Fantasy Football 2013 Rankings: Top 30 Quarterbacks

In a year rich with quarterback options, who should fantasy owners be targeting?  Who is on the rise, and who is a long shot to produce?  Let’s take a look at how things currently stack up:

1. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
2. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
3. Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
4. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
5. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
6. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
7. Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins
8. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
9. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
10. Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers
11. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
12. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
13. Eli Manning, New York Giants
14. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals
15. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles
16. Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams
17. Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
18. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears
19. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
20. Matt Schaub, Houston Texans
21. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
22. Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals
23. Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins
24. Jake Locker, Tennessee Titans
25. Brandon Weeden, Cleveland Browns
26. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
27. Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs
28. Terrelle Pryor, Oakland Raiders
29. EJ Manuel, Buffalo Bills
30. Christian Ponder, Minnesota Vikings

Thoughts:

• Unbelievably it appears like Matt Flynn has once again played himself out of a starting quarterback job.  Talk about cashing in on one game, huh?  Terrelle Pryor, albeit a risky option, suddenly becomes at least a little bit intriguing (though he’d be more intriguing if he actually had some good receivers to throw the football to).
• EJ Manuel appears primed to be the starting quarterback for the Bills, assuming that he’s healthy.  If he’s not, Matt Leinart could step in…  Considering some of the other questionable situations around the NFL, Manuel still holds potential value, but he easily could be out for Week 1.
• It could be tough sledding for Ben Roethlisberger without much of a running game keeping defenses honest.  While that could mean more opportunities to throw the football, that doesn’t necessarily mean success.  Drop him down a few spots on the rankings.
• Jake Locker is starting to gain some late round appeal, especially with Kenny Britt seemingly healthy.  He was highly impressive in the third preseason game (11-of-13 for 133 yards and a touchdown) and definitely is a viable option in two-quarterback formats.
• Will Michael Vick stay healthy?  Time will tell, but if he does, he has the potential to thrive in the Chip Kelly offense.  He gave us a glimpse in the team’s third preseason game, going 15-of-23 for 184 yards, one touchdown and one interception while adding seven rushes for 53 yards.  He’s not a starter, given the risk of him playing all 16 games, but he’s become worth targeting in all formats.

Make sure to check out all of our 2013 preseason rankings:

• Running Backs (as of Aug. 27, 2013)
• Wide Receivers (as of Aug. 26, 2013)
• Tight Ends (as of Aug. 20, 2013)
• Defenses (as of Aug. 15, 2013)
• Kickers (as of July 26, 2013)