptions. However, he threw for less than 200 yards five times and had just three 300-yard passing games. The lack of explosive games (partly caused by a lack of playmakers at the skill positions) caused him to finish the season as a mid-tier QB2, but he could be in for a breakout season in 2013. Rookie Tavon Austin offers plenty of potential at wide receiver, Chris Givens will look to establish himself as a big-play threat, and tight end Jared Cook is one of the league's most athletic tight ends. If the Rams can get solid production from their running backs, Bradford could emerge as a low-end QB1. But that's a lot of ifs. Consider Bradford a mid-tier QB2 once again this season. ~ Dave Stringer

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Outlook: Father Time catches up to all professional athletes, and in the NFL the process is often expedited at the quarterback position when the team's skill position players suffer a drop in talent. And that is the scenario unfolding for the 35-year-old Brady in New England. While Brady has often made lemonade out of lemons, he faces perhaps the toughest challenge of his career in 2013 as he attempts to keep the team's proliferate passing offense operating at peak proficiency without wide receiver Wes Welker, who the team failed to re-sign, and tight end Aaron Hernandez, who was released after an offseason marred with legal troubles. In addition, Rob Gronkowski, arguably the most talented tight end in the league, may open the season on the PUP list after having offseason back surgery, and the current depth chart at wide receiver may be the worst since Brady joined the team in 2000. Although Brady is coming off a season in which he threw for 4,827 yards with 34 touchdowns and just eight interceptions, he is unlikely to reach that level of production this season. He certainly isn't a lock to finish the season as a top five fantasy quarterback and shouldn't be drafted as such. Consider him in the tier below the big four of Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning and Cam Newton but with more risk than ever before. ~ Dave Stringer

Comment: Brady got a scare in practice on August 14th, but x-rays on his knee came back negative. New faces at wide receiver, the loss of Hernandez and Gronk's questionable status is cause for concern. ~ Mike Krueger

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Outlook: It was another banner year for Brees in 2012 as he finished the season as the league's top-ranked fantasy QB. Since the 2006 season, he has held that title three times and never failed to finish ranked among the top three fantasy QBs. And we don't expect that to change in 2013. While the Saints’ cast of wide receivers isn't as deep as in recent years, Brees benefits from playing with the league's top pass-receiving runner out of the backfield in Darren Sproles, as well as the league's premier pass-catching tight end in Jimmy Graham. With head coach Sean Payton back in the saddle, you could make the argument that the Saints will be even more explosive in 2013. Of course, it will be difficult for Brees to top the 5,177 yards and 43 touchdown passes he threw for in 2012. That marked the second consecutive season that Brees threw for over 5,000 yards and 40 touchdowns, making him the first quarterback to ever accomplish this feat. And that is the main reason why he should be the first QB off the board in your fantasy draft. ~ Dave Stringer

Comment: Sky is the limit for Brees. Sean Payton's return can only help. ~ Mike Krueger

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Outlook: After a second consecutive offseason with no starting jobs on offer, Campbell decided to join the Browns where he will compete with Brandon Weeden to be the team's starting quarterback. Unfortunately for Campbell, he is little more than a fallback option at this point of his career. Look for the Browns to hand the starting job to Weeden, with Campbell in reserve if he falters. While Campbell may earn a couple of starts in 2013, he isn't likely to be much of a fantasy factor. ~ Dave Stringer

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Outlook: Cassel's four-year run as a starter in Kansas City ended this offseason, leaving him to sign on in Minnesota to ostensibly back up Christian Ponder. The eight-year veteran suffered through his final two years with the Chiefs, completing less than 60 percent of his passes (he failed to top that mark in any of his four years there), missing 14 games due to injury, and compiling a combined 16–21 touchdown-to-interception ratio. His reward? Perhaps the best backup job in the league, with Ponder having shown a clear inability to connect on deep passes. It won't be a surprise if Cassel ends up starting at some point in 2013, but even if that happens, he’ll rate as one of the leagues' worst fantasy QBs. ~ Dave Stringer

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Outlook: When RGIII is the man in front of you, you need to keep your helmet by your side. Cousins, a fourth-round pick in last year's draft, got into four games last season and was impressive, completing 33 of 48 passes for 466 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions. If you need a bye-week fill-in and Cousins is on the wire with a decent matchup, he just might help win you a game. ~ Dave Stringer

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Outlook: Is this the year Cutler emerges as a solid starting fantasy QB while with the Bears? In four years in Chicago, he has put up pedestrian numbers for the most part. But he faces a make-it-or-break-it season in 2013 as he enters the final year of his contract with no extension in sight. While Cutler has had to deal with an assortment of offensive coordinators, poor offensive line play and a lackluster group of wide receivers during his stay in Chicago, the bottom line is that he must produce this season or new head coach Marc Trestman will go in a different direction next year. The offensive line has added reinforcements in veteran left tackle Jermon Bushrod and guard Kyle Long, the team's first-round selection in this year's draft. Improvement is expected from second-year wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (last year's second-round pick), and Martellus Bennett, coming off a career year with the Giants, is a major upgrade at tight end. It was an impressive offseason haul for the Bears, but there are also a lot of new pieces that need to fit together. That makes us a bit wary of declaring Cutler a QB1 in 2013. Grab him as a mid- to lower-tier fantasy backup with sneaky upside. ~ Dave Stringer

Comment: New coaches, upgrade on the offensive line. He'll have to prove he's more than a QB2. ~ Mike Krueger

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Outlook: The truth of the matter is that during his two years in the league, Dalton has proven to be a much better player in real football terms than as a fantasy player. With two straight trips to the postseason under his leadership, the Bengals can't be disappointed with having used a second-round pick to acquire the Texas Christian product in the 2011 draft. The question is whether he is ready to make a fantasy leap forward in 2013. Comments from the team's management and coaching staff clearly indicate they want Dalton to take more chances this season in hopes of propelling the team deeper into the postseason (they have lost in the wild card round in each of their playoff appearances). With the superlative A.J. Green at wide receiver, as well as numerous young players that could emerge, a pair of pass-catching tight ends, and a new pass-catching option at running back in rookie second-round pick Giovani Bernard, Dalton has plenty of options to throw to. Include one of the league's better offensive lines, and it’s clear that Dalton is surrounded by plenty of talent in Cincinnati. We're just going to have to see it happen before we draft him as a QB1. Consider Dalton a mid-tier QB2 with upside in 2013. ~ Dave Stringer

Comment: Dalton has played in every game during his two-year career. ~ Mike Krueger

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