12) Matt Schaub: Last year was Schaub's first year as a starter, and the great expectations that came along were just brushed away from an injury-laden season, where he missed five games and played sparingly in three others. Schaub played at full speed in only eight games in 2007 and posted 2,107 passing yards (263.3 per game). If we project those yards into a full 16 games, we have him throwing an elite-like 4,214. Missing leading wide out Andre Johnson for most of the season didn't help matters for the ex-Falcon.
We feel confident about a redemption season for Schaub, especially because of the fact that he threw 80 percent of his TD passes in the four games played together with Johnson. We give him a vote of confidence by ranking him just outside the top-10 in light of his potential, provided that he and Johnson can enjoy a full healthy season.
13) Jon Kitna: Mike Martz has left the Motor City, taking his pass-happy play calling to the West coast (San Francisco), and that could be a blessing in disguise for the nine-year veteran. Opposing corners will not salivate as much at the chance of picking his passes in 2008, but the lack of a respectable running game after the release of often-injured Kevin Jones and goal-line backup T.J. Duckett will force the Lions to throw the ball downfield quite often again.
Kitna (two consecutive 4,000+ yards seasons) is a double-edged sword for fantasy purposes. He has the personnel to reel in his throws with star wide-out Roy Williams and potential hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, but at the same time, this 35-year old signal caller has had only one season (2003 as a Bengal) where he threw more TDs (26) than interceptions (15).
14) Jay Cutler: Cutler had a pretty nice statistical year in his second season. 297 completions in 467 attempts for 3,497 yards, 20 TDs, and 14 interceptions are not bad in a second-year campaign, which is usually labeled as a “sophomore-jinx” season. He had a solid 88.1 QB rating to complement his other statistics. If he didn’t jump into superstar status in 2007, it was because he threw too many inopportune picks and the team struggled to win games.
Brandon Marshall and Cutler are a dangerous duo, and if they can find a consistent running game as soon as next season, the Broncos’ offense is poised to explode. I would be surprised not to see Cutler throw for 3,700-3,800 yards and 25-plus touchdowns to establish himself as the premier QB in that draft's class, now that the Broncos have gotten him a bodyguard in OT Ryan Clady in the draft's first round. Cutler was recently diagnosed with type-1 diabetes and it remains to be seen how that is going to affect his career. Stay tuned.
15) David Garrard: Everyone talks about the Jags and their running game. People overlook their passing game. Yes, Garrard hasn’t thrown a career 300-yard game yet, but at the end of the 2007 season, he was trusted to throw the ball for scores. He netted 10 TDs and 1,179 yards in the last five games played. The addition of ex-Raider Jerry Porter as a receiving target should prove a winner for Garrard’s development. After the elite QBs have been drafted this summer, look at Garrard to provide some solid points on your fantasy roster.
16) Philip Rivers: Rivers has enjoyed two consecutive over 3,000-yard seasons and has thrown more TDs than INTs during that span. That is a positive in fantasy football. Last year, his breakout season suffered a halt due to the nagging injury to his main target, TE Antonio Gates, and the inexperience of third-year wide out Vincent Jackson to produce as a number-one receiver.
This year, having a healthier Gates, a veteran in Chris Chambers from Week One, and Jackson going back to his normal second-receiver role, will help Rivers produce consistently. Let's not forget that Tomlinson can still catch out of the backfield, and turn short screen-passes into long yardage gains.
17) Matt Leinart/ Kurt Warner:
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