RADIO
Quarterback might be the most important position on an NFL field, but the truth is it's not the most important position in fantasy football. Why, you ask? Simple, the depth at quarterback is impressive, making it unnecessary -- and unwise -- to reach early for a quarterback.
Sure, players like Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady are nice to have, but not at the expense of a chance to get a stud running back like David Johnson or Le'Veon Bell, or an elite receiver like Antonio Brown or Julio Jones. The scoring difference between the No. 1 and No. 10 quarterback, for example, is not as pronounced as the difference between the No. 1 and No. 10 running back.
Quarterback is a deep position that gets deeper every season with the continued emergence of young players and improving veterans. Let's highlight some of the biggest breakout stars at quarterback this season.
Note: 2016 average draft positions from Fantasy Football Calculator are in parentheses.
Quarterback Value Studs for 2016 Fantasy Football
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (12.06)
Final stats: 3,667 pass yds, 23 TDs, 4 INTs; 282 rush yds, 6 TDs
Nothing was expected from Prescott in his rookie season, but a hit from Seattle Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril on veteran starter Tony Romo changed that. Prescott, a fourth-round pick out of Mississippi State, moved into the starting lineup and never looked back.
Despite constant speculation and rampant second-guessing from fans and the media, Prescott started all 16 regular-season games and the Cowboys' divisional-round loss to the Green Bay Packers. He put together one of the finest rookie seasons in NFL history, finishing with a brilliant 23-to-four touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Prescott was largely tasked with playing it safe, and letting Dallas rely on its brilliant rushing attack anchored by fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott. But Prescott was quietly impressive on the ground as well, finishing with nearly 300 yards and six touchdowns.
Add it all up and what do you have? Incredible value for a player that was being selected, on average, in the middle of the 12th round of fantasy drafts.
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (N/A)
Final stats: 4,944 pass yds, 38 TDs, 7 INTs; 117 rush yds, 0 TDs
Ryan was hardly an unknown fantasy commodity entering the 2016-17 season. In fact, he had a reputation as a consistent if unspectacular option that would post 4,000-plus yards and 20-plus touchdowns year in and year out.
Matty Ice took it to a different level this season, exploding for career highs in passing yards (4,944) and touchdowns (38), while setting a career low in interceptions (seven). The Falcons' explosive offense, guided by Ryan, led the league with a 33.8 points per game average.
Few fantasy quarterbacks were as consistently dominant this season as Ryan, who amazingly enough wasn't drafted among the top 22 quarterbacks in standard leagues, according to Fantasy Football Calculator. Seriously, he had a lower ADP than players like Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Tannehill, Ryan Fitzpatrick and, of course, Robert Griffin III.
Given those amazing numbers, it's fair to call Ryan the steal of the 2016 season.
Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (11.04)
Final stats: 4,327 pass yds, 24 TDs, 10 INTs; 207 rush yds, 2 TDs
Stafford didn't put together the most prolific fantasy season of his career. That honor remains reserved for his bonkers 2011 season (5,038 yards, 41 TDs). But he did have his most impressive season as an NFL quarterback, and it included plenty of fantasy success along the way.
The loss of Calvin Johnson to retirement changed the look of Detroit's offense, but Stafford still dropped back to pass as often as previous seasons. The result was a sixth straight 4,000-yard season, but only 24 touchdown passes. Hey, when you lose a red-zone monster like Megatron, that's bound to happen. Stafford only threw 10 interceptions though, which set a career low for a full season.
Stafford also added some nice production on the ground (207 yards, two TDs). For a player that was being drafted in the late rounds, Stafford was a superb value this season. His maturity as a quarterback during a solid 2016 season bodes well for the future.
Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans (11.10)
Final stats: 3,426 pass yds, 26 TDs, 9 INTs; 349 rush yds, 2 TDs
Mariota was an intriguing name entering the 2016-17 season. The former Oregon star showed flashes as a rookie of the raw talent that made him the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, but the ceiling was still higher than the production. It's safe to say Mariota took a step forward in Year No. 2.
Mariota increased his touchdown passes from 19 to 26 (albeit in three more games played), but more importantly, showed a willingness to run more. The former Heisman Trophy winner rushed for 349 yards, the sixth-highest total among all quarterbacks. He also showed remarkable consistency during an eight-game stretch in which he passed for at least two TDs in each game.
Mariota's season ended on a sour note when he suffered a broken leg in Week 16, but assuming he comes back healthy next season, he should be primed to continue his ascent. Mariota was drafted in the 11th round, around the same time as Stafford, and he returned value as a high-end QB2 for most of the season.
Sam Bradford, Minnesota Vikings (N/A)
Final stats: 3,877 pass yds, 20 TDs, 5 INTs; 53 rush yds, 0 TDs
It's easy to focus on the tale of two halves that was the Vikings' season. After a brilliant 5-0 start, Minnesota stumbled the rest of the way, finishing a disappointing 8-8 and failing to reach the playoffs. While the defense was impressive, the offense struggled mightily at different points of the season.
Bradford catches a lot of flak, and much of it is deserved. As a former No. 1 overall pick, he's been largely underwhelming in his seven-year NFL career. But let's give the guy some credit -- he was actually pretty decent this season. He finished with 3,877 yards and 20 touchdowns in 15 games after being traded from Philadelphia just prior to the start of the season. He even broke Brees' completion percentage record by completing 71.6 percent of his passes.
True, completion percentage has no bearing on fantasy football, but it's still impressive. Considering Bradford began the season on most waiver wires, he emerged as a serviceable -- and occasionally profitable -- bye-week fill-in.
Honorable Mention
Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers (N/A)
Final stats: 2,241 pass yds, 16 TDs, 4 INTs; 468 rush yds, 2 TDs
Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!
