Fantasy Football: Quarterback Recap (the Bad)

At the end of every season we like to go back and recap how the players at each fantasy football position fared. And, as with every season, there’s always the good, the bad, and of the course the downright ugly ones.

In this first installment of the second part of our yearly "The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly" series, we’ll take a look at the BAD quarterbacks from a fantasy football point of view.

Some of the players are on this list because they turned the ball over too much, others because they didn’t live up to expectations, while others, despite some solid outings here and there, failed to maintain a high level of production throughout 2008.

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1. Brett Favre (New York Jets)

When simply comparing New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre’s stats from 2008 to those from his prior season, nothing really stands out as bad. He threw for 3,472 yards, a 65.7 completion percentage as well as 22 touchdowns. However, in addition to those 22 touchdowns, Favre also threw 22 interceptions.

And to top it all off, Favre had his worst streak at the end of the season when fantasy owners (and the Jets) needed him most. During the last five games of the season, Favre threw nine interceptions with just two touchdowns.

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2. Kyle Orton (Chicago Bears)

Chicago Bears quarterback Kyle Orton won the starting job in the preseason over Rex Grossman, then started the season with six double-digit fantasy performances in his first eight games. He made for a good pickup, especially for owners who drafted duds at quarterback.

But in the final eight games of the season, Orton had just two double-digit performances and had four games with six points or less. Orton finished with 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, but threw for less than 3,000 yards and completed just 58.5 percent of his passes.

These numbers aren't all that bad, but his second half meltdown led to many fantasy owners struggling to find a QB each week.

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3. Joe Flacco (Baltimore Ravens)

Perhaps it’s unfair to place a rookie who led his team to two playoff wins in the “bad” category, but for Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens that’s where he ended up because his stats just weren’t that good.

A game manager for most of the season, Flacco threw for 2,971 yards with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Flacco was good as a rookie as he led his team to the playoffs and showed signs of being a great quarterback.

From a fantasy perspective,  though greatness is still a bit down the road as he failed to throw a TD pass in six games.

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4. Jason Campbell (Washington Redskins)

Playing in the West Coast offense under new head coach Jim Zorn, Washington Redskins' quarterback Jason Campbell started the season well, and it appeared he was finally taking a huge step forward in his development. The first four games of the season, Campbell threw six touchdowns and had no turnovers.

But something happened after that as Campbell threw just seven more touchdowns in the last 12 games of the season. In that same span, Campbell had seven turnovers. In the process of taking a step forward, Campbell may have taken two steps back.

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5. Matt Schaub (Houston Texans)

It was the second year for Houston Texans quarterback, Matt Schaub, as a starter, and it was the second year that missed considerable time with an injury. Schaub missed five games in the middle of the season and that hurt his overall statistics. He finished with 3,043 yards with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

A good sign for Schaub was that seven of his interceptions came in his first four games played. He is still young, so perhaps his best days are still ahead of him.

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6. Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers)

In 2007, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, which led many to believe that entering last season he was ready to establish himself as one of the game’s elite along with Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots.

Instead, Roethlisberger seemingly reverted back to his 2006 form. He finished the season with 3,301 yards with 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. It does feel odd to be critical of a guy that just led his team to a Super Bowl win, but from a fantasy perspective, Roethlisberger was mediocre this season.

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7. Jake Delhomme (Carolina Panthers)

Last season, Carolina Panthers' quarterback Jake Delhomme hurt the elbow on his throwing arm and had to have Tommy John surgery, more commonly associated with pitchers in baseball.

It clearly affected him as he had his worst full season since 2003, which was his first season as a starter. Delhomme finished with 3,288 yards, a 59.4 completion percentage, 15 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

With the Panthers going back to a strong running game on offense, perhaps Delhomme’s best days are behind him.

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8. Jeff Garcia (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jeff Garcia threw 13 touchdowns and just four interceptions in his first season with the team in 2007, and it was believed that as a good fit in the offense, he was primed for a good year in 2008.

But Garcia encountered some turmoil as he lost his starting job shortly after the season started. Garcia got it back after three games and went on to finish with 2,712 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. Though those numbers aren’t bad, they simply aren’t good enough for a fantasy football quarterback.

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9. Kerry Collins (Tennessee Titans)

After Vince Young got hurt in the season opener, backup Kerry Collins took over the starting quarterback job and didn’t let go. He led the team to a No. 1 seed in the AFC and the playoffs.

But the Titans were successful with a good running game and their defense. Collins was solid at quarterback but wasn’t that good as he threw for 2,676 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Collins also finished on a weak note with three touchdowns and three interceptions in the last five games of the regular season.

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10. Trent Edwards (Buffalo Bills)

With four double-digit fantasy performances in the first four games of the season, it appeared Buffalo Bills' quarterback Trent Edwards was progressing well. Then things went downhill. Edwards finished with three double-digit fantasy performances in the last 12 games of the season.

Edwards completed 65.5 percent of his passes, which is a good sign, however he finished with just 11 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. Next season may be do-or-die for Edwards.

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11. Shaun Hill (San Francisco 49ers)

J.T. O’Sullivan won the starting job for the San Francisco 49ers but turned the ball over way too much, paving the way for Shaun Hill. Hill was OK in the time he played as he threw 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions in nine games. He also had four games with 15 fantasy points or more.

However, in leagues that take away points for fumbles lost, Hill had 10 turnovers in his nine starts, four of which came in the last two games of the season. Hill is serviceable as a starter in the NFL and a backup in fantasy football, but overall is not a quarterback that will win you a fantasy title.

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