Warning – a good start to a fantasy season is not always what it seems. It’s great to have a quarterback on your squad who is outperforming expectations early in the season, and it’s even better if they continue to play well throughout the year. But as any veteran fantasy owner will tell you, that doesn’t always happen. One reason why? Schedule. A player who has faced a beer-belly soft schedule can take advantage of that, only to run into stiffer competition later in the season. Here are some players who fall under that category. By no means is this proof that these players will completely fall off the grid as the season progresses, just don’t be surprised to see their numbers ebb somewhat.

Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings: Favre has surprised many with the outstanding play he’s shown thus far. He’s currently third in the NFL in quarterback rating, completion percentage and touchdown passes, yet he hasn’t faced the league’s most daunting pass defenses. Through Minnesota’s first six games, he’s faced a pass defense ranked better than 20th just one time, and four teams who are 17th or worse in passing touchdowns allowed. Things will get a bit more difficult as the season progresses, as the Vikings play six teams the rest of the way who are ranked 14th or better in pass defense, including the Panthers and Giants, who are first and second in the NFL in that category.

Matt Schaub, Houston Texans: Schaub is excelling, leading the league with 14 passing scores and is second with 1,810 passing yards. His schedule has not consisted of the highest quality pass-defense, though. In fact, of the six games Schaub has played, four have come against the five worst pass defenses in the NFL, and just one has come against a team in the top half of the league in defending the pass. Over the rest of his season, Schaub will still face some easy competition in the form of division foes Tennessee and Jacksonville, but he’ll also go up against four teams who are in the top-10 in pass defense.

Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens: Flacco is currently fourth in the NFL in passing yards, third in completions, and tied for sixth in touchdown throws. Yet four of the six teams he’s gone up against have ranked 23rd or worse in pass defense. Moving forward, seven of his remaining ten games are against teams who are in the top-half of the league in pass defense, and five are against teams who rank 12th or better in that category.

In three weeks, the NFL season will have arrived in full force. Until then, however, we’ll have to deal with exhibition contests in which players that won’t even be on practice squads have a lot to do with the final score. Still, there is fantasy information to be gleaned from these games, so let’s examine the proceedings that took place over the weekend.

Cincinnati 7, New England 6: A particularly meaningless contest that left fantasy owners in the cold about the progress of Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, who did not play due to his injury, most people probably only know that Chad Ochocinco kicked off once and also kicked an extra point. From a fantasy perspective, if looking for a runner to handcuff to Bengals starter Cedric Benson, Dede Dorsey ran four times for 60 yards while Brian Leonard carried the rock seven times for 34 yards, and is considered the favorite for the backup job.

Indianapolis 23, Philadelphia 15: Not very encouraging numbers running the ball for either team, as Eagles rookie LeSean McCoy managed just four yards on five carries, and Colts rookie Donald Brown posting similar numbers with five yards on three carries. Still, McCoy is an absolute necessity as a handcuff to Brian Westbrook, though you may have to take him earlier than you like in order to ensure a spot for him on your roster. As for Brown, he’s a popular pick to become the Colts’ full-time back this season, even with the presence of Joseph Addai. That may be pushing it, but 700-800 yards and five or so scores are realistic expectations.

Dallas 30, Tennessee 10: Most of the news surrounding this game is the hilarious fact that the brand-spankin’ new $1 billion stadium the Cowboys play in has a $40 million scoreboard that punters can shell with the ball when booting it away because it sits too low. Nice attention to detail there. As for game action, there was a lot for fantasy owners to like about what Cowboys gunslinger Tony Romo did, connecting on 18-of-24 passes for 192 yards. On the other side, Vince Young’s encouraging performance in the Titans’ first preseason game gave way to a performance that saw him go 3-for-9 for 33 yards and an interception.

Atlanta 20, St. Louis 13: Michael Turner was in 2008 form, running for 65 yards and one touchdown on the first series of the game before having a seat the rest of the night, so no worries there (except for the Rams defense, which nobody in their right mind would use in fantasy). For St. Louis, wideout Laurent Robinson continues what has been an impressive showing throughout camp with five catches for 65 yards. He’s a decent sleeper choice, and certainly someone to pay attention to.

Minnesota 17, Kansas City 13: So, Brett Favre is back (see his 2008 week-by-week fantasy points in the graph below), and he really showed, well, nothing, completing one of his four throws for four yards. He should get better, obviously, but he’s still a QB2 right now. For the Chiefs, Matt Cassel’s 99 passing yards and one touchdown pass were encouraging considering some have speculated that former Patriot is losing his grip on the starting job.

Cleveland 27, Detroit 10: Matthew Stafford struggled mightily, completing just five of his 13 passes for 34 yards and an interception, taking a step back in the race for a starting gig. Even if he improves mightily the rest of the way, drafting him is a risk not worth taking. The Browns’ quarterback job is still up for grabs, and Derek Anderson showed pretty well, completing 10 of his 13 throws, but also tossing a pick. In the sleeper category, rookie running back James Davis ran the ball 12 times for 116 yards and a score, including one run for 81 yards. Jamal Lewis’s best days are behind him, and Davis is someone who has the potential to eventually get a chance to contribute.

Miami 27, Carolina 17: Chad Pennington was steady as usual, and Ronnie Brown had a nice all-around game, with 74 total yards and a touchdown on 10 touches. Many believe he’s overrated, but with his ability to both run the ball and catch it, he offers a lot of value.

Washington 17, Pittsburgh 13: Two disappointing rookies from last season were notable here. For Pittsburgh, running back Rashard Mendenhall, ran for 5.2 yards a pop, amassing 26 yards on five carries, and is someone that has the potential to unseat Willie Parker. For Washington, tight end Fred Davis was on the receiving end of two passes, hauling them in for 31 yards and a score.

Tampa Bay 24, Jacksonville 23: Running back Chauncey Washington ran the ball four times for 32 yards, making his case to be the backup to starter Maurice Jones-Drew for the Jaguars. Luke McCown threw two scores for the Buccaneers, possibly gaining some ground in the race for the Buccaneers’ starting quarterback job.

New Orleans 38, Houston 14: A solid backup for Steve Slaton has yet to emerge, as Chris Brown ran for just five yards on four carries, and Ryan Moats ran for 25 yards on nine carries.

Green Bay 31, Buffalo 21: It was a so-so performance by Trent Edwards, even though he completed seven of his 11 passes. He only amassed a paltry 45 yards on those throws, and also threw an interception.

Chicago 17, NY Giants 3: Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw, a viable RB3, showed his explosiveness with a six-carry, 54-yard performance. Meanwhile, it was a much better showing for Bears signal-caller Jay Cutler, who was 8-of-13 for 121 yards and a score.

San Francisco 21, Oakland 20: Rookie running back Glen Coffee ran for 129 yards, and has quickly established himself as the necessary handcuff to Frank Gore. Coffee leads all players in rushing this preseason with nearly 200 yards.

San Diego 17, Arizona 6: Cardinals first-round pick Beanie Wells has yet to play in a preseason contest, giving Tim Hightower an opportunity to win the starting job. He didn’t hurt himself in this game, running for 42 yards on nine carries.

Seattle 27, Denver 13: The panic surrounding Kyle Orton should have ceased, or at least lowered somewhat after he completed 18 of his 26 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown, though he also threw a pick. Matt Hasselbeck also looked very good, reminding fantasy owners of what he did two years ago by slinging the ball 23 times with 16 completions for 171 yards and two scores.

With NFL training camps well underway for every team, a dizzying amount of information is being hurled from all angles. Let’s sift through some of this news and what it means for the upcoming fantasy season.

Braylon Edwards is Finally Practicing: Good news for those fantasy owners who were expecting a trampoline-like bounce-back from Edwards this season. He had missed four days of camp due to an injury that the team would not disclose (it was thought to be an ankle). His granite hands should be a concern to fantasy owners, but the Browns have few other experienced options at wideout, so he’ll get plenty of opportunities.

Eli Manning to Sign Extension: Various news outlets are saying it’s for nearly $100 million over six years, with $35 million guaranteed. Unfortunately, this is the type of deal that makes fantasy owners believe that he must be a worthy starter on their team. Nothing is further from the truth - he’s a QB2 only. People keep saying he was bad last season only when Plaxico Burress was no longer with the team, but that’s not entirely true. Look at his passing touchdowns from a week-to-week basis on the graph. Ten times he contributed zero or one score in 2008, and that just isn’t good enough for a fantasy starter. To go with that, he had 10 games of fewer than 200 yards passing last season as well. And it wasn’t just last year he was inconsistent. In 2007 he had 11 games of zero or one touchdown pass. Let someone else deal with him.

San Francisco Wideout Josh Morgan Has Been Impressive: So far so good for the second-year wideout from Virginia Tech. Many fantasy owners expect WR3 or WR4 type of numbers from Morgan this season, and he’s not done anything in training camp to lessen those expectations. Said 49ers offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye in the San Francisco Chronicle: “For a big-bodied guy, he has excellent explosion for a guy his size. He’s a great leaper. His range is very good. He can get to some balls that some guys can’t.”

Roddy White Remains a Holdout: White is not in Falcons camp as he waits for a new contract, but that also means Harry Douglas is getting extra work. Douglas is a playmaker with the ball in his hands, and he’s a pretty solid sleeper choice this season. If you’re in a deep drat, taking a flier on him in late rounds isn’t a terrible idea. Otherwise, pay attention to him early in the year to see if he’s being utilized more in the Falcons’ offense (UPDATE: Unfortunately, Douglas tore his ACL and is out for the season).

Maroney Running Well: In the last line of this update from Patriots camp, the widely forgotten-about Laurence Maroney is said to be performing well and running hard. There is a cluster of backs in New England, and most fantasy owners are looking at Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris before getting to Maroney. Still, Maroney is younger and more athletic than either Morris or Taylor at this point in their careers, and shouldn’t be counted out to make a contribution in New England as well as fantasy teams. Of course, he needs to finally stay healthy, something that’s been a problem for him, but he’s certainly a draftable player in the late-middle rounds of drafts.

Everyone who has played fantasy football has, at one time or another, drafted someone who they had high hopes for, but who turned out to be a bust. And when the realization comes that the player who was supposed to be leading you to a fantasy championship has instead sunk you, a pang of frustration lies in the pit of your stomach, even if just for a moment. If you don’t want that to happen to you in 2009, there are a few players to be highly wary of when your drafts approach.

QB Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals: He was superb last season, throwing for more than 4,500 yards and 30 touchdowns. One of the reasons for his success was that he played in all 16 games for the first time since 2001, and just the third time in his career. The graph below shows his struggles from a fantasy standpoint up until the last two seasons. The former MVP has a lengthy injury history, one that caused his time in St. Louis to come to an end, as he simply could not hold onto the ball anymore due to a thumb malady. And at 38 years old, his risk for further injury is high. There were also changes in the Cardinals coaching staff, as Todd Haley left his post as offensive coordinator to become the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. Now, Arizona no longer has a true offensive coordinator, instead utilizing running game and passing game coordinators.

RB Thomas Jones, New York Jets: Running backs over the age of 30 - Jones will be 31 when the seasons starts - should frighten all fantasy owners, even backs in as good of physical shape as Jones seemingly is. He went from scoring two total touchdowns in 2007 to 15 last season, which was easily a career high. It’s impossible to expect him to repeat that type of year, especially with Leon Washington and third-round pick Shonn Greene in the mix for carries.

WR Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: After being completely out of football for the 2007 season, Bryant returned with aplomb last year, hauling in 83 passes for nearly 1,300 yards and seven scores. Bryant had shown flashes of talent before, but could never put it all together. Now, he has a new quarterback, though nobody knows who it will be, and the offensive-minded Jon Gruden was replaced as head coach by the defensive-minded Raheem Morris. It’s difficult to spend a relatively high draft pick on someone with such uncertainties surrounding them.

The 2009 fantasy football season is approaching us with the impetus of a charging rhino, and along with it comes the necessary hours of salient research. Part of that analysis is, undoubtedly, scrutinizing past results. Though the past does not always reflect what the future holds, especially in a sport that causes the physical wear and tear that football does, it can be a pretty good gauge. In the graph below, you’ll find the 15 players who have accrued the most fantasy points since 2006 (standard scoring - TD pass: 4 points, TD run/catch: 6 points, 25 passing yards: 1 point, 10 rushing/receiving yards: 1 point, turnover: -2 points). Let’s take a look at some of the players who are on the list, as well as some who are not.

Quarterbacks: The players at the top should be no surprise whatsoever, with Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Co. One thing that may be surprising is that Tom Brady, despite amassing all of three fantasy points last season, is still 12th on this list. Essentially, only 11 players have more fantasy points over the past three entire seasons than Brady had in two. Additionally, this will also tell you a little something about Eli Manning, despite the fact he has 68 touchdown throws over the past three seasons, how overrated he is from a fantasy perspective.

Running Backs: The fact that LaDainian Tomlinson is No. 1 on this list is about as predictable as a reality star deciding they want to get into acting. But raise your hand if you figured that Steven Jackson would have the third-most fantasy points among backs and fifth-most in the entire league over the past three seasons. If you’re raising your hand right now, you probably not only look pretty dumb, you’re also not telling the truth. Should you learn anything from each of the running backs on this list for your upcoming fantasy draft, it should be this - receptions are important. Each back on this list is adept at catching the ball out of the backfield, including Larry Johnson, who’s had at least 30 catches twice over the past three seasons.

Wide Receivers: Finally, we come to the wide receiver position. Many in fantasy football believe they are underappreciated, but this graph, with only Terrell Owens on it, makes it easier to understand why owners aren’t keen on snatching them up early. There are obvious exceptions, such as Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson, but those types of players are scarce.

As we mentioned, past results are not a guaranteed indicator of future results, but they’re a nice stepping stone. And past history says draft running backs with receiving skills, don’t be afraid to jump on a quarterback early, and with exception, when the inevitable run on receivers comes, don’t let that force you into taking one.

We continue to shed light on breakout players for the upcoming fantasy season by heading south - well, sort of. Indianapolis doesn’t exactly qualify as a southern outpost, but the powers that be saw fit to put them in this division anyway. And it’s a division they’ve dominated while putting up offensive numbers that fantasy owners covet. That said, let’s take a gander at some potential breakout players.

Houston Texans - Matt Schaub: Schaub, a former third-round pi ck of the Falcons out of Virginia, has never played a full 16-game schedule as the Texans’ starting quarterback. That’s at least one of the reasons why he has yet to truly excel. But he has no lingering health issues this season, and has as good a chance as any to finally play 16 games. And if he does, the potential for big numbers is there. Schaub has cultivated his game in each of his two seasons as Houston’s signal-caller, seeing improvement in nearly every category last season from where he was in 2007. With a profusion of talented offensive weapons at his disposal, like running back Steve Slaton and wideout Andre Johnson, expect Schaub’s numbers to keep expanding in 2009.

Indianapolis Colts - Anthony Gonzalez: If you had to wager your livelihood on one player to break out this season, the smartest money would be on Gonzalez. Though he improved last season from where he was as a rookie, he fell off a bit at the end of the year, which you can see in the graph to the right. That shouldn’t be the case this season as he takes over a starting job at wideout that Marvin Harrison been entrenched in for years. With that come all the benefits of playing with Peyton Manning in Indy’s offense, which is very, very good for Gonzalez’s fantasy owners.

Jacksonville Jaguars - Mike Walker: The Jaguars have had as much luck with their receivers over the years as Chevy Chase has had while trying to come back from obscurity. Very little. With draft and free-agent busts like Reggie Williams, Matt Jones and Jerry Porter having been jettisoned, the Jags signed Torry Holt as a free agent and drafted three rookies at the position. But one promising holdover remains in Walker. At six-foot-two and over 200 lbs, Walker possesses the type of size that is difficult for cornerbacks to match up with. And he’s had slivers of success. Though he caught just 16 passes last season, against the Steelers in Week 6 he had six receptions for 107 yards. That game was preceded by one in which he hauled in five passes. Unfortunately, Walker failed to accumulate more than two catches in any game the rest of the season. But with most of last year’s receiving corps having been booted, it says something that Walker is still around.

Tennessee Titans - Bo Scaife: Scaife had a decent amount of success last season, with 58 receptions for 561 yards and two touchdowns, but that type of production doesn’t make fantasy owners covet him. He’s capable of more, and could get it this season. Each year of his career, Scaife has improved. His receiving yards have risen incrementally each year, and over the last three years, so have his reception total. The most important thing Scaife can do now is find the end zone more often. His career-high for a season is only two, and that’s not quite good enough to make an impact in fantasy leagues. But after a year of playing with Kerry Collins, the two should be more comfortable with each other, and as teams load up to stop the run, don’t be surprised if Tennessee employs the passing game with Scaife a bit more often inside the red zone.

Our series on potential breakout players in each division makes its way to the AFC West. Mediocrity reigned in the West in 2008, as no team had a record better than 8-8. Both Denver and San Diego managed that mark, with the Chargers being the playoff representative of the division. Each squad will be looking to improve in 2009, with the help of a few players who could come into their own, making an impact not only on their teams, but on those of fantasy owners as well. A look now at some candidates to break out.

Denver Broncos - Kyle Orton: Speaking of sheer averageness, Orton has been just that as a quarterback in his four seasons in the NFL, throwing a total of 30 touchdowns and 27 interceptions while completing just over 55 percent of his passes. But last season, he showed fantasy owners a glimmer of his potential, with 18 touchdown passes to 12 picks and nearly 3,000 passing yards. Yet most of his damage was done in the season’s first seven contests, as he threw 10 scores and was intercepted only four times to go with four games of at least 265 passing yards. He got injured shortly after that, which caused him to miss one game. Then, in his final eight games, only twice did he accumulate more than 200 passing yards while tossing eight touchdowns and eight picks. But being traded to Denver should only help the former Purdue star. He goes to an offense led by head coach Josh McDaniels, who helped mold Matt Cassel into a productive player last season in New England, and the weapons around Orton are superior to what he was working with in Chicago. He’s not a QB1 for fantasy owners, but there are far worse options to have as backups.

Kansas City Chiefs - Jamaal Charles: At this point, if you believe that running back Larry Johnson will stay healthy for 16 games, you probably also believe North Korean leader Kim-Jong Il shot five holes-in-one the first time he ever played golf, as he has claimed. Which leads us to Johnson’s backup in former third-round pick Charles. Last season, he ran for over 350 yards and averaged 5.3 yards per carry, but he’s most proficient in the passing game, as he was fourth on the team with 27 receptions and 272 yards (see graph). New Chiefs head coach Todd Haley threw the ball to his running backs often last season as Arizona’s offensive coordinator, as Edgerrin James, Tim Hightower and J.J. Arrington combined to catch 75 passes. So even during the games Johnson is healthy, Charles is a threat out of the backfield. If you do decide to select Johnson, Charles is an essential handcuff, but considering selecting him even if, like many others, you decide Johnson isn’t worth the hassle.

Oakland Raiders - JaMarcus Russell: Alright, so putting someone here who was the first overall pick isn’t exactly going out on a limb. Granted. But the guy hasn’t lived up to that billing just yet. Still, Russell finally showed some signs of life at the end of last season, when in his last three games the former LSU gunslinger threw for 626 yards, six touchdowns and two picks while completing 63 percent of his passes. And though there is reason to be skeptical - a shoddy offensive line, unproven receivers - Russell has a huge arm and can do what the Raiders have said they will ask of him (via orders by the Crypt Keeper, Al Davis), which is throw deep. So maybe, just maybe, this is the year he puts it all together.

San Diego Chargers - Craig “Buster” Davis: On a team laden with proven veterans on offense, choosing a candidate to break out was fairly simple because the options were few. So we turned to Davis, the team’s first-round pick in 2007 who has just 24 career catches to his name. Only four of those receptions came last season as he injured his groin and failed to play in a contest after Week 5. But he’s 6-foot-1 and possesses good speed and athleticism, and could force his way into the lineup if he plays to his capabilities. Yet Davis’ health has been an issue since his days at LSU, so any hope of him breaking out rests on the fact that he actually, you know, gets on the field. If so, his dynamic abilities should shine.

The denouement of our examination of the fantasy value of each NFL division’s quarterbacks is upon us, and with it comes the AFC South, also known as Peyton’s Place. The Colts’ Peyton Manning has established his supremacy of this division – and all others, really – for the entire decade, and that trend will likely continue in 2009.

Houston Texans: If not for the aforementioned Manning, the best signal caller in the division would reside deep in the heart of Texas. That may sound strange when you consider that Houston’s Matt Schaub has a career total of 30 touchdowns and 25 interceptions, and that he has yet to play a full 16-game schedule due to injuries, but the talent is there. Also there for Schaub are a deluge of skilled players for him to throw to, from wideouts Andre Johnson – who is arguably the best in the game at his position – and Kevin Walter to tight end Owen Daniels, and even to running back Steve Slaton, who caught 50 passes last season. Schaub has completed at least 66 percent of his throws in each of the past two (admittedly abbreviated) seasons, and his numbers in every other category have risen in that time. If one other number can surge – games played – he’ll be a prominent player for fantasy owners this season.

Indianapolis Colts: Every Sunday during football season, a halcyon feeling dwells inside fantasy owners who have Peyton Manning on their roster. Except during those forlorn days when the Colts have a bye, there is no tinkering to be done. All owners can rest assured he’ll be in the lineup ready to disperse the ball to anyone that’s open. This is what he’s done in every single game Indianapolis has played since 1998. He’s never missed a single contest, and he’s never thrown for fewer than 3,700 yards in a season. In fact, he’s only gone under 4,000 passing yards twice. Want to talk touchdowns? Fine. The man has never thrown for fewer than 26 in a season. He performs with more regularity than Benefiber. Even though the Colts will have a new offensive coordinator this year, expect more of the same from Manning, and draft him as such.

Jacksonville Jaguars: One of the bigger disappointments for fantasy owners last year was the play of Jacksonville’s David Garrard. After a promising 2007 that saw him throw for 18 scores and just three interceptions in 12 games, Garrard tumbled and managed only 15 touchdowns with 13 interceptions over a full 16 game schedule in 2008. So what do fantasy owners make of him this year? It’s hard to tell considering his unproven track record. One thing that should help the 31-year-old was the franchise’s expulsion of its overrated receiving corps. Gone are Matt Jones, Jerry Porter and Reggie Williams, and in are veteran Torry Holt (as a free agent) and draftees like Mike Thomas and Jarrett Dillard, who were selected in the fourth and fifth rounds, respectively. It should also be noted that the Jags’ offensive line was decimated by so many injuries last season, they may as well have been on the battlefield with William Wallace in Braveheart. However, with the return to health of some, and with the acquisitions of free-agent Tra Thomas and first- and second-round picks Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton, the situation should be remedied. Despite all those moves, one truth remains – Garrard simply has to perform better than he did last year. He cannot be trusted as a QB1 for fantasy owners, but few will have qualms about selecting him as a solid QB2.

Tennessee Titans: Kerry Collins is a dependable player who gives Tennessee just what they need at the quarterback position – a veteran to manage the game and connect on enough passes to keep opposing defenses honest. The Titans’ offense is based on a running attack featuring Chris Henry and LenDale White, and all Collins needs to do is avoid the type of mistakes that will wind up hurting the team. Nice formula for the Titans to come out victorious, bad formula for fantasy owners. Collins completed less than 60 percent of his throws last year while tossing 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He passed for more than 250 yards one time, while throwing for less than 150 yards five times, and there were eight games in which he did not throw for a touchdown. Maybe if you get blindsided with injuries during the year he’ll be a decent one-week matchup option off the waiver wire, but other than that, it’s best for fantasy owners to look somewhere else for their quarterback.

We’re concluding our look at the fantasy value of each NFL division’s quarterbacks with the signal callers from the south divisions of each conference. The four NFC teams each have distinctly different situations; one with a blossoming young star, one with an aging veteran, another with a distinguished superstar, and finally, one with a plethora of middling options.

Atlanta Falcons: Of course, the blossoming star is Atlanta’s own Matt Ryan, who did the previously unthinkable for a rookie quarterback last season - contribute to fantasy squads. By no means should he have been a weekly starter (except in the deepest of leagues), but he was someone who fantasy owners could plug in at opportune times to help out. This season, Ryan will be one of the more intriguing test cases for fantasy owners. He had two specific things go right for him last year which helped ensure his success. One was the running game with Michael Turner. The Falcons had the second-ranked run offense in the league last season, and only Baltimore called more handoffs. Secondly, and arguably more importantly, was the protection Ryan’s offensive line gave to him. He was sacked just 17.0 times last year, the fifth-fewest number in the league for quarterbacks who threw at least 400 passes. If the running game and offensive line are what they were in 2008, Ryan could have a big year. But with just one season under his belt, it’s difficult to emphatically say he’s a QB1 in 2009, so we’ll put him at the top of the list of QB2’s.

Carolina Panthers: Despite Jake Delhomme being 34 years old and burying the Panthers in their playoff game against Arizona when he threw five(!) interceptions, the franchise decided to give him a contract extension. Maybe that says something about the state of quarterbacks In the NFL, but it doesn’t seem like the wisest move. Delhomme had such fiercely different halves of the 2008 season, it seemed like he went Norman Bates on us with his multiple personalities (but hopefully without the mommy issues). In his first eight games, he threw for nine touchdowns and five interceptions, and five times he threw for at least 235 yards. In the final eight games of the regular season, he tossed for six scores and seven interceptions, and had just three games in which he threw for at least 200 yards. The fact is, Delhomme hasn’t had a season that would place him in QB1 status since 2005, when he threw for 24 touchdowns. He may put together a 2009 season with, say, 15 scores and decent yardage totals, but he isn’t the type of player that you want leading your fantasy team week-in and week-out.

New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees is to fantasy football owners what Albert Pujols is to fantasy baseball owners - as consistent as it gets at any position. He’s thrown at least 24 touchdowns in each of the last five seasons, and has racked up at least 4,400 passing yards in each of the last three. At 30 years old, he’s still in his prime, has a profusion of weapons at the ready, and plays in an offense that caters to quarterbacks. He’s clearly the No. 1 field general for fantasy owners this season. What else is there to say?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: On the exact opposite side of the spectrum from Brees and the Saints comes the mess in Tampa. Go ahead, fantasy owners, take your pick - Byron Leftwich, Luke McCown, or rookie Josh Freeman (second-year man Josh Johnson is also on the roster, but he isn’t expected to challenge for the starting role, and Brian Griese isn’t likely going to be on the Week 1 roster). The best call, of course, is none of the above. At least not during fantasy drafts. The team does have some solid receiving talent in wideout Antonio Bryant and tight end Kellen Winslow, but there’s no telling who’s going to be throwing them the ball, and how long that situation might last. Whichever of the three wins the starting quarterback job will have to prove on a weekly basis that they deserve it, which is not the ideal situation for fantasy owners thinking of using a roster spot on one of the three. If one of them does claim the starting spot and plays consistently well, then that will be great. Unless you have a brave soul among your league’s fantasy owners, he should be available on the waiver wire for you to pick up.

In the next installment of our look at the fantasy value of each NFL division’s quarterbacks, we’re diving into the AFC North. Like its counterpart in the NFC, the AFC’s northern district has not traditionally been one that fantasy owners can count on for quality.

Baltimore Ravens: In his rookie campaign of 2008, Joe Flacco threw for over 2,900 yards and 14 touchdowns to go with 12 interceptions. Solid enough, but those numbers really didn’t justify the surfeit of acclaim given to him by media types. Fact is, fantasy owners knew better. Flacco’s prestige was greatly buoyed by an unyielding Ravens defense and equally relentless ground attack. Flacco will likely improve on his numbers this season, but the Ravens will remain what they have been for years - a team built to shut down opposing offenses and run through opposing defenses. Flacco may one day be a fantasy stalwart, but that day won’t come during the 2009 season, making him draftable, but as a QB2.

Cincinnati Bengals: Carson Palmer’s injury last season left many fantasy owners high and dry (including yours truly). Intermittent reports throughout the season of Palmer possibly being able to play left enough hope on the table to keep everyone as frustrated as GM bondholders are now. He didn’t return, and inevitably, his streak of three consecutive seasons with at least 26 touchdown passes ended, while Cincinnati’s season quickly deteriorated. The former USC signal-caller is back and healthy this year, albeit without pass-catcher extraordinaire T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The team replaced him with Laveranues Coles, and though Chad Ochocinco remains, whether or not he’s still a top-shelf talent remains to be seen.  That said, there’s no reason for Palmer not to perform like the quarterback we all grew familiar with, and he should easily be a QB1. He could be a very good value in fantasy drafts, with owners likely downgrading him due to last season’s injury and Houshmandzadeh’s exit.

Cleveland Browns: Choosing between Brady Quinn  and Derek Anderson is like deciding if you want die by the electric chair or by stoning - you know it’s going to end badly, the only question is how painful do you want it to be? Okay, so that may be a slight exaggeration, but the point remains, neither is a good choice for fantasy owners. Quinn was not very impressive in his three-game stint as a starter last season, playing well only against a poor Broncos pass defense. Anderson was no better, as he completed a horrendous 50.2 percent of his passes in his 10 games. These are the facts fantasy owners need to know if they are deciding whether or not they want to take either Quinn or Anderson as their QB2: the Browns’ running game will feature a 30-year-old veteran who did not have a single 100-yard rushing game last season, the team’s best receiver led the league in dropped passes , their No. 2 receiver may not play this year because he allegedly killed a man while driving drunk, and they traded one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the league in the offseason. So take one of these two if you like, but the smart thing to do would be look in another direction.

Pittsburgh Steelers: I realize that by saying this, ESPN’s headquarters might spontaneously combust, but here goes - Ben Roethlisberger is a good quarterback; Ben Roethlisberger is not a great quarterback. Two Super Bowls, yes. But it sure is nice to have the best defense in the league to back you up. Big Ben has had one prodigious season, in 2007, when he threw for 32 touchdowns. In his other four campaigns, he’s thrown for 17 scores three times and 18 scores once. So was the ‘07 season an aberration? Maybe. That year was sandwiched between two other seasons in which he combined to throw 35 touchdowns and 38 interceptions while completing less than 60 percent of his passes. It’s certainly not out of the question for Roethlisberger to go on and throw 25 touchdowns each of the next four seasons, but I wouldn’t count on it. Though he’s in the bottom tier of QB1 status for 2009, his inconsistency makes him untrustworthy in the eyes of some. Big Ben may have another excellent statistical year, but I’ll let someone else take that gamble.