We’ve still got a week left before the season kicks off, so why not jump in another draft (or four). The quarterback position carries the most weight in an NFL offense but often-times the quarterbacks take a back seat to the running backs and wide receivers. Still, the position puts up more points than any other on the fantasy gridiron so a deeper look into the rankings is always warranted.
We’ll lay out the tiers with a couple of quick notes and jump into the tiered quarterback rankings for the 2013 fantasy football season. As always, special thanks go to FantasyPros.com for providing the rankings platform and widget.
Tier One
At the top it’s a table for two.. Perhaps it’s a half step down to the next level, but Rodgers and Brees have the skill, the scheme, the health and the surrounding talent to excel.
Tier Two
Each of the tier-two players has just one slight chink in their armor Brady with the questionable weapons, Manning with the injury. Newton with his up-and-down passing game. Still, the separation between the two elite tiers at the QB position could be the thinnest of any and while we’re not likely spending a first or second round pick on these players, they certainly warrant heavy attention as early as the top of the third round.
Tier Three
Tier three is a big one and basically these guys are viewed as having top-5 potential and in a standard 10-team league, this is the group that you need to draft from if missed on the top five guys. It’s a bit of a mixed bag here and personal preference reigns supreme. We saw enough from Colin Kaepernick down the stretch last year to realize that his elite athleticism, arm-strength and accuracy will make the team around him better. Stafford’s offensive scheme make him a better fantasy QB than real life signal caller based on volume alone. Tony Romo slots above several of the rookies after reaching career highs in attempts, completions and yardage last season. The sky is the limit with an emerging Dez Bryant and healthy Miles Austin.
Tier Four
The matchup plays make up much of tier four. Each and every one of these guys will be ranked in the top-10 among quarterbacks multiple times a year depending on the matchup. In a standard league, if I wait until tier four to snare a quarterback, I’ll likely take a pair to rotate throughout the season. Vick is perhaps the most intriguing of the group as he’s display best-play-in-fantasy upside as recently as three seasons ago. Still, it’s simply impossible to bank on health. Carson Palmer has some sneaky upside paired with Larry Fitzgerald and a couple of talented young options in the passing game.
Tier Five
There’s matchup potential with this trio of veterans, but most likely, you’ll want to leave the guys on waivers heading into the season. Cutler has some nice potential if he can limit the picks. Big Ben is a borderline top-10 played when on the field and Andy Dalton also had the look a must-start for large chunks of the 2013 season.
Tier Six
We’re really not expecting much from the bottom tier this season. Inconsistency is the common thread and it’s just too difficult to bank on thes players for anything more than a one-week emergency start.
Fantasy Football Tiered Quarterback Rankings