Fantasy Football Top 25 Quarterbacks for 2011: Updated as of Aug. 9

It appears like the Kyle Orton rumors fell flat, as he is still a Denver Bronco and wreaking havoc for fantasy owners who had been looking to Tim Tebow to step up and be a viable option. 

Let’s take a look at how that decision, as well as other recent news, has changed the landscape among quarterbacks:

1. Aaron Rodgers – Green Bay Packers
2. Philip Rivers – San Diego Chargers
3. Michael Vick – Philadelphia Eagles
4. Peyton Manning – Indianapolis Colts
5. Drew Brees – New Orleans Saints
6. Tom Brady – New England Patriots
7. Tony Romo – Dallas Cowboys
8. Matt Ryan – Atlanta Falcons
9. Matt Schaub – Houston Texans
10. Ben Roethlisberger – Pittsburgh Steelers
11. Eli Manning – New York Giants
12. Joe Flacco – Baltimore Ravens
13. Josh Freeman – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
14. Sam Bradford – St. Louis Rams
15. Matthew Stafford – Detroit Lions
16. Kevin Kolb – Arizona Cardinals
17. Matt Cassell – Kansas City Chiefs
18. Jay Cutler – Chicago Bears
19. Mark Sanchez – New York Jets
20. Matt Hasselbeck – Tennessee Titans
21. Ryan Fitzpatrick – Buffalo Bills
22. Donovan McNabb – Minnesota Vikings
23. Kyle Orton – Denver Broncos
24. Cam Newton – Carolina Panthers
25. Chad Henne – Miami Dolphins

Thoughts:

With Kyle Orton still on the roster, it appears like he may open the season as the starting QB, with Tim Tebow on the bench. Without a starting job, Tebow falls to QB3 status for fantasy owners. 

He has a ton of upside and is well worth considering, but he can’t be drafted as a QB2 in two-quarterback formats at this point.

When Zach Miller bolted Oakland for Seattle he took the majority of Jason Cambpell’s potential fantasy value along with him. Sure, Kevin Boss is a fine replacement, but we all know that he doesn’t offer the same upside of Miller. 

Consider Campbell a low-end bench option and nothing more.

Of course, Campbell’s lose is Tarvaris’ Jackson’s gain, though he still falls just short of the top 25 for me.

The tight end carousel also affected Eli Manning, who loses a viable option and safety net (despite having 35 receptions in 2010). Of course Joe Flacco also lost a target, with Derrick Mason heading off the New York and leaving the Ravens to depend on rookie Torrey Smith as a starting wide receiver. 

It’s tough to rank Josh Freeman above either of them heading into the draft, but the move is certainly under consideration, and I wouldn’t blame anyone for drafting him above either of them.

According to the Bengals’ official website (click here for the article), “It looks like it is Dalton’s job to lose. Gradkowski is the classic No. 2 systems quarterback. The battle is at three, where Palmer’s experience has given him the edge.

First question: Dalton needs all the snaps he can get, so does that mean the first offensive line plays all the way with him? And will Palmer and LeFevour get enough snaps to figure it out?” 

It does bring intrigue to Dalton, but with so many questions surrounding the team it makes him a tough player to trust as a starting option, even in two-quarterback formats.

Make sure to check out all of the early rankings from Rotoprofessor:

• Top 30 Running Backs
• Top 35 Wide Receivers
• Top 20 Tight Ends
• Top 15 Kickers