Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quarterback Jameis Winston. Photo Credit: Keith Allison – Under Creative Commons License
Fantasy football drafts are right around the corner and some may have even already taken place. To prepare for fantasy football I wanted to put together a list of the top 10 fantasy football positional rankings. For starters, we will look at the quarterback position, as it can be the most important depending on how your league is set up.
Top 10 Fantasy Football Quarterbacks Entering 2017
1. Matt Ryan – Atlanta Falcons
The Super Bowl meltdown committed by the Falcons will give Matt Ryan more motivation than he has ever had. Ryan has a great receiving corps with Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu, Taylor Gabriel, and second-year tight end Austin Hooper. The Falcons also utilize running back tandem Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman very well. Expect new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian to use all of these weapons to enhance Ryan’s game. Ryan will also benefit from an improved defense.
2. Aaron Rodgers – Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers will not be the best fantasy quarterback in 2017 but he won’t be far behind. He has great weapons in Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, and new tight end Martellus Bennett. Plus, while wide receiver turned running back Ty Montgomery may not provide a lethal running game, he does add a mismatch for opposing defenses.
3.Drew Brees – New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees may have lost Brandin Cooks to New England but he still has viable options in Michael Thomas, newly signed Ted Ginn, and Willie Snead. Brees should also benefit from a crowded yet talented backfield.
4. Andrew Luck – Indianapolis Colts
Andrew Luck got hit way too much last year but still managed to rank fourth among all quarterbacks in fantasy football. He has one of the top receivers in T.Y. Hilton along with Phillip Dorsett and Donte Moncrief. Don’t sleep on new addition Kamar Aiken to make some plays for Luck. Tight end Jack Doyle will add a nice pass catching option too.
5. Tom Brady – New England Patriots
Brady missed the first four games last year so he only ranked 15th among quarterbacks, that won’t be the case this year. He has an embarrassment of riches with Brandin Cooks coming over from New Orleans to team up with Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski. James White and Dion Lewis both provide weapons in the passing game as well.
6. Derek Carr – Oakland Raiders
Coming off of a broken leg suffered at the end of 2016, Derek Carr is not being highly targeted heading into 2017. Carr still has one of the league’s top offensive units at his disposal. Wide receiver Amari Cooper is posed to break out in his third year and Michael Crabtree is always reliable for a few big games. Oakland also signed tight end Jared Cook and of course running back Marshawn Lynch came out of retirement and joined the Raiders. Lynch will add a dimension that Carr hasn’t had the privilege to have yet.
7. Jameis Winston – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jameis Winston is entering his third year and this is the year to take Winston as your fantasy quarterback. Winston already has Mike Evans, and DeSean Jackson was signed as a free agent. The Buccaneers took tight end O.J. Howard out of Alabama in the first round of the draft which will be a tremendous option for Winston.
8. Philip Rivers – Los Angeles Chargers
Philip Rivers turned out a 4,300 yard year in 2016 and finished in the top 15 for fantasy quarterbacks without a true number one receiver. He also tossed 33 touchdowns. If it wasn’t for his interception total he would be higher on this list. He has Keenan Allen back, and first-round receiver Mike Williams will provide a great second option, assuming the reports that Williams is having season ending back surgery are false. Rivers also has tight ends Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry. Running back Melvin Gordon provides enough run game for defenses to play honest but the Chargers will still rely on the passing attack to win games.
9. Dak Prescott – Dallas Cowboys
Every defense on the Cowboys schedule will have to account for Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas running game. This bodes well for second year quarterback Dak Prescott. He has Dez Bryant back at full health and reliable role players in Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, and rookie sleeper Ryan Switzer. Fourteen-year veteran Jason Witten is still serviceable and will provide Prescott with a real red zone threat at the tight end spot. Prescott’s legs give him a dimension to his game that most quarterbacks don’t have.
10. Marcus Mariota – Tennessee Titans
Tennessee went out and addressed a huge need when they took wide receiver Corey Davis in the first round. They also gave Marcus Mariota a great weapon that he needed. Davis along with Tajae Sharpe, Rishard Matthews, Eric Decker, and tight end Delanie Walker, give Mariota the best receiving group he has had since arriving in Tennessee. The running game may take away from Mariota’s numbers but expect Tennessee to pass more in 2017.