It’s been a few weeks since I hit the dynasty league rankings, so I thought I would update them this weekend and early next week. I start with quarterbacks, where there’s no shortage of talented young players. Here’s a look at my updated Top 25 dynasty league quarterbacks.
1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers
Easy call. Rodgers is the best quarterback in the NFL and he’s only 28. Remember when Brett Favre was the king of Green Bay? That seems like 100 years ago now.
2. Cam Newton, Panthers
In the past two years all Newton has done is win the starting QB job at Auburn, the Heisman Trophy, a National Title and NFL Rookie of the Year. You want to know the scary thing? Newton is still getting better.
3. Matthew Stafford, Lions
Stafford is only 24 and emerging as one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks. Others would kill to have his weapons. If Stafford stays healthy he’ll put up eye-popping numbers over the next few years.
4. Drew Brees, Saints
He’s 33 but Brees obviously showed no signs of slowing down last season. He still has a few more big years left in him.
5. Tom Brady, Patriots
Just from working in New England for a few years I got the feeling Brady isn’t going to play until he’s 42. I think he has maybe four more years in him, albeit really good years.
6. Philip Rivers, Chargers
I’m a big Rivers fan. I think he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and I expect Rivers to have a big bounce back season in 2012. Rivers has many more productive years left in that awkward throwing motion of his.
7. Eli Manning, Giants
At 31 Manning is just now reaching the prime of his career. I see Eli only getting better and the Giants have surrounded him with arguably the best young group of receivers in the NFL. Manning should be one of the most consistent fantasy quarterbacks over the next few years.
8. Matt Ryan, Falcons
Ryan puts up solid numbers and he has great weapons at his disposal. I’m just afraid Ryan isn’t going to get much better than he is right now. He’s good but I don’t know if Ryan will ever be an elite fantasy quarterback.
9. Robert Griffin III, Redskins
I wanted to rank Griffin higher but it’s tough with all the talented quarterbacks in the NFL. He should be a fantasy star from Day 1. Griffin is already a good pocket quarterback and his ability to run only adds value for fantasy owners.
10. Andrew Luck, Colts
Luck has all the skills to be a great NFL quarterback for many years to come. Now the Colts just need to keep building a team around him and he’ll be a fantasy stud. Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie and the Colts two talented rookie tight ends give Luck some solid weapons in his first season.
11. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers
Big Ben seems like he’s been playing since the 70s but in reality he’s only 30. Here’s a call: The Steelers finally put the offense on Roethlisberger’s shoulders this season. The strength of Pittsburgh’s offense is Big Ben and his talented receivers. Even Todd Haley should be able to figure that out.
12. Tony Romo, Cowboys
People forget that Romo is already 32-years old. He’s a good NFL quarterback but if Dallas doesn’t win soon (and they won’t) Romo will end up being the scapegoat for Jerry Jones’ failures as a general manager. As a Dallas fan I’m afraid Romo will always be a better fantasy quarterback than a real world one.
13. Mike Vick, Eagles
Vick is already 30 and his style of play is a red flag in dynasty leagues. Remember, Newton is built like a tank, where Vick is built like sprinter, making him more susceptible to injuries. Vick is still very productive but he always comes with risk.
14. Jay Cutler, Bears
Cutler is only 29 and still has some good years ahead of him. The additions of Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery are a big boost to the passing game. However, there’s also a chance both guys could be gone in three years if they don’t stay motivated.
15. Sam Bradford, Rams
Bradford has nice value right now in dynasty leagues. The guy has been given nothing to work with so far in St. Louis but that’s slowly changing. Don’t give up on Bradford yet. If he can stay healthy behind that offensive line Bradford has the talent to be a very productive NFL quarterback. The good news is St. Louis has added some talented offensive weapons to help Bradford out. The bad news is Brian Schottenheimer will be calling the plays. You take the good with the bad I guess.
16. Andy Dalton, Bengals
I believe Dalton will actually be a better NFL quarterback than a fantasy quarterback. Still, he has some good young weapons in A.J. Green, Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley. Dalton should be a solid fantasy quarterback for many years, the question is will he make it into that elite group?
17. Jake Locker, Titans
Locker has a lot of potential and even if he doesn’t begin 2012 as the Titans starter, he’ll end up there and be entrenched for 2013. His combination of a strong arm and the ability to run is intriguing from a fantasy perspective. In a dynasty league setting Locker has a chance to be a steal this low.
18. Peyton Manning, Broncos
Remember when I said I don’t believe Brady will play until he was 42? Manning is just the opposite. He may play until he’s 60. If the neck isn’t a problem, Manning should have 2-3 more very productive seasons left in him.
19. Matt Schaub, Texans
Some probably have Schaub rated higher but I see him as being a big tease. Schaub will always be solid but I question if he’ll ever take the next step. Having guys like Jacoby Jones to throw to over the years certainly hasn’t helped Schaub but his most productive seasons may be behind him now that the Texans have a strong rushing attack and good defense.
20. Josh Freeman, Bucs
I didn’t like Freeman coming out of college. I thought he would be a huge bust. He proved me wrong as a rookie but then regressed last year. This is a big season for Freeman with a new regime now in Tampa Bay. If he struggles, the Bucs will be looking elsewhere for a starting quarterback in 2013.
21. Joe Flacco, Ravens
I don’t see Flacco ever being a reliable fantasy starter. Every time owners try and make him one they e-mail me asking why their team has started 0-4. He’ll spend his career being one of the better fantasy backups though.
22. Alex Smith, 49ers
Smith emerged as a productive fantasy backup last season and if he’s ever going to take the next step, it will be this year. Smith has never had this many weapons to work with before. The smart money though is on Smith remaining more of a game manager for the 49ers and a decent backup for fantasy owners, much like Flacco.
23. Brandon Weeden, Browns
Weeden has the intelligence and physical skills to be successful in the NFL. What he doesn’t have is receivers. The Browns need to surround Weeden with better receivers at some point or he’ll struggle. Hopefully that will happen over time. Weeden has a lot of potential but the Browns passing game is still a work in progress. Over the long haul though I think Weeden is going to be a very good NFL quarterback.
24. Matt Flynn, Seahawks
Flynn will be the Seahawks starter this season and he should emerge as a nice fantasy sleeper. We don’t have a lot to go on with Flynn but he was coached in one of the NFL’s best offensive systems with the Packers and Seattle does have some talent at the skill positions. Flynn is one of the most intriguing quarterbacks in dynasty leagues because of his high ceiling.
25. Christian Ponder, Vikings
Ponder showed some flashes last year but like Weeden, he doesn’t have a lot of weapons to work with right now. Leslie Frazier will get fired at the end of this season, if not sooner, so hopefully Ponder can survive until a better coaching staff arrives. Plus, don’t forget about Joe Webb. There’s a chance that Webb, not Ponder, will be the Vikings starter come Week 1.
Others to Watch
Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins
Tannehill is a tough guy to judge because we simply haven’t seen a lot from him. One thing in his corner is new coach Joe Philbin proved to be very effective working with quarterbacks in Green Bay. My guess is Tannehill will be starting in Miami at some point this year. That will give us a glimpse of what’s to come in 2013.
Brock Osweiler, Broncos
I didn’t like Osweiler when he was being talked about as a potential first round pick. However, at pick 57, I like him a lot more. I think Osweiler is inconsistent but that could just be because he hasn’t played much (15 starts in college). Now you just stick Osweiler behind Peyton Manning for two years and let him improve. Osweiler is an intriguing young quarterback because he landed in a good spot for him. He’s definitely worth a shot in dynasty leagues.
Ryan Lindley, Cardinals
I liked Lindley in college for the most part. When I watched him on tape he reminded me a lot of Osweiller. Both guys have big arms but need to work on their consistency. It’s not like Arizona has a quarterback that’s entrenched for the future, so Lindley could be an option in a year or two.
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I am all in on Rivers.
Josh Freeman had his big season as a second year player, not a rookie. He regressed in his 3rd year and is now going into his fourth year.
With that out of the way, I do agree mostly with your rankings except a few major players listed high.
One being Bradford. I have yet to even remotely understand the love over this guy. Let me state the things we all can agree on first: Hes brittle (still walking on a bum ankle he injured in October!), hes playing behind an absolute horrible offensive line (if not the worst line in the league, according to PFF), hes immobile, which plays a part to him being one of the biggest sack victims behind that line last year, hes playing for a mediocre playcaller with a poor QB track record (I guess you could argue that Sanchize finished as a top10 QB last year, but even hes more mobile than Bradford and most of his points came from rushing td’s, so thats a bit of a weak argument), hes never had a top15 season statistically (his rookie year numbers were just okay, and spoke more about his “potential”), and the so called weapons he’s gotten this offseason consist of two rookie WR’s that may, or just as easily, may not ever be any good - and given that their rookies, are far from being immediate Top30 WR’s.
Just what gives? I watched every game of his last year and I saw nothing that spoke to him having a marketably improved season this year. Heck, would you even criticize the Rams for holding onto the second overall pick last august and just starting over with RG3. I wouldnt. What exactly does he have going for him.
This is a big year for Bradford. I think it’s been hard to judge him so far in St. Louis with that team’s lack of overall talent. I admit I have him ranked on projection more so than actual production so far. I still believe Bradford has the skills to succeed in the NFL. Maybe he’s taken too many hits and he’ll go the way of David Carr. We’ll find out this year but I’m willing to give him one more season. Thanks for the feedback. We aren’t always going to agree on every player and you made a lot of good points to support your argument. I just think the guy has talent and I don’t know of many quarterbacks that would have succeeded in St. Louis last year. This is a make or break year for him though. No question about it.
*last april and just starting over..