Fantasy Football: 2011 NFC West Quarterback Situations

Ryan LesterMay 18, 2011

You might as well call it the NFC Mess. Aside from the St. Louis Rams, this division is riddled with questions.

Sam Bradford set the rookie completion record and truly delivered as the first overall pick. Bradford still has a ways to go before he can be considered a QB1, but he certainly has the makings of one. He only had six multiple touchdown games and just one 300-yard effort. Amazingly, he did it without many weapons. The Rams added tight end Lance Kendricks and receivers Austin Pettis and Gregory Salas in the NFL Draft.

Matt Hasselbeck would probably be the second best quarterback in the division if he returns to the Seattle Seahawks. That has become a major question mark. Charlie Whitehurst didn’t quite cut it. We’ll have to wait and see who wins the starting gig next year before we can say if their quarterback has fantasy value.

Alex Smith is expected to be back with the San Francisco 49ers, but Colin Kaepernick is expected to be the future. Smith can be a decent spot starter if he wins the job, but he may not respond well to looking over his shoulder. Seems like a situation to avoid.

Then you have the Arizona Cardinals, who are in dire need of an upgrade at the position. They are rumored to be the front runners in the Kevin Kolb sweepstakes. If he does land in the desert, he would instantly become the second best quarterback in the division. Other than St. Louis, this really is a wait-and-see division.