By The TrollÂ
Today, we’ll take a look at my pre-season rankings for fantasy quarterbacks.
QUARTERBACKS
1.) Peyton Manning, Indianapolis – Any time throwing 28 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions is considered a “down year”, odds are you are probably talking about the top QB in fantasy football.
2.) Tom Brady, New England – Numbers will suffer if Deion Branch’s holdout stretches into the regular season, but with so much uncertainty with the other top QBs, Brady is the safe choice at number two.
3.) Drew Bledose, Dallas – With Terrell Owens alongside Terry Glenn, barring injury, Bledsoe should improve on last year’s 23 touchdowns. If he cuts down on the 17 interceptions, Bledsoe will be a fantasy beast.
4.) Carson Palmer, Cincinnatti – Would be the clear cut choice behind Manning if it weren’t for his devastating knee injury. Take Palmer at your own risk and pray he’s able to return to pre-injury form.
5.) Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia – Even without Terrell Owens, McNabb has high value because of Andy Reid’s offense. McNabb will put the ball in the air as much as any quarterback in the league. Whether or not he’ll have anyone to catch is the reason he ranks no higher.
6.) Jake Delhomme, Carolina – Interceptions are a concern. Whether or not Delhomme can develop a rapport with Keyshawn Johnson could mean the difference between Delhomme as a top fantasy QB and Delhomme as a guy that dazzles you with 25 touchdowns, while driving you nuts with 20 interceptions.
7.) Kurt Warner, Arizona – Warner must stay healthy to justify this ranking. If he DOES stay healthy, with the weapons around him, Warner could potentially be the best QB in fantasy football this season.
8.) Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle – Coming a good season in which he threw 24 scores to only 10 picks. He is, perhaps, the safest pick other than Manning and Brady, however, his upside isn’t nearly as high as the QBs listed ahead of him.
9.) Marc Bulger, St. Louis – Has been injury prone the past couple of seasons and is no longer a top five fantasy QB without Mike Martz calling go routes 35 times a game. How well he adjusts to Scott Linehan’s offense will determine if Bulger can remain a fantasy star.
10.) Eli Manning, New York Giants – Needs to show more consistency. If he can turn in an entire season in which he performs like he did in the first half of last year, he will be second only to his big brother in Fantasy Land. However, if he turns in an entire season in which he performs like he did late last season, Eli will find himself on the fantasy scrap heap.
Best of the Rest
11. Jake Plummer, Denver
12. Daunte Culpepper, Miami
13. Mark Brunnell, Washington
14. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
15. David Carr, Houston
Avoid Like the Plague : Trent Green, Kansas City – Green’s numbers that already slipped a bit last season will suffer immensely with Herman Edwards and his giant vagina of an offense running the show. After throwing only 17 scores last season, a drop-off makes this once top tier fantasy QB no longer starter material.
The Troll’s Top Sleeper: Brad Johnson, Minnesota – New Vikings head coach Brad Childress likes to throw the ball. If one of the Vikings plethora of number 2 receivers can step up and be a 1, than the old goat at QB could be a solid fantasy starter. Johnson threw 12 touchdowns and only 4 picks last year while starting a little over half the season. His arm has never been the strongest, so the only question regarding his age is whether or not he can stay healthy for 16 games.