Fantasy Football 2012: 2 Reasons Why Jets' QB Mark Sanchez Should Be Trusted

Mark Sanchez will have to play well this season in order to prove to Jets fans that he is worthy of the title of starting quarterback.

With Tim Tebow standing in his shadow, it's up to Sanchez to pass more efficiently and avoid missing the playoffs two years in a row. With a great defense protecting him and impressive wide receivers to make plays, Sanchez will find himself in a position to contribute leadership and success.

This season, Sanchez should be trusted in the world of fantasy football and here's a few reasons why.

He Knows How to Win

Mark Sanchez has been criticized in the past, but he'll have to put all of that behind him when next season begins. After failing to make the playoffs this past season, some wondered whether or not Sanchez should keep the starting quarterback position.

When the California native signed a three-year, $40.5 million contract with the Jets back in early March, it was clear that the organization knew what Sanchez was capable of and trusted for him to be successful in the future.

Sanchez has some records to stand behind and has plenty of experience with winning. Sanchez defeated the Patriots back in 2011, helping the Jets make their way to their second AFC Championship game in as many years. The win gave Sanchez his fourth road playoff victory in his two-year career, tying him for the most in NFL history.

He also beat Peyton Manning in Indianapolis during that 2011 Super Bowl run.

Sanchez has 27 regular season victories and at 25 years old, he's still considered a young quarterback in the league. Sanchez has only been in the league since 2009, and if he steps up his game for the Jets this year, he will be looking nice on the fantasy charts.

He Can Put Up Numbers

Just because you don't have a Super Bowl ring, it doesn't mean that you're not a good quarterback. Sanchez has been lucky on the Jets because they have one of the best defenses in the league. But when it comes down to it, Sanchez can be known to make a spectacular play in the regular season or during playoff mode.

In his career, Sanchez has a 55.3 completion percentage, 9,209 career passing yards, 195.5 yards per game, 55 TD passes, 51 interceptions, and a 78.2 quarterback rating.

Some of the statistics could be better, especially the passer rating, and he must avoid interceptions in the future because this past season he was responsible for 18.

Last season, Sanchez was sacked a career-high 39 times, but he set career highs for completion percentage (56.7%), yards (3,474), completions (308), attempts (543), and touchdowns (26).

Sanchez may not currently be viewed as one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and there's definitely room for improvement, but this upcoming season should be a standout one for the Jets starting quarterback.