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Be honest, you would LOVE to build your fantasy team around this guy. |
In this week's installment of Fantasy Football Friday, we dive into the connundrum of quarterback selection. Last week, we had quite a discussion on who should be the #1 pick. In the end, I won easily with my choice of Adrian Peterson because no one else provided a halfway decent argument to counteract the fact that his team scores a shitload of points and he gets to play the Lions and Bears twice. I win. Like usual. Let's see if I can win again today (very likely).
Let's just put aside the notion that there are leagues that only reward passing touchdowns as 4 pointers. That is fucking stupid and gay. You should never be in one of those leagues. In football, touchdowns are worth 6 points. It should be the same in fantasy. And that goes for leagues rewarding long field goals with more than 3 points. Knock that shit off. Your quarterback should be the breadwinner for your franchise (90% of the time). If you get shutout of the 3-4 big dog running backs, you better damn sure get yourself one of the 5-6 stud QB's to counterbalance that. You don't want to look at your roster after the draft and see that you have Ronnie Brown and Eli Manning as your "studs". That is the foundation for a last place team.
But before we get into my strategy to ensure a solid QB, I want to to discuss Tom Brady. Basically, is he still an elite fantasy QB? "Elite" in this instance means a top 5 QB to me. I don't know that he is. He's burned a LOT of bridges with fantasy nerds recently. Now granted, I am still bitter about his shitty season last year and his knee DESTROYING one of my teams two years ago. But I watched him a lot last year and I didn't get the same awesome vibe from him that I used to. Is he in the same fantasy class as Brees, A-Rod, Pey Pey, Rivers, and (ugh) Romo? I'm not so sure that I would rather have Brady over any of those guys for my fantasy team. I might even take Favre over him. I don't know though, what's the consensus? Is Tommy Brady still an elite fantasy QB? I have my doubts. Either way, he is officially on my no-draft list this year. Never again, pretty boy faggot.
Let's get back to the idea of drafting QB's early though and why it is a good idea.
1. This is the one position where the waiver wire won't help you.
2. They are less likely to get hurt.
3. They are guaranteed points.
4. There are 30-40 running backs that you could live with...there are only 10-12 QB's. Supply and demand, bitches.
5. Good quarterbacks can only rarely be shutdown.
As I have played fantasy football for over fifteen years now, I have changed my strategy. I used to believe in the age-old philosophy of going RB/RB in the first two rounds. No more. I MUST have a stud QB. As long as I'm not drafting in the top 4, I'm taking a Brees or Rodgers when it comes around to me. And if I do get lucky to get one of the 4 studs, you bet your ass that I'm getting Peyton or Rivers coming back. Just look at the playoff teams from your league last year. How many of them started Jay Cutler? None. Don't go cheap on QB's. I can't stress this enough. DONT GO CHEAP ON QUARTERBACKS.
In my auction leagues, 99% of the time my QB is my highest paid player. In one, which allows keepers, I'm keeping Brees for 38% of my cap this year. And I don't care. Whoever owns Brees is going to the playoffs. It's almost a certainty. He's that good. With Brees already on board, it just means that I can kick back and put down a case on draft day. And that's why Draft Day is the best day of the year. But let's get back on point here to finish this up.
Now, you won't hear any of the experts say it as they will try to get you to take Steven Jackson in the first round. I'm hear to tell you not to bother. Don't reach on mediocre running backs. That is what rounds 6-8 are for. Go out and get a reliable arm. I've never heard anyone say, "You know, I'd love to take Peyton Manning here at pick 11, but the lure of Brandon Jacobs is just too strong." Don't be that guy. Don't be the guy that starts Matt Hasselbeck at QB because you went Jacobs and Shonn Greene in the first two rounds. Because that guy is playing for 8th place. He sucks. You suck. I'm going to win every league I'm in this year!
Much like the NFL, fantasy football is a quarterback league. It's just that Matthew Berry and Eric "The Molester" Karabell don't want you to know it.