The Fantasy Five: Quarterbacks

There are 11 really good options at quarterback this year for fantasy.  That means that in a 12-team league, only the very last team will be stuck choosing between risky or questionable options.  Since the top 11 are all really good and I would be happy with any of them, I’ll choose 5 later quarterbacks in case you want to wait or need a second quarterback for some reason.  Because even past those initial 11, there is a lot of potential at this position.

1. Joe Flacco

            Flacco is not the number 4 quarterback in football, Ron Jaworski.  Not in fantasy and not in real life either.  But I don’t think most people are going to overrate him even despite the Super Bowl win, and in fact he’ll probably end up being underrated once again.  He has been inconsistent over the years, but Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones are potentially very dangerous targets, Dennis Pitta is a pretty solid option, Ray Rice is a great receiving back and can take the pressure off the pass game, and as we know the Ravens are generally solid all-around.  On a worse team, I might not like Flacco to succeed.  But in a great system I think he takes the next step to consistency this year, and while he won’t be Drew Brees or maybe even Matt Ryan, he could have a really solid year and allow you to take running backs and wide receivers earlier.

2. Jay Cutler

            I’ve always liked Jay Cutler, and he pretty much always lets me down.  The Bears’ offensive line is always shaky and you don’t want Cutler as your starter.  But as a backup or second QB he his upside is as high as anyone.  He’s got Brandon Marshall the beast.  If Matt Forte stays healthy he’s a huge factor.  Cutler has got an awesome arm, and if the offensive line holds up maybe this is finally the year he becomes an elite option at quarterback.  I like the bold move at coach with Mark Trestman, and maybe I’m just a chump but I always have a lot of hope for the Bears.  Why not take a flyer on him late in the draft? Because if all the pieces fall into place, and your starting quarterback isn’t wowing you, Jay Cutler has the potential to truly be an elite option.

3. Carson Palmer

            Palmer won’t be a top-10 quarterback, but he goes from Oakland to Larry Fitzgerald and Bruce Arians.  Arians is infamous for his let-loose style with Andrew Luck last year that succeeded in elevating him to a playoff quarterback and a top-10 fantasy guy.  Carson is getting older and it’s silly to expect him to return to the top form he showed earlier in his career, but remember when some combination of the desert and Cool Hand Larry turned back the clock for Kurt Warner.  Why couldn’t that happen again?

           

4. Ryan Tannehill

            With all the flash and hype of RGII and Luck last year, and the unpredictable rise of Russell Wilson, and the improbable Colin Kaepernick story, the number 8 pick in the draft was completely overlooked last year.  And that’s totally fair – he came nowhere near any of those guys either in fantasy or real life impact.  But he did put up very respectable numbers for a rookie, and especially when you consider that the Dolphins were a pretty crappy team.  Reggie Bush was a playmaker, but he has always been injury-prone and past him there wasn’t a whole lot of star power.  Now Tannehill has Mike Wallace, and just you watch Lamar Miller take pressure of the passing game.  Miami is resurgent franchise and this is the year I think they, and Tannehill, will take the next step.

5. Alex Smith

            If you waited this long, you are probably looking for bench players, or else I pity you because there are way too many people in your league.  But for the life of me, I can’t understand why people are so low on Alex Smith.  No he’s not going to break any records, but if you’re looking for a solid quarterback week in and week out how can you not go for Smith?  He was playing out of his mind for San Francisco last year, and while his offensive line won’t be nearly as good with Kansas City, he gets Dwayne Bowe who is way better than any of his receivers on the West Coast.  He gets Jamaal Charles to either catch passes or just take the pressure off of him.  He gets an amazing quarterback coach in Andy Reid who, despite the struggles of the Eagles in recent years, can really get the best out of his guys (right, Donovan McNabb?).  Alex Smith isn’t going to win you any championships, but he won’t lose them for you either, and there is something to be said for that in the unenviable late rounds of a draft.