NFL Fantasy Football Projections: Brees Passes Manning for Yardage Record, Earning 2018 Top QB and MVP Awards

When considering players at Quarterback for a fantasy football team, there are several factors that have to be weighed.

Talent of the player himself is the most obvious, but beyond that, the quality of those players around him, the level of competition he’ll face, and how each teammate in their position matches up against the season’s opponents, must all be considered.

The following is a break-down of the four major areas of consideration;

1. The Offensive Line: What quality level of protection can be expected from the starting group of players, and how do those players match up against the opposing pass rushers the team will see this year?
2. The Receiving Corps: Do they have the depth and talent to beat match-ups versus opposing defensive-backs?
3. The Receiving Talent of Players at Tight End and Running Back: Are they able to operate as receiving options when down-field wide-outs are well covered, granting the Quarterback the ability the churn out positive yardage from broken plays?
4. The Rushing Offense: Is there enough productivity being generated from the ground-game to balance the offense. Balance such as this is particularly important in keeping opposing defenses “honest,” not allowing them to spend all-game double-teaming top receivers, because they have no regard for the rushing attack.

With these factors in mind, the following is a list of this season’s top projected Quarterbacks. Players who are not just leaders in the league, and at their position, but those anticipated to have tremendously productive seasons, as each has several (if not all) factors working in their favor.

Drew Brees - New Orleans Saints

Projected 2018 stats: 5,000 yds - 36 tds - 7 ints

The Saints history of productivity already plays into Brees’ favor, considering how New Orleans finished 2017 (fifth in passing and rushing offense, fourth in points scored, and second in offensive-line protection); but that, on its own, is not enough to necessarily justify a top-5 position this year.

So, what does make this near 40-year-old future Hall-of-Famer a lock for top-5 production this year?

A greater depth of talent at Receiver (with rookie Tre’Quan Smith, and veterans Brandon Tate and Michael Floyd), the return of all five starters along last year’s #2 offensive line, and some very favorable match-ups against lesser defensive backfields, most of which play in the same division.

With the level of talent this team now sports in its receiving options, the balance of productivity on offense from rushing to passing, the protection it can offer Brees, and the highly favorable match-ups the Saints will see this season, not a lot stands in the way of Brees hitting high-marks in passing yet again… and there’s a very good likeliness that this veteran passer finishes the season ranked tops in yardage amongst the league’s greatest players.

Ben Roethlisberger - Pittsburgh Steelers

Projected 2018 stats: 5,000 yds - 37 tds - 10 ints

1B to Drew Brees’ 1A; Roethlisberger has pretty much everything working in his favor this season.

His team is nearly identical to—if not improved from—what it was in 2017, when the Steelers finished eighth in points, fourth in protection, and third in passing yardage.

They’ve made a solid upgrade from Receiver Martavis Bryant to the equally explosive rookie, James Washington, return the league’s #3 rusher from last year, Le’Veon Bell, and added depth at offensive line, with former Western Michigan stud Chukwuma Okorafor.

If that wasn’t enough, the Steelers also draw one of the more favorable schedules of any passing offense this season, facing only a couple teams that offer top-quality competition in their defensive backfield.

Considering all factors, Roethlisberger might just beat-out Brees as the top QB when the season’s done; only time will tell.

Tom Brady - New England Patriots

Projected 2018 stats: 4,750 yds - 40 tds - 7 ints

There’s not really a lot that needs to be analyzed when it comes to the G.O.A.T.

There are years where he’s had a sub-par supporting cast around him. Years where the team has suffered through punishment, suspensions, and injuries. Years where he’s been met at every turn by an overall intense hatred by people who don’t define themselves as Pats’ fans; and yet, despite it all, Brady has persevered with consistency, reaching the NFL Championship a record 8 times in 19 seasons, winning 5 of them.

During that time, he’s also thrown for an astonishing 66,000 yards, going for over 4,000 yards on a season several times.

With a schedule that’s ranked as sixth easiest on the year, and a solid supporting cast that features established veterans Kenny Britt, Cordarrelle Patterson, Dwayne Allen, Eric Decker, Julian Edelman, and star Tight End Rob Gronkowski; there’s no reason to think that Brady and the Patriots can’t hit the same marks they did last year, finishing the season second in passing yardage and points scored again.

Matt Ryan - Atlanta Falcons

Projected 2018 stats: 4,750 yds - 29 tds - 9 ints

Ryan and the Falcons represent another situation where it’s almost a “perfect storm” of things working to their favor.

They had the sixth-ranked offensive line last year, a line which may have even improved a bit from 2017 with the addition of veteran Guard Brandon Fusco.

They also bring back almost the entire roster of Ryan’s 8th-ranked passing corps; including Justin Hardy, Mohamed Sanu, Austin Hooper, Runningbacks Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman, and superstar receiver Julio Jones.

With a couple rookie additions in Calvin Ridley, Ito Smith, and Jake Roh; Ryan has plenty of "weaponry" to work with, not matter what defense he sees…

… Luckily for him and the Falcons, of all the defenses they’ll see this year, only five have any defensive-backfield talent worth being wary of.

Should be a good year for Falcons and Falcons’ fans alike.

Matthew Stafford - Detroit Lions

Projected 2018 stats: 4,250 yds - 28 tds - 8 ints

Stafford may come as a bit of a "shocker" as the #5 QB on the list, which says a lot about public perception, given that the guy has played and started every game for the last seven years straight, going over 4,000 yards every single time.

Reality is, the negative perception comes not from how well HE plays, but from how poorly the Lions tend to play as a team.

Luckily for fantasy enthusiasts, as long as Stafford’s able to stay "upright" and get that ball downfield, that’s all that really matters.

With Detroit catching the ninth easiest schedule, including the eighteenth-ranked pass-rush, that shouldn’t be too difficult to accomplish for this improved O-Line that now features rookie Frank Ragnow at Center.

The return of key receivers Marvin Jones, Golden Tate, and Kenny Golladay give Stafford the starting trio he needs to move things up and down the gridiron; with Runningback additions LaGarrette Blount and rookie Kerryon Johnson providing the balance on offense, the team has so desperately been searching for, for some years.

Favorable schedule, offensive balance, good protection, plenty targets to throw to…

… Sounds like the making of a great situation for Stafford, his team, and any fantasy-owner that might make the move to grab him in this season’s draft.

Tags

#nfl #nflpreseason #preseason #nflpredictions #fantasy #football #fantasyfootball #ff #nflfootball #nflfantasy #nflfantasyfootball #fantasyrankings #nflrosters #fantasyfootballrankings #fantasyfootballpredictions #tombrady #matthewstafford #benroethlisberger #mattryan #drewbrees #neworleans #saints #atlanta #falcons #newengland #patriots #pittsburgh #steelers #detroit #lions