Fantasy Football Rankings 2011: Aaron Rodgers and the Updated QB Rankings

Ryan LesterJun 7, 2018

Here’s an updated look at my 2011 fantasy football quarterback rankings.

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 No. 1 fantasy quarterback option once again.

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

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3. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers: Three-straight 4,000-yard seasons—like Brees, it doesn’t really matter to whom Rivers is throwing.

4. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles: As explosive as they come, Vick easily could be the No. 1 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. Tom Brady, New England Patriots: His overall numbers were great, but Brady is more likely to drop a dud game than the rest of the tier, which is why I have him ranked at six.

When all is said and done, he will likely have another big year. Ocho’s arrival gives him yet another weapon.

6. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts: Okay, so I’m starting to panic a little.

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 Schaub’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 since 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, Ryan 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. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions: Stafford is the type of player who could move up the rankings during the season, but his injury history prevents him from going higher than 15.

16. Kevin Kolb, Arizona Cardinals: Now that he’s in the desert with Larry Fitzgerald, he moves up a few slots.

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

18. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears: Cutler makes a lot of mistakes, but he does some amazing things. We’ll have to see where his mind is after last year ended on such a sour note with his toughness being questioned.

The addition of Roy Williams is nice, but I can’t figure out why Johnny Knox got demoted.

19. Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos: He wasn’t on the initial list because early indications were that Orton would be dealt and Tebow would start. If the team struggles, Tebow could get another chance, making Orton a risky backup pick.

20. Mark Sanchez, New York Jets: I don’t love Mark Sanchez as a fantasy player. I think he’s a better reality player, but the latter stages of the QB2 start bringing up some pretty big questions.

Time will tell if Derrick Mason and Plaxico have anything left in the tank.

21. Donovan McNabb, Minnesota Vikings: The move to Minnesota gives Donovan McNabb a chance to restore his reputation and fantasy value. Losing Sidney Rice didn’t help, but McNabb should be in a much better place mentally and physically.

22. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo Bills: Fitzpatrick and the Bills were one of the biggest surprises last year.

Can they repeat? I’m a little skeptical, but I wouldn’t mind having Fitz as my QB2. Losing Lee Evans could hurt, though.

23. Matt Hasselbeck, Tennessee Titans: I dumped both rookie quarterbacks I had on the past list for two vets: Hasselbeck and McNabb.

Assuming Chris Johnson gets paid and Kenny Britt can avoid suspension, Hasselbeck has enough weapons to be a low-end QB2.

24. Jason Campbell, Oakland Raiders: Not a fantasy star, but Campbell did solidify the Raiders’ offense.

25. David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars: Garrard will get the start initially, but if Jacksonville struggles, they could start the Blaine Gabbert era sooner rather than later.

26. Colt McCoy, Cleveland Browns: McCoy got some seasoning as a rookie and is well-suited for the West Coast offense.

27. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals: Perhaps Dalton will be the only rookie who begins the year as the starter. There will be a learning curve, but he shouldn’t be asked to do too much.

28. Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers: Last chance, Alex.

29. Tarvaris Jackson, Seattle Seahawks: I don’t love him, but he has some decent weapons at his disposal. Jackson could lose the gig to Charlie Whitehurst if he continues to struggle, though.

30. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers: He will likely start out of the gate because Jimmy Clausen missed his chance.

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