Fantasy Football Week 4: Top 20 Quarterbacks for the Rest of the Year

Week 3 yet again provided an opportunity for quarterbacks that were typically drafted late in fantasy drafts to outshine their more touted counterparts.

Drew Brees was outscored by 10 fantasy quarterbacks—rookie, seasoned veteran and everyone in between—as he put up 19 points in standard scoring.

Tom Brady fell beneath 14 signal-callers in Week 3 play. Aaron Rodgers was outscored by a ridiculous 22 quarterbacks.

So why is he at the top of my Week 4 year-to-end quarterback rankings? Read on to find out.

1. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (Week 3: 1)

Rodgers has faced off against a gauntlet of defenses that few (if any) quarterbacks have encountered this season. At times, he’s even had to do so without his No. 1 WR, Greg Jennings. He has tossed three touchdowns and two interceptions this season, which is a far cry from his 2011 TD-to-INT ratio.

Rodgers has a couple of nice matchups on the horizon: home against the Saints in Week 4 and at the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5. He should put up some fantastic numbers during that time. If he doesn’t, I’ll have no choice but to move him down.

2. Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins (2)

He’s still fantasy’s No. 1 performer in 2012. If it happens again and Rodgers slips up in Week 4, RGIII will be smiling at the top of my rankings next week.

3. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints (4)

The Saints haven’t been winning, but Brees has been a consistent fantasy quarterback. He scored 21 points in Week 1, followed by 19 in each of the subsequent weeks.

4. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (5)

Ryan has thrown eight touchdowns and only one interception.

5. Tom Brady, New England Patriots (6)

Brady’s got to start chucking touchdowns if he’s going to stay at the top of this list. I think he’ll do that this week against the Buffalo Bills.

6. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers (11)

Roethlisberger has been playing at a very high level. He threw four touchdowns in Week 3 in a Steelers loss. He was the third-best fantasy quarterback in the season’s first three weeks and has a bye in Week 4. That makes him a prime trade target.

7. Eli Manning, New York Giants (9)

You know what’s crazy? Eli’s best fantasy output this season came in the game during which he threw three interceptions.

8. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (7)

Stafford unfortunately missed the end of the Lions-Tennessee Titans matchup in Week 3. Shaun Hill was masterful in relief duty.

9. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens (15)

This whole wide-open offense thing seems to be for real. Flacco has been getting points in bunches.

10. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers (8)

Newton isn’t getting his trademark rushing yards. He’s carrying the football, but in two of his three games, it hasn’t gone anywhere. The other game was against the New Orleans Saints.

11. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles (3)

He has to stop turning the ball over.

12. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys (10)

Romo’s performances have been heading south this season. He’s got the Bears on Monday night in Week 4. He should get more than five fantasy points in that matchup, but it’ll be tough to play Romo until around Week 7 at Carolina.

13. Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos (12)

Manning can’t be a top 10 guy until he has a good game on the road. And there’s a lot of competition for those spots even then.

14. Christian Ponder, Minnesota Vikings (unranked)

Ponder had a coming out party against…the 49ers? This guy might work wonders as the season wears on.

15. Jake Locker, Tennessee Titans (19)

Locker had a fun outing last week, as well. But that was against the Detroit Lions defense. Not quite as impressive as the guy on the list before him.

16. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers (13)

Rivers got eaten alive by a real pass defense in Week 3. He could only muster 173 passing yards and two picks.

17. Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers (14)

He turned the ball over last week for the first time in a long time…and he did it twice.

18. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (unranked)

He’s done well in good matchups and done poorly in bad ones. At least he’s predictable.

19. Matt Schaub, Houston Texans (unranked)

It’s hard to ignore a guy after he throws four touchdowns.

20. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts (17)

I’m calling it now: Luck will move up this list in a few weeks after he begins tearing into his next few matchups. He plays the Jets in Week 6, the Browns in Week 7 and the Titans in Week 8.

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