The NFL regular season is still months away, but fantasy football owners are already looking at projections for next season. Chances are, the upcoming NFL draft will heat up the talk even more. Perhaps the most discussed position is quarterback each year. With several top tier guys close in value, how should one project 2013 right now?
When it comes to taking the first quarterback off the board for your daily fantasy sports lineup, there really seems to be only two options: Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees.
Both are not only extremely talented, but they have the luxury of playing on a team that lacks consistent running options. That means they are simply going to be asked to throw the ball more. Lean slightly towards Rodgers at the moment, but it is really a coin toss as of now.
Tom Brady seems to really be in the next tier by himself. His age prevents him from being up there with the top two guys, but he is still a tick above the next two being mentioned. Despite Wes Welker being gone, he still has plenty of options to play with.
The next two quarterbacks could not be more different, but at the end of the day they bring similar fantasy value. Peyton Manning and Cam Newton are neck and neck, with the slight edge probably going to Newton. Manning showed last season he is still a magnificent player, but the chance of injury is always scary.
After the top five, the choice between Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson comes up. Kaerpernick has more buzz right now due to his Super Bowl run, but Wilson actually appears to be slightly more reliable. Matt Ryan, Robert Griffin III and Matthew Stafford are all in that next cluster of quarterbacks to consider. Out of those guys, Ryan appears to be the safest bet, especially since he has stars to throw to.
Finally, since most leagues have a maximum of 12 players, the final two quarterbacks likely to get starting jobs are Andrew Luck and Tony Romo. Luck obviously has more room to grow, but Romo has the better targets at the moment.
The ratings for all quarterbacks could change quite a bit between now and the fall, but those 12 guys look to be the most likely starters in fantasy leagues this year.
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