IT TICKLES the confidence of every fantasy owner to stare at a starting lineup that begins with Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer or Tom Brady. Yet using a high pick on a top-tier QB can cost you elsewhere – namely RB or WR. The difference in a big-name QB and a middle-round field general isn’t as big as you might think.
So we say, let someone else go for Drew Brees in the third round or Marc Bulger in the fourth. You’ll be better off waiting a few more rounds while loading up at other positions.
TIER 1
We would love to have Manning, Palmer, Brady, Brees or Bulger on our squad, but we can’t justify such a high pick. We believe they will lead the pack in fantasy totals, but you can find better value in lower rounds. So make sure you leave the third round with two RBs an a WR. If you really have to stray outside the box early, take Antonio Gates in the fourth if he’s there. Save the QB for later.
TIER 2
After the top rung, every QB has his warts. Donovan McNabb seems to get hurt come fantasy playoff time every year. Matt Hasselbeck is reliable and consistent but is not a fantasy monster. Don’t be overly concerned about the loss of Darrell Jackson. Hasselbeck has a history of spreading the ball around. Besides, Deion Branch still offers a solid primary target.
Vince Young has no surrounding talent and has much to learn. His running prowess will reward you in spots. His passing efficiency will not.
Tony Romo was woefully inconsistent in limited time last year. The loss of Terry Glenn would hurt, but he is supposed to be sidelined a mere two weeks after minor knee surgery. But it’s still knee surgery.
Our favorite QB in the draft this year is Jon Kitna. His problem is that he is Jon Kitna. And though he can throw a pick as quick as anyone, we love the weapons he has around him – specifically WRs Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson. He has enough of a running game, with Tatum Bell and Kevin Jones, to take some heat off the pass rush and loosen the secondary. He’s going around the seventh round (though as late as 10 or 11 in ESPN leagues). Once Hasselbeck is picked, the clock is ticking on Kitna. Get him soon thereafter.
TIER 3
You want to have you’re starting QB solidified before the late middle rounds (9-12). But Brett Favre, Jake Delhomme, Eli Manning and Philip Rivers are decent backups options. The wild cards here are Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler. We rank them this low because they’ve done nothing so far to show us otherwise, but that doesn’t mean they won’t. We like their upside and rank them as the best of this bunch. So do others, too. That’s why Leinart particularly sometimes gets picked surprisingly high (normally 9-10, every once in a while as high as sixth).
TIER 4
If it’s getting late (rounds 12-15), you may have to consider some weaker options at backup. J.P. Losman has a decent upside. Others like Ben Roethlisberger, Chad Pennington. Jeff Garcia, Alex Smith and Rex Grossman are less desirable.
SLEEPERS
If you’re done drafting and have a roster spot you are just dying to fill with an expendable QB, Joey Harrington, Daunte Culpepper, David Carr and Jason Campbell offer as much potential as you’re going to find on waivers.
Next week: running backs
Keep your fantasy football and baseball teams on top of the standings. Check out the Fantasy Tracker blog at http://blogs.nypost.com/sports/fantasytracker/.
Cheat sheet
Rank. Player (TM) PRD*
1. Peyton Manning (Ind)1
2. Carson Palmer (Cin)2
3. Tom Brady (NE) 2-3
4. Drew Brees (NOr) 2-3
5. Marc Bulger (StL) 4-5
6. Jon Kitna (Det) 7
7. Donovan McNabb (Phi)5
8. Matt Hasselbeck (Sea)6-7
9. Vince Young (Ten)7
10. Tony Romo (Dal)7-8
11. Matt Leinart (Ari) 10
12. Jay Cutler (Den) 12
13. Brett Favre (GB) 12
14. Eli Manning (NYG)11
15. Philip Rivers (SD)7-8
16. Jake Delhomme (Car)12
17. J.P. Losman (Buf)13
18. Alex Smith (SF) 12
19. C. Pennington (NYJ)13
20. B. Roethlisberger (Pit)11
dloftis@nypost.com
