Fantasy Football is right around the corner and it is time for Fantasy CPR to unveil it’s full fledge rankings! Today we start with the quarterback. Earlier last week, I broke down my top ten quarterbacks for 2009. Now, here is a listing of the top 35 quarterbacks to watch in your fantasy draft. The quarterback is one of the most interesting positions in the draft. Over the last few years, beyond the top three to eight quarterbacks, the most valuable signal callers in fantasy have come after the seventh round. Training camp battles in Detroit, New York, and Cleveland have many debatng on which arm to target in the late rounds. We know that Brady Quinn currently leads the race in Cleveland. If Matt Stafford starts for the Detroit Lions, he could be the Matt Ryan of 2009. Two of Fantasy CPR’s top ten quarterbacks are bouncing back from serious injury in 2009.
Without further ado, here is the top 35 Quarterback Rankings to start the 2009 season:
The Banged Up Bunch-
We expect Tom Brady to make a full recovery this season. There are other quarterbacks though that could be spending a good chunk of their season off the field. Even some of the top notch quarterbacks are injury risks. Peyton Manning had off-season knee surgery, which could slow him against a really tough opening schedule. Signs have led to the fact that the Colts are worried about Manning. After losing one of the best offensive coordinators in the game, and drafting Curtis Painter, it seems that Manning’s numbers could drop. Kurt Warner made it through his first full season for the first time in seven years last year for the Cardinals. Warner doesn’t react well to the full out blitz and with the fallout between him and Anquain Boldin, I wouldn’t be surprised if Matt Leinart armbars Kurt Warner into submission. In Matt Schaub’s tenure in Houston, he has only played in 22 of the 32 games he has been there for. If he could stay healthy, he would climb these rankings. It seems to be the only thing holding him back. Ben Roethlisberger has played most of his career injured. You have to wonder when enough is enough. Donovan McNabb and Carson Palmer are bouncing back from injuries. Palmer nearly opted for the Jake Delhomme route, but team doctors decided that rest on the elbow would be enough for 2009. Though Carson Palmer is in the top ten, you are taking a big risk if you give Palmer your starting job. I believe that it is a risk willing to take. Especially if you draft a solid backup in the third. Other starters Matt Hasselbeck and Trent Edwards are bouncing back from injury as well.
Rounds the Banged Up Bunch are being drafted: Peyton Manning- 5th round, Carson Palmer-10th round, Kurt Warner-4th round, Donovan McNabb-7th round, Trent Edwards-11th round, Matt Hasselbeck-10th round.
Get your pillow out! Sleepers and High Risers!-
We all love this time of the year simply because we want to find the next best stud. This year, the quarterback is full of guys that could break out at anytime during the season. Starting at the top of the board is Brett Favre’s supposedly unqualified replacement in Green Bay. After finally getting his chance last year, Aaron Rodgers made the best of it, throwing multiple touchdowns in ten games and having one of the best yards per attempt average in the NFL. Rodgers is surrounded by a very talented receiving corps that puts him over the top in 2009. Philip Rivers doesn’t have as solid of a receiving corps, but with the emergence of the air game in 2008, Rivers looks promising in 2009. He isn’t going to throw 34 touchdowns like last year, but over 25 should be chalked up on your cheat sheet. Matt Ryan has one year of experience under his belt, with a new target at tight end. Roddy White has emerged as a number one receiver. Fantasy experts are expecting ten more touchdowns from Ryan this season. Most also have him ranked in the top ten, but we have him in the top 15. If Michael Turner and the running game struggles, a lot of pressure will be put on Ryan in 2009. That’s not saying that he isn’t a fantasy weapon for the next upcoming years though. Matt Cassel breaks our top ten despite being sacked teh most in the NFl last year and a pretty solid inconsitency on his deep ball. New weapon Dwayne Bowe will help out on the wild deep ball, and Head Coach Todd Haley is a real offensive genius.
Some sleepers in the bottom of the rankings include Shaun Hill who enters as the favorite to start in week one as the 49er’s starter. He doesn’t have a cannon, but he has a new go-to-guy alongside veteran Issac Bruce. Josh Morgan is also developing into a severe threat for the San Fran offense. It isn’t asking too much to expect 200 yards a game from Hill, with a decent touchdown to interception clip. Obvious sleepers include Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez, both of which are in contention to be starters. Rumor has it that the Lions believe that Stafford can start right away, but are taking the Matt Ryan approach. They don’t want to get on the bad side of fans, so they will wait until pre-season, and let the play on the field tell the story. The staff in New York once loved Kellen Clemons, but after brining in the godfather and drafting Sanchez, it is clear they don’t have faith in him. Other quarterbacks outside the top 35 that are sleepers include Chad Henne. Bill Parcells and company love his arm strength, talent, and personality. He is definitely someone worth looking into late into the season. Matt Leinart could aslo be a nice waiver wire addition, considering Warner hasn’t had a full healty season since 2001. Kyle Orton, who has a pretty vertical offense, and a nice slant receiver in Eddie Royal, could be a sleeper to keep your eye on as well.
Rounds that Sleepers and High Risers are being drafted: Aaron Rodgers-6th round, Philip Rivers-3rd round, Matt Ryan-7th round, Matt Cassel-9th round, Matt Stafford-12th round, Kyle Orton-11th round.
Falling off the Map-
Like every single year, there are some quarterbacks that either changed systems, got traded or just are getting older. These guys are “falling off the map.” One of the top quarterbacks in this grouping is Tony Romo, who lost his second favorite target in T.O. The question has to be, “Will Roy Williams be a typical number one receiver?” I don’t think that will be the case. Jay Cutler’s value has dropped as well, simply because the Bears have absolutely nobody that Cutler can go to consistently. Devin Hester has yet to prove that he is a go to receiver. Greg Olson is climbing up tight end charts, but beyond that, Cutler plays in the Lovie Smith offense, that doesn’t include him throwing the ball forty times a game. Eli Manning is wishing that his former big target didn’t know what a gun is. Look for Manning to shoot himself in the foot, by throwing more interceptions than his solid 2009 campaign. Many believe that youngster Joe Flacco will have a hard time considering he lost Derrick Mason. If they add a Burress or Braylon Edwards, then Flacco’s value climbs going into the season, but at that rate I don’t see that happening.
Rounds that players falling off the map are being drafted: Tony Romo-7th round, Jay Cutler-9th round, Eli Manning-10th round, Joe Flacco-13th Round
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