Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers: Who's Fantasy Football QB No. 1?

There certainly is a valid debate as to who the number one quarterback should be on our draft boards.  Based on their ADP, courtesy of Mock Draft Central, you can tell that fantasy owners are virtually split on the matter:

Aaron Rodgers - 9.66
Drew Bress - 12.01

They are both, on average, are being selected in the first round of fantasy drafts.  In mock drafts that I’ve done, I’ve seen it go both ways, each coming off the board first.

The weapons they have at their disposal are impressive.  It’s easy to say that Brees has the best receiver to throw the ball to, with Marques Colston on the outside (ranked 10th on our latest wide receiver rankings, which you can view by clicking here).

Add Devery Henderson, Lance Moore, and Robert Meachem to the mix, and it is a solid group on the outside.  Jeremy Shockey is no slouch at tight end, though he’s never played a full season and hasn’t exceeded 50 receptions in each of the past two seasons.

Of course, lets not forget the wild card, Reggie Bush, who has caught as many as 73 balls in a season.  While the numbers have been down the past two years, it’s hard to argue what is possible with him.

Let’s not underrate the group that the Packers have put together.  Greg Jennings is the equal of Colston, ranked just one spot behind him on our wide receiver rankings.  He’s posted back-to-back 1,100 yard campaigns and is just two years removed from a 12-touchdown season.  He clearly has the stuff of a top NFL receiver.

There are concerns about Donald Driver, coming off surgery to both knees, but the Packers too have ample depth.  Both Jordy Nelson and James Jones have the potential to emerge as solid options.

While I’ve suggested not getting overly excited about Jermichael Finley (click here for more thoughts on where he should be drafted among tight ends), there is no questioning his potential.  At this point, you would have to consider him the significantly better tight end option.

That advantage is lost in terms of receiving out of the backfield.  Ryan Grant has never had more then 30 receptions in a season, meaning Bush has a distinct edge.

All in all, you have to say that the weapons are comparable, and looking at the 2009 statistics, it would appear they both utilized their talents equally:

Rodgers - 4,434 yards, 30 TD, 7 INT
Brees - 4,388 yards, 34 TD, 11 INT

A virtual wash, and it’s fair to expect similarities again in 2010.  The major difference, and the real deciding factor, is their contribution in the ground game.

Brees is a virtual non-factor, only once exceeding 85 yards in a season (and that came in 2002).

Rodgers, meanwhile, has proven to be an asset in that department.  In his two years as a starter, he’s rushed for nine touchdowns.  Last season he added 316 rushing yards.  That’s a huge advantage, and enough for me to rank Rodgers atop my quarterback draft board (click here for our most recent rankings).

You can point to track records, but Rodgers has posted back-to-back big years, with nearly 8,500 passing yards.  He’s already proven to be one of the elite.

You really can’t go wrong with either option, but for me, the rushing advantage puts Rodgers at No. 1.

What about you?  Who do you think is the top fantasy quarterback?  Why?

Make sure to check out Rotoprofessor’s 2010 rankings:

• Top 25 Quarterbacks
• Top 40 Running Backs
• Top 60 Wide Receivers
• Top 20 Tight Ends
• Top 15 Kickers

Also, make sure to check out our recent rookie rankings:

• Top 5 Rookie RB
• Top 5 Rookie QB
• Top 5 Rookie WR
• Top 3 Rookie TE

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM/FOOTBALL