It’s hard to believe that we’ve hit the quarter pole of the 2013 season already and looking back at our overall rankings from the preseason, it is easy to see how little we really knew.
Philip Rivers has taken the QB position by storm, piling up the third-most fantasy points through the first four games but he’s not the only player we’ve seen some serious movement out of. We’ve tiered up each and every starting quarterback in the NFL (and a couple of bonus options as well!) to provide you with a quick status check for your fantasy roster. The rankings below are intended from Week 5 on and while what has happened over the first couple weeks of the season certainly factors in to our thinking on each player, the points they’ve compiled mean nothing for your playoff run.
Tier One
It is impossible to deny Peyton Manning a spot in the top tier after his early season dominance and with that set of weapons, there is no end in sight. Still, Manning falls just short of the top spot despite leading the position in scoring so far. Since his phenomenal seven-TD performance in Week 1, Manning has been outscored by our No. 1 option — Drew Brees — 75 to 73 in terms of ESPN standard fantasy points. Brees gets the nod due to both his offensive system and his climate controlled home stadium. Of course, the third wheel in our top-tier, Aaron Rodgers, could easily outscore them both for the balance of the year and belongs in any discussion including Manning and Brees.
Tier Two
Its a solid, but muddled, mess in Tier Two. Tom Brady gets the nod in the top spot as he represents the best chance to ascend to tier one as his weapons get healthy. Brady is showing an improved rapport with rookie Kenbrell Thompkins and should get Danny Amendola back (for at least a game or two) sooner than later. Brady’s been improving since a sluggish start and, once Rob Gronkowski is finally back on the field, we are going to see some nice things out of the Patriots offense… Matthew Stafford is currently fourth in the league in passing yards and suits up every week with not just the best pass-catcher in the league, but also the best pair of pass-catching running backs in the NFL… Matt Ryan is seemingly flying under the radar a bit early on and while Philip Rivers and Michael Vick are the talking points in the top 5, with both showing flashes of their former-elite selves, Ryan is proving to be the more consistent fantasy producer of that bunch… Speaking of Vick, we prefer him over a number of players who outranked the Eagles’ starter on draft day — for as long as he’s healthy — but the risks are clear… Rivers has been surprisingly solid, but consistency is still lacking as he’s put up a pair of games with 400+ passing yards while failing to reach 200 passing yards in either of the other two.
Tier Three
The questions begin to mount as we enter tier three, but the talent with these options is undeniable. Will the Seahawks let Russell Wilson chuck it often enough to be a fantasy force? Will Robert Griffin III contribute anything on the ground? Does Eli Manning really just stink? The answers will dictate each player’s value and right now, they could all go either way.
Tier Four
Digging a bit deeper we enter the matchup tier. Each player in the fourth grouping will have a couple of top-10 weeks, but consistency is a serious issue. During the bye weeks, it’s difficult to be overly picky but depending on the matchup, you could end up with a very solid player.
Fantasy Football Rest of Season Quarterback Rankings