If you have played fantasy football for a number of seasons, it is very likely that you have drafted a couple of fantasy busts. Relying on a player to lead your team only to have them suffer a season-ending injury or perform far below expectations is a hard pill to swallow. To help you avoid a potentially disastrous fantasy football season, I have compiled this list of fantasy quarterbacks to stay away from in 2013, and reasons why.
– Michael Vick – Philadelphia Eagles
Michael Vick’s future with the Philadelphia Eagles is in question, but I believe no matter what, his career as a fantasy football starter is over. Vick showed in 2012 that he is still highly susceptible to injuries and is no longer as productive as he once was. He will not make it through a full season healthy for the rest of his career because of his aggressive style of play. Last season, Vick had 10 interceptions with only 12 passing touchdowns, and although he is usually a threat on the ground, he managed only 1 rushing touchdown. It doesn’t matter what team he plays for next season, don’t draft him.
– Carson Palmer – Oakland Raiders
I don’t think you were planning on taking Carson Palmer during your fantasy draft, but I put him on this list to make sure that you don’t plan on him to carry your team. The 33 year-old Palmer had a rough season on the 4-12 Raiders even though he posted a solid quarterback rating of 85.3. He had 22 passing touchdowns and 14 interceptions, with eight games where he had only 1 or no touchdown passes. He threw for over 4,000 yards, but the lack of touchdowns and the fact that he only had one game with 3 touchdown passes and one game with 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, is enough not to trust him next year. The Raiders may look into starting young quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who started in the team’s last game of the season.
– Matthew Stafford – Detroit Lions
It really hurts me to put Matthew Stafford on this list. It may seem crazy to suggest that you shouldn’t draft a quarterback that nearly threw for over 5,000 yards in back to back seasons. Stafford had 20 touchdowns, 17 interceptions, 4 rushing touchdowns, and a quarterback rating of 79.8. The Lions struggled to keep their wide receivers on the field last season and they may have another tough year in 2013. Ryan Broyles suffered an ACL injury, Nate Burleson broke his leg, tight end Brandon Pettigrew missed time with injuries, and Titus Young couldn’t stay on the field because of a severe attitude problem. Even if Stafford increases his accuracy and has a better year, the receivers outside of Calvin Johnson will hold him back from having a solid comeback season.
– Andrew Luck – Indianapolis Colts
Although he had a successful rookie campaign and took the Indianapolis Colts to an unexpected playoff experience, Andrew Luck didn’t have nearly as good of a season as most people think. He finished the season with a 76.5 quarterback rating, which was 26th in the NFL. He threw the 2nd most interceptions with 18, and was sacked the 4th most in the league (41 times). Even though this is a team in the rise, Luck is still a year or two away from being a consistent fantasy option.
– Joe Flacco – Baltimore Ravens
Don’t let a year in which Joe Flacco took the Baltimore Ravens to the Super Bowl mislead you into thinking he can carry your fantasy football team. Flacco had a solid year, but the Ravens don’t focus on the pass and don’t give him an opportunity to put up fantasy worthy statistics. Fantasy owners need their quarterback’s to put up passing touchdowns, a category that Flacco was tied for 15th in the NFL with 22 passing touchdowns. He may have had his career best in passing yards with 3,817, but he had a career low in rushing yards, had 10 interceptions, and 6 fumbles. The Ravens have so little confidence in Flacco that they still have not resigned him to a new contract, so don’t trust him with your fantasy team in 2013.
*All Statistics from ESPN via ESPN.com
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