Unless you have been living under a rock, you might have noticed that the NFL has quite a few quarterbacks playing at an exceptionally high level in recent years. Quarterback has become the league's most critical position. It's the most valued position in the NFL Draft and teams are constantly trying to find the guy that can run their offense.
Fantasy football draft strategy: Tony Romo, Matthew Stafford and quarterbacks to target
Why invest a high draft choice in your fantasy football quarterback when you can pick up one of these value picks?
Christopher Hanewinckel-US PRESSWIRE
But don’t make the mistake of thinking that means you have to spend an early draft pick in your fantasy football draft on a quarterback. In fact, with the amount of quarterbacks playing at a high level, one might argue that fantasy owners are better served waiting on quarterbacks to find some of the best value picks in the draft.
Here are five quarterbacks to target. All average draft position data collected from Fantasy Football Calculator.
Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys, Average Draft Position (Fantasy Football Calculator): 80.5
This is not a misprint. Despite the common perception surrounding Tony Romo, he is one of the most consistent fantasy football quarterbacks available, and he's coming off the board at a discount price. Romo has finished in the top 10 among fantasy quarterbacks five times in the last six season with the only exception being his injury-shortened 2010 season. He threw for nearly 5,000 yards last season and that was with a makeshift offensive line and DeMarco Murray injured for much of the season. If the offense stays healthy, Romo could be even better in 2013.
Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions, Average Draft position: 64.9
Matthew Stafford continues to be the trigger-man in the highest volume passing offense in the NFL. Yes, he has sloppy mechanics, and yes he gets sacked quite a bit. But he seems to be a prime bounce back candidate in 2013. He likely won’t match his 41-touchdown total of 2011, but he should be quite a bit better than his 20-touchdown mark from a year ago.
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks, Average Draft position: 86.3
In the second half of 2012, Russell Wilson threw 16 touchdowns and two interceptions. He added four rushing touchdowns, making him one of the most valuable quarterbacks in fantasy football. Yet Wilson is still being taken off the board in the seventh or eight round in fantasy drafts. The Percy Harvin injury puts a damper on Wilson’s fantasy value, but he is still one of the top dual threat quarterbacks in the league and a good bet to outperform his draft position.
Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears, Average Draft position: 128
It’s easy to forget how productive Jay Cutler has been in his career. Injuries have limited his production in recent years, but the Bears are going to be more pass heavy under new head coach Marc Trestman. If that’s the case, and Cutler can stay healthy, he may inch closer to the production level he became accustomed to during his final seasons in Denver.
Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles, Average Draft position: 97.9
When looking for a backup quarterback in fantasy football, it’s all about upside. Michael Vick has upside in spades, despite the obvious injury risk he presents. Chip Kelly’s offense is well suited to Vick’s skills. If he limits his mistakes, the mobile quarterback could be a difference maker in the uptempo offense. Fantasy owners won’t have to invest much in Vick, and the upside is a top 10 quarterback.
