2009 Sleepers & Busters – QB Edition

July 15, 2009

The RotoDestroyer is on sale, rankings are all over the place, it’s beginning to smell like toner and wasted office time! Is there anything better? It’s just like Christmas time.

But, like Christmas, even though you’ve got visions of Xbox 360s and iPhones dancing in your head, you’re gonna open some socks at some point. Why don’t we take some time to look over the packages under the beer bottle shaped tree, and try and pawn the crap over to someone else.

It’s time for Sleepers & Busters – QB Edition!

Sleepers

Philip Rivers – San Diego Chargers – (Avg. QB Rank – 5.50, Avg. ADP – 40.42) – Look, I know he can be an over-excitable douchebag, but we’re not drafting best buddies here.  We’re drafting people to win fake games!  Here’s the facts, San Diego has the 2nd easiest schedule against opposing defenses in the NFL.  San Diego has a Top 5 offensive line.  Vincent Jackson has emerged as a viable WR in the fantasy world, tack on to that the always potentially dangerous (but rarely ACTUALLY dangerous) Chris Chambers,  and two guys you may have heard of named Antonio and LaDanian.  Sure, they’re fading supernovas, but they’re better than Donald Lee and Ryan Grant (know what I’m sayin’?)  In the past, if you walked out with Philip Rivers as your starting QB, you might say, “*Sigh*  Yeah, I got stuck with Philip Rivers as my starting QB…”  This year, you should say, “Yeah, I got stuck with the bar tab, but I got Philip Rivers as my starting QB!”  (Come on, everyone loves the guy who picks up the tab.  Don’t be a dick!)

Trent Edwards – Buffalo Bills – (Avg. QB Rank – 18.90, Avg. ADP – 135.09) – The poor man’s Kurt Warner.  OK, Trent Edwards is the homeless guy in a third-world country’s Kurt Warner, but you get the idea.  The fact is, Trent’s not a very good quarterback and the Bills aren’t a very good team.  HOWEVER, when you’ve got Terrell Owens and Lee Evans as your #1 and #2 targets, you could be in worse shape (right, Joe Flacco?)  The fact that the Bills have a relatively easy schedule, and Trent is averaging a 12th round selection, he’ll make a steal for your #2 QB with #1 QB potential later on if your starter goes belly up.

Shaun Hill – San Francisco 49ers – (Avg. QB Rank – 22.60, Avg. ADP – 178.70) – It’s brand new world in San Fran right now.  Guys are working harder than they’ve ever worked before because they’re afraid Mike Singletary will kick their ass.  Sure there’s a QB competition going on out there right now, but isn’t there a QB competition on every team that doesn’t have a Pro-Bowl QB at this time of year?  Shaun Hill will most likely make it out on top, and when he does he’s got some great  young hands to target.  The fact that Hill was able to come on and throw for almost as many passing yards as Trent Edwards in almost half the games lets you know that you could do a whole lot worse for a back up QB.

Busters

Matt Cassel – Kansas City Cheifs – (Avg. QB Rank – 12.40, Avg. ADP – 97.49) – Don’t be stupid.  Think of the children.  If you draft this guy as your QB, please realize now that you can’t win.  He was a mediocre player in a stellar system.  Now he’s a mediocre player in a bad system.  Things will change drastically in 2009.  Don’t be an idiot.

Jay Cutler – Chicago Bears – (Avg. QB Rank – 10.30, Avg. ADP – 68.59) – Again, in Denver, Jay Cutler didn’t create the magic, the people around him did.  Now he’s in Chicago throwing to two converted punt returners and Rashied Davis.  I was right last season when I called him a Sleeper, and I’m right this season when I call him a Buster.

Mark Sanchez – New York Jets – (Avg. QB Rank – 30.22, Avg. ADP – 166.72) – And rounding out the trifecta of QBs walking on water for stats that their personal abilities had very little to do with, Jesus Jr. himself, Mark Sanchez.  The guy played one full season in arguably the best college system in the country.  Now, yes, I agree it was a great season, statistically.  But, come on.  The rankings suggest that not many people actually expect him to come out and amaze, but I’m going on record saying that Kellen Clemens should keep his helmet handy for Matt Leinart: Part II.

Related posts:

1. 2009 Sleepers & Busters: RB Edition
2. Sleepers & Busters: 2007 Edition
3. Sleepers & Busters: 2008 Second Basemen Edition
4. Sleepers & Busters: 2008 QB Edition
5. Sleepers & Busters: 2008 Third Basemen Edition

Tags: busts, Jay Cutler, Mark Sanchez, Matt Cassel, NFL, Philip Rivers, quarterbacks, Shaun Hill, sleepers, Trent Edwards