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With the Fantasy Football season slowly coming upon us, Fantasy Football Expert Adam Sabol starts giving out his early rankings for every position- starting with the Quarterbacks. For more rankings articles and analysis, check out RotoBaller's excellent Rankings Dashboard which is broken down by position.
We've had months without football (and I got ants all over me oh God) so I figure enough is enough. It's never too early to start thinking about your fantasy team, so to tide you over until the season starts, I'll be running a series of player ranking columns for this upcoming football season, and to kick things off, we're going to rank the top ten fantasy Quarterbacks going into next season for redraft leagues. If you're one of my readers from last season, thanks for coming back and I'm so sorry for how your season went. Anyway, Quarterbacks.
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10. Ben Roethlisberger, PIT
Yes, I know that Roethlisberger was a top-5 option last season. But let's be honest here: Roethlisberger had 12 touchdowns in two games. Those two games accounted for over a quarter of Big Ben's full season production, and if you were to bring those games back in line with his other 14, he'd lose around 40 points on the season, dropping him down to about 12th or so. Roethlisberger is probably still the best fantasy starter of the class of 2004 QBs, but there are much better options than hoping for 6-touchdown games out of Pittsburgh.
9. Matthew Stafford, DET
Stafford was...not great in 2014, but he was without Calvin Johnson for what seemed like 80% of the season. (Yes, I know that Johnson only missed 3 games, but let's be honest, weeks 4-12 were brutal for Megatron owners.) The return of a healthy Johnson to the Lions' lineup should bring Stafford's stat line up a bit, but he's no longer a top-5 option at the Quarterback position.
8. Ryan Tannehill, MIA
Surprisingly, Tannehill squeaked into my Top 10 last season, edging Tony Romo for the #9 spot. With his progression as a Quarterback and the emergence of Jarvis Landry at wide receiver, Tannehill has the potential to surprise some fantasy owners this season. If you're waiting on a QB this season, Tannehill could be a great late-round steal.
7. Drew Brees, NOS
Last year's nightmare campaign severely hurt Brees' value at Quarterback, and that was when he had Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills to throw to. With the loss of two valuable receiving options, and the possibility that the Saints are entering full rebuild mode, Brees is definitely not a high-round pick this year. Let someone else reach for him.
6. Tom Brady, NEP
Brady's had limited options at wide receiver his whole career, but as long as he has Gronkowski to throw to (and under-inflated footballs to throw), he'll be a viable fantasy starter. At this point in his career, his upside is limited, but his floor isn't as low as some of the other QBs on this list.
5. Matt Ryan, ATL
The Falcons have struggled in the last two seasons, but many of the pieces that made the Falcons' offense so potent in 2011 and 2012 are still around, and Julio Jones is still an elite wide receiver when he's on the field. In a year that looks like it's shaping up to be a down year for other top QB options, Ryan finds himself in my early top 5 almost by default.
4. Peyton Manning, DEN
Peyton looked incredibly mortal for basically the entire second half of the 2014 season, and followed it up with a disappointing divisional-round game against the Colts in the playoffs. Throw in a coaching change, yet another year of wear and tear, the loss of a premier tight end in Julius Thomas, and C.J. Anderson's surprising star turn, and Peyton's outlook for 2015 doesn't look too bright. He's still Peyton Manning, which prevents him falling too far down the list, but he's not a free win like he was in 2013.
3. Russell Wilson, SEA
The Seahawks' power run offense has undoubtedly kept Wilson's per-game ceiling lower than other options on this list. Conversely, though, Wilson's ability to run keeps his floor higher than those other options. Now, though, the Seahawks have added Jimmy Graham (which, a month later, is still goddamn crazy), meaning that Russell Wilson now owns the middle of the field. Expect Wilson's passing stats to get a bump.
2. Aaron Rodgers, GB
Honestly, Rodgers could be number one on the season. It's a coin toss, really, between him and my number one QB. Rodgers still has Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb to throw to, along with second-year wideout Davante Adams. And he's still so accurate with the football I halfway expect he only throws interceptions in the interest of making it fair. With most everything staying the same in Green Bay, I see no reason that Rodgers' fantasy production will change.
1. Andrew Luck, IND
Rodgers has the same weapons around him, but Andrew Luck added weapons. The acquisition of Andre Johnson from Houston gives Luck a potent threat to play alongside speedster T.Y. Hilton. The Colts also added Frank Gore and released Trent Richardson in an attempt to improve their running game. In addition, the Colts added Phillip Dorsett in the draft, giving Luck another deep threat to further stress and stretch out the defense. The Colts' improvement on offense is what pushes Andrew Luck to the top of my Quarterback rankings.
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Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.
