Fantasy Football Rankings 2015: Early Breakdown of the Top 25 QBs
In the NFL, there is no position more important than quarterback. Teams that have great ones usually do well. Teams that don't?
Well, look at the Cleveland Browns, who haven't had a decent one in over two decades.
However, in fantasy football, that isn't really the case.
Sure, owners who had Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts—top-scoring signal-caller in 2014 by NFL.com default fantasy scoring—last year certainly weren't complaining, but he wasn't drafted as the top fantasy QB.
In drafts conducted at My Fantasy League last year, Luck was selected fourth among quarterbacks. Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks (who finished fifth in fantasy points) had an Average Draft Position of 13th.
The point is, you don't have to reach early for a starting quarterback. There are enough viable weekly starters for fantasy owners to wait until the middle rounds without finding themselves at a big disadvantage at the position.
Don't overpay if you don't have to. And with that little strategy tip in mind, here's a look at the top 25 quarterbacks in fantasy football for 2015.
These rankings are based on scoring that awards one point for every 25 passing yards, one point for every 10 rushing yards, six points for each passing touchdown and deducts two points for each interception thrown.
25-21: Low-End Backups
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The back end of the top 25 fantasy quarterbacks features a mixture of aging veterans and a couple of younger options who, due to talent, situation or both, have limited fantasy upside in 2015.
If you want to wait until the end of your fantasy football draft to select your backup (perhaps because you picked an elite starter early), then these quarterbacks will do.
However, make no mistake: You don't want these signal-callers starting more than a game or two for your team in 2015.
25. Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs
The addition of Jeremy Maclin in free agency gives Smith the best weapon he's had in the passing game since he arrived in Kansas City. But Maclin or no Maclin, the fact remains that Smith managed only 3,265 passing yards and 18 touchdown passes in 2014—including a grand total of zero to wide receivers. None. Nada. Zilch. A big fat goose egg. Get where I'm going here?
24. Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders
Carr showed some flashes as a rookie in 2014, racking up 3,270 passing yards and 21 scores for an Oakland offense that was woefully short on playmakers in the passing game. The arrival of No. 4 overall pick Amari Cooper should be a huge boost in that regard, but Carr and the Raiders still have a way to go before the former is any sort of reliable fantasy option.
23. Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals
At 35 years old and coming off a torn ACL, there's more than a little risk involved with making any real draft-day investment in Palmer's services for 2015. However, over a four-week stretch from Week 6 to Week 9 last year (when Palmer was healthy) he ranked sixth among fantasy quarterbacks. If the 13th-year pro can stay on the field, there's a good chance he outperforms this spot.
22. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals
After ranking third among fantasy quarterbacks in 2013, Dalton free-fell to 19th last season. He has one of the best pass-catchers in football at his disposal in star wide receiver A.J. Green, but the fifth-year pro is what he is—a low-ceiling fantasy option with limited upside at the helm of a ball-control offense.
21. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
Flacco may be one of the NFL's highest-paid quarterbacks and a Super Bowl champion, but he's never been a great fantasy option. Last year's 13th-place ranking among quarterbacks was Flacco's highest fantasy finish since 2010. Wide receiver Torrey Smith's departure in free agency isn't going to help matters, even with the Ravens drafting a replacement in Central Florida's Breshad Perriman.
20-16: Upside Reserves
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This next group of quarterbacks contains slightly more appealing options for fantasy owners.
Granted, most of the players listed here have at least one large question looming over them, but there's also some pretty significant upside present with most if things break the right way.
Once again, these aren't players you want to count on as weekly fantasy starters in September. However, there's potential here for them to become one as the season progresses, and if nothing else, they're solid depth and/or bye week fill-ins.
20. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears
There was plenty of talk in the offseason that the new regime in Chicago would rid themselves of Cutler, but given his onerous salary, their hands were all but tied. Best buddy Brandon Marshall has been replaced by rookie Kevin White, and while it's possible on any given Sunday that Cutler will post a huge score, it's every bit as possible that he'll lay the sort of egg that drives fantasy owners to break stuff.
19. Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Griffin's gone from Heisman Trophy winner to Rookie of the Year to hurt to benched to facing a make-or-break fourth season. As ESPN.com's Jason Reid wrote after the Redskins added several pieces around Griffin in the 2015 NFL draft, "Considering what [general manager Scot] McCloughan has done to help Griffin, the Redskins should expect much better results from a player who has delivered more catchy slogans than victories recently. Here's one that seems fitting: No more excuses."
18. Nick Foles, St. Louis Rams
There's more than a bit of uncertainty surrounding Foles after an injury-marred 2014 and offseason trade to the St. Louis Rams. The fourth-year pro has now missed 11 games over the past two seasons, and the Rams offense isn't exactly Chip Kelly's uptempo attack in Philly. Still, if the 26-year-old can recapture his 2013 form (or come close), there could be some value here late in fantasy drafts.
17. Sam Bradford, Philadelphia Eagles
The same trade that sent Foles to the Rams brought the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft to the City of Brotherly Love. Bradford's a talented player when healthy, and even after all the offseason turnover, the Eagles offense is going to move the ball. The problem? Bradford is very seldom healthy, including an ACL tear that cost the 27-year-old the entire 2014 campaign.
16. Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers
After a disappointing 2014 season, 49ers CEO Jed York told Kevin Patra of NFL.com that Kaepernick will run the ball more under new head coach Jim Tomsula:
"With Kap you got a guy in (offensive coordinator) Geep Chryst who knows him better than anybody else. You have a great guy in Steve Logan that's coming in that's going to work with him on fundamentals and to put a system that's going to put Kap in the best position to make plays.
"
Fantasy owners can only hope—those rushing yards are an integral part of Kaepernick's fantasy value.
15. Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings
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As the 2014 NFL draft drew near, Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was put through the proverbial wringer after an abysmal pro day. He wasn't accurate enough. His hands were too small. He's a Scorpio, and Scorpios are moody.
Really. That's about how silly it was. Well, the pundits who chewed up Bridgewater before the draft were left chewing on something else after the 2014 season.
Crow.
In 13 games for the Minnesota Vikings, Bridgewater completed almost 65 percent of his passes. He threw for nearly 3,000 yards, tossed 14 touchdown passes and posted a passer rating over 85. Not bad at all for a small-handed, inaccurate Scorpio.
This year, Bridgewater will have a full camp as a starter and improved receiving options. Oh, and as Bridgewater himself told the Associated Press (via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk), there's the not-so-small matter of a certain running back whose 30th birthday party Bridgewater recently attended.
"I stay away from talking about the guys' contracts and everything, because that's none of my personal business," Bridgewater said. "But like I said, 'We expect (Adrian Peterson) to be here this year.'"
Peterson may not be going anywhere, but Bridgewater is—climbing up fantasy rankings.
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14. Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins
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Don't look now, folks, but Ryan Tannehill of the Miami Dolphins has quietly become a pretty good NFL quarterback.
In 2014, the fourth-year pro topped 4,000 yards for the first time in his NFL career, chipping in 27 touchdown passes, a passer rating of over 92 and a top-10 fantasy finish in NFL.com default fantasy scoring.
This year, Tannehill also has a bevy of new options in the passing game. Wide receivers Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline are gone, replaced by Kenny Stills, Greg Jennings and rookie DeVante Parker. Ditto for tight end Charles Clay, who was replaced with 2013 Pro Bowler Jordan Cameron.
As Seth Fisher of Phin Phanatic reports, add in an improved ground game and offensive front, and all the pieces should be in place for Tannehill in 2015:
"Entering this season, Tannehill has more talent around him than he has had in his previous three years. He finally has a complete receiving core that has a deep threat in Kenny Stills, a great slot in Jarvis Landry, a playmaker who can catch the ball over people in DeVante Parker, a veteran leader in Greg Jennings, a versatile backup in Rishard Matthews, and an athletic, seam-stretching tight end in Jordan Cameron.
Tannehill also has a good running game behind, with a 1,000-yard running back who averaged five yards a carry in Lamar Miller, a big versatile back who can do it all in rookie Jay Ajayi, and a third-down back who can catch the ball well in Damien Williams. So in terms of the running game, Tannehill has all he needs there as well.
"
If the 26-year-old can take advantage of those weapons and continues to progress, then a big fantasy campaign could be in the offing.
Well, that and an even bigger contract.
13. Eli Manning, New York Giants
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The New York Giants may have missed the playoffs in 2014, but from a fantasy football standpoint, it's hard to view Eli Manning's season as anything but a success.
Manning's 4,410 passing yards in 2014 were the second-highest total of his 11-year NFL career. So were his 30 touchdown passes. Manning's 63.1 percent completion rate was a career best.
Most importantly, Manning finished the season ranked among the top-10 quarterbacks in fantasy football for the first time since the Giants' Super Bowl season in 2011.
And according to what New York offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo told Dan Graziano of ESPN.com, the 34-year-old is only getting started: "Usually, when you put in changes or change the system or address fundamentals, it shows up in Year 2. I like the look in his eye. I'm excited for what's on the plate this year. It's not a system anymore. It's our offense."
Granted, Manning's still prone to the occasional dog of a game (when he has a bad one, he has a bad one), but as a platoon option or high-end reserve, fantasy owners could do a lot worse.
In fact, Manning being ranked this low is much more a testament to the depth available at the position in fantasy drafts than any knock on him as an option.
12. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
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It's been a rather eventful offseason for San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers. For most of the past two months, rumors swirled that Rivers could be traded rather than the Chargers risk losing him outright in 2016 due to his, shall we say, misgivings about the team moving to Los Angeles.
Well, the 2015 NFL draft came and went. The Chargers are still in San Diego. And so is Rivers.
The 33-year-old, who passed for 4,286 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2014, told Jim Trotter of ESPN.com that he's glad all the hullabaloo is in the rearview mirror: "I not once, nor did Jimmy [agent Jimmy Sexton], ever say anything about [wanting to be] traded. I don't know what the story is. I'm here. And glad that I am. I'm willing to listen to an extension. I am willing to play it out. What's so wrong about that approach?"
Granted, Rivers' 12th-place fantasy finish in 2014 was a bit of a disappointment, at least relative to the top-five production the five-time Pro Bowler posted the season before.
Still, if Rivers' average draft position among quarterbacks comes in close to this ranking, that's value—drafting a player closer to his fantasy floor than his ceiling. It's also a great example of why burning an early pick on a quarterback is a fool's errand.
When it comes to the NFL's most important position, patience truly is a virtue in fantasy football.
11. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
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Why do I feel like all the air just went out of this article?
There isn't a ranking on this list that's going to generate more, um, discussion in the comments section than that of The Golden Boy. Because right now that gold is plenty tarnished.
Some will say that this ranking is way too low. They'll scoff and point to Brady's 4,109 passing yards in 2014, his seventh-place fantasy finish and his long track record of consistent production.
Others still, of course, are already scoffing. They're scoffing at Brady himself, in light of the four-game suspension handed down by Roger Goodell for Brady's alleged involvement in "Defaltegate." After all, given that suspension and a Week 4 bye, if the ban sticks, it will be Week 6 before Brady sees the field at all. Having the best fantasy quarterback in the world isn't a huge help to an 0-5 team.
However, as NFL.com reports, Patriots owner Robert Kraft made it clear the team plans to appeal the suspension, which includes forfeitures of a 2016 first-round and 2017 fourth-round pick, along with a $1 million fine:
"Despite our conviction that there was no tampering with footballs, it was our intention to accept any discipline levied by the league. Today's punishment, however, far exceeded any reasonable expectation. It was based completely on circumstantial rather than hard or conclusive evidence.
We are humbled by the support the New England Patriots have received from our fans throughout the world. We recognize our fans' concerns regarding the NFL's penalties and share in their disappointment in how this one-sided investigation was handled, as well as the dismissal of the scientific evidence supported by the Ideal Gas Law in the final report.
Tom Brady has our unconditional support. Our belief in him has not wavered.
"
Luckily, by the time most fantasy leagues hold their drafts, the appeals process will have played out and we'll know exactly how long Tom Shady (What? Too soon?) will be sidelined.
Until then, it's speculation time. My off-the-cuff guess is that Brady's vacation will be shortened to two or three games, which could make him an interesting value play for fantasy owners who aren't averse to some early-season risk.
Just make sure you also select a viable backup with a favorable September schedule. And no one named "The Deflator" in his contacts list. Tom, the first rule of a successful conspiracy is this: Make sure your co-conspirators aren't morons.
10. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
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Tony Romo is the Rodney Dangerfield of fantasy football. Every year, Romo is ranked as a low-end fantasy QB1. And just about every year, he outperforms that ranking.
Even last season, when the Dallas Cowboys turned to a much more run-centric offense featuring tailback DeMarco Murray, Romo still parlayed his 3,705 passing yards and 34 scores into a ninth-place finish among quarterbacks.
Romo told Bernie Augustine of the New York Daily News that his sights in 2015 are set a fair bit higher than last year's NFC East title:
"In the last five years, it's become all the people that I'm with, the Jason Wittens, the Jason Garretts, the Joneses, these people I've been with for a long time. I want to win a championship so bad, but it's just not about me. I literally want to win it so bad for them. For the people around me who have helped me.
"
Of more interest to fantasy owners than Romo's Super Bowl aspirations, however, is the changing face of the Dallas offense. Murray is gone, replaced by the injury-prone Darren McFadden.
The Cowboys can talk about running the ball all they want, and their offensive line remains one of the game's best. However, the fact is it's hardly a stretch to imagine Romo throwing the ball quite a bit more in 2015.
And while his age and balky back are concerns, that could give the 35-year-old an excellent shot at outperforming this ranking.
Again.
9. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
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These aren't your father's Pittsburgh Steelers.
The days of a ground-and-pound run game and "Steel Curtain" defense in Pittsburgh are done. This isn't to say that tailback Le'Veon Bell isn't one of the very best in the NFL at what he does (he is), but in 2014, the Steelers ranked first in the NFL...in passing yardage.
Yep. The NFL's leading rock-slinger a year ago was none other than one Big Ben Roethlisberger, who reeled off a career-best 4,952 yards through the air en route to a sixth-place fantasy finish at his position.
All the way back in November of last year, Bob McManaman of AZ Central wrote that Roethlisberger doesn't get his due when the NFL's top quarterbacks are discussed:
"You always hear Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. You usually always get Joe Montana, too, along with some combination that includes, but isn't limited to, John Elway, Dan Marino and Brett Favre.
You know who you don't hear?
Ben Roethlisberger.
He's been to three Super Bowls and owns two championship rings. That's as many as Elway and it's more than Marino, Favre and Peyton Manning.
"
Frankly, that same lack of "respect" often carries over into fantasy football. Despite the numbers he puts up and the presence of arguably the league's best wideout in Antonio Brown, Roethlisberger just isn't often in the conversation when it turns to elite fantasy quarterbacks.
Maybe it's just a function of the depth at the position in fantasy drafts, or the inability of some (including maybe even me) to reconcile that these Steelers aren't the Pittsburgh teams of old. That said, when you can get a player with top-five upside as a low-end starter in fantasy football, that's the textbook definition of value.
And value wins championships.
8. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
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2014 was something of an odd season for the Carolina Panthers and quarterback Cam Newton.
Struggling through injuries for much of the year, Newton's numbers were down significantly, both through the air and especially on the ground. The Panthers finished with a sub-.500 record. And yet, thanks to an NFC South that was, um, ungood, the 7-8-1 Panthers became the first team in NFC South history to repeat as division champions.
However, as Mark Inabinett of AL.com reports, Newton will have a full offseason to prepare this year, and Gene Chizik (Newton's coach at Auburn) thinks the difference will be apparent on the field in 2015:
"I think he understands there's no other way to survive and be good at your craft without really growing up. I know he's a guy that's going to come in early and be one of the last ones to leave. I know that. We talked about that, him coming in early during the season and being one of the last ones to leave. That's what he needs to do to be great, and he'll do whatever he has to do to be great.
"
If Chizik's right and Newton rebounds in 2015, then fantasy owners who were able to acquire him as a lower-end QB1 will be very pleased with the results.
After all, prior to Newton's 2014 slide to 17th among fantasy quarterbacks, his previous career-low finish in a season was sixth.
7. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
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If it was a weird season for the Panthers, then 2014 was just a bummer for Matt Ryan and their NFC South brethren in Atlanta.
Of course, most of the Falcons' woes in 2014 had nothing to do with Ryan and the offense. Ryan's 4,694 passing yards a season ago ranked fifth in the NFL. He threw twice as many touchdown passes as interceptions and finished the season eighth in fantasy points.
Not bad, all things considered.
While speaking with Reid Ferrin of the team's website, NFL Network's Mike Mayock said that Ryan is a prototypical franchise quarterback:
"Matt Ryan is one of the guys that gets it. He understands that like Peyton Manning, like Tom Brady, they have a responsibility to television crews as they come through town every week, and as boring and typical as that may be, having to do it every week, every year, every time I sit down with Matt Ryan, I come away with, 'Man, why didn’t I think of that?'—just the way he puts it, how he tells you about the game.
"
In many respects, Ryan is a prototypical fantasy quarterback as well.
- Big arm? You bet.
- Options in the passing game? Roddy White and Julio Jones aren't dog food, that's for sure.
- Suspect run game (meaning more passes)? Yes, although rookie Tevin Coleman should help add balance.
- The Falcons even have a rotten defense, which means delicious shootouts.
Add it all up, and the 29-year-old is a fine option for fantasy owners who want a dependable weekly starter without paying top dollar to get him.
6. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
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At first glance, this is another ranking that's apt to cause a chortle or two.
Perhaps a guffaw.
After all, in 2014, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford ranked a moribund 15th among fantasy quarterbacks. His 4,257 passing yards were his lowest total since appearing in only three games in 2010.
Still, the 27-year-old told Kyle Meinke of MLive.com that another year of familiarity in Joe Lombardi's offense should pay big dividends in 2015:
"I think all that comes from experience within an offense. There's new throws in every offense, and this one was no different. So just mastering our plan, our offense, and then really mastering our other guys. Our personnel. And how they fit in it.
Each guy runs every route a little bit differently, and we had an influx of new players throughout the season at different spots that, Week 1, maybe you weren't expecting to be out there. But as a quarterback, there's no excuse.
"
Stafford certainly isn't at a loss for targets: wide receiver Golden Tate, tight end Eric Ebron, running backs Joique Bell and rookie Ameer Abdullah. And I seem to remember reading that Calvin Johnson is, like, good or something.
Assuming that Stafford and those targets stay healthy, he has a better chance at throwing for 5,000 yards in 2015 than he does of finishing outside the top 10 at his position for a second straight year.
5. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
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It's long been a truism in fantasy football: Happy feet means happy hearts for fantasy owners at the quarterback position. Quarterbacks who are able to pick up big chunks of yardage with their legs can get a huge bump in value. After all, it takes at least twice as many passing yards as rushing yards to accrue a fantasy point.
Michael Vick. Cam Newton. And now Russell Wilson of the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks.
It certainly wasn't Wilson's 3,475 passing yards and 20 scores that propelled the 26-year-old to a top-five fantasy finish in 2014. No, Wilson's 849 yards and six touchdowns on the ground were the engine driving that fantasy locomotive.
Not only is Wilson a mobile quarterback, but he's that rarest of breeds—a smart, mobile quarterback.
It's the other side of the running QB sword. As we saw annually with Vick, or more recently with players like Robert Griffin III, that scrambler isn't much good to fantasy owners if he gets scrambled while darting by a linebacker.
Wilson knows how to keep the egg in the shell. That discretion is the better part of valor.
He knows how not to get hit. Combine that mobility, Wilson's efficiency with the football and a shiny new toy in tight end Jimmy Graham, and you have all the ingredients for another top-five finish. Just don't expect to get it at a discount in 2015.
4. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
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The times they are a-changin' in the Big Easy. And for fantasy owners, those changes aren't for the better, at least where star quarterback Drew Brees in concerned.
The departure of Graham and wide receiver Kenny Stills, coupled with the addition of, well, no one, would seem to indicate a move away from the Saints' pass-wacky ways of the past and toward a more balanced offense.
That may be all well and good for the Saints from an NFL perspective, but for fantasy owners? Not so much.
Still, despite all those offseason moves and speculation that Brees' own days with the team could be numbered, the 36-year-old insisted to Katherine Terrell of the New Orleans Times-Picayune that it remains business as usual in 2015:
"I think this period of time is important, not only to get back to training again and the strength and conditioning program and the kind of foundation that builds moving forward, but also just building that camaraderie and that chemistry with these guys. A lot of these guys are gonna have big leadership roles as well, so you want to make sure that we're kind of doing things the right way so that we can pave the way to success later on.
"
Given that Brees hasn't thrown for fewer than 4,900 yards or finished outside the top five fantasy quarterbacks since 2010, on some level it's hard to argue with the future Hall of Famer.
However, there are winds of change sweeping through the Saints offense this year. And with those winds comes more than a little risk that both those streaks could be in jeopardy.
3. Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
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There's an old saying in sports: Father Time is undefeated.
It looked like Pops had claimed another victim down the stretch last year. Sure, Peyton Manning's 4,727 passing yards, 39 scoring strikes and third-place fantasy finish in 2014 look fine at first, but those numbers disguise an ugly truth.
Over the last month of the 2014 season (otherwise known as the fantasy playoffs), Manning topped 300 yards only once. He threw twice as many interceptions (six) as touchdown passes (three). And that got more than a few fantasy squads bounced in the same manner the Broncos were by the Indianapolis Colts in the divisional round.
Manning told Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post that there's still plenty of gas in his 39-year-old tank:
"I think there are young 39s and old 39s. I'm in that young group, for sure. March birthday. I think you have to be very careful just lumping them all in together. Who is there? Vinny (Testaverde)? Warren (Moon)? Daryle Lamonica, right? I have no idea. I just know some guys that have played a long time. I think it's all about trying to do your job, no matter how old you are.
"
If that's true, and Manning has at least one more year of elite production left in him, there's little reason to think the Denver offense won't light it up in 2015 just as it did last year and, to an even greater extent, in 2013.
However, if Manning's production continues to slip, and the five-time NFL MVP slides outside the top five fantasy options at his position this year, then fantasy squads that burned an early pick on Manning are going to be in a world of hurt.
It's the rub with taking a quarterback early. If it doesn't pan out, if that quarterback doesn't at least meet expectations, then the hole those teams dug at running back and wide receiver looks that much bigger.
Kind of like Manning's forehead. What? Oh, c'mon. Admit it. It's huge.
2. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
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Out with the old, in with the new.
With players like Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Tom Brady much closer to the end of their careers than the beginning, we're seeing a changing of the guard among fantasy quarterbacks led by a young buck named Luck.
It was Luck who led all signal-callers in fantasy points in NFL.com default fantasy scoring in 2014, after throwing for a career-high 4,761 yards. And that's hardly the only gaudy stat with Luck. Forty touchdown passes. Career highs in completion percentage (61.7) and passer rating (96.5). Almost 27 fantasy points per game.
Then there's the matter of Luck's underrated athleticism, as he also added 273 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. As well as Luck played a year ago, however, he told Mike Wells of ESPN.com that he still sees areas where he can improve:
"Cut down on interceptions and turnovers. That's sort of a no-brainer. I would love to get that touchdown-to-interception ratio very good in the touchdown sense. Then work on red-zone and third-down stuff. Got to be better in those areas if we want to be an elite offense in the NFL. We've got to be top-five in the red zone and third down, so work on those.
"
At the helm of a loaded Colts offense, injury is about the only thing standing between Luck and another top-three fantasy finish at his position.
You'll never hear this writer advocate taking a quarterback in the first (or even second) round of a fantasy football draft. There's just too much depth available relative to other positions (especially running back). However, if you just have to do it, that quarterback better be Luck or the final name on this countdown.
1. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
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Some guys have all the luck.
Even more than Andrew Luck.
I'll stop.
Quarterback for one of the NFL's most storied franchises? Yep.
Super Bowl champion? Yes, although it's been a few years.
NFL MVP? Twice, including 2014.
Nice looking gal on your arm? Well, I'll let you be the judge.
All right, stop leering. It's unseemly.
Such is the charmed life of Aaron Rodgers, who threw for 4,381 yards and 38 touchdowns for the Green Bay Packers last year. However, it's one jaw-dropping stat that really stands out: five. That's how many interceptions Rodgers threw last year, including a grand total of zero at home.
Frankly, it's something of a tossup between Rodgers and Luck for the top spot among fantasy quarterbacks in 2015. Both finished within a few points of one another in 2014. Both have an embarrassment of riches at their disposal in the passing game.
The two are a tier unto themselves.
However, Rodgers makes fewer mistakes with the football, and that's enough to put the 31-year-old over the top as the No. 1 fantasy quarterback of 2015.
2015 QB Rankings
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Here's a look back at the top 25 quarterbacks in fantasy football for 2015:
| Rank | Player | Team | Bye |
| 1 | Aaron Rodgers | GB | 7 |
| 2 | Andrew Luck | IND | 10 |
| Rank | Player | Team | Bye |
| 3 | Peyton Manning | DEN | 7 |
| 4 | Drew Brees | NO | 11 |
| Rank | Player | Team | Bye |
| 5 | Russell Wilson | SEA | 9 |
| 6 | Matthew Stafford | DET | 9 |
| 7 | Matt Ryan | ATL | 10 |
| Rank | Player | Team | Bye |
| 8 | Cam Newton | CAR | 5 |
| 9 | Ben Roethlisberger | PIT | 11 |
| 10 | Tony Romo | DAL | 6 |
| 11 | Tom Brady | NE | 4 |
| 12 | Philip Rivers | SD | 10 |
| Rank | Player | Team | Bye |
| 13 | Eli Manning | NYG | 11 |
| 14 | Ryan Tannehill | MIA | 5 |
| 15 | Teddy Bridgewater | MIN | 5 |
| 16 | Colin Kaepernick | SF | 10 |
| Rank | Player | Team | Bye |
| 17 | Sam Bradford | PHI | 8 |
| 18 | Nick Foles | STL | 6 |
| 19 | Robert Griffin III | WAS | 8 |
| 20 | Jay Cutler | CHI | 7 |
| 21 | Joe Flacco | BAL | 9 |
| Rank | Player | Team | Bye |
| 22 | Andy Dalton | CIN | 7 |
| 23 | Carson Palmer | ARI | 9 |
| 24 | Derek Carr | OAK | 6 |
| 25 | Alex Smith | KC | 9 |
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