Dr Stats 2008 Fantasy Football Draft Guide Quarterback Rankings

Whether you're a casual player who plays in a league or two just for fun, or a hardcore player who lives to dominate in multiple leagues, we all love the excitement and competition that fantasy football provides. However, preparation is vital. Here are Dr. Stat's rankings for the quarterback position. 1) Tom Brady, New England Patriots After throwing for over 4,800 yards and a record 50 touchdown passes last season, Brady is the clear number one QB this season. However, don't expect 50 TDs again and expect opposing defenses to defend more against the pass and force the Patriots to run the ball. He'll be just as efficient as last season, when his 117.2 passer rating was good for second all-time, and he has that Moss guy to throw to. Brady should be the first QB off the board this season, but don't take him higher than eighth in the first round. 2007 Stats: 4,806 YDS, 50 TD, 8 INT 2008 Fantasy Prognosis: 4,410 YDS, 40 TD, 12 INT 2) Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts The elder Manning brother is as reliable as they come. In 10 NFL seasons, he's never missed a game and has never thrown for less than 3,700 yards or for fewer than 26 TDs. Despite not having Marvin Harrison for most of last season, Peyton still racked up another 4,000+ yard, 30+ TD season. He makes good decisions too, as he's thrown more than 15 INTs in a season only three times. 2007 Stats: 4,040 YDS, 31 TD, 14 INT 2008 Fantasy Prognosis: 4,185 YDS, 34 TD, 15 INT 3) Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys It's only fitting that this brash gunslinger plays in Dallas. He takes a lot of chances and manages to pull off the types of plays that most quarterbacks wouldn't dare attempt. He's got a pair of major weapons in Owens and Witten and loves to throw the deep ball. Expect another explosive and provocative season from Romo. Anyone want to take bets on which lucky lady will be his next celebrity girlfriend? 2007 Stats: 4,211 YDS, 36 TD, 19 INT 2008 Fantasy Prognosis: 4,225 YDS, 35 TD, 20 INT 4) Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints Jeremy Shockey coming to town will open up the Saints offense even more and give Brees both another target and a Marques Colston who will be open more often. He set an NFL record for completions with 440 last season. I expect Brees to produce his third consecutive 4,400+ yard, 26+ TD season. 2007 Stats: 4,423 YDS, 28 TD, 18 INT 2008 Fantasy Prognosis: 4,505 YDS, 29 TD, 16 INT 5) Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers Big Ben threw for fewer yards last season than in 2006, but he threw 14 more TDs and 12 fewer INTs and finished with a QB rating of 104.1. He's not afraid to throw the ball downfield and now has Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes and 6'4" rookie Limas Sweed as targets, not to mention TE Heath Miller. 2007 Stats: 3,154 YDS, 32 TD, 11 INT 2008 Fantasy Prognosis: 3,625 YDS, 31 TD, 15 INT 6) Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals Palmer let fantasy owners down last season, throwing a league-leading 20 INTs and only throwing just five TDs throughout the final five weeks. Chad Johnson is being, well, Chad Johnson, and Chris Henry has left town. Ben Utecht could turn out to be a big help, but there's too many questions surrounding the Bengals right now to warrant a higher ranking for Palmer. That said, I still expect a rebound season from the former Heisman Trophy winner. 2007 Stats: 4,131 YDS, 26 TD, 20 INT 2008 Fantasy Prognosis: 3,960 YDS, 24 TD, 18 INT 7) Derek Anderson, Cleveland Browns He came out of nowhere last season and threw for 3,787 yards and 29 TDs, but can we really expect him to repeat those numbers this season? With Donte Stallworth joining Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow in the Browns receiving corps, Anderson won't have any shortage of targets. Two things to consider though: One, he threw 10 INTs and 9 TDs in weeks 11-17 last season. Two, the Browns schedule is much, much more daunting this season. I'm not at all saying that Anderson will flop this season; I'm just recommending that you have realistic expectations and not draft him higher than you should. Oh, and there's that Quinn guy still walking around camp with a clipboard. 2007 Stats: 3,787 YDS, 29 TD, 19 INT 2008 Fantasy Prognosis: 3,900 YDS, 28 TD, 17 INT 8) Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks Deion Branch has a knee injury and could be ready for week one, but we know better by now. Bobby Engram is out 6-8 weeks with a cracked shoulder. That leaves Seattle with Nate Burleson and Bryan Gilmore as the only receivers who have ever started an NFL game. Thus, who will Hasselbeck throw to? Jordan Kent and Ben Obomanu, anyone? Despite all this, we know Hasselbeck will still find a way to get it done. He'll be good for another 3,000+ yard/20+ TD season, but don't ask me who will catch them. 2007 Stats: 3,966 YDS, 28 TD, 12 INT 2008 Fantasy Prognosis: 3,330 YDS, 22 TD, 13 INT 9) Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles There's a better chance that Terrell Owens keeps his mouth shut all season than McNabb stays healthy all season. The last time he played 16 games in a season was 2003. His top receiving duo consists of Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis, who can be deep threats but are hardly consistent. McNabb's value is heightened by his rushing ability, as he ran 50 times for 236 yards last season. As always, he'll rushing a few scores in himself, but make sure you draft a solid backup to play the weeks that McNabb sits out. 2007 Stats: 3,324 YDS, 19 TD, 7 INT 2008 Fantasy Prognosis: 3,150 YDS, 19 TD, 9 INT 10) Jay Cutler, Denver Broncos His numbers last season (3,497/20/14) don't jump off the page at you, but Cutler is a serious sleeper who could have a breakout season. Brandon Marshall is a beast and he and Cutler could potentially be one of the top QB/WR combos in the league this year. He threw seven TDs and two picks in the final four games last season and finished fourth among QBs in rushing. 3,700 yards and 25 TDs are not out of the question for Cutler this season. 2007 Stats: 3,497 YDS, 20 TD, 14 INT 2008 Fantasy Prognosis: 3,615 YDS, 23 TD, 15 INT 11) Eli Manning, New York Giants Super Bowl champion or not, Eli is not an elite fantasy quarterback. Every time he throws a pass that flutters like a buckshot duck, we all hold our breath. He throws too many picks and fumbles too many snaps to make up for the ratio of touchdowns he throws. In three full seasons, Eli has averaged 24 TDs, 18 INTs and 10 fumbles. Maybe last year improved his confidence, which will in turn improve his decision making ability, but don't expect him to suddenly rocket to fantasy QB stud status. 2007 Stats: 3,336 YDS, 23 TD, 20 INT 2008 Fantasy Prognosis: 3,490 YDS, 25 TD, 18 INT 12) Brett Favre, New York Jets In case you just came back from a two-month vacation to Neptune, Brett Favre is a New York Jet. He's 38 and plays like he's 22. He won't duplicate last season's numbers, but he's got a nice pair of receivers in Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery. The Jets schedule is a formidable one and we're all tired of the Favre coverage, but you can still feel confident about drafting him as your fantasy team's starting QB. 2007 Stats: 4,155 YDS, 28 TD, 15 INT 2008 Fantasy Prognosis: 3,745 YDS, 24 TD, 16 INT 13) Marc Bulger, St. Louis Rams Bulger's success this season will be impacted greatly by the health of Steven Jackson. The lack of both a running game and an offensive line last season left him banged up and accounting for 11 TDs and 15 INTs. He'll bounce back this season, but how well is the question. Temper your expectations for Bulger this season. 2007 Stats: 2,392 YDS, 11 TD, 15 INT 2008 Fantasy Prognosis: 3,200 YDS, 19 TD, 14 INT 14) Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers Rivers greatest asset is having the best running back in football, as LT opens up the passing game. Rivers was inconsistent last season, but threw ten TDs and three INTs over the final six weeks. His rating was over 100 in each of the final three games. With Tomlinson, Antonio Gates and Chris Chambers as targets, Rivers should have a very solid season. 2007 Stats: 3,152 YDS, 21 TD, 15 INT 2008 Fantasy Prognosis: 3,300 YDS, 23 TD, 16 INT 15) David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville's offense revolves around the running game, which limits Garrard's value but helps him at the same time, as it limits his chances to make mistakes (three picks last season). He goes deep less often than David Eckstein, but is effective in the short passing game and is dangerous when he scrambles or takes it himself. 2007 Stats: 2,509 YDS, 18 TD, 3 INT 2008 Fantasy Prognosis: 2,800 YDS, 19 TD, 8 INT 16) Matt Schaub, Houston Texans: He was fifth in the league in completion percentage last season. A heathly Andre Johnson makes Schaub a solid fantasy backup. 17) Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers: The Packers are committed to him and his value could skyrocket. 18) Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins: He could thrive in Jim Zorn's new system. 19) Jake Delhomme, Carolina Panthers: His receiving corps of Smith, Hackett and Muhammad is pretty solid, but I don't trust him. 20) Jon Kitna, Detroit Lions: His value exited the premises with Mike Martz. Quarterback To Avoid Vince Young, Tennessee Titans: He's mobile, but inaccurate. His legs are his best weapon and last year's line (169.7 YPG/9 TD/17 INT) is hardly attractive. Quarterback Sleepers Matt Leinart, Arizona Cardinals: He'll play in the red zone this season and has a pair of crazy weapons in Fitzgerald and Boldin. Just make sure you also draft Kurt Warner. Brady Quinn, Cleveland Browns: He can throw the deep ball, but won't see much playing time unless Anderson gets hurt or self-destructs. Rookie Quarterback to Watch Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons: He'll have to learn the ropes and will take his share of lumps, so should really only be drafted in keeper leagues, leagues that start two quarterbacks and leagues with deep rosters. Thanks for reading! As always, feedback and discussion are encouraged and welcomed. Everyone has their own opinions on fantasy football, and I'd love to hear yours. Be sure to watch for the rest of my 2008 Fantasy Football Draft Kit, coming throughout the next two weeks, in which I'll provide my rankings for RB, WR, TE and DEF/K. Throughout the NFL season, I'll be providing four free columns per week, loaded with advice to help you win your league and dominate your friends. Starting this week, I'll be hosting a Fantasy Football Chat session, held every Friday at 7PM EST over at rootzoo.com. Be sure to use the RootZoo.com FantasyZone for all your fantasy sports news and advice. Above all, have fun!

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