We’re heading into the third week of the preseason, which means that it’s time to get down to business. Not only is real football right around the corner, but so is fantasy football!
If you haven’t drafted already, there’s a good chance you’re drafting this week. And if you’re more of a daily fantasy guy, those competitions are already open.
So with that said, we’ll be running through our top-30 positional rankings this week. So far we’ve covered defenses, tight ends, receivers and running backs. Today we’ll be finishing off with the quarterbacks:
1. Cam Newton
Meet Cam Newton, reigning NFL MVP and most-underrated quarterback in the league.
I don’t get it. People love to find flaws in Cam’s game, but it all seems to stem from flaws in his personality. Like him or not, the guy is a generational talent; he’s great, and he’s only going to get better.
And when it comes to fantasy, he’s at the top of my list. With a healthy Kelvin Benjamin and an improved Devin Funchess, Newton looks to have the best receiving corps of his career, and his running ability is unmatched, as his durability — he broke his back in a car accident and barely missed a beat!
4. Andrew Luck
5. Drew Brees
8. Eli Manning
10. Tom Brady
I’m seeing Brady higher than this in a lot of rankings, and I just don’t get it. Honestly, I almost dropped him further down my list.
We all remember that he’s facing a four-game suspension, right? We all remember that he’s 39, right? We all remember he has no running game, right? We all remember that his top three receiving options are injury prone, right?
I know this is Brady, Belichick and the Patriots we’re talking about, but there are legitimate concerns here. At some point it has to all come crashing down. Maybe it won’t be this year, but don’t be surprised if Brady’s a notch below his usual self; he is human, after all.
11. Philip Rivers
12. Matthew Stafford
13. Tyrod Taylor
14. Andy Dalton
15. Jameis Winston
16. Matt Ryan
17. Derek Carr
18. Kirk Cousins
18. Tony Romo
Again, another quarterback being taken much higher than this in most leagues. And while I’m one of Tony Romo’s staunchest defenders, he’s almost undraftable in my eyes.
All it took was three snaps in the preseason for him to re-aggravate his back, and with the way his health has gone the last few years, it may not take much longer in the regular season. There are serious injury concerns with Romo, and it would not be a surprise if we’re quickly nearing the end of his time in Dallas.
Oh, and then there’s that Dak Prescott guy. He may be fool’s gold, but he’s having Russell Wilson-esque preseason. If he gets the call at any point this year, he may not give up the job.
19. Ryan Tannehill
Hey guys, I’m scared, too, but if we walk this road together, we’ll be just fine.
I know I can’t be the only one getting a little excited about RGIII, and honestly, I’m glad I am. His rookie season was electric, and if Hue Jackson can pull that magic back out of him, it’ll be the best story of the year.
He’s only had 16 attempts though the first two games of the preseason, but they’ve been exciting. Now, do I believe he’s going to have a Pro Bowl season and lead the Browns to the playoffs? Not a chance. What I am saying is that he’s well worth the lottery ticket at this point in the draft.
21. Marcus Mariota
22. Alex Smith
23. Joe Flacco
24. Ryan Fitzpatrick
25. Jay Cutler
27. Brock Osweiler
28. Sam Bradford
29. Blaine Gabbert
30. Paxton Lynch
Whether he’s said it outright or not, Gary Kubiak has made it fairly clear that Trevor Siemian will be the Broncos starting quarterback Week 1 barring an epic collapse on Saturday night. He’s also made it clear that Paxton Lynch has pushed his way into the No. 2 conversation, and with the seventh-round pick and $3.5 million due to Mark Sanchez if he makes the team, Lynch may be the favorite.
And if the Broncos enter the season with Siemian and Lynch as their two quarterbacks, Denver’s first-round pick will be just an injury or interception away from taking over as the starting quarterback.
If you’re looking to draft a Broncos quarterback, this is your guy. He may hurt you at times, but there’s no doubt that he has the highest upside of the three.
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