Fantasy Football 2012: Underrated QBs to Target in the Middle of Your Draft

The days of running back being the most important position on your fantasy football team are over.

With rule changes opening up the passing game league wide, and NFL teams increasingly relying on a multi-back system in the running game, quarterback is now king of fantasy football.

Using standard ESPN.com scoring, eight of the top 10 fantasy performers from last season played quarterback. To put the quarterback dominance in perspective, New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez finished 16th last season in ESPN.com fantasy league scoring. 

But the great thing about having so much depth at the quarterback position is that you can find adequate starters midway through the draft.

So don't fret if you miss out on Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees. Here are a few guys that could lead you to a championship if you miss out on either top quarterback.

(Note: All ADP rankings are courtesy of ESPN.com live draft results. Round projections are for standard leagues of between 10 and 12 teams.)

Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons)

2011 Stats: 4,177 yards passing, 29 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions, two rushing touchdowns

Average Draft Position: 62.9 (sixth-seventh round)

If you wind up missing out on the top-tier quarterbacks due to draft positioning or for strategical reasons, Ryan should become your No. 1 target.

Seemingly every move the Falcons have made the past couple of offseasons have been geared toward a more pass-oriented attack. This could be the season Matty Ice breaks out and becomes a superstar.

The big weapons—wide receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones—are highly touted for a reason. And with 36-year-old tight end Tony Gonzalez always available as safety blanket, the Falcons passing attack is a rare dual breed of aggressive and safe.

With Michael Turner hitting the running back death knell age of 30, head coach Mike Smith will likely have to rely more than ever on his quarterback.

For fantasy owners who will likely grab Ryan in the sixth or seventh round, they should expect production even better than 2011 where the former No. 3 overall pick ranked 10th in fantasy scoring. 

Matt Schaub (Houston Texans)

2011 Stats: 2,479 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, six interceptions, two rushing touchdowns

Average Draft Position: 86.7 (eighth-ninth round)

We all know it's fools gold to draft the Texans star quarterback as your top starter without handcuffing him with another midtier player.

Schaub has missed five or more games in three of the past five seasons, and injury-prone guys like that are the bane of every fantasy player's existence.

But if Schaub stays healthy like he did in 2009 and 2010, he'll serve as invaluable trade bait or a vital cog on your roster.

With Arian Foster and the league's best running game in place, Schaub won't throw as much as he did those two seasons. Still, he was having career year last season before going down, and there is no reason to think things will change this year.

If you're shored up at the skill positions and like making big midseason moves, Schaub is a great target. 

Andy Dalton (Cincinnati Bengals)

2011 Stats: 3,398 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, 13 interceptions, one rushing touchdown

Average Draft Position: 119.5 (11th-12th round)

The training wheels should be off the Bengals quarterback as he heads into his second NFL season.

After keeping a safe, inside-the-numbers game plan last season, head coach Marvin Lewis will give Dalton the reins this season and hope he takes the vaunted second-year leap.

If Dalton's advanced metrics from last season are any indication, he should excel with his expanded responsibilities. 

Using Football Outsiders' DYAR (Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement) stat, Dalton ranked as the 12th-best quarterback in all of football last season. Better than veterans Jay Cutler and Alex Smith, both of whom are going ahead of Dalton on fantasy boards.

With spectacular receiver A.J. Green in place to catch passes, and grinding running back Cedric Benson out of Cincy, it should mean big things for Dalton this season.