Who's the top quarterback for Fantasy Football 2017? Rodgers, Ryan, and Brees finished one through three in scoring last season. Who will be best next year?
Quarterbacks score the most points in standard fantasy football leagues. They don't deserve to be drafted too early, though. We were burned by that thought last year, as consensus top passer Cam Newton was a borderline first-round pick. Not only did he not finish among the top 12 fantasy players; he didn't rank as a top-12 quarterback!
Where does that leave us in 2017? Which quarterback is the best and who will stand atop fantasy football 2017 leagues? Your championship hinges on this decision. Who's the top quarterback?
Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, discuss Fantasy Football 2017 in today's NFL Sports Debate.
Todd Salem:
Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, and Drew Brees finished first, second, and third respectively in scoring last year. Are these the top guys you want for 2017? Tom Brady and Andrew Luck have to be in the discussion as well. And if so, what's the order?
Ryan himself makes and perhaps wins the argument that drafting a quarterback early is stupid. Even the late quarterbacks score a ton of points. Last season, he was drafted 114th overall on average in ESPN standard leagues. That is no joke. The second overall scorer in fantasy had 113 different players taken ahead of him.
On the one hand, Ryan's particular 2016 season was abnormal. He came out of the depths of mediocrity to dominate. On the other hand, even late-round quarterbacks score a ton. That means, you have to be right when taking a QB early. You can't mess up that pick. I don't have the numbers, but I can't imagine many owners won their leagues with Cam Newton as their starter last year.
This is why I'm ruling out Ryan for 2017. I have to be right with the first fantasy quarterback off the board, and I'm not sure Ryan duplicates his season with a new offensive coordinator and everyone gunning for him. Luck and Brady are much safer, but they lack the weapons of our top two options. This comes down to Rodgers and Brees. It always does.
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Until one of these guys comes up short, they are the pinnacle of fantasy quarterbacking. Brees throws for more yards, but Rodgers turns it over less and runs more. The only thing that gets me off Brees is all the buzz that New Orleans is trying to trade Brandin Cooks. That may end up being the smart move for the Saints as a whole, but it hurts Brees' value. Even if they end up holding onto Cooks, something feels unsettled there. Rodgers is the No. 1 fantasy quarterback. Surprise surprise.
Dan Salem:
Why is Aaron Rodgers always the No. 1 fantasy football quarterback? This feels unfair and somehow misguided. I think the collective "we" truly wanted Cam Newton to overtake Rodgers as number one, hence the first-round grade and subsequent bust of his fantasy football stature. I'd be reasonably shocked if Matt Ryan did not play out a similar narrative heading into the 2017 season, yet I fully believe Ryan befalls no such slump as Newton did. Does this make him the No. 1 fantasy football quarterback?
You love to preach value in fantasy circles, so I'm about to lay down a taste of your own good medicine. Matt Ryan is the top fantasy quarterback. His value is significantly higher than Rodgers, with less risk than Drew Brees. Of the other three quarterbacks in contention, Newton also has high value because he likely comes cheap this season. Tom Brady is consistently overvalued and hence overpriced, while Luck is still on such a bad team that his fantasy value is hindered accordingly. Rodgers may put up the best numbers and offer the least amount of risk in terms of a downturn, yet he also comes at a price. You'll likely need to use a first-round pick on Rodgers, or spend handsomely in an auction draft. Because you can wait on Ryan a bit longer, he is more valuable at his position.
I made the wise decision of choosing Ryan over Brees this past offseason in our keeper league. I love Drew Brees, but his time playing football is quickly winding down. Ryan has many years left and can easily be trusted to perform at a high level. If last season was an anomaly for Ryan, then so was the year prior. He has consistently put up excellent fantasy numbers, 2015 aside. He finished second only to Rodgers in 2016 and returns much of his offense. Steve Sarkisian will be running an offense designed to maximize Ryan's strengths. The new coach's name escapes me, but ultimately its a Matt Ryan offense either way.
The reason quarterbacks slip in fantasy drafts is obvious, yet I take no issue with spending a first round pick on the top one or two fantasy scorers in the league. Its harder to get a great running back, but its even harder to win your league without a top quarterback. You need Ryan, Rodgers, or Brees.
