In 2008 only one quarterback, Drew Brees, clearly separated himself from the pack by putting up 375 fantasy points under the standard fantasy football scoring system. Six other quarterbacks managed to scored in the 300's: Philip Rivers, Aaron Rogders, Jay Cutler, Kurt Warner, Payton Mannning, and Donovan McNabb. If Brees was the lone 2008 stud, and these other six quarterbacks were elite, then we could group the next 14 players (who scored in the 200's) into the 'servicable' tier.

When configuring your 2009 quarterback rankings be sure to delineate where the elite players end and the servicable players start. After you get past the first few elites, quarterbacks are generally a dime a dozen. In a 12 team league there will only be 12 starting quarterbacks each week, which in turn means there are 20 starting quarterbacks either riding the pine or sitting on the waiver wire. There aren't many other fantasy positions where 20 starting players are not in some teams starting lineup. If you aren't able to land an elite quarterback, wait until the end of your servicable tier to land your quarterback. Use those earlier picks to snatch-up quality running back and wide receiver talent.

In 2008, the top scoring quarterback was Drew Brees while Payton Manning came in 6th! Can anyone really say that Drew Brees is that much better than Payton Manning? With the exception of Jay Cutler (because he is on an entirely new team) just about any of the top 7 QBs from 2008 could conceivably claim the quarterback scoring title in 2009. Add in the fact that Tom Brady is back on the scene in 2009 and all of a sudden we have 8 stud/elite QBs entering the 2009 fantasy season. Now, should you really spend that coveted first round pick on a quarterback when some of these elite quarterbacks could be available as late as round 3 or 4?

There are a few pros associated with choosing a stud quarterback in the first round. Especially in today's NFL where the referees go out of their way to protect quarterbaks, they rarely have season-ending injuries. Injuries like the kind Brady endured in 2008 are rare. Sure, teams that spent a 1st rounder on Brady in 2008 were severaly crippled, but just as many who gambled on Brady in 2007 were rewarded with fantash championships. Another great thing about investing a first round selection on a QB is that, unlike with other positions (such as running back) you can wait until the later rounds to a backup. Chances are you'll only need your backup for one game, so you could wait until the later rounds to pick up a servicable quarterback.

The only quarterbacks that you should consider drafting in the first round are Drew Brees and Tom Brady. Even if you decided to go this route, you should only employ this strategy if you choose toward the end of the first round. Over the last 3 years in the NFL, Brees has led offenses that finished ranked 1st, 4th, & 1st overall. The 2009 season looks to be no different as Brees has all of his weapons returning and [what should be] an improved defense to boot. The last time Brady played a full season (2007), he put up nearly 500 fantasy points; the closest quarterback behind him that year was Tony Romo with 370 points. Although he's coming off of an injury, all of the pieces are in place for Brady to bounce back in a big way.

As with all fantasy positons, be sure to regularly update your 2009 quarterback rankings based on events leading up to the start of the regular season. Quarterback rankings are largely static, but anything can happen during the pre-season.