Fantasy Football 2015: Preseason QB Rankings and Top Sleepers to Watch

There are different strategies to being successful in fantasy football, but having an elite quarterback goes a long way. The good news is you can get one early in your draft or find a sleeper a few rounds later.

Aaron Rodgers and Andrew Luck appear to be the clear top two fantasy options at the position and should come off the board early after fantastic 2014 seasons. Russell Wilson might be a bit of a surprise at No. 3, but he finished third among quarterbacks last year and has become more involved in the offense in each of his three years. Additionally, he now has Jimmy Graham as a red-zone option. 

While there continue to be quality options as the list progresses, each player either comes with more risk or lower upside. Still, there are a few picks you can make down the line that can end up making you look like a genius. Here are full rankings at the position with some late-round picks you should try to grab in your draft.

Rank	Player	Team
1	Aaron Rodgers	Green Bay Packers
2	Andrew Luck	Indianapolis Colts
3	Russell Wilson	Seattle Seahawks
4	Peyton Manning	Denver Broncos
5	Drew Brees	New Orleans Saints
6	Ben Roethlisberger	Pittsburgh Steelers
7	Matt Ryan	Atlanta Falcons
8	Ryan Tannehill	Miami Dolphins
9	Cam Newton	Carolina Panthers
10	Tony Romo	Dallas Cowboys
11	Eli Manning	New York Giants
12	Philip Rivers	San Diego Chargers
13	Matthew Stafford	Detroit Lions
14	Tom Brady	New England Patriots
15	Joe Flacco	Baltimore Ravens
16	Sam Bradford	Philadelphia Eagles
17	Teddy Bridgewater	Minnesota Vikings
18	Carson Palmer	Arizona Cardinals
19	Jay Cutler	Chicago Bears
20	Derek Carr	Oakland Raiders
21	Colin Kaepernick	San Francisco 49ers
22	Jameis Winston	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
23	Andy Dalton	Cincinnati Bengals
24	Alex Smith	Kansas City Chiefs
25	Robert Griffin III	Washington Redskins
26	Marcus Mariota	Tennessee Titans
27	Nick Foles	St. Louis Rams
28	Blake Bortles	Jacksonville Jaguars
29	Ryan Fitzpatrick	New York Jets
30	Jimmy Garappolo	New England Patriots

Note: Fantasy scoring numbers courtesy of ESPN.

Top Sleepers

Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

As a former collegiate receiver, Ryan Tannehill was a relatively raw quarterback prospect when drafted in 2012. However, he has improved every season and could be ready for a breakout year in 2015.

Year	Passing Yds	TDs	QB Rating	Rushing Yds	Fantasy Pts
2012	3,294	12	76.1	211	183
2013	3,913	24	81.7	238	240
2014	4,045	27	92.8	311	279

One of the biggest stories from training camp in Miami has been the quarterback's improvement with his deep ball, via Evan Silva of Rotoworld:

Although Mike Wallace won't be around to enjoy it, the Dolphins still have quality deep options in Kenny Stills and rookie DeVante Parker when healthy. With quality security blankets like Greg Jennings and Jarvis Landry, Tannehill finally has a full receiving corps at his disposal.

With his increased efficiency as a thrower and his mobility as a runner, Tannehill has a chance to be one of the top fantasy players in the league. He finished as the NFL's No. 9 fantasy quarterback a year ago and should only get better this season.

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Yes, it seems like every year we are waiting for Matthew Stafford to finally reach his potential. It didn't come last season, but the difference this time around is the health and rapport of his receiving targets.

Calvin Johnson—who missed three games last year and was limited in quite a few more—should be back to being the dominant receiver he has been in season's past. Golden Tate will also be able to build off last year's success and have a big second year with the team.

Meanwhile, Stafford and Johnson have worked to go the extra mile this offseason by organizing an extra workout before the start of training camp. Lions coach Jim Caldwell believes this will make a big difference, via ESPN's Michael Rothstein:

"

I think it is what it takes in this league for guys to grow closer together within a system. That they take initiative upon themselves and work together and I think you see that amongst good teams. 

You don't often hear about it, but believe me, behind the scenes, they're doing it. They're getting together and they're working and perfecting their craft. Those are good signs.

"

One of the players in attendance at this event was second-year tight end Eric Ebron, who also has the tools to be a star in this league. Adding him to the system alongside Johnson and Tate could make this a group defenses won't be able to stop.

Stafford's numbers have dropped in recent years, as he no longer throws almost every play, but last season represented his highest quarterback rating since 2011. With an improved group of teammates around him, it could be time for a bounce-back season.

Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater might have earned more praise as a rookie and Cleveland Browns' Johnny Manziel certainly got more headlines, but Derek Carr quietly had a solid first year with the Oakland Raiders.

The second-round pick made some rookie mistakes, but he still finished with 3,270 passing yards and 21 touchdowns in his first year despite having few noteworthy targets on the roster. That last part will change this season with the additions of Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper.

Crabtree has had his issues with the San Francisco 49ers, but at his best he is a true No. 1 target with the hands to make up for bad throws. As for Cooper, few rookies come into the league with as much polish as the former Heisman finalist. He is an excellent route-runner and knows how to get himself open.

Andy Benoit of Sports Illustrated breaks down how this will affect the Raiders:

With open receivers who can make plays after the catch, Carr could be an effective fantasy option this season.

Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Counting on a rookie quarterback to produce is not necessarily a smart decision, but this could be a late-round flyer with a lot of upside.

Jameis Winston enters a great situation in Tampa Bay, despite the fact that the franchise hasn't reached the playoffs in seven years. The reasoning is that he comes into an offense that already has a quality receiving tandem in Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans, two 6'5" receivers who know how to win a jump ball.

Even if Winston struggles with his accuracy in his first year, Jackson and Evans have a wide catching radius and could add a lot of touchdowns to the stat sheet.

Most importantly, Winston has already been named the team's starter and should remain there all season long. He will get a lot of reps and should get better as the season continues.

Don't expect huge numbers right out of the gate, but the Florida State product is worthy of a roster spot heading into Week 1.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.