Fantasy Football Midseason Report Cards: Grading the Top 25 QBs
While quarterbacks generally aren't the first off the board in most drafts, they're the rock of any fantasy team.
Week in and week out, quarterbacks are typically one of the most consistent and reliable scoring options. It's no mere coincidence that quarterbacks populate the top of most scoring charts.
Rankings are based on total points scored over the first eight weeks of the season using ESPN's Standard Scoring System
Average Draft Position (ADP) is based on results from ESPN's Live Snake Drafts.
* An ADP of 170.0 means that player generally went undrafted in most fantasy football leagues.
25. Vince Young
1 of 25
ADP: 124.0
Passing Yards: 998 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 9 TD / 2 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 91 yards / 0 TD
Vince has been solid, if unspectacular through the first half of the season.
He has yet to break the 1,000 passing yard mark and he hasn't even thrown for double-digit touchdowns.
What's most troubling is the fact that he has only 91 rushing yards. His production on the ground is the reason why owners were interested in him on draft day and he simply has not produced in that department.
While Young has been playing relatively mistake-free football, he hasn't put up enough points to justify having him on your roster.
Young is currently sidelined by an injury, but when he does come back, he becomes an interesting pick up for one reason: Randy Moss is now a member of the Titans.
Tennessee may have possibly lost Kenny Britt for the rest of the season, but Moss more than makes up for the lack of talent at the wide receiver position.
First Half Grade: C-
24. Matt Hasselbeck
2 of 25
ADP: 170.0
Passing Yards: 1,408 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 6 TD / 7 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 41 yards / 2 TD
If Matt Hasselbeck is your No. 1 option at quarterback, let's just say you're in big trouble. Actually, doomed might be a better word.
Matt has had only one game in which you could say he had a productive day and actually helped your team out. This came in the first week of the season and it was his only multi-touchdown day through the air.
Hasselbeck has been pretty awful since, and he's not even recommendable as a matchup play against the worst defenses in the league.
First Half Grade: D
23. Michael Vick
3 of 25
ADP: 170.0
Passing Yards: 799 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 6 TD / 0 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 187 yards / 1 TD
Michael Vick was expected to do no more than get a handful of snaps behind center, mostly in the "Wildcat" system, as he backed up Kevin Kolb.
After Kolb went down to injury in the second quarter of the first game of the season, Vick took over and went absolutely wild. He threw for 175 yards and a touchdown with 103 rushing yards, all in roughly one half of a game.
He quickly supplanted Kolb as the starting quarterback and excelled in the role over the next two games. He posted 575 passing yards and connected with his receivers for five touchdowns while rushing for 67 yards and running in for a touchdown of his own.
In Week 4, Vick made a spectacular run and nearly broke the goal-line on a broken play. However, just before he was about to reach pay dirt, he was sandwiched between two defenders as he got absolutely crushed.
The resulting injury has kept him out of the last three contests, but he's set to make his triumphant return against the Colts.
What's most impressive is that in only two full games and two limited ones, he has posted enough points to be ranked 23rd overall among quarterbacks.
Spread his production over the first eight weeks of the season and he would easily be a top five quarterback.
First Half Grade: A
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
22. Shaun Hill
4 of 25
ADP: 170.0
Passing Yards: 1,309 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 9 TD / 7 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 78 yards / 0 TD
Shaun took over for Matt Stafford in the first game of the season.
While he's the butt of many jokes, he was fairly productive in his short time behind center. In the four full games he started, Hill put up respectable numbers as coach Schwartz opted to air it out as much as possible.
Hill learned the Lions' offensive system very quickly, which is to find Calvin Johnson and throw the ball to him as many times as possible.
Now that Stafford is back and healthy, Hill can be safely dropped. He wasn't a popular pick, but he probably helped at least a few owners win a few games.
First Half Grade: C
21. Matt Cassel
5 of 25
ADP: 170.0
Passing Yards: 1,196 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 10 TD / 3 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 38 yards / 0 TD
Matt went undrafted in most fantasy leagues and for good reason. He's one of the most bland quarterbacks with severely limited upside.
In Week 1, Cassel threw for 68 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers. He followed that up with a 176 passing yard, two interception game against the Browns.
Starting in Week 6 against the Texans, Cassel started to show signs of consistency. He has compiled 546 passing yards and six touchdowns without a single turnover since his dual with Matt Schaub.
Kansas is primarily a running team, so Cassel will be asked to do no more than manage the game. Luckily, he's been relatively mistake free. Too bad that doesn't translate into production at the quarterback position.
First Half Grade: C
20. Alex Smith
6 of 25
ADP: 143.0
Passing Yards: 1,554 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 9 TD / 9 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 43 yards / 0 TD
Alex has had a tumultuous season behind center for the 49ers. From sideline confrontations with head coach Mike Singletary to a recent injury, things are not going well for the former No. 1 overall pick.
Under offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye, the San Francisco offense was abysmal. When Raye was finally fired after the 49ers Week 3 loss, things didn't get immediately better, but Alex's production slowly went up.
In three weeks with Raye, Alex threw for 732 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions.
In the four weeks following Raye's replacement, Smith threw for 822 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions. Before getting injured in Week 7 against Carolina, Alex was actually having a productive game.
When Smith returns to action, he could potentially close out the season strong.
First Half Grade: C
19. Mark Sanchez
7 of 25
ADP: 122.4
Passing Yards: 1,356 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 9 TD / 4 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 27 yards / 0 TD
Mark started the season with a complete dud. He threw for a pitiful 74 yards against the Baltimore Ravens.
Facing the Patriots in Week 2, Mark suddenly flipped a switch and became a revelation behind center. He threw for 220 yards and three touchdowns, and that started a three-game streak in which he was one of the hottest quarterbacks in the NFL.
Then, the Vikings came into town and exposed Mark. Sanchez threw for less than 200 yards and couldn't find anyone in the end zone.
Mark followed that game up with another poor outing as he failed to top 200 passing yards for the second straight game, all while throwing two picks to only one touchdown.
Things got worse after the Jets' bye-week. The Packers were visiting and they completely shut out the Jets. Mark threw two interceptions and finished the game with a 43.3 QB rating.
Sanchez has come back down to earth after a three-game hot streak. Any talk of him moving into the upper echelon of quarterbacks this season are long gone.
First Half Grade: C-
18. Chad Henne
8 of 25
ADP: 129.8
Passing Yards: 1,669 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 8 TD / 7 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 2 yards / 0 TD
With Brandon Marshall taking his talents to South Beach during the offseason, Henne was expected to take a step forward in his third year in the league.
Brandon and Chad have flashed signs of strong chemistry developing between the two, but those were limited to only two games.
Even with one of the most sure-handed receivers in the game as his primary target, Chad has failed to make any sort of lasting impact. It's certainly troubling to see Marshall with only one touchdown catch to his name.
Henne has clearly improved over his first two seasons in the NFL, but it's mainly his weak touchdown-to-interception ratio that has cooled off expectations for the current season.
The Dolphins are giving Chad every chance to excel. He's been given the green light to throw, on average, about 34 times a game. Henne has had plenty of opportunities to really open up the offense, but the Dolphins air attack has been anything but spectacular.
First Half Grade: B-
17. Sam Bradford
9 of 25
ADP: 131.6
Passing Yards: 1,674 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 11 TD / 8 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 22 yards / 0 TD
When Bradford was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2010 NFL draft, he wasn't expected to do more than manage games and get the Rams at least a few more wins than the one-win campaign they had last year.
Instead, he's quickly risen to the top as candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year and he has St. Louis at 4-4, good enough for second place in the NFC West.
Sam has clearly played above expectations. He has at least four games where he has thrown two touchdowns and he's averaging 209.2 passing yards a game.
Despite his favorite receiver—Mark Clayton—ending up on Injured Reserve, Bradford has been steady and consistent as the Rams continue to defy expectations.
However, Clayton isn't the only receiver to go down to injury. Donnie Avery and Danario Alexander are also nicked up, and if Bradford had any consistency at the wide receiver position, he would most likely have much better numbers.
Bradford has a bright future ahead, and this may be the only season in which he falls to the late rounds of any fantasy draft.
First Half Grade: B+
16. Matt Schaub
10 of 25
ADP: 30.3
Passing Yards: 1,739 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 10 TD / 6 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 3 yards / 0 TD
Matt Schaub was the fifth overall quarterback drafted in fantasy football, but you wouldn't be able to tell from the way he has played this season.
The emergence of Arian Foster has changed the dynamic of this team. They no longer rely on Matt to air it out 35-plus times a game.
The Texans offensive line has had trouble protecting Matt as he has been sacked nearly three times a game. The constant pressure he faces has led to a lot of errant throws and he simply doesn't look comfortable in the pocket.
Nearly a third of Matt's passing yards came from the Texans first road game of the season against the Washington Redskins in which he threw for 497 yards.
Even with the best wide receiver—Andre Johnson—in the game at his side, he's had trouble throwing for more than 200 yards or one touchdown in nearly half his starts.
First Half Grade: D
15. David Garrard
11 of 25
ADP: 146.8
Passing Yards: 1,098 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 13 TD / 7 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 96 yards / 2 TD
Garrard has led owners on a roller coaster ride over the season.
David opened the season with a three touchdown effort against Denver, and then followed it up with a one touchdown, four interception game against San Diego.
He's only broken the 200 passing yard mark once this year, and it was by far his best game as he connected in the endzone four times and rushed it in himself once.
The Jaguars' QB is a boom or bust. His good games are all multi-touchdown efforts with at least three touchdowns in each outing. In his bad games, he's more likely to hurt your team than help it.
First Half Grade: B-
14. Eli Manning
12 of 25
ADP: 86.9
Passing Yards: 1, 785 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 14 TD / 11 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 11 yards / 0 TD
Eli finally broke the 4,000 passing yard barrier last season and he's on pace to do the same this year.
While Manning has thrown a lot of picks, many of those interceptions came from passes bouncing off the hands of his receivers. But those sort of mishaps don't make a difference in fantasy football. All they do is count as negative points.
He was drafted as a borderline QB1 for most teams and has underperformed.
The Giants have plenty of dangerous weapons for Eli to throw to, so he's always a multi-touchdown threat in any given week. As his receivers focus and haul in more catches without them bouncing off their hands, he should be a reliable option down the stretch.
First Half Grade: B
13. Tony Romo
13 of 25
ADP: 39.3
Passing Yards: 1,605 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 11 TD / 7 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 38 yards / 0 TD
Romo was taken seventh overall at the quarterback position. Those that drafted him expected a huge season with the emergence of Miles Austin and the addition of Dez Bryant.
Even with all the targets to throw to, Tony didn't have many stand out games while he was healthy.
Tony's 11-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio was nothing to admire.
While he threw just over 1,600 yards in five full games, he didn't put up the sort of production owners were expecting him to have early on.
It doesn't help that his season is all but officially over after the Giants' Michael Boley lit him up and essentially crushed the Cowboys' hopes.
First Half Grade: C+
12. Joe Flacco
14 of 25
ADP: 60.3
Passing Yards: 1,651 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 10 TD / 6 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 32 yards / 1 TD
Flacco was tagged as a breakout candidate in preseason. The addition of Anquan Boldin gave him a true No. 1 wide receiver to throw to, and those that drafted him pictured a monster season.
He started the season slow with a mediocre showing against the Jets and a four interception dud against the Bengals, but he has since picked up the pace.
Still, he was selected ninth overall among quarterbacks and has underperformed at his position.
First Half Grade: B-
11. Ryan Fitzpatrick
15 of 25
ADP: 170.0
Passing Yards: 1,200 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 12 TD / 5 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 159 yards / 0 TD
Ryan wasn't picked in most fantasy drafts as he started the season a backup quarterback in Buffalo. He didn't even get his first start until the third week of the season, yet he's produced the 11th highest point total for quarterbacks in only five games.
In four of his five games, Ryan's thrown for at least two touchdowns and at least 220 yards. He's also rushed, on average, 31.8 yards a game.
Fitzpatrick's 382 passing yard, four touchdown game against the Baltimore Ravens was a real eye-opener.
At this rate, Fitzpatrick will go down as one of the best waiver wire pickups of the year.
First Half Grade: A-
10. Donovan McNabb
16 of 25
ADP: 102.2
Passing Yards: 1,971 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 7 TD / 8 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 135 yards / 0 TD
McNabb got a fresh start when he was traded from the Eagles to the Redskins. Expectations were high for those in the Washington area prior to the start of the season.
Donovan doesn't have the same explosive weapons he had in Philly, but they're no pushovers. Santana Moss is still producing at a high level and he has one of the best tight ends in the game—Chris Cooley—to throw to.
McNabb has yet to throw more than one touchdown in a game and he has thrown more picks than scores.
In spite of these setbacks, he's on pace to reach nearly 4,000 passing yards for the season—if coach Shanahan doesn't bench him—and rush for nearly 270 yards.
First Half Grade: B
9. Tom Brady
17 of 25
ADP: 18.4
Passing Yards: 1,602 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 12 TD / 4 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 11 yards / 0 TD
Tom was taken fourth overall among quarterbacks. When owners drafted him, they envisioned the elite level production that comes with having Randy Moss and Wes Welker at wide receiver.
However, the sports world was shocked when Moss was traded to the Vikings after only a few short games. The aftermath of his departure was immediately apparent as Brady has yet to throw for more than one touchdown or 300 passing yards in three games since.
While the Patriots have the best record in the NFL, that means nothing for fantasy owners. At this rate, Brady is on pace for the fourth lowest passing total and the second lowest touchdown total of his career since becoming a starter.
First Half Grade: B
8. Josh Freeman
18 of 25
ADP: 170.0
Passing Yards: 1,533 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 8 TD / 3 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 176 yards / 0 TD
Josh Freeman—the second-year signal-caller out of Tampa Bay—has been one of the biggest surprises of the season thus far. He had an erratic rookie season after he got the starting nod halfway through the year. Tampa Bay finished with the third worst record in the league with Josh behind center.
This year was a blank slate, and Freeman has led the Buccaneers to a 5-2 record, good enough to be tied with Atlanta at the top of the NFC South. Tampa Bay is even ahead of the Saints, the reigning Superbowl champs.
Mike Williams—one of the leading candidates for Rookie of the Year—has formed a tight bond with Josh, and they have been wreaking havoc in the NFL.
After posting sub-200 passing yard games in the first three matchups of the season, Freeman has come on strong after the Buccaneers bye-week, with four consecutive 200-plus yard passing games.
Josh can also get it done on the ground as he's averaged 25.1 rushing yards per game.
First Half Grade: A-
7. Carson Palmer
19 of 25
ADP: 107.6
Passing Yards: 1,855 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 12 TD / 7 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 32 yards / 0 TD
Flanked by the two biggest divas in the NFL—Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens—Palmer has managed to keep the two happy, and most importantly, quiet.
Carson has two-plus touchdowns in five out of the seven games he has played in. In a shootout in Atlanta, he threw for 412 yards, and that is one of three games he has surpassed 345 passing yards in a game.
However, Carson also has some duds. He has three games that he has failed to top 200 passing yards.
Even though Palmer is no longer considered an elite quarterback, he has shown this season that he can still get the job done. He was drafted late as a backup quarterback and he has put up top 10 numbers at his position.
When you look at his numbers, you need to keep in mind that his biggest games came in garbage time, when the Bengals were trailing by a large deficit. However, this is fantasy football, so owners will take production however they can get it.
First Half Grade: B+
6. Matt Ryan
20 of 25
ADP: 99.6
Passing Yards: 1,714 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 12 TD / 5 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 64 yards / 0 TD
Matt Ryan currently leads the second-tier of fantasy football quarterbacks. He was drafted as a backup for most managers, but he's been playing like their first option.
After a sophomore slump, Ryan has pushed himself and the Falcons back to relevancy.
The Ryan-to-Roddy White duo is arguably the most dangerous QB-to-WR combination in the NFL right now. 747 of Ryan's 1,711 passing yards have all gone to White.
While Ryan has yet to top 300 passing yards in a single game, he's been effective and efficient through the first half of the season. He's on pace to top 3,000 passing yards for the first time in his career.
First Half Grade: A
5. Drew Brees
21 of 25
ADP: 7.1
Passing Yards: 2,334
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 16 TD / 11 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: -5 yards / 0 TD
Coming off a storybook run to a Superbowl victory, expectations were at an all-time high for Drew Brees.
Brees was the first quarterback taken off the board in most drafts, and he was selected in the first round where most managers target running backs. His putting up the fourth best production at his position certainly does not help his case.
Drew has already matched his interception total from last season and he's been uncharacteristically turnover prone—at least by his standards—this year. This is the worst touchdown-to-interception ratio that Drew has had in over seven years.
Even with all the downsides to his game, he still manages to find himself at the top five of his position. If he stays healthy, he'll easily surpass 4,000 passing yards for a season once again. This would mark the fifth consecutive season of breaking that mark.
In all but two games, Drew has also thrown for at least two touchdowns.
His strong performance against the Steelers last week are a good sign and he may finally be back on track to dominating at his position.
First Half Grade: A-
4. Aaron Rodgers
22 of 25
ADP: 9.2
Passing Yards: 2.011 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 12 TD / 9 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 132 yards / 3 TD
Aaron Rodgers walked away with fantasy football MVP last season and expectations were running high for him coming into the year.
He was taken second overall at the quarterback position—behind Drew Brees—in the first round of most fantasy football drafts.
While Aaron is on pace for another 4,000 yard passing season, his touchdown-to-interception ratio leaves a lot to be desired. He posted over a four-to-one ratio last season, but is currently throwing at a four-to-three ratio and is on pace to throw nearly six less touchdowns than he did last season.
On the plus side, Rodgers has already broken the goal-line for three rushing touchdowns. Even with his rushing yards down, he's currently on pace to surpass his rushing touchdown total from last year.
First Half Grade: A-
3. Kyle Orton
23 of 25
ADP: 139.5
Passing Yards: 2,509 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 12 TD / 5 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 90 yards / 0 TD
Kyle Orton was a widely unheralded name in the NFL. Many considered him nothing more than a "game manager".
Un-savvy owners almost completely ignored him on draft day as he was generally taken as the 22nd overall quarterback, just a few picks ahead of Derek Anderson.
Under Broncos' coach Josh McDaniel, Orton has blossomed into an elite quarterback in the fantasy football realm.
With the running game an afterthought in Denver, coach McDaniel unleashed Orton on opposing defenses as he picked them apart with precision passing. He's been practically matchup proof as he's marched into games against some of the best defenses and walked away with solid numbers across the board.
Orton has an embarrassment of riches at the wide receiver position—even with Brandon Marshall leaving—with four receivers capable of playing at a high level in the offensive system employed in Denver. He's an equal opportunity passer and generally throws to whoever is open, making him an efficient quarterback.
Kyle is currently only 140 passing yards behind Phillip Rivers, and his 313.6 passing yards per game average tops even that of Peyton Manning himself. He's on pace to exceed 5,000 passing yards for the season.
First Half Grade: A+
2. Peyton Manning
24 of 25
ADP: 13.2
Passing Yards: 2,184 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 15 TD / 2 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: -6 yards / 0 TD
Peyton has been the model of consistency over the course of his career. He gets MVP consideration nearly every season for his masterful work behind center.
The Colts have been hit with a rash of injuries and Peyton continues to produce at an elite level despite all of this. He elevates the play of everyone around him and he's capable of turning the least known commodities in fantasy football into elite level talents.
Manning is averaging 312 passing yards per game and currently sports an absurd 15-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He rarely makes mistakes and you can always count on Peyton to make the right decisions.
First Half Grade: A+
1. Philip Rivers
25 of 25
ADP: 34.7
Passing Yards: 2,649 yards
Touchdowns/Interceptions: 15 TD / 7 INT
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: 33 yards / 0 TD
With Vincent Jackson intent on holding out for the entire season, Rivers was overlooked in many drafts as he was generally picked sixth overall among quarterbacks.
Philip has the most passing yards through the first eight games of the season by any quarterback in NFL history and he's on pace to break several single-season records.
Rivers has topped 400 passing yards on two occasions this year, and he reached at least 300 yards five times, matching his career high in only eight games. He's averaging 331.1 passing yards per game and is besting his previous career high by 65 yards.
Antonio Gates has become Rivers' favorite target and the two are arguably the most dangerous 1-2 punch in the NFL right now.
What's more impressive is the fact that his top two wide receivers—Malcolm Floyd and Legedu Naanee—have missed nearly a quarter of the season.
With a relatively soft schedule the rest of the way, Rivers should have no trouble keeping up the production. In fact, with Vincent Jackson and Malcolm Floyd set to return to the starting lineup soon, he could potentially post even better numbers.
First Half Grade: A+
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")