NFL Fantasy Football 2011: Early Offseason Quarterback Power Rankings

Ryan Lester

May 31, 2011

We are still unsure if there will be a 2011 season or not, but fantasy football players need to start thinking about the season as we approach the month of June.

1. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers: A concussion ended his 4,000-yard streak at two, but 3,922 is close enough. Add 28 passing touchdowns, a career-high 356 rushing yards and four rushing scores and you’re looking at the number one fantasy quarterback option once again.

2. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints: Brees puts up better passing numbers, but the rushing numbers distinguishes Rodgers as the premier fantasy quarterback.

3. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers: Three straight 4,000 yard seasons. Like Brees, it does not really matter who he is throwing to.

4. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles: As explosive as they come. He easily could be the number one fantasy quarterback, but he comes with an injury risk. Not to mention a regression risk because Vick never had a season near last year’s monster campaign.

5. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts: Ho hum. Another epic season for Manning. The Colts added some pass protection, but it could take some time to gel without adequate OTA time.

6. Tom Brady, New England Patriots: His overall numbers were great, but he is more likely to drop a dud than the top five, which is why I have him ranked at six. When all is said and done, he will likely have another big year.

7. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys: He has the weapons and the ability. It’s a matter of staying healthy and mentally tough enough to deliver. Adding a solid backup is a must.

8. Matt Schaub, Houston Texans: The Texans should have improved on defense, which means he’s more likely to repeat last year’s form than his 2009 production.

9. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers: Ben’s troubles could work in his favor this year as he has experience with getting up to speed quickly.

10. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons: Ryan got a shiny new toy when the Falcons traded up to grab Julio Jones. We know he is a talented quarterback in reality. This year he takes the next step on the fantasy side.

11. Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams: Bradford set the rookie completion record and should only get better thanks to the experience he gained last year.

12. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens added Anquan Boldin last year and Torrey Smith this year to help Flacco continue to progress.

13. Eli Manning, New York Giants: It’s easy to get on Eli for his 25 picks, but he reached 4,000 yards for the second straight year and set a career high with 31 TD passes.

14. Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Freeman’s numbers are bloated from a five-touchdown performance against Seattle. While I think he’ll throw more than the six interceptions he tossed last year, I think he finally collects a rushing touchdown.

15. Matt Cassel, Kansas City Chiefs: Cassel took a step forward, throwing for 31 touchdown passes last year and forming a great bond with Dwayne Bowe. They added Jonathan Baldwin to keep the defenses honest.