2013 Fantasy Football Week 1 Rankings: Top 25 Quarterbacks

Quarterback is as deep as anyone can remember, and it'll be on full display in the opening week of the season.  There are seemingly countless viable options, but who is the best of the best?  Who should we be skeptical about? 

Let’s take a look at our Week 1 rankings:

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

Thoughts

• For Matt Ryan, his performance against the Saints in 2012 was the tale of two games.  In their first meeting, he threw for 411 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, but in the second, he managed just 165 yards, one TD and zero INT.  However, the second game was the exception not the rule.  In his last four matchups with New Orleans, he has thrown for over 350 yards three times.  With the potential for a shootout high, it’s hard not to like Ryan as one of the best options for Week 1.
• Tom Brady is going to be without virtually all of his top options from a year ago in Week 1.  So what?  Considering he completed 77.3 percent of his passes this preseason, he clearly doesn’t lack chemistry with his receivers.  There is plenty of upside, especially against the Bills.
• It appears that Robert Griffin III is all clear and ready to go for Week 1 against the Eagles.  Exactly what does that mean, though?  He obviously isn’t going to be running as much as he did a year ago, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to simply be pinned in the pocket either.  While we will have to suppress him slightly on the rankings, this could be the only time this season that he’s not a top-five option.
• Matthew Stafford has thrown for 300-plus yards in three of his past four games against the Vikings.  Considering the addition of Reggie Bush, which should only help the team produce, he’s got to be viewed as one of the better options.
• We have to like Andrew Luck as an option this season, but is it hard to imagine the Colts running up to a big lead over the Raiders?  That would obviously limit Luck’s opportunities this week.
• A year ago, the Redskins’ passing defense was among the worst in the NFL (281.9 passing yards per game).  Throw in the success Michael Vick showed in Chip Kelly’s offense in the preseason, and he’s worth considering as a QB1 for the opening week.
• Last season, the Jets’ passing defense was among the best in the league—even without Darrelle Revis.  Will it continue, however?  It’s far from a lock.  That could mean a good day for Josh Freeman.

Make sure to check out all of our Week 1 rankings:

• Top 40 Running Backs
• Top 50 Wide Receivers
• Top 20 Tight Ends
• Top 15 Defenses