Aaron Rodgers, Michael Vick, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Phillip Rivers and Peyton Manning are your safe bets for 2011 Fantasy Football Quarterbacks, in that order. Quarterback is the most reliable position in Fantasy Football because of the National Football League rules that protect them. Since QBs have much longer careers than running backs, they have longer track records to analyze prior performance.
Some may say that Tony Romo is a very reliable QB, but there are holes in his repertoire. He may end up as one of the top QBs for his potential high totals in yards per pass attempt. Not including his shortened 2010 season, he has consistently ranked in the top six of QBs in yards per pass attempt. However, in his last 3 seasons, he has played 16 games only once. He has a great receiving corps, but Romo’s risk of injury in addition to his very difficult schedule (Dallas faces the AFC East) are enough to push him out of the first tier.
The best values out of the top six QBs are Tom Brady and Phillip Rivers. Rodgers, Vick and Brees are great picks, but you would have to pick them higher in snake drafts or buy them for more in auctions. The New England Patriots and San Diego Chargers have such high-octane offenses that both of these QBs will be throwing and scoring a lot. In 2010, these teams led the league in scoring. Excluding Brady’s 2008 lost season, he has been in the top eight of passing yards for the last 5 years. For the last 3 years, Rivers has led the NFL in yards per pass attempt.
Arguably, Peyton Manning’s neck is the major story entering the 2011 NFL season. The pain seems to be subsiding; therefore, this gives him a decent chance at leading a fantasy team. For the last 2 years, he has been in the top two in pass attempts. Moreover, in the last 12 of 13 years, he has been top ten. Those who are in 1-QB leagues who select Peyton should ensure they get his backup Kerry Collins and a second to third tier QB. 2-QB league managers obviously need to grab Collins in later rounds in addition to at least a second tier QB and a third tier QB.
