Tiers for Beers: Strong Brees in forecast yet again for fantasy owners
It may seem insane-ludi-ridiculously early for fantasy football ranks, but with the NFL draft beginning Thursday, it's time for a refresher. In the second part of a special four-part series, the Noise breaks down QBs, and gets you a leg up on scoring extra beer money this fall. Team Huevos, shout, shout, let it all out in the comments section below.
See also: TOB Running Backs
Back in 2006 when Donovan McNabb still had a career, the quarterback position was viewed very differently. That year, the pool of truly elite passers was incredibly shallow. Ryan Lochte’s thoughts were deeper. In total, only five signal callers averaged above 20 fantasy points per game in standard formats (McNabb, Peyton, Brees, Kitna and Vick), a laughable outcome from a modern perspective. Josh Freeman, the No. 15 ranked QB in per game average in 2012 (20.3), would’ve finished top-5 that season.
The times, they have changed.
Once thought to be overrated, fantasy quarterbacks have experienced unprecedented growth over the past 3-4 seasons. No longer overrated assets, they’ve become a reflection of how reality views the position, true-to-form megastars. Supermodel wives, movie gigs, gaudy numbers – those who take snaps under center are constantly in the spotlight, unless you’re name happens to be Blaine Gabbert. The maligned Jags QB would be lucky to attract a single camera flash.
No surprise, the position’s swelled production has led to increased demand. Last year, five passers had their names called inside the top-15 overall picks in average drafts. In total, 10 quarterbacks averaged at least 22.0 fantasy points per game, an all-time high.
Heading into drafts this year, millions of fanatics will feel an insatiable need to sink an early pick into a QB. However, given its extraordinary depth, exercising patience is the best approach, especially in traditional single-QB formats. Compared to RB, the tier-to-tier drop-off simply isn’t that steep (In 2012, QB1-QB12 = 6.5 fpts , RB1-RB24 = 8.7 fpts, WR1-WR36 = 6.7 fpts, TE1-TE12 = 6.7 fpts). Sure Drew Brees, Cam Newton, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady will likely again be fixtures atop the fantasy leaderboard, but better values Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick and Matthew Stafford, won’t trail far behind.
To help elevate the pigskin pulse, here are my top-32 QBs entering this week’s NFL Draft:
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