It’s late July and that can only mean one thing; People are already signed up for fantasy football. Most drafts run in late August, but many looney fantasy owners start researching well before that. This is the first in a string of articles previewing each position from Quarterback to Team Defense. This week, I am going to take a look at the point men for your fantasy football team, the QB. While most fantasy football leagues lean heavily towards running backs, the value of a solid quarterback can not go unnoticed.

Here are the top 20 Quarterbacks for the 2008 fantasy football season: 

1. Tom Brady NE

2. Peyton Manning IND

3. Tony Romo DAL

4. Drew Brees NO

5. Carson Palmer CIN

6. Ben Roethlisberger PIT

7. Matt Hasslebeck SEA

8. Derek Anderson CLE

9. Marc Bulger STL

10. Donovan Mcnabb PHI

11. Matt Schaub HOU

12. David Garrard JAX

13. Jake Delhomme CAR

14. Jay Cutler DEN

15. Phillip Rivers SD

16. Eli Manning NYG

17. Jason Campbell WAS

18. Aaron Rodgers GB

19. Vince Young TEN

20. Matt Leinart ARZ 

Now let’s take a closer look at this list. At the top of the list, the first 5 guys named are all pretty obvious. While Tom Brady probably won’t repeat last year’s record-breaking performance, he will have another outstanding year. Manning, Romo, and Brees should put up similar stats with Manning doing slightly better than Romo and Brees. With the addition of Jeremy Shockey, don’t be surprised to see Brees leapfrog Romo. As you go down the list it’s interesting to see Derek Anderson down at the 8 spot. Most fantasy football experts have him rated 6th or 7th but i do not agree. Anderson was very inconsistent in college and in his first year with the Browns. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Anderson struggle a bit this year, especially if one of his top 2 targets, Braylon Edwards or Kellen Winslow, goes down with an injury, which is something both players have a history of.

With Orlando Pace healthy, Rams QB Marc Bulger should have a very solid season. Without any protection last year, Bulger struggled and was getting hit from every side imaginable. He threw 15 INT last season, which is something that will not happen again. With RT Alex Barron going into his 3rd season with the Rams, he will have to prove his worth this year by keeping Bulger clean. I expect Bulger to stay healthy for most of the season and for his TD’s to go out (11 last year) and his INT’s to go down.

Jake Delhomme is coming off of Tommy John surgery, but with over a year of rehab and his coach John Fox extremely confident in him, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Delhomme have a balanced stat sheet at the end of the year. Oh, and there’s this guy named Steve Smith who may have something to say about Delhomme’s number this year.

As the rest of the list goes down, there aren’t really any surprises. Someone left off this list that may surprise some is Detroit Lions QB Jon Kitna. Kitna has been the cause of many fantasy owner’s deaths in the past 2 seasons. He has throw 42 INT over the past 2 seasons, and it appears the Lions will be going with a more balanced offense this season, according to head coach Rod Marinelli. Look for Kitna to throw a lot more this year and perhaps have a nice season in terms of yards and TD’s. However, don’t expect him to play a big role in helping your team make the playoffs.

 Here are 3 guys who can have surprise breakout seasons:

JaMarcus Russell OAK- The number 1 overall pick in last years draft will finally get his chance to start every game for his team. Russell comes in with very little experience, but has a lot of offensive talent around him. Never known to be a pocket passer, Russell will need to use his legs with that make-shift offensive line by the bay. At the skill position, Russell can lean on rookie RB Darren McFadden. McFadden will make a big difference both in the running game and in the passing game. Veteran WR Javon Walker will be another security blanket for Russell to use. 

Tarvaris Jackson MIN- Another speedy guy who got help in the off-season on his side of the ball, Jackson can become a multi-dimensional threat up in ‘Sota. With one of the best O-Line’’s in the game, Jackson won’t need to worry about who’s coming after him. Phenom RB Adrian Peterson is the ultimate plan A, while plan B isn’t looking too shabby for the Vikings. WR Bernard Berrian will be the team’s go-to guy on the deep ball and will help Jackson more than any receiver helped him last year. Also that defense will help create turnovers like they did last year and give Jackson more opportunities to score.

Sage Rosenfelds HOU- I know it’s hard to put a backup on this list, but Rosenfelds always delivers when his fantasy owners need him the most. With Schuab having some injury history, it appears Rosenfelds will get some snaps this season. He had 16 total TD in 9 games last year, versus 12 INT, which for a backup isn’t too bad. I am not telling you to draft Rosenfelds, I am just giving forewarning that you should pay attention to those Texans in Houston, because i think they will shock people with the offense they are going to put up this season.

By the way, keep an eye on that old number 4, just not in green this season…