Fantasy Football: Drew Brees or Tom Brady?

According to the most up-to-date ADP on fantasyfootballcalculator.com, Drew Brees has narrowly edged out fellow gunslinger Tom Brady as the top chosen quarterback in fantasy football mock drafts thus far.

On average, in 12-team mocks being held, Brees is being selected in the middle of round two, (pick five in the round to be exact). Likewise, Brady is also being selected in the middle of the second; (pick number seven in the round).

The fact that they are being drafted so closely together leads me to believe that the opinion on who is best is a much divided one.

Let's take a look at Brees first, (since he is the first quarterback being drafted).

Last season, Brees led the league in passing yards with an insane 5,069 hash mark tallies, beating out runner-up Kurt Warner by more than 480 yards. Pretty significant difference considering that’s more than 10 percent of Warner’s total.

Along with the robust yardage total came the touchdowns; 34 of them to be exact; a number also good enough for lead the league, (tied with San Diego quarterback Phillip Rivers).

So how did Brees manage to accomplish these league-leading statistics?

The answer can be attributed to numerous players on the Saint's roster, (part of the reason why Brees is so highly valued). He has multiple options to distribute the ball to including:  Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Devery Henderson, Jeremy Shockey, Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas.

However, one must do a little more research to see just how remarkable Brees' stats actually were.

Mentioned as one of Brees' accomplices was receiver Marques Colston. Colston solidified himself as a legitimate receiver his rookie season in 2006 where he totaled 1,038 yards and eight scores; outstanding numbers for a rookie of any position.

The following season Colston built on the stellar numbers, managing over 1,200 yards and snagging 12 touchdowns.

But then last season, disaster struck and Colston was tagged with an injury that forced him to miss the first five games of the NFL regular season.

But Brees still led the league in passing yards and touchdowns.

Colston wasn't the only prominent Saints player who was affected by the injury-bug, however. Running Back Reggie Bush, (notorious for his pass-catching ability) was ousted for six total games from the middle-late part of the season.

But Brees still led the league in passing yards and touchdowns.

Again I ask, how did Brees manage to lead the league in both passing yards and touchdowns—especially without arguably his two main targets?

Lance Moore, come on down!

Moore had more than a career-year filling in for the injured Colston last season, more than tripling his personal best for receiving yards, (302 to 928), and more than quadrupling his touchdown output, (two to 10).

I guess this just solidifies the fact that no matter who Brees throws to, he will still accumulate his mind-boggling stats.

Another player on the Saints roster emerged last season: running back Pierre Thomas. 

He made his "star" known while filling in for the injured Bush in the later half of the season and performed admirably in his place, snatching nine touchdowns.

It's easy to overlook the fact that the Saints have a running game, amidst their ability and persistence to air it out. The fact that they have a viable RB threat can only help Brees as it will help to take a little bit of attention off him.

And the last important note on Brees is that he is finally fully healthy.I stress the word fully, because fantasy managers tend to be a bit leery of quarterbacks who are just coming back from  an injury. 

Brees is five and a half full seasons removed from his shoulder injury that had haunted him earlier in his career and imagine what a healthy Brees is capable of doing with a fully healthy arsenal to catch his passes.

And then there was Tom Brady.

The record-setting, super-model-dating Brady was a wanted man to say the least last season by fantasy managers.

His unmatched season in 2007 led owners to draft him in the first round, and they were in for a cruel joke as Brady injured his knee not one quarter into the NFL season.

Just goes to show that there are no truly safe fantasy picks.

But the pieces are all in place for Brady to revisit his monster numbers that he attained in '07.

He has everyone that was apart of the run, (minus Josh McDaniels). Moss, Welker, Maroney, Faulk, Belichick all remain from the magical season, just two years ago.

New to the team include burner Joey Galloway, and the seemingly ageless Fred Taylor.

Galloway, suffered an injury-plagued season with the Tampa Bay Bucs last year in an  ultimately downer year, only netting 13 catches for 138 yards.

But before last year's debacle, Galloway put up three straight seasons of over 1,000 yards while totaling at least six touchdowns in each. Going from the No. 1 option in Tampa to the No. 3 in New England will certainly take a lot of pressure off of his shoulders.

Taylor meanwhile gives the Pats a viable back to be able to give Brady a rest every few plays. Taylor, (like Galloway), is nearing the end of his career, but that doesn't mean that he still can't be productive.

Last year, he rushed for 556 yards and a score while splitting carries with fellow back Maurice Jones-Drew. In his previous two seasons, Taylor averaged over 1,100 yards, so he still possesses the ability to pound it out.

I liken the Pats to a retirement home since it seems that they house a ton of aging vets each year, but granted they do take damn well care of them.

In Brady's possession are three capable wide receivers, and three capable backs, (Taylor, Maroney, Faulk). There is no reason for him to not come close to his 2007 form.  Granted, I don't expect him to match 50 touchdowns but 40 is not out of the question.

Belichick loves to not only throw the ball, but throw when he's ahead, so there's no fear of the team giving up the pass for the run in blowouts.

So the question is, who will be the better fantasy quarterback for next season?

And I say Brees.

The combination of a legit aerial and ground game, and him being a more healthy and less rusty pushes him over the top in my mind.

Draft either if they fall in the second round.