Kelly Erickson
I will admit I’ve only recently joined the fantasy football lifestyle. Last year, in my rookie season, I was a failure. I drafted well, but with a slew of injuries throughout the season and a general loss of interest after a few weeks, my team was incredibly unimpressive.
This year, I intend to redeem myself. Of course in order to do this, I must pick a great quarterback to build my team around. With the likes of Michael Vick, Tom Brady, Cam Newton (LOLZ) and Philip Rivers leading their respective teams this year, I would hands-down pick Aaron Rodgers as my main playmaker.
Forget his impressive 2010 resume (Super Bowl XVL MVP anyone?) for a moment. Rodgers has a multitude of targets surrounding him – if they stay healthy – that he will easily earn a multitude of points week in and week out. Between Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jermichael Finley, Jordy Nelson, Ryan Grant and James Starks in the short field all coupled with his mobility, Rodgers will be tough to slow down.
Last season alone Rodgers threw 28 touchdowns and ran for four, which ties for the most rushing touchdowns on the team. I mean the guy is no Russell Wilson in the speed category, but he’s still gets the ball in the endzone by any means possible.
Sure there are other quarterbacks out there heralded as more athletic, more mobile, more accurate and overall just better than Rodgers, but rest assured, he won’t disappoint.
Elliot Hughes
All things considered, Aaron Rodgers and Michael Vick have a quite a bit in common, actually.
Both are hardworking professionals, elite passers and ringleaders of offenses with as much talent as a traveling circus.
Really, the only differences between the two – and boy, this will be a shocker – is health concerns (favoring Rodgers) and mobility (favoring Vick).
Still, Vick absorbs the threat of injuries and comes out the clear favorite.
Here’s how much Vick’s mobility and improved passing compensates for time spent on the sidelines.
Vick missed essentially five games in 2010 – compared to Rodgers, who missed essentially two – and still scored eight more points than Rodgers in season totals. His 300 points put Vick at No. 3 in total points scored on ESPN.com.
To put it in a different perspective, Vick scored 27.3 points per game, while Rodgers notched 20.9. In a deep league, that will make a big difference.
Plus, why get too caught up in what if’s? Vick could certainly make it through the season unharmed. Let’s stick with what we know right now: Vick is a firecracker of a football player and he’s surrounded by an arsenal of weapons. He makes defenses look like they’re still in high school.
Pick Vick.