Week 9 QB Rankings

I always do my QB rankings on Fridays. As a non-professional, I just don't have the time to get those rankings done with the amount of time I put into RB and WR rankings. This is one of the weeks where I was somewhat glad I didn't have to rank them. As much as I think Andy Dalton is merely okay, he was playing at such a high level lately that I would have had to respect him in the rankings.

On the whole, players that are not that talented don't score a lot of fantasy points. As obvious as that sounds, its easy to forget when a guy like Dalton scores 20 points in three games straight. Talent (usually) doesn't develop overnight. Its a long process. The same for declining talent, such as Tom Brady perhaps. With that, lets jump into the rankings.

1. Drew Brees
2. Cam Newton
3. Aaron Rodgers
4. Philip Rivers
5. Tony Romo
6. Robert Griffin III
7. Andrew Luck
8. Russell Wilson
9. Terrelle Pryor
10. Matt Ryan
11. Ben Roethlisberger
12. Joe Flacco
13. Alex Smith
14. Tom Brady
15. Jake Locker
16. Nick Foles
17. Christian Ponder
18. Josh McCown
19. Geno Smith
20. Case Keenum
21. Jason Campbell
22. Thad Lewis**
23. Mike Glennon
24. Kellen Clemens
25. Jeff Tuel/Matt Flynn**

** - A lot of uncertainty in Buffalo this week. If Its not Lewis, they are dead last in my rankings.

#6 Robert Griffin III - (#9 on ESPN Rankings)
RGIII suffered a big setback on the road to fantasy recovery last week. Before last week he was making a lot of improvements, and I still see him as startable. Its certainly a risk, but one that is worth taking.

#8 Russell Wilson - (#5 on ESPN Rankings)
Russell Wilson himself is a very capable quarterback. His offensive line however, is well below average right now. Tampa Bay doesn't get a ton of sacks, but they aren't one of the worst defenses and they can certainly pressure the QB. 8th isn't bad, but I don't see this as a great week for Wilson.

#9 Terrelle Pryor - (#12 on ESPN Rankings)
Pryor struggled mightily last week against the tough Steelers, after his giant first run that is. This week, I see Pryor running all over the Eagles and his passing game should be much improved as well. Definitely a great alternative option this week.

#11 Ben Roethlisberger - (#14 on ESPN rankings)
I am definitely concerned about the return of shutdown corner Aqib Talib. However, since a disastrous week 1, Roethlisberger has had double digit fantasy points in every game. That is more than you can say about a lot of other good QBs this season. Roethlisberger is a safe and reliable backup option.

#12 Joe Flacco - (#17 on ESPN Rankings)
I like guys coming off their bye. Especially with the run blocking and rushing struggles, this is a pass first team. Jacoby Jones is fully healthy, Tandon Doss and Marlon Brown are some of the better #3 and #4 options out there. Even if Torrey Smith struggles against Joe Haden, Flacco himself should play decently.

Deeper Thoughts...I really like Jake Locker, he is essentially mistake free. After seeing the Rams crush Russell Wilson, I am definitely concerned for this week. The next two guys after Locker on my rankings, Nick Foles and Christian Ponder are both two guys that I expect to play well this week in good matchups. Case Keenum is not a good fantasy option, but he is definitely a guy that I am excited to watch. If he became a top 15 QB it would be a great story. Its certainly possible!

As always, be sure to follow me on twitter @LopsidedTrades for a lot more analysis!