We are witnessing a changing of the guard at QB. As age catches up with the Broncos’ Peyton Manning, the Saints’ Drew Brees and the Patriots’ Tom Brady (whose suspension further deflates his value), fantasy players have to go younger in search of reliable top-end production.
As a result, elite QBs like Andrew Luck (Colts) and Aaron Rodgers (Packers) sometimes get drafted as early as the first round. That is sooner than I’d suggest, since it is often easy to get at least decent QB production at any point in your draft. But, I can’t blame anyone for locking those guys in by picking them in the second or third round.
Should you decide to target other positions early instead, I’d advise waiting to snatch up a solid QB with an incredibly talented WR to force feed. Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) has the most upside of that bunch and can often be drafted in the sixth round. Alternately, QBs in the tier below such as Eli Manning (Giants) and Tony Romo (Cowboys) offer similar benefits for a lower cost and are usually draftable in the ninth or 10th round.
And, if you miss out on one of the top 13 guys, you can still play matchups and stream multiple QBs. If this is your plan, I’d suggest grabbing a high-risk, high-reward QB like Brady or Sam Bradford (Eagles) and pairing him with a reliable late round backup like Jay Cutler (Bears), Andy Dalton (Bengals) or Joe Flacco (Ravens).
Alex Case is amNY’s fantasy football columnist.
