[genericon icon=twitter]Follow Sean Wagner-McGough on Twitter @seanjwagner
Editor’s Note: Every Friday, Next Impulse Sports will be releasing fantasy football positional previews. Check back next Friday for a preview on the league’s best running backs. All scores are based on ESPN’s standard scoring.
Today: The Quarterbacks
The Franchise Guys
Worth your first-round pick, guaranteed to be your best player, and can lead you to the postseason even with a subpar supporting cast.
1. Peyton Manning
An obvious choice and with good reason. Last season, he put up 406 fantasy points, which wasn’t just the best among all quarterbacks, it was the best of any player. The loss of Eric Decker hurts, but Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker are more than enough for Evil Manning.
2. Drew Brees
He was the only player to be in the same ballpark as Manning. His 348 points were second best among all players and Sean Payton’s pass-happy offense isn’t disappearing anytime soon.
3. Aaron Rodgers
Ignore his numbers from last season, as he missed significant time due to a broken collarbone. You want this dude on your team. Despite the injury, he still managed to put up the exact same number of points as Eli Manning, who played a full season. If Rodgers is healthy, he justifies the use of a first-round pick.
The Championship Guys
Good enough to give you a fighting chance for the championship.
4. Cam Newton
What makes Newton so deadly is his versatility. Newton threw for 24 touchdowns last season and added six on the ground. He threw for 3379 yards and added 585 on the ground. In total, Newton accumulated 282 points, the third-most for a quarterback last season. What worries me is his lack of receivers. Without Steve Smith, the Panthers offer no depth or star power at that position.
5. Andrew Luck
Like Newton, Luck can also score using his legs. He had four rushing touchdowns last season and racked up nearly 400 yards. Passing-wise, Luck only tossed nine interceptions to go with his 23 touchdown passes. His 279 points were the fourth-best among all quarterbacks.
6. Matt Stafford
Stafford’s receiving targets for this upcoming season: Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate and Eric Ebron. Let’s see, Stafford is going to consistently throw the ball nearly 40 times every game, he’s going to be throwing the ball to some guy named Calvin Johnson, his other receiver is going to be YAC specialist Golden Tate, and a 6-foot-4, 245-pound tight end. Stafford can be inconsistent at times with his accuracy, which can translate into a lot of turnovers, but he’s still a fantastic fantasy option.
7. Jay Cutler
It’s time to let go of your ugly perceptions of Cutler. The numbers won’t necessarily show it because of injuries, but, in Marc Trestman’s offense, Cutler is a top fantasy option. His two receivers — Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery — are absolute monsters. He finally has a tight end that is not named Kellen Davis. And, for the first time since he’s gotten to Chicago, he has an above average offensive line. The only issue is his durability, as injuries have been a problem for the past few seasons.
8. Philip Rivers
Talk about a resurgence. After a disappointing 2012 campaign, Rivers ended up posting 276 fantasy points — nine more than Matt Stafford. He finished the fantasy season ranked sixth among all quarterbacks.
9. Andy Dalton
His arm strength is lacking, but with AJ Green hauling in his passes, Dalton managed 35 total touchdowns and one more fantasy point than Philip Rivers. After the Bengals’ most-recent playoff loss, there’s talk that Dalton might be in jeopardy of losing his job in Cincinnati after this season. Regardless, Dalton remains a very dependable fantasy option for this upcoming season.
10. Colin Kaepernick
Inconsistent passing, but his extraordinary speed allows him to be diverse in his fantasy scoring. He had 253 points last season. If his passing can see the improvements Niners fans are hoping for, his fantasy owners will be more than pleased.
11. Tom Brady
Brady finds himself ranked outside the top-10 due to his 2013 fantasy season. With his top targets — Gronk and Danny Amendola — missing considerable time on the bench, Brady struggled. He finished 13th in points among all quarterbacks.
12. Russell Wilson
Golden Tate is gone, but Doug Baldwin is re-signed. And if Percy Harvin manages to stay healthy, Wilson’s stock skyrockets. But the offensive line is still a concern and Seattle will probably still dedicate much of its offense to Beast Mode.
13. Matt Ryan
Normally a reliable option, Ryan was hit with a down-year when Julio Jones missed the majority of the season. If Jones and Roddy White are healthy though, feel confident plugging Ryan into your lineup.
14. Nick Foles
The beneficiary of the easiest fantasy schedule out of all starting quarterbacks, Foles put up 251 points last season. I’m a little bit skeptical he can repeat his success from last year. DeSean Jackson is gone and defenses have had a full year to digest Chip Kelly’s offense.
15. Tony Romo
I know you probably hate him, but let’s face it, he’s a solid quarterback for your fantasy team. Dez Bryant is a stud, and Romo’s BFF — Jason Witten — is as reliable as tight ends go. 31 touchdowns and only 10 picks — his numbers in 2013 — is more than enough to get it done.
16. Ben Roethlisberger
Still good enough for almost 250 fantasy points last season.
The Reserves
If you’re stuck with one of these guys, you better have studs at WR and RB. They can win for you, but they’re going to need a lot of help.
17. Robert Griffin III
We haven’t seen healthy RGIII in a long time, his supporting cast isn’t optimal for fantasy success, and we still have no idea how his new coach will utilize his running ability.
18. Joe Flacco
He has a ring, but probably won’t win you a fantasy title.
19. Josh McCown
McCown played the best football of his life last season. He’s bound to regress back this season without Trestman’s coaching.
20. Carson Palmer
The king of garbage time scoring.
21. Ryan Tannehill
225 points last season.
22. Johnny Manziel
Too risky of a pick for me. No one is really sure how he’s gonna play out in the NFL. I like his chances, but wouldn’t risk a pick on Johnny Football.
23. Teddy Bridgewater
Like Manziel, he might be good. He just isn’t worth the risk.
Don’t Pick
If you’re stuck with them, you’re in trouble.
24. Eli Manning
27 interceptions.
25. Ryan Fitzpatrick
Yes, he actually might start in Houston.
26. Blake Bortles
Development year.
27. Etc.
If his name hasn’t appeared yet, you probably don’t want his name on your roster.
[genericon icon=twitter]Follow Sean Wagner-McGough on Twitter @seanjwagner
