Skip to main content
Advertising

2015 fantasy football profiles and projections (QB 1-20)

Auction...............$42

Bye Week.............7

Rodgers returned to the fantasy quarterback throne in 2014 by piloting the NFL's top scoring offense to the postseason once again. Since 2008 (his first year as the starter), Rodgers has only finished worse than second among fantasy quarterbacks once, and that was last year when he injured his collarbone and missed seven games. The Cal product had eight games with three or more passing touchdowns in 2014, tied for most in the league. He's also only thrown 25 interceptions in the last four years combined, which is fewer than Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning threw combined in 2014 alone. Rodgers will enter 2015 as the top quarterback in fantasy and one of the few worthy of a first-round selection.

Auction...............$34

Bye Week.............10

Had it not been for a late-season fade, Luck would have ran away with with the top-scoring fantasy quarterback title. The Stanford product was second in the league in passing yards and first in passing touchdowns (40), becoming just the eighth quarterback in NFL history to hit that mark. Luck has now thrown for more passing yards (12,957) than any other signal-caller through his first three seasons. The Colts offense is only going to get better with young talents like Donte Moncrief, Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen gaining experience, as well as the additions of Andre Johnson in free agency and speedster Phillip Dorsett through the draft. The sky is the limit for Luck in 2015.

Auction...............$24

Bye Week.............9

Wilson had firmly planted himself on the fantasy radar after top-10 and top-8 finishes in his first two professional seasons. However, his breakout 2014 campaign has vaunted him into a new fantasy category -- the elite. Wilson's combination of exceptional decision-making in the passing game and elusiveness on the ground has morphed him into the most dangerous dual-threat quarterback since Michael Vick in the early 2000s. Wilson rushed for 849 yards, yet barely took an unnecessary big hit, and also threw for 3,475 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. Wilson's stock will continue to rise as the Seahawks have reloaded the cupboards around him by bringing in red-zone monster Jimmy Graham from New Orleans and drafting the talented Tyler Lockett out of Kansas State. Wilson should be one of the top quarterbacks taken in 2015.

Auction...............$8

Bye Week.............11

Roethlisberger's fantasy season was marked with peaks and valleys. Highs included Weeks 8 and 9 when he threw 12 touchdowns and 862 yards, scoring 80.48 fantasy points combined. Lows include four separate two-week spans where he failed to throw for multiple touchdowns in either game (Weeks 1-2, 5-6, 10-11 and 15-16). He averaged a mere 12.4 fantasy points per game in those contests. Nevertheless, Big Ben and Todd Haley seemed to get more in sync last year, and there's reason for optimism given the emerging talent surrounding Roethlisberger. Martavis Bryant, Markus Wheaton and perennial All-Pro Antonio Brown give the Steel City signal-caller one of the fastest and most talented receiving corps in the NFL. Big Ben is a solid QB1 heading into fantasy drafts this fall.

Auction...............$20

Bye Week.............7

Have we witnessed the final act in Manning's remarkable career? That remains to be seen, but since the Sherrif has decided to lace 'em up for one more ride, he'll once again be one of the top fantasy options at quarterback. Even though his arm isn't as strong as it once was, Manning and his high-powered offense can dominate for Denver (and fantasy owners) through the first dozen weeks or so. Owners who draft Manning would be wise to roster a talented second option as well, in case the five-time MVP suffers a late-season fade again. It seems new head coach Gary Kubiak could try to help Manning's strength down the stretch with a more run-oriented approach early on, but that remains to be seen. Over the final month of the 2014 season, 26 other quarterbacks scored more fantasy points than Manning. That's not a stat to pin your fantasy championship hopes on this year, so be sure to back up Manning if you draft him.

Auction...............$14

Bye Week.............11

Brees was on such a statistical tear that 2014, his first season without 5,000-plus passing yards since 2010, was considered a "down" year. No one will sugarcoat it -- the Saints 2014 season was a disappointment. Brees still tied for the lead in passing yards (4,952) and threw 33 touchdown passes, but it was his turnovers (17 interceptions, three fumbles lost) that cost his fantasy owners and the Saints dearly. Now, things will be quite a bit different for Brees and the boys in the bayou. Jimmy Graham, Brees' top target for years, was traded to the Seahawks, while Kenny Stills, a rising young wideout was traded to the Dolphins. So who's left? Well, Brees will still have his old-faithful in Marques Colston and a healthy Brandin Cooks to chuck the rock to. However, it appears the Saints are gearing up for a more ground-and-pound attack after netting Max Unger in the Graham trade, and drafting Andrus Peat in the first round. Brees hasn't finished worse than sixth in fantasy scoring in the last four years, but his upside is more limited for 2015.

Auction...............$5

Bye Week.............5

Yes, Newton finished 17th in fantasy scoring among quarterbacks in 2014, but that is due in part because he missed two games and played hurt for much of the season. Newton had offseason ankle surgery, and was clearly not himself in the early goings of 2014. This time around, Newton will enter the season healthy and with more weapons at his disposal than any previous time during his career. Kelvin Benjamin should build upon his rookie season, Philly Brown became a playmaker down the streatch and newcomer Devin Funchess will offer Newton another massive target in the passing game. People might sleep on Superman in 2015, but they shouldn't. He's one of fantasy football's best quarterbacks when healthy, and he'll be looking to make a big impact in the stat sheets in a rebound campaign in 2015.

Auction...............$3

Bye Week.............5

Tannehill continues to improve both on the field and in fantasy football, as he posted career bests in completion percentage (66.4), touchdowns (27) and interceptions (12). The main knock against Tannehill is that he struggles when it comes to pushing the ball down the field, as evidenced by his career yards per attempt number hovering at 6.8. Tannehill proved he can be effective on the ground, however, with read-option looks popping up frequently in Miami's play-calling in 2014. With a young, talented supporting cast around him that has improved with the additions of Jordan Cameron, Kenny Stills and rookie DeVante Parker, the sky is the limit for the former Aggie. And if Tannehill can start dialing in on his deep attempts, he could very well find himself among the fantasy elite at his position.

Auction...............$5

Bye Week.............10

At this point, it seems Matt Ryan is who we thought he was: A very talented and capable quarterback just outside of the fantasy elite. Despite his success and consistently good play, Ryan has never finished in the top five at his position in fantasy scoring. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. The Falcons offense struggled mightily last year as a result of a windfall of injuries to key players (many of the season-ending variety). Yet, despite all of that Ryan threw for over 4,500 yards for the third consecutive year and tossed 28 touchdowns in the process. He shouldn't be one of the top signal-callers taken, but Ryan has excellent value as a QB1 who can be drafted in the mid to late rounds.

Auction...............$3

Bye Week.............6

Romo missed out on his fourth straight top-10 fantasy finish by a mere 3.30 fantasy points, and that was with him missing an entire game due to injury. Romo has matured as a field general and has been able to avoid the mistakes that built up his unfair "choking" narrative. Need proof? Under the guidance of Scott Linehan and Bill Callahan, Romo led the league in completion percentage, yards per attempt, passer rating and total QBR in 2014. His arsenal of skill position players will mostly return in 2015 (with the exception of DeMarco Murray), meaning another fantastic season from Romo could be on the horizon, bouncing him back into the top 10 once again.

Auction...............$1

Bye Week.............11

Just last year many were wondering if the Giants would move on from the quarterback that brought them two Super Bowl titles. Now? That doesn't figure to be a question for at least a few more years. Eli enjoyed a renaissance of sorts thanks to the emergence of his rookie wideout Odell Beckham Jr. In 2015, Manning and Beckham will have had a whole offseason together under coordinator Ben McAdoo, as well as the return of a healthy Victor Cruz (who missed the final 10 games with a torn patellar tendon). Manning did throw more interceptions than any quarterback from 2011-2013, but there's reason for optimism that the new version of Manning we saw in 2014 could return in 2015 and be a nice fantasy sleeper to target.

Auction...............$3

Bye Week.............9

So far the "fixing" of Matthew Stafford by head coach Jim Caldwell and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi remains a work in progress. Stafford has seen his passing yards drop in each of the last four years, and only managed 22 touchdown passes in 2014. Part of that might have been due to Calvin Johnson missing three games with an ankle injury (and being mostly a decoy in two others). With a healthy Johnson and Golden Tate at his disposal, perhaps Stafford can deliver on his talent and potential once again in 2015. However, he will carry some risk given his recent downward production trend, and shouldn't be drafted as more than a low-end QB1.

Auction...............$1

Bye Week.............10

After the first two months of the season, Rivers' name was floated in most MVP discussions and the Chargers were one of the hottest teams in the NFL. He was averaging 20.68 fantasy points per game during that span, and threw multiple touchdown passes in seven of his first eight contests. However, myriad injuries -- to him and his offensive teammates -- led to a late season fade where he averaged just 12.53 fantasy points per game over the last eight. Rivers will only be 33 years old when the season kicks off, meaning he should have a few more campaigns remaining under his bolo tie. Add in a solid new bell-cow running back in Melvin Gordon, and another versatile target in Stevie Johnson, and Rivers should be able to keep the Bolts offense shooting sparks. He can be targeted as a low-end QB1/high-end QB2 this fall.

Auction...............$1

Bye Week.............9

If only fantasy owners could get the Joe Flacco who shows up in the playoffs to show up during the regular season, too. Flacco has thrown multiple touchdown passes in each of his last eight playoff games, yet he only accomplished the same feat nine times in 2014. Flacco will have to work with his third offensive coordinator in three years in 2015, as Gary Kubiak left to be the head coach of the Denver Broncos. Fortunately, offensive whiz Marc Trestman should be able to keep the Ravens passing attack humming, although he'll have to find ways for Flacco and his new wide receiver Breshad Perriman to get on the same page early, as Torrey Smith left for San Francisco in free agency. Until Flacco proves he can get as hot in September and October as he does in January, he'll be nothing more than a rock solid No. 2 quarterback in fantasy once again in 2015.

Auction...............$4

Bye Week.............4

There was an uproar among pundits and armchair quarterbacks alike signalling the demise of Tom Brady after four weeks in 2014. Brady's response? Oh, he just ripped off 10 straight weeks with two or more passing touchdowns, averaging 22.64 fantasy points per game during that span. One big reason for his uptick in production was the return of a fully healthy Rob Gronkowski, who continues to be a matchup nightmare. Brady might not be done just yet, but he'll have to endure a four-game league-enforced suspension for his role in the Deflategate scandal last season, severely limiting his fantasy value. When Brady returns in Week 6 (against the Colts, oh the irony) he'll once again be alongside arguably his most talented supporting cast since 2007 and should be able to light up the fantasy scoreboard. But missing roughly a third of the fantasy regular season is no joke, which puts Brady more on the low-end QB1 radar.

Auction...............$3

Bye Week.............10

Kaepernick will be running a new offense in 2015, which makes him a bit of a wild card in fantasy football. Last season was a disappointment all around for the 49ers, Kaepernick included. The Nevada product averaged just 210.6 passing yards per game and threw a mere 19 touchdowns with 10 interceptions and five fumbles lost. Not to mention his 52 sacks were the second-most in the league (Blake Bortles -- 55). Still, Kap is a phenomenal athlete and his ability to carve up defenses on the ground makes him an attractive option in 2015. Scoop him up as a high-upside QB2, and hope to reap the rewards of a breakout season.

Auction...............$1

Bye Week.............8

All offseason people wondered if Chip Kelly would wheel and deal to get Marcus Mariota in the draft. Chip did wheel and deal, but it was to get Sam Bradford from the St. Louis Rams, and not Mariota. Now, Bradford will be angling for a career rebirth under the guidance of one of the league's brightest offensive minds. Bradford's name is almost synonymous with "injury-risk" at this point, but what many forget is that the Oklahoma product has a cannon arm and has produced on the field in spurts. With a young, talented offensive core around him, Bradford should be primed for success in Philadelphia if he can stay on the field. That's likely a big "if" for some, but Bradford merits consideration as a high-end QB2 as he has the potential for a monster bounce-back season with the Eagles.

Auction...............$3

Bye Week.............5

A quick look at Bridgewater's stats from last season is unimpressive, but they don't tell the whole story. As a rookie, Teddy Two Gloves started 12 games, throwing 14 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and racking up 2,919 passing yards in the process. Not bad, but not great either. However, watching Bridgewater all season it was evident that he was growing as a passer and leader of the Vikings offense as the season progressed. With another offseason under his belt, and young talents like Charles Johnson and Cordarrelle Patterson flanking him (and new addition Mike Wallace), Bridgewater could be a sneakily good QB2 in fantasy next season. He's just not yet ready to be trusted as a week-in, week-out starter.

Auction...............$1

Bye Week.............9

Palmer's 2014 season will be remembered for his injuries more than anything else. An damaged nerve in his shoulder sidelined him for three of his first four games, and a torn ACL in Week 10 landed him on injured reserve. Palmer will be 35 years old when the 2015 season rolls around, which begs the question as to whether or not his body will be able to withstand the grind of another NFL season after two ACL tears. If Palmer does suit up for one more ride, there's reason for optimism, as he averaged 19.16 fantasy points per game in his five full starts. He'll be available in the much later rounds in all formats no matter what.

Auction...............$2

Bye Week.............6

Carr didn't have a remarkable rookie campaign, but he did finish in the top 20 of fantasy scoring at his position. There were plenty of signs that the Fresno State product has what it takes to succeed in the NFL, like his two percent interception rate (top-10 in the NFL) and his 21 touchdown passes (fifth all-time among rookies). However, there were also some warning signs, too, such as his 5.5 passing yards per attempt average (32nd in the NFL). The last two starting quarterbacks to average fewer than six YPA were Blaine Gabbert and Colt McCoy in 2011. That's not good company. Carr will be an attractive option at the top of the QB2 heap as his youth and upside could lead to another solid fantasy outing.

[QB RANKINGS 21-40internal-link-placeholder-0]

This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an issue.