While it may be tempting to go after big names like Andrew Luck, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees or Peyton Manning, the draft price on these players will be very high. Investing a second-round pick in Luck or Rodgers may guarantee you 20+ points at the quarterback position most weeks, but it may also leave you without a stud wide receiver or thin at the always uncertain running back position.
This is why targeting undervalued quarterbacks in the later rounds is often the most sound strategy in building a complete fantasy football juggernaut. With that logic in mind, here are three undervalued quarterbacks who are currently being selected outside of the top 10 at the position.
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NYG QB Eli Manning - ADP 8.3, QB11
Heading into his 12th season, Eli Manning may be surrounded by the best offensive cast of his career. Odell Beckham Jr. joins a healthy Victor Cruz at WR, with Larry Donnell at TE and both Rashad Jennings and newly signed Shane Vereen in the backfield.
After getting off to a slow start last season in Ben McAdoo’s West Coast-style offense, Manning started to take off once OBJ burst onto the scene. Manning actually finished with arguably his second best statistical season, tallying 4,410 yards, 30 TDs and 14 INTs.
Of all the teams in NFC East, only the Dallas Cowboys have a defense that is projected to be above average this season. This means the younger Manning will have ample opportunity to carve up secondaries with this potentially high-powered offense. Eli is always good for a stinker or two per season, but he has in position to have a career year, just in time for his contract to be up. This could be Manning's last NFL contract - and he's looking to get PAID. Expect Manning to put together one of his best seasons to make sure of it.
He was the number 10 overall fantasy quarterback in 2014 (in standard scoring leagues) and was nearly top five from Week 9-on. With the weapons in this offense, Manning could easily post top five numbers this season, but is currently ranked the No. 11 QB. Do yourself the favor of passing up players like Russell Wilson or Cam Newton in the earlier rounds and wait on Eli to come to you in the eighth round or later.
MIN QB Teddy Bridgewater - ADP 11.11, QB15
In his rookie campaign, Teddy Bridgewater flashed his talent, putting up 2,919 passing yards (in 13 games) and completing 64.4% of his throws. This was without Adrian Peterson, and on an offense that was without any consistent play-makers. Bridgewater comes into 2015 with an extra year of experience, a new toy in speedster Mike Wallace and an invigorated Peterson.
When you consider that this will be his second year with offensive coordinator Norv Turner, there's even more reason for optimism. Turner is widely considered to be a quarterback guru, and helped the development of quarterbacks like Phillip Rivers, Troy Aikman and Kerry Collins. Additionally, the potential improvements of young receivers Charles Johnson and Cordarrelle Patterson, coupled with a healthy Kyle Rudolph at TE could give him an underrated complement of passing targets.
The Minnesota Vikings also bring in a potential Top 10 defense, after finishing 14th in total defense a year ago. An improved defense will get the ball back to the offense more often and set Bridgewater up with shorter fields. The best part of his value is his No. 15 rank among QBs. You can draft him as your backup and watch him turn into trade bait once he starts looking like a Top 10 passer. It won't be fun facing the high ranking defenses like Detroit, but Bridgewater is ready to take a big step forward.
At the beginning of the 2013 season, scouts said Bridgewater was the most pro ready quarterback in the NFL. By the end of the year, he had dropped down boards with teams opting for Blake Bortles and Johnny Maziel instead. Big mistake. Don't make the same mistake of passing on Bridgewater. He will undoubtedly outperform his ADP this season, and I project him for at least 3,500 passing yards and 25 total touchdowns.
BAL QB Joe Flacco - ADP 13.09, QB16
Joe Flacco has been one of the most boring fantasy quarterbacks in the NFL for seven seasons now. He has never surpassed 4,000 yards passing, has never thrown for 30 TDs in a season and completes just a shade over 60% of his passes. But with new offensive coordinator Marc Trestman running the show in Baltimore now, things could be looking up for Flacco.
Under Trestman's system in 2013, Chicago Bears QBs Jay Cutler and Josh McCown combined to lead the second highest-scoring offense in the NFL, finishing fifth overall in passing. Even during last season's disaster in the Windy City, the Bears still attempted the seventh-most passes in the NFL. Anything Cutler and McCown can do, Flacco can do better.
Flacco is in the prime of his career and finally has a pass-happy coordinator to open up the aerial attack. Steve Smith Sr. is still a reliable receiver and the Ravens are loaded with young and potentially explosive pass catchers in Breshad Perriman, Kamar Aiken, and Marlon Brown.
If you find that all of the top quarterbacks have been taken and you want a reliable passer who won't get injured (never missed a game in his career), you won't go wrong with Flacco. While it may be foolish to expect him to become a Top 5 type quarterback at any point, he can still throw the deep ball with the best and will have some big games. Don't be surprised if Flacco puts up career numbers and breaks into the top 10 this season.
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