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I’ll be breaking down the rankings for each QB by putting them into tiers, and analyzing each of these tiers. Obviously we are still pretty far removed from fantasy football season, so these rankings can and will change as things develop over the summer.
First up is the quarterback position, as these are the players who typically have the longest careers. Where a running back can be in and out of the league in eight years, most good quarterbacks hang around for 15 years or more, so it’s important to prioritize a quality quarterback in a dynasty or keeper league.
More rankings: Running Backs (Tier 1), Running Backs (Tiers 3, 4), Wide Receivers (Tier 1), Wide Receivers (Tier 2), Wide Receivers (Tiers 3, 4), Wide Receivers (Tiers 5, 6), Tight Ends (Tiers 1, 2), Tight Ends (Tiers 3, 4), Top 200 (Standard), Top 200 (PPR), Rookie Rankings
Tier 1 – Dynasty/Keeper Quarterback Rankings
1) Andrew Luck, 25, IND
2) Aaron Rodgers, 31, GB
3) Russell Wilson, 26, SEA
4) Matthew Stafford, 27, DET
5) Tony Romo, 34, DAL
Andrew Luck is the consensus number one dynasty quarterback for plenty of reasons. At only 25, he’s already a perennial top five quarterback. The Colts are loaded with weapons, and he’s probably only going to get better with age. If you’ve got Andrew Luck, you’ve got your quarterback for AT LEAST the next seven years.
Aaron Rodgers is still young enough to warrant the number two ranking, as he is still going to be Aaron freaking Rodgers for the next five years or so. The Packers locked down Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, keeping the holy offensive triumvirate in Green Bay for quite some time.
Russell Wilson and Matthew Stafford are incredibly close for me, but for different reasons. Stafford is an old-school gunslinger who loves to throw, throw, throw to his talented corps of receivers, while Wilson represents the new wave of “mobile quarterbacks”, complementing his modest passing numbers with healthy rushing totals every year. Wilson sits above Stafford due to the Seahawks continuing to add weapons to his passing arsenal, which could eventually result in a change of philosophy, giving Wilson healthy passing yardage that goes along with his rushing yards.
The much-maligned Tony Romo still puts up great numbers every year, and should continue to do so for at least the next three to four years.
Tier 2 – Dynasty/Keeper Quarterback Rankings
6) Ben Roethlisberger, 33, PIT
7) Cam Newton, 25, CAR
8) Tom Brady, 37, NE
9) Drew Brees, 36, NO
10) Matt Ryan, 29, ATL
Big Ben has been one of the more reliable real-life and fantasy quarterbacks of the last decade. He is surrounded by young, talented weapons, and should have no problem utilizing them for the next five years or so.
High expectations have followed Cam Newton since he was drafted first overall in 2011 and had an historic rookie season. The Panthers seem intent on providing him with more receivers to work with, and as long as he stays healthy he should get better over the next few years. Health has become a bit of a concern after Newton's last season.
If you’re keeping Tom Brady or Drew Brees, it won’t be for long. Both are in the twilight of their careers, but Brady still had enough gas in the tank to lead a team to the Super Bowl at age 37. Both should still have no problem putting up top 10 fantasy numbers in 2015/2016, even as both of their teams transition to ground-and-pound offenses.
Matt Ryan's team is loaded with weapons but a lot of coaching changes and a revolving Offensive line has hurt some of his potential to perform.
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Tier 3 – Dynasty/Keeper Quarterback Rankings
11) Eli Manning, 34, NYG
12) Philip Rivers, 33, SD
13) Ryan Tannehill, 26, MIA
14) Peyton Manning, 38, DEN
15) Jay Cutler, 31, CHI
Eli Manning is ranked this high almost entirely because of the receivers he’ll be throwing to over the next few years. As long as you can deal with the interceptions, enjoy the production that will come from working with Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz, and Rueben Randle.
I really like Ryan Tannehill to realize his potential over the next couple years. He’s got a decent stable of receivers to throw to after the addition of Kenny Stills, and he’s capable of running every now and then. He could be a great value keeper over the next few years.
I firmly believe 2015 will be Peyton’s last season in the NFL, but the numbers are going to be there in the upcoming season. A Gary Kubiak-led offense will probably focus more on running, but Peyton will get his two TDs per game. Keep him now, but be prepared to find a new quarterback next year.
Tier 4 - Dynasty/Keeper Quarterback Rankings
16) Joe Flacco, 30, BAL
17) Teddy Bridgewater, 22, MIN
18) Carson Palmer, 35, ARI
19) Derek Carr, 23, OAK
20) Colin Kaepernick, 27, SF
Teddy Bridgewater showed flashes of potential last season, and there will probably still be a learning curve in 2015. However, once he begins to acclimate to the professional level of competition, I believe his fantasy production will begin to rise.
Derek Carr is fun to watch. He’s on a really bad team, but the Raiders are on the rise and seem invested in Carr. He is still developing, but from what we’ve seen he has a strong enough arm and is intelligent enough to develop into a high-ceiling NFL quarterback.
I have no faith in Colin Kaepernick, but he’s going to keep getting thrown out there in San Francisco. He’s a freak athlete with a huge arm and blinding speed (for a quarterback), but ultimately that doesn’t make for a great NFL quarterback. Unless he improves his vision and gets smarter with his throws, his production will remain relatively low.
Tier 5 – Dynasty/Keeper Quarterback Rankings
21) Blake Bortles, 23, JAC
22) Andy Dalton, 27, CIN
23) Alex Smith, 30, KC
24) Sam Bradford, 27, PHI
25) Nick Foles, 26, STL
Blake Bortles is loaded with natural talent, and as he improves the Jaguars will improve. They are working to give him talented receivers, and I think he has the potential to rise to top ten status once he gets some experience. His escapability and physical stature make him comparable to Ben Roethlisberger, and I think he can reach a similar status over time.
Andy Dalton is one of the most frustrating fantasy quarterbacks that has ever existed. He’s capable of 300-yard, four-touchdown games, but he can also be so bad that he’s removed mid-game. Not at all the consistency you want in a fantasy quarterback.
The Sam Bradford-Nick Foles trade left me slightly baffled, as I’m not sure what the plan is for either of them. I don’t like how fragile Sam Bradford has been, regardless of how talented he might be when healthy. Foles is just a lower-level starter, and I don’t think he’ll ever be as good as he was in the second half of 2013.
Tier 6 – Dynasty/Keeper Quarterback Rankings
26) Ryan Mallett, 26, HOU
27) Robert Griffin III, 25, WAS
28) Zach Mettenberger, 23, TEN
29) Matt Cassel, 32, BUF
30) Ryan Fitzpatrick, 32, NYJ
Ryan Mallett will be in a quarterback competition going into 2015, but I ultimately expect him to win it and start to flash some signs of potential. He and DeAndre Hopkins can be a deadly duo if Mallett hones the raw talent and physical ability over the next season or two.
I’ve given up on RGIII entirely. Besides the health factor, I don’t think he’s all there mentally these days. Much like Kaepernick, he is incredibly athletic, but lacks the quarterback intangibles that allow guys like Aaron Rodgers and Andrew Luck to be NFL superstars.
Zach Mettenberger has the raw ability to be a good quarterback, but he will require plenty of fine-tuning in the next couple seasons to realize his potential. The Titans are another exceptionally bad team, but they have two promising young receivers in Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter. I wouldn’t look at Mettenberger yet, but he could be valuable in two years.
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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.
