Fantasy Football Week 1 Rankings: Top 15 Quarterbacks

It's Christmas morning in fantasy football-land, as tonight's game between the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers kicks off the 2011 NFL season and signals the beginning of another glorious year of fantasy football.

It also means that it's crunch time for fantasy owners making last-minute decisions about their starting lineups for the season's opening week, and among those decisions is who to choose as their Week 1 starter at quarterback.

To aid those fantasy owners here are the top 15 signal-callers in fantasy football, from borderline backups to must-start studs.

15. Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. DET)

2010 Stats: 291 of 474, 3,451 yards, 25 touchdowns, 6 interceptions

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman may be hard-pressed to duplicate his top 10 fantasy finish from 2010, but in an opening week tilt with a Detroit Lions defense that allowed the eighth most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in 2010 he at least merits consideration as a low-end QB1.

14. Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams (vs. PHI)

2010 Stats: 354 of 590, 3,512 yards, 18 touchdowns, 15 interceptions

The St. Louis Rams are counting on second year pro Sam Bradford to lead their offense and help them contend in the NFC West, and while their Sunday tilt with the Philadelphia Eagles presents an uphill climb Bradford could still have a decent fantasy outing, even if some of those numbers come in "garbage time."

13. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears (vs. ATL)

2010 Stats: 261 of 432, 3,274 yards, 23 touchdowns, 16 interceptions

Starting Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is the fantasy football equivalent of Russian Roulette, as the sixth year veteran is as capable of a great statistical performance as he is of laying an egg, and this week against the Atlanta Falcons should be no different.

12. Eli Manning, New York Giants (at WAS)

2010 Stats: 339 of 538, 4,002 yards, 31 touchdowns, 25 touchdowns

Eli Manning of the New York Giants was a top 12 fantasy option at his position a year ago, has a pair of more than capable wide receivers at his disposal in Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham, and faces a Washington Redskins team in Week 1 that was 31st in the NFL against the pass in 2010, but his propensity for making boneheaded throws makes him a risky fantasy option as a starting QB.

11. Kevin Kolb, Arizona Cardinals (vs. CAR)

2010 Stats: 115 of 189, 1,197 yards, seven touchdowns, seven interceptions (seven games)

Kevin Kolb comes over from the Philadelphia Eagles to become the new man under center for the Arizona Cardinals, and with an opening week matchup at home against a Carolina Panthers team that should be among the NFL's worst in 2011 Kolb is a decent spot start for teams with a platoon situation at the position.

10. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (at CHI)

2010 Stats: 357 of 571, 3,705 yards, 28 touchdowns, nine interceptions

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan set career highs in yardage and touchdowns in his third NFL season last year, but with a game against a Bears defense that allowed the fifth fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in 2010 on tap don't expect a huge statistical outing from "Matty Ice" Sunday.

9. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints (at GB)

2010 Stats: 448 of 658, 4,620 yards, 33 touchdowns, 22 interceptions

Drew Brees posted yet another sick statistical season in 2010, topping 4,000 passing yards for the fifth consecutive year and finishing sixth at his position in fantasy points, but Brees faces a Green Bay secondary that intercepted the second most passes in the league a year ago and finished 2010 fifth in pass defense.

8. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers (at BAL)

2010 Stats: 240 of 389, 3,200 yards, 17 touchdowns, five interceptions (12 games)

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers open the 2011 campaign with a trip to Baltimore to play their arch-rivals, and while Roethlisberger's numbers in two games against the 21st ranked pass defense in the NFL a year ago were far from mind-blowing they were decent, and he always seems to make the big play to doom the Ravens.

7. Matt Schaub, Houston Texans (vs. IND)

2010 Stats: 365 of 574, 4,370 yards, 24 touchdowns, 12 interceptions

If the Houston Texans are ever going to usurp the Indianapolis Colts for AFC South supremacy this is season for them to do it, so look for quarterback Matt Schaub and the Texans offense to come out firing in an effort to show that there is indeed a new sheriff in town.

6. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys (at NYJ)

2010 Stats: 148 of 213, 1,605 yards, 11 touchdowns, seven interceptions (six games)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was well on his way to a top 10 fantasy finish in 2010 before a broken collarbone ended his season after six games, and with a prime time tilt against the New York Jets in which Dallas will likely have to move the ball through the air to win coming up, it will be up to Romo to show that's he back to top form and ready to re-join the elite group of signal callers in the NFL.

5. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers (vs. MIN)

2010 Stats: 357 of 541, 4,710 yards, 30 touchdowns, 13 interceptions

Philip Rivers of the San Diego Chargers led the National Football League in passing yards last season, and with a potent group of pass catchers at his disposal including wide receiver Vincent Jackson and tight end Antonio Gates the eighth year veteran should be able to start the 2011 season off strong at home against a Minnesota pass defense that was mediocre last season in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks.

4. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (at TB)

2010 Stats: 57 of 96, 535 yards, six touchdowns, one interception (three games)

If Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford can stay on the field for the entire 2011 season he's the sort of value pick that can win fantasy leagues, with talent galore and a strong supporting cast. That quest begins Sunday at Tampa Bay against a Buccaneers defense that was strong against the pass in 2010 statistically but struggled at times against elite quarterbacks, as evidenced by Drew Brees dismantling them in Tampa last year.

3. Tom Brady, New England Patriots (at MIA)

2010 Stats: 324 of 492, 3,900 yards, 36 touchdowns, four touchdowns

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady may find it difficult to repeat his 2010 MVP season, in which he threw for a mind-boggling 36 touchdowns versus only four interceptions, but with top 10 fantasy finishes at his position in four of the past five seasons Brady is a safe bet to once again rank among the very best fantasy options at his position, beginning with a matchup against the Dolphins next Monday night.

2. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (vs. NO)

2010 Stats: 312 of 475, 3,922 yards, 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 356 rushing yards, four touchdowns

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers was the top signal-caller in fantasy football in 2010, and is one of the few quarterbacks that adds a significant amount of fantasy value for his owners with his legs, scoring four rushing touchdowns a year ago. Rodgers Week 1 showdown with the New Orleans Saints is far from ideal, but the seventh year vet showed last year that he has become one of the few players at his position in the NFL that is effectively matchup-proof.

1. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles (at STL)

2010 Stats: 233 of 372, 3,018 yards, 21 touchdowns, six interceptions, 676 yards, nine touchdowns (12 games)

There may be no more polarizing player in fantasy football this year than quarterback Michael Vick of the Philadelphia Eagles, with one camp believing his gaudy stats in 2010 were an aberration that will not be repeated this year and another just as convinced that they are only a harbinger of things to come. Regardless of which camp you belong to (if it matters I lean towards the former), it's hard not to like his matchup indoors this week against a St. Louis Rams team that was in the bottom half of the NFL last year in both pass defense and fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks.