NFL Fantasy Football: Is Blaine Gabbert Worth Selecting in Re-Draft Leagues?

Blaine Gabbert is one of the few rookie quarterbacks that is going to get a chance to start out of the gate. That’s if he can beat out incumbent David Garrard.

While Garrard is not a bad quarterback by any means, there is definitely an argument to be made for starting the Gabbert era sooner rather than later.

Garrard has been a highly accurate quarterback, completing over 60 percent of his passes for the past four season. Over that stretch he was on target 62.7 percent of the time. Considering he hasn’t exactly had elite receivers to work with makes the numbers that much more impressive. Garrard threw for 71 touchdowns with just 41 interceptions.

He has also shown the ability to deliver with his feet, averaging 277.3 yards at a 4.2 yards per carry clip over the past four years. Garrard added another 11 rushing touchdowns to his totals.

So why would you want to replace an effective quarterback?

For starters, he’s 33. I know Brett Favre and Warren Moon (among others) continued to play at a high level long after turning 33. There have been even more quarterbacks that have gone the wrong direction. Besides, when the Jaguars used a 10th-round pick on Gabbert, any notion that Garrard was still their franchise quarterback was quickly put to rest.

Plus, Garrard’s effectiveness has not translated to team success. Since Garrard made a name for himself in 2007 during the Jaguars' playoff run, the team has been a combined 20-28. When you’re not winning and you have a shiny new toy on the sidelines, the calls from the fans for a change can become deafening.

Speaking of fans, as a NFL team that is less stable financially than most, I’m sure they are cognizant of how important Gabbert could be for ticket sales. Jags fans have watched Garrard play. Aside from winning, the next closest thing to putting butts in the seats is hope.

Even if Gabbert starts, his production will likely be inconsistent. The condensed training camp simply limited the amount of reps he received. I wouldn’t hesitate to draft Gabbert in dynasty leagues or two-quarterback leagues, but I’d employ a wait-and-see approach in redraft leagues.

What’s your take?

Also check out:

2011 Fantasy Football QB Rankings
2011 Fantasy Football RB Rankings
2011 Fantasy Football RB Rankings - PPR
2011 Fantasy Football WR Rankings
2011 Fantasy Football TE Rankings
2011 Fantasy Football DEF Rankings
2011 Fantasy Football IDP Rankings
2011 Fantasy Football K Rankings