These 2013 Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings will be updated often throughout the spring and summer, so make sure you check back from time to time. Also, be sure to check out my other 2013 Fantasy Football articles, which will include sleepers, busts, tons of 2013 Fantasy Football mock drafts and other material. Follow me @walterfootball for updates.
2013 Fantasy Football Rankings - Quarterbacks (Sept. 1):
Top 10 | 11-20 | 21-35
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Carson Palmer, QB, Cardinals. Bye: 9.
AUG. 11 UPDATE: Carson Palmer didn’t waste any time torching Green Bay’s secondary, firing an 18-yard completion to Michael Floyd on the first play from scrimmage. Palmer nearly hit Andre Roberts with a deep bomb, but safety Jerron McMillian made a nice break-up. Later on, Palmer went back to Roberts, lobbing a beautiful 38-yard rainbow to the receiver for a touchdown. The veteran quarterback finished 4-of-6 for 77 yards and the score. He could be a solid QB2 this season.
Don’t be fooled by Carson Palmer’s 4,000 yards in 2012 like the box-score analysts on ESPN. That stat was a byproduct of constantly throwing in garbage time. The Cardinals have a better defense, so they won’t have to do that as often. Palmer will have Larry Fitzgerald at his disposal, but he’ll likely continue to be a turnover machine.
Follow @walterfootball for updates.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Stats: 4,100 passing yards. 23 passing TDs. 16 INTs. 30 rushing yards. 1 rushing TD.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 233.
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QB Eagles No. 7, QB, Eagles. Bye: 12. 
AUG. 21 UPDATE: QBDK has been named the Eagles’ starting quarterback. This earns him an up arrow, but keep two things in mind: One, when defenses actually start blitzing him, he’ll turn the ball over, especially in the red zone. Two, he’ll be injured by Halloween. QBDK is an unreliable QB2 with upside.
AUG. 10 UPDATE: Chip Kelly named QB Eagles No. 7 his starting signal-caller against the Patriots, and the veteran rewarded him with a great performance. He went 4-of-5 for 94 yards and a touchdown – a 47-yard bomb to DeSean Jackson. He now looks like the favorite to be the starter on Sept. 9, but before anyone gets too excited, keep in mind that the Patriots were running a vanilla defense. Defensive coordinators will fool QBDK as they always do with their blitz packages. QBDK will be responsible for a plethora of red-zone turnovers, as usual. Oh, and he’ll suffer an injury of some sort by Halloween. That’s a given.
Philadelphia’s quarterback is always very overrated. The Monday night game against the Redskins in 2010 caused everyone to overreact to what they witnessed on national TV. He predictably struggled in 2011, throwing nearly as many interceptions (14) as touchdowns (18). He was almost as awful last season. Some may have hope for him in Chip Kelly’s offense, but he’ll continue to be responsible for tons of turnovers – if he even wins the job. Nick Foles is the favorite.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Stats: 2,800 passing yards. 16 passing TDs. 16 INTs. 460 rushing yards. 3 rushing TDs.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 233.
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E.J. Manuel, QB, Bills. Bye: 12.
AUG. 18 UPDATE: E.J. Manuel will miss the rest of the preseason (and possibly Week 1) because of a minor knee procedure. Manuel should retain the starting job upon returning though, so don’t downgrade him too much. Kevin Kolb is not going to impress.
AUG. 11 UPDATE: Manuel actually performed pretty well at Indianapolis despite not having Stevie Johnson at his disposal. He started slow, throwing wide of rookie Robert Woods and then behind Fred Jackson on a screen, but he got into a groove and eventually finished 16-of-21 for 107 yards and a touchdown. He also scrambled thrice for 28 rushing yards, most of which came on a 24-yard scramble on a 3rd-and-6 during the third drive. His ability to pick up rushing numbers makes him an intriguing QB2 with upside.
AUG. 3 UPDATE: Perhaps fearing phantom pass-rushers, Kevin Kolb tripped over a wet mat Saturday morning and “tweaked” his knee in the process. Typical Kolb. He’ll miss a few days of practice, which will open the door for E.J. Manuel to get all of the first-team reps. Manuel was already the favorite to be the Week 1 starter, so this hilarious event just solidifies that.
It could be argued that E.J. Manuel is the top fantasy rookie this year, which should tell you how bad this draft class was. Manuel will undoubtedly commit tons of turnovers, but he’ll pick up a bunch of rushing yards and some scores on the ground. He’ll be a possible QB2 option with a good amount of upside.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Stats: 2,850 passing yards. 15 passing TDs. 18 INTs. 580 rushing yards. 6 rushing TDs.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 232.
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Matt Schaub, QB, Texans. Bye: 8.
Matt Schaub used to be a solid fantasy QB1, but that was before the days of Wade Phillips. Ever since Houston’s defense transformed into one of the league’s top units, the Texans have been able to rely heavily on Arian Foster late in games, rather than asking Schaub to compile meaningless junk yardage. DeAndre Hopkins should be able to help Schaub’s numbers, but Schaub won’t be considered a starting-caliber fantasy player anytime soon.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Stats: 4,050 passing yards. 23 passing TDs. 12 INTs. 0 rushing yards. 0 rushing TDs.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 230.
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Jake Locker, QB, Titans. Bye: 8.
Jake Locker was responsible for 15 turnovers (11 INTs, 4 fumbles) compared to just 10 touchdowns in his first full season as a starter. He made up for that a bit with his 291 rushing yards, but he’s way too unreliable to even be an average QB2. There’s upside with him, but keep in mind that he could easily be benched if he keeps making mistakes.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Stats: 3,200 passing yards. 16 passing TDs. 16 INTs. 390 rushing yards. 3 rushing TDs.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 217.
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Josh Freeman, QB, Buccaneers. Bye: 5.
Josh Freeman imploded down the stretch last year, so it was no surprise that Greg Schiano revealed that he’s not a fan of his inconsistent quarterback. If Freeman struggles again in 2013, he could be benched in favor of Mike Glennon.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Stats: 3,650 passing yards. 20 passing TDs. 18 INTs. 150 rushing yards. 1 rushing TD.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 211.
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Christian Ponder, QB, Vikings. Bye: 5.
Christian Ponder lost Percy Harvin this offseason, but gained Greg Jennings and Cordarrelle Patterson. Fair trade? Well, Jennings is always hurt, while Patterson is very raw, so I’d say no. Ponder shouldn’t be on your fantasy roster unless you’re in a 2-QB league.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Stats: 3,100 passing yards. 18 passing TDs. 13 INTs. 250 rushing yards. 2 rushing TDs.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 207.
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Brandon Weeden, QB, Browns. Bye: 10.
Brandon Weeden looks like a new player under Rob Chudzinski and Norv Turner. He was extremely sharp in his preseason debut, going 10-of-13 for 112 yards and a touchdown. He struggled in the red zone on his drive, failing to connect with Greg Little on two occasions, but that was the only blemish on his impressive evening. His best throw was a 20-yard strike to Josh Gordon that he was able to thread through heavy traffic.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Stats: 3,500 passing yards. 19 passing TDs. 15 INTs. 90 rushing yards. 0 rushing TDs.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 195.
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Terrelle Pryor, QB, Raiders. Bye: 7.
AUG. 30 UPDATE: All Terrelle Pryor had to do was not screw up, and he’d claim the starting job. Save for one pass – an interception that was underthrown to Jacoby Ford – Pryor took care of the football. He went 3-of-8 for 31 yards and the pick along with three scrambles for 48 rushing yards in one complete half of action in the preseason finale. However, the thing to note is that Pryor did all of this against Seattle’s second- and third-string players. He has fantasy QB2 potential because of his rushing ability, but he’s not going to be the starter all year because he’s stupid and can’t read defenses. He also can’t throw accurately. I’m giving him a fantasy stock up this week because he’ll be the opening-day starter, but I’d avoid him.
Oakland has such lacking talent at quarterback that Terrelle Pryor may have won the starting job in the dress rehearsal. Pryor went 7-of-9 for 93 yards and a score, but his key play was an amazing 25-yard scrambling touchdown. Raider fans were excited about this, but Pryor did this against the second-team defense. He’s a dumb quarterback who will easily be confused by basic blitz schemes. He’s also inaccurate; he had what should have been an interception on an overthrow dropped by Chris Conte. Having said that, he has QB2 potential in fantasy because of his rushing ability.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Stats: 2,400 passing yards. 12 passing TDs. 18 INTs. 500 rushing yards. 5 rushing TDs.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 188.
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Alex Smith, QB, 49ers. Bye: 8.
Alex Smith won’t have Jim Harbaugh around anymore to mask his weaknesses. He shouldn’t be considered in any regular league.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Stats: 2,900 passing yards. 16 passing TDs. 13 INTs. 150 rushing yards. 1 rushing TD.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 175.
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Geno Smith, QB, Jets. Bye: 10.
AUG. 12 UPDATE: It appears as though the media has overreacted to Geno Smith’s injury. Smith practiced Saturday and could start next weekend.
AUG. 11 UPDATE: Geno Smith went 6-of-7 for 47 yards in the preseason opener. He had nice zip on his passes, but the non-contact injury ruined his chances of being the starter in Week 1. It won’t be long until Smith permanently takes over for Sanchez, but if you were thinking of drafting him as a late-round sleeper, find someone who will actually be on the field in September.
Geno Smith figures to be the Week 1 starter for the Jets, but it doesn’t matter from a fantasy perspective. He doesn’t have the weapons to be successful, and he doesn’t run enough to compensate for that.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Stats: 2,600 passing yards. 12 passing TDs. 16 INTs. 180 rushing yards. 2 rushing TDs.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 150.
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Kirk Cousins, QB, Redskins. Bye: 5.
Kirk Cousins is bound to start at some point in 2013 because Robert Griffin is so injury-prone. I wouldn’t bother drafting Cousins, but he’s someone to monitor on the waiver wire if/when Griffin goes down.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Stats: 1,200 passing yards. 8 passing TDs. 4 INTs. 50 rushing yards. 0 rushing TDs.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 102.
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Blaine Gabbert, QB, Jaguars. Bye: 9.
It turns out that the Jaguars drafted a right tackle No. 2 overall (when there were tons available in free agency) because of some metric that revealed Blaine Gabbert sucked less than normal in certain occasions. Translation: Idiots run the Jacksonville front office. Gabbert is terrible.
Follow @walterfootball for updates.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Stats: 1,600 passing yards. 9 passing TDs. 7 INTs. 60 rushing yards. 0 rushing TDs.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 92.
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Nick Foles, QB, Eagles. Bye: 12.
Either Nick Foles or Matt Barkley will start at some point this season because Philadelphia’s current starting quarterback can’t stay healthy. It’s just a fact of life.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Stats: 800 passing yards. 4 passing TDs. 3 INTs. 40 rushing yards. 1 rushing TD.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 82.
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Matt Flynn, QB, Raiders. Bye: 7.
Matt Flynn is a weak-armed quarterback playing with no real No. 1 wideout and behind a pedestrian offensive line. There’s no much to like here, though Flynn will have lots of opportunities to accumulate junk yardage just like Carson Palmer did last year.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Stats: 600 passing yards. 3 passing TDs. 5 INTs. 0 rushing yards. 0 rushing TDs.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 26.
2013 Fantasy Football Rankings - Quarterbacks (Sept. 1):
Top 10 | 11-20 | 21-35
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More 2013 Fantasy Football Articles:
2013 Fantasy Football: Home
2013 Fantasy Football Rankings:
2013 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks - 9/1 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Rankings: RUNNING BACKS - 9/4 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers - 9/4 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends - 9/2 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defenses - 6/3 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers - 6/3 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Auction Values - 4/24 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings - 5/5 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Dynasty - 8/28 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Season Features:
Week 17 Fantasy Football Rankings - 12/26 (Walt)
Week 17 Fantasy Football Rankings: PPR - 12/26 (Walt)
Week 17 Fantasy Football Injury Reports - 12/26 (Walt)
Week 17 Fantasy Football Start Em, Sit Em - 12/26 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Add/Drop: Week 15 - 12/9 (Walt)
Week 14 Fantasy Football Start Em, Sit Em - 12/8 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Fan Duel Picks - 11/22 (Walt)
FanDuel FanDuel $15,000 Contest - 11/22
FanDuel Exclusive Offer to WalterFootball.com Readers - 8/24
FanDuel Week 1 $500 Freeroll - 8/24
2013 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets (Printable Option):
2013 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Traditional Scoring - 9/4 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: PPR Scoring - 9/4 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Touchdown Scoring - 9/4 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: 2-QB Format - 9/4 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Downloadable Spreadsheets - 9/2 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts:
2013 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-team, 3-WR, Flex - 9/2 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-team, PPR - 8/29 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-team, Standard - 8/22 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-team, Dynasty - 8/15 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 14-team, PPR - 8/8 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 3-WR - 8/1 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 2-QB - 7/26 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 14-teamer - 7/19 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR - 7/11 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Standard - 6/29 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Four-Man Mock - 6/13 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Articles:
2013 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Training Camp - 9/4 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Preseason Stock - 8/30 (Walt)
2013 NFL Preseason Recap, Fantasy Football Notes - 8/30 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Quarterback Targets - 8/30 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Sleepers - 8/28 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Busts - 8/28 (Walt)
2013 ESPN Fantasy Football Magazine: 10 Reasons Not to Buy It - 8/21 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football IDP Tips - 8/17 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Round-by-Round Strategy - 8/16 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Draft Boards for Sale - 6/13
2013 Fantasy Football All-Value Team - 6/9 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Hot Finishers - 4/24 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Quarterbacks - 4/24 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Running Backs - 4/24 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Wide Receivers - 4/24 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football: Overdrafted Players - 2/17 (Walt)
2013 Fantasy Football: First-Round Bust History - 2/17 (Walt)
Running Backs with Most Carries - 2/17 (Walt)
NFL Picks - Oct. 30
2025 NFL Mock Draft - Oct. 30
NFL Power Rankings - Oct. 28
Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 4
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Injured/injury risk
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Potential bust
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Potential sleeper
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Rank higher in touchdown leagues
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Rank lower in touchdown leagues
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Rank higher in PPR (points per reception) leagues
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Rank lower in PPR leagues
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