If you had asked any fantasy football fan before the season whether or not they would pick Phillip Rivers over Drew Brees, you would have heard a resounding "NO."
Heading into this season, Brees had been selected to the Pro Bowl for the last two seasons and had won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2004, throwing for 3,159 yards and 27 touchdowns, with a completion percentage of 65.5 percent and only seven interceptions. His 104.8 quarterback rating was third in the league, behind Daunte Culpepper and Peyton Manning.
The San Diego front office liked him so much that they slapped the franchise player tag on Brees, giving him a salary increase to $8 million for the 2005 season. Last season, his passing yardage jumped to 3,576, and although his quarterback rating dropped considerably, Brees looked like a solid horse to back.
Meanwhile, Rivers came into this season having only attempted 30 passes in his two years in the NFL. After being traded in a draft-day swap with the New York Giants for Eli Manning-the first overall selection-Rivers found himself on the sidelines for his first two seasons. One quite obvious rule of picking a fantasy team is to take a quarterback with experience leading an NFL team.
So why did Marty Schottenheimer and San Diego decide that Rivers was the answer, even though Brees had more than admirably served the Bolts? True, Brees' awful 2003 season (67.5 QB rating, 11 TDs, 15 interceptions, and 2,108 passing yards) led to a 4-12 record despite the fact that the team sported offensive weapons like LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates.
But why send Brees packing? It was common knowledge around the league that the Chargers (9-7 last year, missing the playoffs) were victims of a tough schedule last season, facing tough divisional opponents like Denver and Kansas City in addition to games against Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, New England, Dallas, and the New York Giants.
Obviously the Chargers knew something that the rest of the football world didn't. In their opinion, Rivers was indeed NFL-ready, and as it turns out, 2006 would be his time to shine.
Still, he certainly couldn't be fantasy-ready in only five weeks time, right?
A sidebar: during the baseball season this year, many forward-thinking fantasy managers drafted Francisco Liriano of Minnesota, hoping that this would be the year when the much-hyped pitcher would take the mound as a starter. He had been a reliable reliever during his first year in the majors and continued to be a strong reliever for the first month and a half of the season.
When Liriano finally got his chance to start on May 19, the lefthander rewarded patient owners by compiling an 11-3 record as a starter with a 1.92 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 99.2 innings.
Rivers first month and a half as a starter in the NFL has traveled the same course for fantasy owners. While Brees looked like a solid pick at the QB position, Rivers owners have been rewarded for their patience, and will continue to reap benefits.
In his first game, where he attempted only 11 passes, Rivers looked less like a polished pro and more like LaDainian Tomlinson's handoff partner. Two weeks later against Baltimore, he attempted just 22 passes. The intervening week, a 40-7 dismantling of Tennessee, Rivers completed 25 of 35 attempts, but threw for just 235 yards and one touchdown. More importantly, the poor passing was hurting the fantasy value of Gates and wide receivers Keenan McCardell and Eric Parker.
In an ironic twist, while Rivers looked for his footing in San Diego, Brees became a star in New Orleans, as the Saints jumped out to a 3-0 record, including a reputation-solidifying 23-3 win over Atlanta. He was also helping his teammates, with wide receiver Marques Colston becoming the go-to guy in New Orleans.
Over the last two weeks, though, Rivers has demonstrated why he was taken before Super Bowl-winner Ben Roethlisberger in the 2004 draft. Rivers outshined Big Ben, finding seven different receivers for 242 yards and two touchdowns with only one interception, and in the Chargers 23-13 win over Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger, playing on the road, threw two interceptions and failed to connect on even one touchdown, completing 20 of his 31 passes.
And on Sunday, Rivers finally shed his rookie image, appearing more like a seasoned veteran in a 48-19 win over San Francisco. Schottenheimer gave him a chance to spread his wings, increasing the Chargers' aerial game. Although LT dominated the 49ers with four touchdowns, Rivers threw for 334 yards, completing 29 of 39 attempts and throwing two touchdowns-one of which went to Gates. The performance helped raise his quarterback rating to 100.6, first in the AFC and third in the league behind only Rex Grossman and Donovan McNabb (Brees is eighth).
With Rivers playing well, the Chargers look like a Super Bowl contender this season, bolstered by explosive offensive threats in LT, Gates and McCardell, and a stifling defense led by sophomore standout Shawne Merriman. And Rivers would not be the first quarterback to lead his team to the Super Bowl in his first season as a starter. He is preceded by a line of illustrious company, including Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, and Jake Delhomme.
San Diego running on all cylinders will be able to charge (excuse the pun) your fantasy team. In short, if Rivers has not already been poached by an opposing manager, he should be on your roster starting every week.
