NFL Wild Card Fantasy Madness: Stats, Analysis and Rankings for All Eight QBs

Figuring out who the best quarterback plays are from week to week is a little easier than doing so for running backs or wide receivers, especially when you only have four games to look at. However, by no means is it simple, considering the defenses they all have to play against.

That's why those of us in the fantasy industry put together these lists—to give the reader a gauge of what to expect from their players during the NFL Wild Card weekend.

With that, here are the rankings along with some detailed analysis for the eight starting quarterbacks in round one of the playoffs:

8.           Tim Tebow (vs. Pit – Sunday, 4:30pm ET)

It seems the cat is finally out of the bag concerning Mr. Tebow and his college-style game, as the “Chosen One” has been slowed over the past few weeks to the point of complete ineffectiveness against the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday.

The playoff crowd at Mile High might help him fight through his many imperfections a little bit, but I’m betting on the Steelers defense having more of an impact than a little noise.

If he either throws for a TD or runs one in and combines for 130 yards rushing and passing, I’ll be impressed.

7.           T.J. Yates (vs. Cin – Saturday, 4:30pm ET)

After Houston’s top two quarterbacks (Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart) went down to season-ending injuries, Yates held his own pretty well down the stretch, throwing for one 300-yard game while his team coasted into the playoffs.

In addition, the rookie QB had to do so without the services of their all-world wide receiver, Andre Johnson.

That won’t be the case this Saturday, as ‘Dre is expected back on the field and in good shape.

However, I’m not sure it will matter much as the Texans will more than likely use a run-control based game, with their one-two punch of Arian Foster and Ben Tate.

Look for solid numbers but nothing spectacular out of T.J. this weekend.

6.           Andy Dalton (@ Hou – Saturday, 4:30pm ET)

Andy Dalton was in serious consideration for Rookie of the Year honors before hitting a wall five weeks ago in Pittsburgh.

Since then, he’s averaged just 177.8 yards and less than one touchdown per game.

By no coincidence, his team followed suit limping into the playoffs going 2-3 during their final five weeks of action.

This Saturday, Dalton will be facing one of the top three or four defenses in the game, though his numbers may be helped out a bit in the end if the Bengals fall behind early and have to play catch-up ball most of the way.

5.           Ben Roethlisberger (@ Den – Sunday, 4:30pm ET)

So it looks like Big Ben is bird-dogging the sympathy card yet again this week, as he supposedly tweaked his ankle during his Week 17 game and has been openly limping around the Steelers' facility for all the media to see.

I’m not buying it—and neither should you.

Roethlisberger should be just fine for both the Steelers and your fantasy team this Sunday, especially with Denver’s defense beaten up the way it is right now.

With Rashard Mendenhall out for the season, look for Ben to come close to 300 yards throwing a ton of passes towards WRs Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and the newly-healthy Emmanuel Sanders this weekend.

4.           Matt Ryan (@ NYG – Sunday, 1:00pm ET)

Matty Ice started the season off ice cold, throwing for 300 yards and/or two or more TDs just twice in the Falcons' first eight games of the year.

However, the guy many predicted to join the elite QBs in 2011 ended the season with a bang, averaging 19.9 fantasy points over his last eight games, while putting up 300 yards four times and two or more TDs five times during that stretch.

Seeing how the Giants allowed the sixth-most fantasy points and third-most passing yards to opposing QBs this season, it wouldn’t shock me to see Ryan put up better numbers than his counterpart (Eli Manning) by the end of this one.

3.           Eli Manning (vs. Atl – Sunday, 1:00pm ET)

Except for a few off-games, most notably during the fantasy playoffs (Weeks 15 and 16), Eli Manning was stud in 2011, throwing for 4,933 yards (sixth-most in NFL history) and 29 TDs.

The Falcons' defense has gotten better throughout the season, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be beaten through the air, as they’ve allowed nine QBs to throw two or more touchdowns and five to put up 300-yard games against them.

As long as he keeps putting the ball in his playmakers' hands—specifically Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks—he should be able to put up his ninth game this year with 300-plus yards and toss in a couple of TDs (or more) as well.

2.           Matthew Stafford (@ NO – Saturday, 8:00pm ET)

Though he would come up 35 yards short of breaking the all-time record for passing yards in a single game last Sunday against the Packers, his 520 yards were enough to push him up over 5,000 for the season (5,038), making him just the fifth quarterback in history to reach that plateau.

I mention these numbers now because strangely enough, this Saturday he’ll be involved in game with the Saints that supposedly will be an even bigger shootout than last week’s game!

I have no doubt it’ll be a doozy, but I’m not so sure it’s possible to put up more than a combined 86 points and 1,000 yards passing like the Lions-Packers did.

In terms of fantasy, Drew Brees was actually out-dueled on four different occasions this season—so considering “Second-Half Staff” threw for 408 yards (though only one TD) in their matchup back in Week 13—it IS possible the young Lions QB becomes the fifth…but don’t count on it.

1.           Drew Brees (vs. Det – Saturday, 8:00pm ET)

Drew Brees just concluded the most incredible, awe-inspiring season by a quarterback in NFL history.

Not only did he break the all-time single-season records for most completed passes (468), highest completion percentage (71.2) and the BIG one—most passing yards (5,476)—but he also put up the most 300-yard games (13) in history as well.

Speaking of 300-yard games, Brees ended the year with seven straight 300-yard/multi-TD games including his last three in which he averaged 369.3 yards and 4.7 TDs.

Plain and simple, that's out of control, folks.

One more thing to back his top-spot fantasy placement this weekend (as if he needed it):

Not only did the Lions allow the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing QBs in 2011, but they also allowed signal-callers to average of 324.9 yards passing and 2.9 combined TDs during their last seven games.

Click here to see the Week 1 Playoff Rankings for RBs, WRs and TEs

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