FANTASY FOOTBALL ARTICLES

First Round - The first round has always had starting quarterbacks without exception and each player taken between 2000 and 2004 have been at least one-time starting quarterbacks. That 2000 quirk where both Marc Bulger and Tom Brady came out of the sixth round continues to be the rare aberration which has not repeated since. While the 2004 first rounders had significant playing time in their first season, both Manning and Roethlisberger really came on strong in their second seasons. Finally Phillip Rivers gets a shot this year.

Rounds Two through Four - There were no quarterbacks taken in the second round for the last four years with this season being the exception finally though neither Clemens or Jackson are expected to do much as rookies. Drew Brees has been the star of the second round thus far though Charlie Frye looked promising last year as a third rounder. The fourth round has produced players that have been starters for at least a stretch – Chris Weinke, David Garrard and Kyle Orton – but none of them have shown enough to be more than back-ups.

Round Five through Seven - The fifth round  has always been a waste of a pick for the last six years and not one player has done more than fill in for a game or two. Both Marc Bulger and Tom Brady came from the sixth round in 2000, but they are also the only quarterbacks from that round that have done anything at all. The seventh is even worse producing only Tim Rattay who has already lost his job. The reality is that other than Brady and Bulger, no quarterback drafted later than the third round has proven to be of any real starting value.

2006 - Going into fantasy drafts, there’s not a lot of expectations on the freshman class this year though certainly the Big 3 (Young, Leinart and Cutler) will be getting their shot sooner than later. Each of those quarterbacks have fantasy value only in keeper leagues or the very deepest of rosters as their fortunes this season are likely hinging only on an injury to the starter that propels them into the fire. Even with that happening, temper expectations of any rookie quarterback. Of the three, Leinart has the best situation for fantasy potential.

Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers