Fantasy Football Quarterback Secrets: Dos and Don’ts on Draft Day
The NFL quarterback is undoubtedly the leader of his team in the real world, but is that true in Fantasy Football? How an owner ranks Fantasy Football quarterbacks differs based on their league’s scoring system. However, the ratings fantasy owners use when entering their draft at the QB position may be the biggest deciding factor in their team’s success. It’s hard to see Peyton Manning or Drew Brees in the game and still draft a top-tier RB or WR. The number of quarterbacks who can consistently throw for 4,000 yards and 30 TDs is few and far between. Only 6 signal-callers threw for 4,000 yards in 2008, and only 3 of them went for 30 scoring strikes. But the next 9 QBs averaged 24 TDs, so production doesn’t drop as quickly as on RB or WR. In our ongoing series of articles on the do’s and don’ts of Fantasy Football Draft Day, we take the snap from the hub below.
Do…
…Take a Drew Brees or Peyton Manning with your second pick if you got a top 5 RB in the first round! Right where you know you are in the draft. If you have a snake draft in a 12-man league, and you pick a QB first in the second round (13th overall), they will be picks 36 and 37 before picking again. The RB and WR primary talent pool will have been depleted by then, so just be aware that if you pass QB in second, it will cost you in RB or WR.
Do…
…pass a QB until later rounds if you can’t get a surefire producer, as mentioned above. No matter how you rank fantasy football players, a manager will see that if you don’t get one of the top 2 or 3 producers of massive stats, you’re much better off going with a top-tier RB or WR early and getting a QB later. . . No need to cast Tom Brady early as I’m already seeing in so many mock drafts.
WHOSE…
… Forget checking the 2009 NFL schedule! Peyton Manning has the third most favorable QB schedule in 2009. Yeah, I know, like he needs any help. Tony Romo, on the other hand, has one of the toughest schedules for a QB this year. This in no way guarantees or negates productivity, but when he sees Drew Brees have two games at home and one in Atlanta in Weeks 14-16 (fantasy playoff time), it’s certainly worth noting.
WHOSE…
… freak out if you get to round 6 and all the QBs of your dreams are gone. In a 12-man league, you’re fighting for 32 starting quarterbacks. There are plenty of quarterbacks besides Manning, Brees and Brady. I picked up Phillip Rivers in the ninth round last year, and all he did was throw for 4,000 yards and tied for the league lead with 34 TDs.
In the QB ranks, Fantasy Football managers have a couple of options for how they want to approach this important position, as mentioned above. Just remember not to write hype, or ESPN highlights; Stick to your game plan as outlined in this series of Fantasy Football Secrets, and you’ll dramatically increase your odds of winning. Get the best stats and information on the official NFL website and The Sporting News Fantasy Football Guide to further improve your chances. All statistics in this article series were obtained from these two resources.