I haven't given fantasy football rankings and stuff like that a ton of thought yet (I will probably save that until the hour before my first draft like usual), but I have been thinking about where Matthew Stafford will go in most drafts this year. On the one hand, Stafford had injury problems last season, played for a 2-14 team and didn't put up out-of-this-world numbers. On the other hand, this year he is part of a potentially explosive offense, and we all saw how great he can be at times last year.
One person who likely is on the bandwagon for the latter argument is NFL Network's Michael Fabiano. Recently for NFL Total Access, he broke down his top five quarterbacks for fantasy football, and although Stafford was not one of the players at the top of his rankings, he was one of Fabiano's "sleepers." When you really think about it, that is probably the best description you can give Stafford when it comes to fantasy football.
Most people aren't going to draft Stafford with the intention of him being their No. 1 QB week in and week out, but he isn't a bad backup at all. Aside from the fact that he should improve as a quarterback now that he has a year of experience under his belt, just look at the players around him on offense. With the likes of Jahvid Best, Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson, Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler lining up alongside Stafford, he has a number of options to throw the ball to. What's more, with what should be an improved offensive line protecting him, you would think his numbers (and the chances of staying healthy) will increase in 2010.
Although I definitely think Stafford is a sleeper, I don't know if I'd pick him too high for my own team. Like I said, he's a solid backup for sure, but would anybody be willing to roll with him as their No. 1 QB from the very beginning? Unless I'm sipping on the Kool Aid a bit too much before my draft, I have a tough time saying yes to that question for myself. Risks are definitely a part of fantasy football, but for such an important position, I'd rather go with a proven talent than the potential of Stafford, but that's just me.
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