2010 Fantasy QBs By Committee

By Josh Moore

Some fantasy football managers view Quarterbacks to be just as important as running backs on their rosters and are willing to draft an elite QB within the first two rounds of their draft. Others see QBs as semi-crucial and will draft them in rounds 3-6 with their starting wide receivers and tight end.

One alternative strategy is the QBBC or Quarterback-By-Committee approach. Using a QBBC approach instead of going for a stud QB in early rounds allows you to stack the other parts of your lineup on draft day, knowing that you can manufacture great production out of your QB spot with a pair of players drafted in later rounds.

In early 2010 fantasy football drafts, QBs like Tom Brady, Tony Romo, Philip Rivers and Matt Schaub have Average Draft Positions (ADP) in the 30s and 40s, making them 4th and 5th round picks in most draft formats. With the depth at the position this season, lower tier QBs with upside like Eli Manning, Joe Flacco, Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb, and Matt Ryan can be had in the 8th, 9th, and 10th rounds of many drafts. Employing a QBBC committee at quarterback allows you to use that 4th or 5th round pick on a running back like Jonathan Stewart or Pierre Thomas, a receiver named Steve Smith (your choice) or Michael Crabtree, or the #1 overall TE Dallas Clark. While stocking up on other positions, the wait is on to pick up a couple of complimentary QBs later in the draft.

Some high-risk/high-reward QBs with schedules full of favorable matchups may not even be drafted in your league. Alex Smith has a budding star at WR in Michael Crabtree, and a beast in Vernon Davis to target in the red zone. But don't look past the most appealing factor -- Alex Smith and the 49ers play in the NFC West which means 4 matchups against the Seahawks and Rams. Add in games against the Chiefs and Bucs and Alex Smith is looking like a solid matchup play to pair with a more reliable option. Alex Smith has an ADP of 144, meaning he can be had in the 15th round of an average 10 team draft.

QB Matt Leinart also benefits from the NFC West, with 7 very favorable matchups on his schedule. While he certainly comes with risk, he does sport one of the best wideouts in the game in Larry Fitzgerald and can be had in the final round of most fantasy drafts.

Sometimes I like to use my last pick on a guy like Matt Leinart and don't even bother drafting a kicker. This allows me to wait for training camps to play out before cutting one of my late round picks and picking up the best available kicker heading in to week 1. Leinart can be paired nicely with a QB like Kevin Kolb for 9 slam dunk matchups through a 16 game fantasy season.

One hidden advantage to a QBBC approach is that it allows you draft day flexibility. Because a QBBC strategy means you are waiting on a QB, you have the flexibility to change your strategy given a good opportunity.

As an example, let's say you are drafting and your goal is to land one of Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning or Drew Brees -- most definately the top tier of QBs available in this year's draft. By employing this draft strategy come round 6 your QB slot is long-since filled with a top tier QB and a guy like Tom Brady has fallen all the way to your 6th round pick. What can you do? Nothing. In this situation you must pass on the tremendous value that Brady presents at this draft spot. Alternatively, when using a QBBC draft strategy, if a tremendous QB value presents itself you are free to select Brady in the 6th or even Brett Favre in the 10th and abandon your QBBC strategy.

Below we will highlight possible QBBC candidates and show how they can provide a slew of solid matchups throughout the fantasy season while saving you big on draft day -- allowing you to focus on other positions in the early rounds of the draft. Leverage the 4for4.com Hot Spots Reports for more QBBC ideas.

Eli Manning & Joe Flacco

Eli Manning can and will give fantasy managers a lot of quality starts this season. He threw for over 4000 yards and 27 TDs last season and his receivers are young with tons of potential. But Manning shouldn't be counted on to fill your starting QB slot all season. Why not? In weeks 14, 15, and 16, the most crucial weeks of the fantasy season, Eli Manning has three brutal matchups @MIN, PHI, and @GB. Eli has an ADP of 81 and is a perfect candidate to pair with another mid to late round pick in a QBBC. When paired with Joe Flacco, Manning can cover Flacco's week 1 matchup with the Jets while Flacco can step in for the fantasy playoffs with games against the Texans, Saints, and Browns. A manager drafting these two QBs will be able to ride the hot hand and play the matchups throughout the season, while hopefully getting the most out of each QB.

Eli Manning & Matt Ryan

If Flacco isn't your style, or he goes off the board before you are ready to pick him, Matt Ryan is another solid option to compliment Eli Manning's schedule. In week 11 when Manning plays the Eagles, Matt Ryan goest to St. Louis. For that brutal fantasy playoff stretch of Eli's, Ryan draws a much nicer schedule -- Carolina, Seattle, and New Orleans.