Fantasy Football: Top 10 Projected Quarterbacks

Aug 11, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) signals to his teammates against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports /

It’s August! Most of you are in draft mode, either having already drafted your fantasy football team or are about to draft it soon. Today, we are going to take a look at my top 10 projected quarterbacks for the 2016 season. Projections are sure to go wrong, but they sure are fun to do. As we look at my top 10 QB’s for the 2016 season, I will also throw in some QB’s I have my eye on that could be great values late in your draft.

In most mock drafts, QB’s are going later on in drafts, but we all know when we get into our live league drafts, someone will pull the trigger on a QB in the first 3 rounds, and I’m sure there will be someone who takes one in the 1st round. If you get your guy and he does what you hope, more power to you, but as you will see, there will be plenty of QB’s that will be worth waiting on.

In my projections, I do not take the approach of ranking them based on what they did last year. We all know that Cam Newton was by far the number 1 QB in fantasy, but shouldn’t we expect a little regression this year? Yes! 2015 is gone, and we need to base our drafts on what we expect to happen in 2016. I’m going to go from 10 to 1, then add some sleepers for you. So, let’s get to it!

Next: A star in Oakland

Aug 12, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) throws during the first half Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /

10. Derek Carr – Carr took a huge leap forward in his 2nd season as the QB for the Oakland Raiders. He is entering year 3 with great chemistry with sophomore WR Amari Cooper, and I really look for him keep moving forward this season. 4,200 yards and 35 TD’s are well within his reach. The Raiders added great quality to their offensive line which should help the running game tremendously, which will free things up for Carr and his solid pass catchers.

9. Blake Bortles – Another QB entering year 3 is Blake Bortles. Like Carr, Bortles had an outstanding season leading the Jags in 2015, and I see him continuing on the upward trend. He had a rather high INT total last year, but that should see a slight drop this season. The Jags added to their defense, which could cause the attempts for Bortles to regress a little in 2016, but he still has Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns to throw to. Add in a healthy Julius Thomas and a running game that could be better in 2016 and Bortles has all the makings of a 4,500 yd 35 TD season, which should land him in the top 10 for fantasy QB’s this season.

8. Eli Manning – Manning enters this year with a great group of weapons at his disposal. He is in year 3 with Ben McAdoo running his offense, this season as the head coach, and with the teams in the NFC East being less than stellar on the defensive side of the ball Manning should be able to have another quietly solid season. Their defense should be much improved over last year, but it’s no secret this offense moves through the air. Look for Manning to eclipse the 4,500 yd mark with 35+ TD’s.

Next: Where to draft Tom Brady?

Aug 12, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) throws during the first half against the Oakland Raiders at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /

7. Carson Palmer – Palmer had his best season as a pro last year throwing for over 4,500 yds and 35 TD’s. He’s getting up there in age, but the Cardinals are absolutely loaded. He has good WR’s that don’t have to have the ball, he has a workhorse back who can catch passes, and he has a coach who loves to push the ball down field. There are 2 drawbacks to Palmer that you will need to consider, he has to face the Rams and the Seahawks twice, and the Cardinals will likely run the ball a little more this season to keep Palmer healthy for a playoff run. Palmer will no doubt be a top 10 fantasy QB is he stays healthy this season.

6. Tom Brady – Sign me up to be on the pissed off Tom Brady train once he gets back from his 4 game suspension. I look for Tom to come out firing in week 5 against the Cleveland Browns and not look back. Tom will miss the 1st 4 weeks of the season, but I believe he will be on a mission once he gets back, and despite missing 4 games I see him being a top 10 fantasy QB this season.

5. Ben Roethlisberger – Big Ben could easily be a top 3 fantasy QB if he is able to stay on the field for 16 games. He has the best receiver in the game, and the Steelers have backs that catch the ball well out of the back field. If he can avoid playing reckless this season and finally stay healthy for a full 16 games, he will have one of the best seasons of his career.

4. Drew Brees – Is there a quieter fantasy stud than Brees? He passed for 4,800 yards and 32 TD’s last season, and I think he can improve on those numbers. Cooks is coming into his own, and the rookie Thomas looks like he will take over where Colston left off. Adding Fleener will give Brees plenty of weapons to use, and I see him approaching 5,000 yards and 35+ TD’s.

Next: Who is top QB?

Jan 16, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) reacts against the Arizona Cardinals in the first quarter of a NFC Divisional round playoff game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Cam Newton – Cam is going to put up great numbers once again, but matching what he did last year will be a difficult task. He gets Benjamin back this season, but the Panthers will also have a huge target on their backs and will definitely get the best from each team they play. Last season Cam was absolutely magical, his 35 passing and 10 rushing TD’s carried many teams to a fantasy title last season. I think Cam regresses a little this year numbers wise, but he will still be a top fantasy QB.

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2. Andrew Luck – Luck had a rough year last season. Injuries to himself and a weak offensive line cost him last season, but he comes into this year fully healthy and ready to go! The Colts still have a defense that isn’t likely to stop many teams, so Luck will have to throw a ton to keep them in games. The Colts invested in the offensive line this offseason, and are hopeful things will gel and be better than last season. With Hilton, Moncrief, and Allen, Luck has some good weapons at his disposal, and I see him using them at will. A full offseason under Rob Chudzinski at Offensive Coordinator will be at the Colts’ advantage as well. If Luck stays fully healthy, he could have another season similar to what he had in 2014.

1. Aaron Rodgers – Last season was disappointing for Rodgers despite throwing for 31 TD’s compared to only 8 interceptions. The Green Bay offense just didn’t look right last year without Nelson or an in shape Eddy Lacy. This season he should get Nelson back at 100%, and Lacy committed himself to get in shape and be better this season. They added a good pass catching TE in Jared Cook, and I believe Rodgers will be determined to make a serious Super Bowl run this year. He could easily top the 40 TD mark, and I expect him to dominate this season.

Next: Fantasy Football QB Rankings

The QB position this year is deep, I just gave you 10 QB’s who will likely have great seasons, but there are a lot of QB’s outside this list that will provide great value should you wait. Phillip Rivers, Andy Dalton, Matthew Stafford, and Russell Wilson could be top 10 QB’s this season and it wouldn’t be surprising to me. Going into my drafts I plan to wait to take a QB, there is just too much value at this position that you could get a top 12 guy in the 10th round or later. Whatever your strategy is going into your drafts, you can see you will have plenty of options at the QB position.

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