Updated Quarterback Rankings

Dalton’s Quarterback Rankings

1. Peyton Manning
2. Carson Palmer

Palmer moves into tier No. 1 after looking so impressive Monday night, but don’t completely ignore his knee issue. If you draft a QB in the first three rounds of your draft, you won’t win your league, it’s as simple as that.

3. Tom Brady
4. Matt Hasselbeck
5. Donovan McNabb
6. Marc Bulger
7. Eli Manning
8. Kurt Warner
9. Drew Bledsoe

This is the group to target. Draft whichever QB falls from this group and presents the best value. Kurt Warner is likely to miss time, but he could easily put up the best per game numbers of any from this tier.

10. Jake Plummer
11. Jake Delhomme
12. Michael Vick
13. Ben Roethlisberger

These are the perfect guys to grab as your QB2 after waiting to take your QB1.

14. Aaron Brooks
15. Daunte Culpepper
16. Drew Brees
17. Jon Kitna
18. Chris Simms
19. Brett Favre
20. Byron Leftwich
21. Trent Green
22. David Carr

After this group, QBs become pretty much undraftable, unless you are in a very deep league. These guys make better QB3s than QB2s, but then again, most view Culpepper higher than I do.

23. Steve McNair
24. Brad Johnson
25. Philip Rivers
26. Mark Brunell
27. Charlie Frye
28. Chad Pennington
29. Matt Leinart
30. Kerry Collins

I was tempted to list Jeff George here for old times’ sake, but fought off the urge.

Robby’s Quarterback Rankings

1. Peyton Manning

Don’t let Peyton slip past the beginning of the second round, as he’ll once again be head and shoulders above all other quarterbacks this season.

2. Carson Palmer
3. Tom Brady

I’m letting these guys go unless they slip to the fifth round.

4. Matt Hasselbeck
5. Marc Bulger
6. Kurt Warner

D-Jax is certainly a concern, but I look for Hasselbeck to get back a handful of those 27 touchdowns from Shaun Alexander. I’ve always been a big Bulger fan but really don’t see how the Rams running more this year is going to help him statistically.

7. Eli Manning
8. Donovan McNabb
9. Drew Bledsoe

Ideally one of the top eight quarterbacks will slip into the seventh or eighth round where you can snag them. This Tony Romo nonsense and his world famous ribs (sorry) have forced me to flip-flop Bledsoe and McNabb. Does anyone know how TO and Parcells are getting along in training camp? I haven’t heard.

10. Jake Delhomme
11. Aaron Brooks
12. Jake Plummer
13. Michael Vick
14. Ben Roethlisberger
15. Daunte Culpepper
16. Trent Green

If you don’t nab a top eight quarterback, you better grab two from this group. I’m certainly less bullish on Brooks now that I’ve seen a couple of his preseason games, but he should still provide good late round value. Vick really does appear to finally be underrated this year after the Falcons traded for Lelie. Let someone else reach for Daunte Culpepper.

17. Drew Brees
18. Jon Kitna
19. Chris Simms
20. Brett Favre
21. David Carr
22. Byron Leftwich

I took Favre over Kitna and Simms a couple of weeks ago, but the Green Bay offense is looking like an unmitigated disaster this season. Good thing Favre is the best thing since Jesus.

23. Philip Rivers
24. Mark Brunell
25. Steve McNair

Rivers and McNair have looked surprisingly good thus far, and Brunell still has a bit left in the tank. I would try and secure one of these guys as your number three quarterback.

26. Kerry Collins
27. Brad Johnson
28. Chad Pennington
29. Matt Leinart
30. Charlie Frye

It’s looking more and more like Vince Young is going to get some serious reps in Tennessee. Leinart is my top backup this year, especially in leagues that award bonus points for dreaminess.

Jeff’s Quarterback Rankings

1. Peyton Manning
2. Carson Palmer
3. Tom Brady

I believe it is silly to draft Peyton Manning with a first or early second round pick, unless your league awards six points per touchdown pass. Palmer and Brady will come close to Manning’s totals and can be drafted in the 4th or 5th rounds.

4. Marc Bulger
5. Donovan McNabb
6. Kurt Warner
7. Matt Hasselbeck
8. Eli Manning

This group of QBs is a matter of preference. If you want the safe pick, go with Hasselbeck or McNabb. I prefer to gamble with upside, as Warner makes an excellent pick if you can insure him later with Leinart.

9. Jake Delhomme
10. Drew Bledsoe
11. Daunte Culpepper
12. Michael Vick

If Daunte’s knee holds up (so far, so good), he will make an excellent value pick in the mid rounds. The Ballad of Terrell Owens scares me away from Bledsoe.

13. Ben Roethlisberger
14. Jake Plummer
15. Aaron Brooks
16. Drew Brees

Big Ben is the perfect fantasy backup, as the Steelers will air it out more in 2006.

17. Trent Green
18. David Carr
19. Matt Leinart
20. Steve McNair

If you are secure with your starter’s ability, grab Leinart for safe keeping, then draft a bye week replacement later in the draft.

21. Jon Kitna
22. Chris Simms
23. Mark Brunell
24. Byron Leftwich
25. Brett Favre
26. Philip Rivers

I like Kitna and Simms as bye week options. I have softened my stance on Brunell and Favre, as their respective teams have looked horrible thus far in the preseason.

27. Brad Johnson
28. J.P. Losman
29. Jay Cutler
30. Alex Smith

If you have to draft one of these guys, go with Losman, who has had moderate success in his exhibition matchups and surprisingly wrangled the starting job in Buffalo.