Fantasy Football Week 4 Projections: Is Tony Romo an Elite QB1?

The most important thing a fantasy quarterback must do for your team, other than have a 400-yard, four-touchdown performance, is to have more than one of them.

Consistency is key when choosing a starting quarterback, and unless you've chosen Michael Vick and all the risk that comes along with him, having a feast-or-famine player leading your fantasy team is not the ideal way to reach a league championship.

That's the issue right now with Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. He's had two 300-plus yard games with two touchdowns in each, and a third game in which he was held to 255 yards and an interception.

He's suffered from a broken rib, punctured lung injury combination that limited his mobility in Week 3, but that helped propel him to a career-highlight overtime win in Week 2.

And now, with an inexperienced center botching four snaps and Miles Austin replacing wide receiver Ben Ogletree—who repeatedly ran the wrong route in the team's Week 3 win over the Washington Redskins—Romo's ascent into the ranks of elite quarterbacks has been slowed, yet again.

That the Cowboys were able to win over Washington on the merit of six field goals doesn't say much about Romo's ability to be a consistent starting fantasy quarterback; it at least shows that he was able to do enough with what little he had and not lose the important divisional game for his team.

Unfortunately, a quarterback is really only as good as the players around him, and with a young offensive line and an injury-plagued receiving corps, Romo can't yet be labeled elite in fantasy or reality.

This week, the Cowboys take on the Detroit Lions and their fearsome pass rush. If you are thinking of starting Romo for your fantasy team, I would recommend reconsidering, especially if you have a QB2 with a better matchup.

Romo won't be completely healthy on Sunday, and he will again be without Austin and dealing with Ogletree's figure-it-out-as-I-go route running; not a good sign when facing the NFL's second-best defense.

While Romo has the potential to be an elite quarterback, both in the league and in the world of fantasy football, he has yet to fulfill it.

He's still quite a ways off from joining the Bradys, Breeses and Rodgerses of the world; the fact that he is currently sharing company with the Schaubs and the Sanchezes, however, shows things could be considerably worse.