Fantasy Football: Breaking Down the Quarterbacks

...And let the controversy begin!

The fact is, there are two guys at the head of the class, and then everyone else. The only true debate is who should go first and how high should they go.

Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are the class of the league. Both are going to put up gaudy numbers on impressive offensive squads. Beyond that, there is depth and talent to be found.

You don’t have to worry about not getting one of the better two quarterbacks here.

Depth and quality at the starting position will be available as late as the sixth or seventh round, especially if drafts hold true to form and certain players can replicate last year’s statistics. And that’s the gamble some teams will be willing to take.

We at the ‘Table do not advocate taking a starting quarterback with a name other than Brady or Peyton until the fourth round. There is just too much other talent that exists to be doing so.

Let’s get to it. And please, hold your applause until everyone has had their name read.

1.  Tom Brady: This kills us to do, but it has to be done. Brady has the best offense to do it in, and the scheme that will allow him to produce. He also has this guy named “Moss”, who is going to haul in pass after pass. Chad Jackson is healthy. Wes Welker is back. It all adds up to another 45-touchdown season for Brady.

2.  Peyton Manning: He was going to be our No. 1 until the knee injury. We all know Manning has not missed a game, but there now exists that potential. It has to be taken into account when drafting or ranking. He falls behind Brady, even with a healthy Marvin Harrison.

3.  Carson Palmer: This guy is “not yet dead,” to quote Spamalot. We know that Tony Romo is getting a lot of hype, but Palmer spent the better part of last season with a running game that was in shambles.

     Should that settle down, he immediately becomes one of the elite passing quarterbacks in the game. Add to that, he has two All-Pro receivers and a young third receiver that will help in the slot.

4.  Tony Romo: Whether or not Jessica Simpson is at games, you can rely on Romo until the NFC playoffs start. Then he freezes up like a little girl. Good news for fantasy owners is that by that time, our seasons are basically over.

     The use of Marion Barber as the primary back, with Felix Jones to spell him, as well as a healthy Terrell Owens, makes Romo a safe top pick.

5.  Drew Brees: He was actually two spots lower on this list until the Jeremy Shockey trade. Shockey should give New Orleans' offense another added dimension. It means that a linebacker or safety is going to have to cover either Bush or Shockey at all times. That’s good news for owners, and the emergence of Colston as a top-tier wide receiver doesn’t hurt either.

6.  Ben Roethlisberger: The Steelers managed to satisfy critics by taking another running back that will be there should the death of Willie Parker be a reality. They have two top targets and one of the better offensive lines in the game. Heath Miller could emerge as a top-five tight end. All good signs for the offense.

7.  Matt Hasselbeck: We hate giving BC guys any sort of respect here, but you have to give credit where credit is due. Hasselbeck put up numbers last year basically without the use of anyone in the backfield. Julius Jones is certainly an upgrade there. And, let’s be honest, his receivers can’t drop THAT many more passes, right?

8.  Marc Bulger: Little more outside the box thinking for you. Bulger missed a little time last year and has been injury prone. But he still has Torry Holt and Steven Jackson. Better still, he has Drew Bennett as his new Kevin Curtis, and a stable filled with good route-running receivers.

9.  Donovan McNabb: This makes me feel dirty. Yet, a healthy McNabb, fighting either for his current job or to earn his next one, has something to prove? I’ll take it. And he always has the best multi-purpose back in football that goes by the name of Brian Westbrook.

10. Derek Anderson: Toss up here, but if we’re going to talk about how good the Cleveland offense is going to be, then we have to assume the guy leading them is going to be as effective. Anderson was pressed last year and came through. He’ll be pressed again this year, both to earn his money and keep Brady Quinn off his back.

From there, we get into the rest of the starters. Important to note that in the lists above, there is a big drop from two to three. Palmer just doesn’t qualify as that elite quarterback. There is another drop off from seven to eight, just not as great.

We'll break down the rest like this:

11.  Eli Manning

12.  Jay Cutler

13.  Phillip Rivers

14.  David Garrard

15.  Matt Schaub

Eli Manning came into his own at the end of the season and playoffs. The bet here is that Manning should be able to continue that trend in to next season. The temptation here is to drop Jay Cutler a few more slots, especially if Brandon Marshall ends up suspended for the first three games.

David Garrard could be a steal. He has the weapons in Jacksonville to make it a special season there. Phillip Rivers has all the talent at his disposal and is becoming a better leader on and off the field.

Not sure what to make of Schaub. If he’s fully healthy, with a healthy Andre Johnson, and a better running game, his numbers are bound to be just on the fringe of the top-15 or higher.

16.  Jake Delhomme

17.  Jason Campbell

18.  Jon Kitna

19.  Aaron Rodgers

20.  Matt Leinart

Ok, we know why Rodgers is lower on this list than some might feel that he should be. Just the fact he’s going to be constantly looking over his shoulder is enough for most fantasy owners to stay away. Honestly, it’s what we advocate here.

Jake Delhomme is throwing a better ball than he has in two years, according to camp reports. He’ll miss Steve Smith in Weeks One and Two, but should have a solid fantasy season. You can win with Delhomme.

Jason Campbell is going to be in the perfect offense for him. He has some weapons at his disposal and a coach that is going to let him go out there and do it. Sure, there has been some flux in the ranks, but expect Campbell to be a pleasant surprise this season.

Anyone associated with the Lions scares me. Even if they have the talent and the tools to make it interesting. Kitna will have some weeks where he could put up top point totals, but will have others that make you cringe.

Matt Leinart/Kurt Warner...I don’t even know where to begin. Leinart should be the starter all season, but he has to be allowed to make mistakes and get better. They have talent and Warner is the “win-now” guy. But even with a “win-now” guy, the Cardinals aren’t going to crack the playoffs. Let Leinart run with it.

21.  Kurt Warner

22.  Alex Smith

23.  Jeff Garcia

24.  Vince Young

25.  Trent Edwards

This is a tough group. Once we’re outside the top-15, you should be looking at guys that are not going to start for your fantasy team, but can be either matchup plays or help you if your starter goes down. Saying the prior group is better is an understatement.

Vince Young is the most interesting piece here. He can run for 100 yards, but hasn’t proven he can be an effective passing quarterback. He makes too many mistakes, doesn’t have great receiver support, has average running backs behind him, and an offensive line that is subpar. This is FAR from his fault. You still need to know this going in.

Trent Edwards could be another pleasant surprise, especially when he has two receivers that could see the ball and will get a full year of reps as starter. Edwards should use Lynch effectively and Buffalo will give him a gameplan to manage more than execute.

Jeff Garcia might not even be the starter. That Tampa situation is a nightmare. Alex Smith, well, we wouldn’t draft him for our opponent’s team.

26.  JaMarcus Russell

27.  Chad Pennington

28.  Tavaris Jackson

29.  Matt Ryan/Joey Harrington

30.  Joe Flacco/Troy Smith

31.  Anyone playing QB for Miami

Sure, this is basically a catch all, but let’s call a spade a spade. Russell, Ryan, Flacco, and the Miami tandems should be looked at basically in keeper leagues. They don’t have value right now and won’t supply you with enough points to secure wins.

That said, they certainly could be good fantasy quarterbacks two or three years from now. You just have to know what to expect and where to draft them. Flacco is my favorite of this group, mainly because of pure arm strength.

Next up, we’ll cover the tight-end position, as well as kicker and defensive outlooks.