Fantasy Football: Choose Your Quarterback—Peyton Manning vs. Matt Schaub

Today's installment of "Choose Your Quarterback" pits Denver's Peyton Manning against Houston's Matt Schaub—the No. 11 and No. 12 passers in my pre-draft listing of top 25 quarterbacks.

(The next set of rankings will come in early June.)

Here's a week-by-week fantasy breakdown of Schaub vs. Manning—just in case you're torn on which one to draft sometime in Round 6:

Week 1—Schaub (vs. Miami) over Manning (vs. Pittsburgh)
Week 2—Schaub (at Jacksonville) over Manning (at Atlanta)
Week 3—Manning over Schaub—head-to-head in Denver
Week 4—Schaub (vs. Tennessee) over Manning (vs. Oakland)
Week 5—Manning (at New England) over Schaub (at NY Jets)
Week 6—Schaub (vs. Green Bay) over Manning (at San Diego)
Week 7—Schaub (vs. Baltimore) over Manning (BYE)
Week 8—Manning (vs. New Orleans) over Schaub (BYE)
Week 9—Schaub (vs. Buffalo) over Manning (at Cincinnati)
Week 10—Manning (at Carolina) over Schaub (at Chicago)
Week 11—Manning (vs. San Diego) over Schaub (vs. Jacksonville)
Week 12—Schaub (at Detroit) over Manning (at Kansas City)
Week 13—Manning (vs. Tampa Bay) over Schaub (at Tennessee)
Week 14—Manning (at Oakland) over Schaub (at New England)
Week 15—Schaub (vs. Indianapolis) over Manning (at Baltimore)
Week 16—Schaub (vs. Minnesota) over Manning (vs. Cleveland)
Week 17—Schaub (at Indianapolis) over Manning (vs. Kansas City)

Final Tally

Schaub trips Manning, 10-7

Breakdown

• I realize ex-Bronco Tim Tebow threw for 300-plus yards against the Steelers in the wild-card playoffs; but it's asking a lot of Manning—on the heels of a 20-month sabbatical from his last pro pass—to magically morph into his old self for his 2012 debut.
• We're splitting hairs with the matchups from Weeks 2, 3, 6, 11 and 16, which reiterates just how close Manning and Schaub should be for the August drafts. And yet, I would be shocked if Schaub gets selected over Manning in 80 percent of standard-scoring drafts that aren't based in the metro Houston area.
• Schaub (2,479 yards, 15 TDs in 10 starts last year) has a markedly easier schedule to navigate than Manning, partially thanks to two late-season tilts against the Colts. Schaub also has the advantage of only one bad-weather game on the docket—a Monday night affair at Foxboro (Patriots) on Dec. 10.
• I like both quarterbacks' chances of eclipsing 3,900 yards passing and 26 touchdowns, if healthy. But given their histories, each passer will be held under the injury-themed microscope all season.
• Neither Manning nor Schaub hold a distinctive edge for the fantasy-playoff period of Weeks 13-16. More importantly, both quarterbacks should rank in the top 12 for all four weeks of play.
• For Week 16, a healthy Schaub could roll for at least 350 yards passing against the Vikings. Peyton's seasonal high, yardage-wise, might come against the Saints in Week 8.

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.