2016 Fantasy Football Sleeper - Quarterback Tony Romo

Pierre Camus analyzes veteran quarterback (QB) Tony Romo as a fantasy football sleeper for the 2016 NFL season.

Stumping for Tony Romo anywhere outside of Dallas can be a daunting task. Trust me, I'm not a Cowboys fan either. Now 36 years old and recovering from a broken collarbone, it would seem his best days are behind him.

However, the truth is Romo could provide QB1 value and be a viable starter for fantasy owners in 12+ team fantasy football leagues.

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According to FantasyFootballCalculator.com ADP, Romo is being taken off the board in the 10th round, making him the 13th QB off the board. Waiting on a quarterback in order to load up on receivers and running backs early is an increasingly popular strategy. If you plan on adhering to that plan, when rounds 7-10 come around, you'll need to make a decision as to which veteran signal caller to tie your hitch to. Other likely options include Eli Manning, Andy Dalton or Matt Ryan. Romo's draft-day value trumps those other QBs due to a higher ceiling, both from a weekly and season-long perspective. While each of those QBs also have a stud receiver to throw to like Dez Bryant, the Cowboys boast a superior offensive line, a top five pick in the NFL draft at running back with Ezekiel Elliott to help the offense, as well as a favorable schedule. Romo not only has the pedigree, but the right circumstances to be a significant fantasy contributor.

Romo is widely viewed as injury-prone, which is one of the biggest factors relating to his low ADP. Prior to his lost 2015 season, however, Romo had only missed two games over the previous four seasons and had started at least 13 games in seven of the last eight seasons. The collarbone injury he suffered last season is a repeat of his injury from 2010, which raises red flags, but fantasy owners might be reassured by the fact that Romo underwent surgery in the off-season, known as the Mumford procedure, in which part of the clavicle bone is shaved off. This is supposed to alleviate pain and discomfort, as well as reduce chances of another recurrence. The Cowboys are obviously not too concerned about his availability as they didn't sign a free-agent backup QB or move up to draft one early. Kellen Moore will serve as Romo's backup to start the season and fourth-rounder Dak Prescott will be the third quarterback. Neither is a remote threat to even see the field as long as Romo is healthy in 2016.

Most football fans know that Tony Romo owns most of the Cowboys' career quarterback records already, passing legends Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman. He isn't just an aging veteran rolling out there to appease the fans or serve his own ego a la Brett Favre. In 2014, Romo led the league in several passing categories: passer rating (113.2), completion% (69.9%), passing yards per attempt (8.5), and passing TD% (7.8%). He also finished fourth in the league with 34 passing touchdowns along with 3705 passing yards. In fantasy terms, he was the 11th ranked QB according to Yahoo! This year could very well be a repeat of 2014 - Romo is being undervalued in many formats, but has every opportunity to repeat those numbers.

The Cowboys' miserable 2015 season was a direct result of injuries on both sides of the ball. Losing their signal-caller was the biggest blow, but the ineffective play of the backups can also be attributed to the absence of Dez Bryant for much of the season. He will be back in action for week one, giving Romo one of the undisputed top receivers in the league. The running game was also a disappointment after DeMarco Murray bolted for free agency. The deficiencies in the running game have been remedied with the selection of #4 overall pick Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott steps into an ideal situation, surrounded by veteran playmakers and an offensive line that is regarded as the best in the NFL. Having a legitimate threat in the backfield again will do wonders for Romo and the passing game. That offensive line, led by three Pro Bowl players, is also a luxury that can't be overstated for a quarterback, particularly one who has had trouble staying upright in previous seasons.

Playing in the NFC East should present a favorable schedule for the Cowboys. The Giants were statistically the worst defense in the NFL last season in terms of yardage allowed per game at 420.3. Philadelphia, third on that list at 401.6, is in full rebuild mode after firing coach Chip Kelly, then trading away Kiko Alonso and Byron Maxwell and essentially mortgaging their future in the hope that Carson Wentz pans out. The Redskins' defense landed fifth with 380.6 YPG allowed, although Josh Norman should help them stay around the middle of the pack. Altogether, the Cowboys actually have the 27th ranked strength of schedule, according to NFL.com. Add in the fact that the Cowboys defense was ranked 28th overall last season and there is plenty of opportunity for the offense to stay on the field in need of points against mediocre opposition.

Tony Romo will not be the most exciting pick you make on draft day. But, if you play the waiting game and make him your QB1 in a deep league, you may even get ridiculed by the token Dallas-hater or that guy in your league who doesn't draft anybody over the age of 25. But smart owners don't win leagues by picking the trendy players or collecting the most sleepers. They win by selecting value players, no matter their age or hype surrounding them. If Romo is available in your draft past round eight, don't be afraid to pull the trigger and make him your QB1.

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