Making a List: Backup Quarterbacks

Ryan McDowell Posted On July 5, 2012

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I’m a list guy. I make “to do” lists, follow “honey do” lists, and will take time to read a top ten list of almost anything. This series of articles will bring you a top five ranking about a myriad of topics in the world of dynasty football.

As dynasty owners, it is relatively easy to manage the top of our rosters. An average team has a couple of every week starters, a few solid starters and several borderline starting level/depth players. Managing the bottom of your roster often takes more effort and attention as the news and opinions on these players are not always as mainstream as the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Arian Foster and Calvin Johnson. In the next few installments of Making a List, I will take a deeper look at backup players who are worth owning, or at least monitoring, in your dynasty league.

There are a couple of important reasons to pay close attention to backup quarterbacks around the National Football League as it pertains to your dynasty league.

First, it is often important to backup, or handcuff, your fantasy team’s starting quarterback with his actual backup. Every year, top quarterbacks are injured and miss significant time. It is not true in every case, but many times the backup quarterback takes over and has a great deal of success. Sometimes, the team even makes the decision to stick with the backup as its new starter. Two well known cases of this are when Tom Brady took over for an injured Drew Bledsoe in New England and more recently when Michael Vick claimed the Eagles starting job after Kevin Kolb was injured. If you are relying on a starting quarterback that has an injury history, such and Vick or Texans starter Matt Schaub, it can be crucial that you also roster their backup quarterback. Finally, even if your star passer does not have an injury history, it can be important to closely follow the backup job if those players are part of a high powered passing offense, namely Green Bay, Detroit or New Orleans.

The second reason to closely follow backup quarterbacks in dynasty leagues is the likelihood that those backups will one day move on and earn a starting job elsewhere. Again, we see this nearly every year. A backup quarterback gets a chance to start, either due to injury or playing a meaningless week 17 game, and shines. There are always teams standing in line to pay these reserves big money and hand over the reins of the team to a relative unknown. Examples of this the past few years include Matt Hasselbeck, Matt Schaub, Kevin Kolb, Matt Cassel and this year, Matt Flynn. As you can see, this does not always work out for the team signing the up and coming signal caller, but many of these passers do have success in their new location.

It is actually a challenge to narrow this list down to five players as there is a long list of dynasty relevant quarterbacks who are not currently starters for their teams. To trim the list somewhat, I have chosen to ignore players currently involved in a camp battle for the starting position. This removes Hasselbeck/Jake Locker, Flynn/Tarvaris Jackson/Russell Wilson, Kolb/John Skelton and Matt Moore/Ryan Tannehill/David Garrard. Obviously, as training camp begins and offseason workouts continue, these are all situations to closely monitor as you build your dynasty roster.

Here are five backup quarterbacks to own in your dynasty league, chosen due to one (or both) of the reasons listed above.

1. ) Tim Tebow, QB NYJ

In each of the past two seasons, Tebow began the year as the backup to Kyle Orton, only to unseat Orton and lead the Broncos to an 8-6 record in games he started. While that may not sound impressive, Orton was 4-14 as a starter those two years. The numbers Tebow put up were not good enough for general manager John Elway and the Broncos, especially when they were presented with the opportunity to sign the top NFL free agent of all time, Peyton Manning. Once Manning was signed, it was quickly evident that Tebow would be moved. Multiple teams showed interest, but the New York Jets eventually won the bidding and sent a pair of mid round draft picks to Denver in exchange for Tebow.

Tebow is obviously well known and much maligned in some circles for his religious beliefs and how he chooses to display them. Don’t let any distaste for him affect your fantasy team. Tebow’s record and statistics tell us he will be a factor for the Jets this year. Jets fans and fantasy owners already have their doubts about former first round draft pick Mark Sanchez and the addition of Tebow only adds more pressure to Sanchez to be successful and lead the team to victory. If Sanchez falters even slightly, the calls for Tebow will begin and eventually, head coach Rex Ryan will give in and give Tebow the chance to start for Gang Green.

Tebow has started fourteen games in his professional career and has put up huge fantasy numbers over that span. In seven of those games, Tebow put up 20+ fantasy points. He only started the final three games of the 2010 season, but was the QB1 over that span. In 2012, he replaced Orton as the starter in week seven. From weeks 7-17, Tebow finished as QB10, averaging just shy of 20 fantasy points per game. Tim Tebow should be rostered in all dynasty formats and makes a great buy low trade target in anticipation of his possible role as the New York Jets starting quarterback.

2.) Kyle Orton, QB DAL

Although Orton did not lead his team to enough victories to maintain his starting job, he did put up some very solid fantasy numbers. He was traded to the Broncos by the Chicago Bears in the Jay Cutler deal prior to the 2009 season. Orton served as the team’s starter, posting modest numbers (QB16) as the team finished with an 8-8 record. That offseason, the Broncos chose Tebow with the first round draft pick, but Orton still earned the starting job, leading the team for the majority of the season. Orton had a career year, surprisingly finishing as QB7 from weeks 1-13. Despite Orton’s solid statistics, the team was only 3-10 and made the decision to bench Orton and see what they had in Tebow.

At the beginning of 2011, the team again chose Orton as the starter and again he was unable to lead the team to a winning record. After five games, the team was 1-4 and Tebow was named the starter, ultimately leading the team to the playoffs as Orton was dealt to Kansas City.

As a free agent this offseason, Orton chose to sign with the Dallas Cowboys to serve as Tony Romo’s backup. This was a surprising move to some as Orton went to a team where he would not have the chance to compete for the starting job. Romo has had a relatively healthy career, playing in all sixteen games in four of his six years as a starter. If you are rostering Romo, you are likely counting on him as your QB1. If he were to be injured, Orton has the ability and experience to step in and lead the Cowboys and your dyntasy team to the playoffs.

3.) Brian Hoyer/Ryan Mallett, QBs NE

It is clear the Patriots have a strong history of assessing and drafting quarterbacks. Drafting Drew Bledsoe with the first overall pick was an easy decision, but seven years later the team chose future hall of famer Tom Brady in the sixth round. Five years later, the team added college backup Matt Cassel in the seventh round and he was ready to step in as the Pats starting quarterback when Brady missed nearly the entire 2008 season. When the team traded Cassel the following offseason, they also signed Brian Hoyer as an undrafted free agent and later would draft Ryan Mallett in the 3rd round. Neither player have much professional experience backing up the reliable Brady, but both have great upside and the potential to one day be starting quarterbacks in the league.

Hoyer entered the offseason as an restricted free agent, but drew little interest as it was clear the Patriots were interested in retaining him as a backup quarterback. The training camp battle between these two will be interesting to watch. The sense is that the team will attempt to trade Hoyer, possibly during training camp. Brady will turn 35 during the 2012 season and although he has shown no signs of slowing down, the team has to begin thinking about his successor. It appears that Mallett will be given that chance. Barring an injury to Brady or a Hoyer trade to a quarterback needy team, neither player will get much playing time in 2012, but both players are worthy of a roster spot in deeper leagues.

4.) Chad Henne, QB JAX

Chad Henne entered the offseason as a free agent and received interest from many teams, ultimately signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars to backup sophomore starter Blaine Gabbert. Henne was a day one draft pick out of the University of Michigan in 2008 and started for the Dolphins the majority of the 2009 and 2010 seasons, finishing as a low end QB2 each year.

Henne started the 2011 campaign with a career game nearly matching Tom Brady pass for pass, putting up over 400 yards, scoring three total touchdowns and scoring over 40 fantasy points. He followed that with very solid games in weeks two and three. He entered week four as QB8, but suffered a season ending shoulder injury that would close out his once promising Dolphin career.

He now claims the job as Gabbert’s backup and many Jaguars fans as well as fantasy owners are expecting Henne to eventually unseat the disappointing 2011 first rounder. The Jaguars greatly improved their wide receiver position, signing Laurent Robinson and drafting Justin Blackmon. The passing offense should be greatly improved regardless of who is under center. If you are a Gabbert owner, rostering Henne is advisable to guarantee yourself the Jaguars’ starter.

5.) Brock Osweiler, QB DEN

This last spot was a tough one to narrow down. Osweiler was chosen in round two in the most recent draft and has been labeled as raw and a project at quarterback throughout the draft process. Obviously, Peyton Manning will be the starter in Denver and Osweiler will have stiff competition for the backup job. Along with signing Manning, the Broncos also signed Caleb Hanie this off-season and retained Adam Weber, who is the only quarterback on the roster who has experience in the Mike McCoy offense.

You do not have to be a Manning owner to take a chance on Osweiler. Even if Manning were to miss game time due to an injury, the team would likely look to Hanie or Weber to start, preferring to give Osweiler time to learn the system and adjust to the National Football League. You roster Osweiler looking towards 2013 and beyond with the hope he is the heir apparent to Manning. The Broncos have explosive young pass catchers in Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker. Even when Manning retires, the starting quarterback for the Broncos will offer great fantasy upside.

Just missed: Shaun Hill, DET; Graham Harrell, GB; Chase Daniel, NO; TJ Yates, HOU

In the next Making a List, I’ll focus on the backup tight ends.

Follow Ryan McDowell on Twitter @RyanMc23

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Ryan McDowell

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

In addition to his senior leadership role here at DLF, Ryan is also a husband, father of three and PE teacher. Ryan is the commissioner of multiple dynasty leagues, most notably the Kitchen Sink Dynasty Leagues. Here at DLF, Ryan’s focus is on identifying, monitoring and analyzing player value.