Aaron Rodgers Stardom Is Just Beginning

After a couple of years behind Brett Favre, and a couple more getting his feet wet as the starter of the Green Bay Packers, quarterback Aaron
Rodgers put any doubters in their place last season.  With a Super Bowl MVP award to go with the team’s first post-number 4 championship, Rodgers put himself in the ranks of top quarterbacks in the NFL.  One question for fantasy football players however is this – where does Rodgers fit into the ranks of top quarterbacks statistically for 2011?

The last five years or so there were really only two consistent, first round worthy quarterbacks – Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.  Drew Brees and more recently Philip Rivers have edged their way into that conversation, but with the emergence of Rodgers and maybe Mike Vick and Matt Ryan, the conversation has gotten much more cluttered.

With the list of top level fantasy football quarterbacks growing over the past few years, it is no longer Brady, Manning, and then wait until the third or fourth round.  Quarterback might be one of the deepest positions in league’s upcoming drafts.  By the end of this season Rodgers’ place in that group could be at the very top.  Forward thinking owners might want to get on board sooner rather than later and draft Rodgers before any other quarterback.

Aaron Rodgers was sixth in the league in touchdown passes and seventh in the league in passing yards.  That may not sound like grounds for top five fantasy quarterback territory, but consider this: with all the injuries the Packers sustained last year, Rodgers didn’t have much time with his full complement of offensive weapons.  One of his favorite targets from two years ago, tight end Jermichael Finley only played a handful of games. Added to the loss of one of his most reliable targets, defenses could key on the passing game because the running back position was a mess all season.

The best part of the Packers injuries is that, assuming most of the walking wounded are able to come back, the Pack will have the deepest team in the league.  They are also one of the youngest teams and could dominate at least the NFC North for three or four more years.

Rodgers didn’t have mind blowing passing yards or touchdowns during their Super Bowl championship season, but he put up those numbers while putting the ball up fewer times than any of the guys with better yardage and touchdown stats.  Seventeen passers put the ball up more than Rodgers.  With more opportunities, he moves into the top five in both yards and touchdowns.

In weeks fourteen and fifteen, Aaron Rodgers was hurt.  He sat out almost two whole games.  Back up Matt Flynn had two solid weeks in relief, but again, if you add just half of Flynn’s stats to Rodgers’ he is a top five guy.

One final thing sets Rodgers apart from the field – mobility.  While guys like Manning and Brady are statues in the pocket, Rodgers can hurt you with his feet.  No one will confuse him with Vick, but he scored four rushing touchdowns last season and rushed for 350 yards.  In a close fantasy match-up, any extra points you can get can mean the difference between first place and missing the playoffs.

Some of this is admittedly splitting hairs.  I would take any of the guys mentioned and be fine with them, but Manning and Brady have shown signs that they have taking an ever so slight step back; it might be time for Rodgers to assume his place at the top of the fantasy quarterback mountain.