2011 Quarterback Sleepers

QB Sleepers:
  
       Josh Freeman: While he won’t go under the radar like he did last year, Freeman definitely has the talent to produce even better. I would not be surprised if he puts up top 10 maybe even top 7 numbers.  With his running ability and improving Bucs' offense, he could be a steal in the middle rounds.

      JaMarcus Russell:  Last year, Plaxico Burress was ranked ahead of Russell in last year’s ESPN preseason rankings.  What this means is that a man who was in jail was more likely to score more points than Russell.  I expect Russell to consume at least 100 hot dogs and 250 Wendy’s Baconators during the season, with potential to exceed our expecations.

       Kevin Kolb: With Larry Fitzgerald as his new best friend, Kolb has a chance to develop into a solid fantasy quarterback. He has shown flashes of potential but is still far from proven in limited starts. He sports a mediocre 73.2 passer rating but will have his chance to improve on that with a fresh new start. Kolb should definitely be available in the late rounds and is worth a shot as a solid backup and potential to be a low end starter.

Deeper QB Sleepers:

       Tim Tebow:  While many still question whether or not Tebow can be a capable quarterback in the NFL, I have no doubt in my mind he will.  And despite my love for the greatest college quarterback, I do not expect that to happen this season.  But Tebow has something that only Rodgers, Vick, and Freeman have: running ability.  In the three games Tebow started, he scored 22, 22, and 27 fantasy points.  He helped those few owners out who started him during the fantasy playoff weeks with very solid numbers. 51% of his fantasy points came from his rushing stats and that is why he is a decent fantasy option this season and a great late round pick. This is IF he starts.

      Ryan Fitzpatrick:  He started last year on fire and some people pegged him as a must start option. Teehee. Nope. But I do think Fitzpatrick, the Harvard grad, has some potential to come close to last year’s first half.  While I would not neccessarily draft him, I would keep tabs on him for the week 8 bye of Rodgers, Ryan, and Freeman. Fitzpatrick has an excellent matchup against Washington’s defense.

       Jason Campbell:  A quarterback who has never lived up to expectations, Campbell has a chance for a decent year with loads of speed around him.  Assuming Coach Tom Cable doesn’t randomly bench him for the incapable Bruce Gradkowski, don’t be surprised if Campbell finally puts in a good one.

2011 Fantasy QB Rankings

Ranking   Player                  Bye Week

1           Aaron Rodgers       8
2           Drew Brees            11
3           Michael Vick          7
4           Philip Rivers           6
5           Tom Brady             7
6           Peyton Manning     11
7           Tony Romo            5
8           Matt Schaub          11
9           Ben Roethlisberger 11
10         Matt Ryan              8
11         Josh Freeman        8
12         Joe Flacco             5
13         Sam Bradford         5
14         Matt Cassel           6
15         Eli Manning            7

Tier 1: Aaron Rodgers, Michael Vick, Drew Brees
       Player I rather have: Aaron Rodgers. Vick is a big risk in the first round for reasons stated in my previous article, but still an elite QB. Rodgers has proven himself after 3 spectacular seasons and has no reason to slow down with an offense that has even more potential this year.
       Why is Brees here and not the next tier? He threw for a career high 22 interceptions last year, but also had a career high in 658 pass attempts. He has thrown for at least 33 touchdowns in the past three years and has easily eclipsed 4,000 passing yards in the past 5. He is much safer a pick than Vick.

Tier 2: Philip Rivers, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning
       Player I would rather have:  Philip Rivers. While Manning and Brady are both benchmarks for consistency and always very safe and solid picks, I think Rivers’ potential and talent around him makes him a better option. That said, you clearly cannot go wrong with any of these players. Manning’s neck also worries me a little bit and so does Brady’s receiving corp. But has that ever stopped them?

Tier 3: Tony Romo, Matt Schaub, Ben Roethlisberger
       Player I would rather have: Tony Romo. He was on pace for a monster season before an injury sidelined him. Dallas is loaded with talent and Romo looks to pick up where he left off. Before last season, he had three straight seasons of 26 or more touchdowns and two seasons with over 4,000 yards. Expect a big season from Romo.

Tier 4: Matt Ryan, Josh Freeman, Joe Flacco, Sam Bradford,
       Player I would rather have: Matt Ryan. Ryan exceeded expectations and had a great season throwing for 28 TD’s and 3,705 yards. With Julio Jones, I expect him to do just as well. The Falcons are still a run first, pound the ball team, but that shouldn’t keep you from drafting him.
       This tier has several solid quarterbacks for those who miss out on the elite QB’s. The possibility of a 2 QB strategy starts here as one can take two of the above and play matchups, hot streaks, etc.

Tier 5: Matt Cassel, Eli Manning, Jay Cutler, Kevin Kolb, Matt Stafford
       Player I want on my team: Matt Stafford. Stafford has loads of potential on a vastly improving Lions team. He has stud Calvin Johnson to throw to and has potential to put up great numbers. The main concern is his injury risk as he has only played in 13 of 32 games. But for a late round flier, he could produce like a low-end number 1 option.
       Players I never ever want on my team: Jay Cutler and Matt Cassel. Jay Cutler is just way too inconsistent for fantasy and the Chicago Bears. And Cassel really is just an average quarterback who completes under 60% of his passes. If you draft either of these, make sure to draft another solid quarterback for if and when these two go cold.