2013 fantasy football profiles and projections (QBs 21-40)

RB RANKINGS 1-16

• Quarterbacks
• Running Backs
• Wide Receivers
• Tight Ends
• Kickers
• Defenses
• Linebackers
• Defensive Backs
• Defensive Line

Statistical projections are provided by EA Sports/NFL.com

• Player
• Analysis

Cutler has seen his numbers and value decline in each of his last four full seasons. His touchdown passes have decreased in each of his last three full years -- despite the presence of Brandon Marshall. The addition of coach Marc Trestman, who plans to utilize Cutler's arm strength and athleticism, is good news. The veteran also has one of the more favorable schedules among fantasy quarterbacks, making Cutler an even more interesting option in the late rounds. Don't expect him to return to an elite level on the gridiron, but Cutler should improve on his 2012 totals.

Schaub had established himself as a No. 1 fantasy quarterback a few seasons ago, but his numbers and value have since fallen due to a change in offensive philosophies. With the emergence of Arian Foster and an effective ground attack, Schaub has been asked to pass less and hand off more -- that's evident in his number of pass attempts, which have declined in three straight full seasons. Furthermore, the Virginia product has seen his yards and touchdown passes all decline in each of his last three full seasons. While he is capable of putting up good totals from time to time, especially when the matchup is favorable, Schaub simply can't be trusted to make a consistent statistical impact for fantasy owners. He's a fine No. 2 option and occasional starter, but that's the extent of his 2013 value heading into drafts.

Smith will take over as the No. 1 quarterback for coach Andy Reid, who loves to throw the football and no doubt will allow Smith more than his share of chances to produce against one of the most favorable schedules among quarterbacks. With that being said, he was also considered a bust until the Niners signed coach Jim Harbaugh. That begs the question -- will Smith be as effective under Reid? Regardless, he won't morph into a consistent stat-sheet stuffer. So while he's a viable No. 2 option and matchup-based starter in most leagues, don't expect a breakout campaign.

Bradford quietly had his best fantasy season in 2012, recording career bests in passing yards, rushing yards and total touchdowns while finishing 16th in points among quarterbacks. While respectable, even Bradford's best totals weren't good enough to make him more than a risk-reward No. 2 fantasy quarterback. He'll run the same offense once again under coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and has a new weapon in rookie Tavon Austin, so Bradford has a pretty good chance to repeat or exceed his 2012 totals. He won't be a No. 1 option, but Bradford is a much more attractive No. 2 choice.

A number of rookie quarterbacks thrived in 2012. Unfortunately, Tannehill's numbers weren't on par with his brethren. He had a more typical first NFL season for QBs, posting more turnovers than touchdowns while ranking 24th in fantasy points at his position. Playing 16 games as a rookie should certainly help in his development into an NFL signal-caller, though, and the additions of Mike Wallace, Brandon Gibson and Dustin Keller give him a ton of weapons in the pass attack. He won't be a No. 1 option, but Tannehill has late-round appeal as a potential deep sleeper.

Rivers is coming off his second straight disappointing season: His 3,606 yards and 26 touchdowns were his lowest totals since 2007. He also finished 21st in fantasy points among quarterbacks, the first time in the last four years he failed to make the top 10. No one knows why Rivers has experienced such a quick decline in the stat sheets, but his value is falling fast. The addition of coach Mike McCoy is a positive, and Rivers has one of the more favorable matchups among quarterbacks. Still, it's almost impossible to draft him as more than a reserve.

Surprisingly, Manuel was the first quarterback selected in the 2013 NFL Draft. He's a beast at the position at 6-foot-5 and 237 pounds, but most draft experts believe he's too raw to start as a rookie. Manuel still is going to be allowed a chance to compete with Kevin Kolb for the top spot on the depth chart. Even in a best-case scenario, though, it's tough to recommend the Florida State product as more than a late-round flier in larger leagues. Manuel will be waiver-wire fodder in a lot of formats. He's more of a deep seasonal or dynasty-league option for 2013.

A preseason deep sleeper in 2012, Locker showed flashes of potential at times but failed to make a consistently strong impact in the stat sheets. He scored 15-plus fantasy points just four times in his 11 starts. Still the favorite to start for coach Mike Munchak in 2013, Locker has plenty of statistical upside both as a passer and a runner. While he's clearly not the next Robert Griffin III, Locker does possess the tools to throw for 3,250 yards, rush for another 450 yards and score around 20 total touchdowns. That makes him a legitimate, low-end No. 2 quarterback.

Ponder showed some flashes of potential early last season, scoring 16-plus fantasy points in four of his first six games. Unfortunately, he would reach that level of production just once during the remainder of the 2013 fantasy season. On a positive note, Ponder has one more season of NFL experience under his belt -- he'll also have veteran wideout Greg Jennings in the pass attack. Still, it's tough to recommend Ponder as much more than a late-round flier in deeper leagues -- and that's assuming he can hold off Matt Cassel during training camp.

Weeden is coming off an unimpressive rookie campaign from a statistical perspective, throwing for 3,385 yards with 14 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 15 starts. The 29-year-old has a rocket right arm and should benefit from the presence of new coordinator Norv Turner, who has been a quarterbacks guru throughout his coaching career. It's still tough to envision a scenario in which Weeden's production vastly improves across the board this season. He won't have his named called outside of deeper leagues or those formats that require two starting quarterbacks.

Gabbert has failed to meet expectations in his first two pro seasons, throwing for an average of just 155 yards per game with a combined 21 touchdowns, 17 interceptions and a 70.2 passer rating. The new regime under coach Gus Bradley doesn't appear ready to quit on him yet, but Gabbert will have competition for the top spot on the team's depth chart. Even if he is able to hold off veteran Chad Henne, the Missouri product would still have no real value from a fantasy perspective. Unless you're in a deeper league or one that starts two quarterbacks, don't expect Gabbert to be selected.

Smith was considered the top rookie quarterback in the 2013 class, though EJ Manuel went ahead of him in what was considered a surprise move. The West Virginia product has the tools to be a franchise quarterback, though he still needs to improve on his consistency and prove that he can work from under center instead of the shotgun. If he is able to beat out veteran Mark Sanchez for the top spot on the depth chart, Smith will warrant late-round consideration as a No. 2 fantasy quarterback in deeper leagues this season. Otherwise, his stock will be more limited to dynasty league drafts.

Flynn was touted as a potential sleeper last season in Seattle, but the emergence of Russell Wilson made him irrelevant. Now the favorite to start for the Raiders, his value is back on the rise -- insofar as he's moved from a backup role and into a starting gig. With that being said, Flynn has proved little at the NFL level outside of his six-touchdown performance in Week 17 of the 2011 season. At best, Flynn will be worth a late-round look as a reserve or matchup-based starter -- just don't expect him to become a fantasy world-beater any time in the future.

Sanchez was the "butt" of a lot of jokes last season, both on the field and in fantasy circles. One season removed from finishing 10th in points among quarterbacks, he scored just 13 touchdowns and turned the football over 26 times in 2012. While the addition of new offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg is a positive, there are no guarantees that Sanchez will reverse his fortunes -- that is, if he is even able to retain the top spot on the Jets' depth chart with Geno Smith in the mix. Sanchez won't even be worth drafting in most leagues.

To say Kolb's time in Arizona was forgettable is an understatement. He missed a combined 17 games over the last two seasons due to injuries, and his numbers left much to be desired when he was on the field. Now a member of the Bills, Kolb will compete with rookie EJ Manuel for the starting job. In the event that he does earn the top spot, Kolb isn't going to put up big numbers in the offense of coach Doug Marrone. Throw in his proneness to injuries, and Kolb won't even be considered outside of the later rounds in deeper fantasy leagues.

Henne saw significant playing time last season for the Jaguars, as Blaine Gabbert was benched and missed significant time with an injured elbow. Henne was effective at times, especially during a Week 11 shootout against the Houston Texans, but he was still inconsistent in the stat sheets overall. Heading into 2013, the Jaguars' new staff won't hand the top spot on the depth chart to Gabbert -- though he is considered the favorite. But even in a best-case scenario, it would be tough to recommend Henne unless you're in a deeper fantasy league or are required to start two quarterbacks.

Remember when Cassel had emerged into a legitimate starting option in fantasy land? That was back in 2010 when he threw for 3,116 yards with 27 touchdowns and turned the football over just eight times. Since then, however, the Southern California product has thrown for a combined 16 touchdowns with 21 interceptions and has lost nine fumbles. While Cassel will have at least a chance to unseat incumbent starter Christian Ponder during training camp, he's simply not going to warrant much fantasy consideration even in a best-case scenario. Consider him waiver-wire fodder.

The "Amish Rifle" finished with just 9.08 fewer fantasy points last season than he scored in 2011, but he ranked a full eight spots lower among quarterbacks. That was due in large part to the increase in productive signal-callers around the league, which has left less consistent players like Fitzpatrick with far less fantasy appeal. Now slated to be a backup in Tennessee behind Jake Locker, Fitzpatrick isn't going to have any value in fantasy drafts. He'll be waiver-wire fodder unless Locker suffers a long-term or serious ailment in the regular season.

Once a surefire No. 1 quarterback in fantasy football, Hasselbeck is now considered more of a backup at the age of 37. After two seasons in Tennessee, the veteran out of Boston College will now serve as the second quarterback on the depth chart behind Andrew Luck in Indianapolis. Unless the talented Stanford product suffers some sort of long-term ailment during the course of the regular season, Hasselbeck is going to live on the waiver wire during the 2013 fantasy campaign. Now at the later stages of his NFL tenure, Hasselbeck has no real appeal.

Once considered a viable matchup-based fantasy starter, Campbell has seen his fantasy stock take a nosedive over the last few seasons. Now in Cleveland, he'll serve as the No. 2 quarterback behind incumbent starter Brandon Weeden. While the Browns seem committed to Weeden as their starter, he's no lock to retain the job if he doesn't improve on what was an unimpressive rookie campaign -- at least in the stat sheets. Regardless, Campbell would be tough to trust in fantasy land even if he did end up starting a few games in 2013. He's better left to the waiver wire in all formats.

RB RANKINGS 1-16