Fantasy Football Sleepers 2012: Eli Manning and the Top Values at QB

Just in case you've been living in a cave or in the 1960s, here's a news flash. The National Football League has become a pass-wacky game more driven by the quarterback position than ever, as evidenced by the fact that more passers threw for 5,000 yards in 2011 alone than in every year of the league's existence before it put together.

That reality of today's NFL has led to quarterbacks such as Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers and Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints (the new single-season record-holder with 5,476 passing yards) becoming hot commodities in the first round of fantasy football drafts.

However, if you'd as soon not grab a signal-caller that early, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to suffer at the quarterback position. There are a number of quality starting options that can be had much later in drafts than the "big guns" such as Tom Brady of the New England Patriots, including the group of players listed here.

Eli Manning, New York Giants

It may seem strange to call a quarterback who threw for nearly 5,000 yards last season anything resembling a fantasy "sleeper," especially when that quarterback just guided his team to a victory in Super Bowl XLVI.

However, when you consider the fantasy price tag of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning relative to the so-called "elite" options at the quarterback position, the ninth-year pro is positively comatose.

Manning, who threw for 4,933 yards and 29 scores a season ago, finished 2011 as fantasy football's sixth-ranked quarterback, although he also finished with over four fewer fantasy points per game than the player in front of him, Carolina quarterback Cam Newton.

With that said, should Manning flirt with 5,000 passing yards again this year it's not unreasonable to expect his touchdown numbers to go up, nor is it unreasonable to assume that Newton will be sorely pressed to match his NFL-record 14 rushing touchdowns from last season.

Combine that narrowing gap in production with the fact that Manning is being selected a full three-plus rounds later than Newton according to MyFantasyLeague.com and it becomes much easier to stomach the notion of Eli Manning being the far better value pick of the pair.

Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos

It's a Manning family reunion!

This pick was a much better value a few months, or even weeks ago, as with every successful practice (not to mention his upcoming preseason debut) the average draft position of Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning continues to climb.

Manning has already risen into the sixth round of fantasy football drafts, although the four-time NFL MVP is still only the 11th player at his position being chosen.

Therein lies the value, assuming that you believe that Manning has recovered fully from the neck surgeries that cost him all of the 2011 season and led to his departure from the Indianapolis Colts.

If you do believe that Manning has more or less recovered and will come anywhere close to recapturing the form he displayed while leading the Colts to a pair of Super Bowls then the 36-year-old represents an excellent value in fantasy drafts. The lowest fantasy finish of the elder Manning's career prior to 2011's lost year was sixth at his position.

Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears

If you're the sort of fantasy owner who prefers to wait to select a starting quarterback, loading up on wideouts and running backs and then pairing them with two mid-round "platoon" types under center, then you may want to seriously consider expending one of those selections on Jay Cutler of the Chicago Bears.

Granted, Cutler certainly didn't post awe-inspiring statistics in his seventh NFL season, as injuries cost Cutler six games and his 16.2 fantasy points per game when he was on the field ranked only 16th at his position.

That production would seem to jibe with Cutler's average draft position of the ninth round and 14th quarterback selected, so you may be wondering where exactly the value lies.

That value may well lie not with Cutler but with his newest teammate. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall, acquired by the Bears in an offseason trade with the Miami Dolphins, gives Cutler the bona fide No. 1 wide receiver that he's lacked since coming to the Windy City.

In both 2007 and 2008 when Cutler and Marshall played together with the Denver Broncos Cutler finished the year as a fantasy QB1 in 12-team leagues, including a top-five finish in 2008.

It may not be reasonable to expect a return to those lofty heights, but it wouldn't be surprising at all to see Cutler inside the top 10 at his position by season's end, which would make the 29-year-old a serviceable weekly starter and even better "matchup" play.

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