Peyton Manning turned 36 in March.

He is trying to recover from multiple neck surgeries that wiped out his 2011 season, and he admits his arm strength isn't completely back.

Then there's this: In his first 13 years in the NFL, Manning averaged 4,218 yards passing and 32 total touchdowns.

And this: In 2009 and 2010, he had norms of 4,600 yards and 33 TDs.

And this: Has there been a better fantasy quarterback in your lifetime? (Remember, Kurt Warner only had three huge years -- 1999, 2001 and 2008. Here, look.)

So where would you place Manning -- once as safe of a pick as you could make on draft day -- in the quarterback pecking order entering this season? I ranked him 10th, one behind another risky injury selection, Michael Vick, and one ahead of a safe choice, Matt Ryan.

The reasoning: If Manning plays the entire season, he could be better than any fantasy QB not named Rodgers, Brees, Brady and Newton.

Granted, he could also take a brutal hit that puts his career in jeopardy. But I would be willing to take that risk after the top nine QBs were off the board, knowing that I need to make sure I select another quarterback soon after.

Without further delay, our early rankings:

Rank, player, team (bye week): GP, Passing yards-TD-Int, Rushing yards-TD
1. Aaron Rodgers, GB (10): 15, 4,643-45-6, 257-3
2. Drew Brees, NO (6): 16, 5,476-46-14, 86-1
3. Tom Brady, NE (9): 16, 5,235-39-12, 109-3

4. Cam Newton, Car (6): 16, 4,051-21-17, 706-14

5. Matthew Stafford, Det (5): 16, 5,038-41-16, 78-0

6. Eli Manning, NYG (11): 16, 4,933-29-16, 15-1

7. Philip Rivers, SD (7): 16, 4,624-27-20, 36-1

8. Tony Romo, Dal (5): 16, 4,184-31-10, 46-1

9. Michael Vick, Phi (7): 13, 3,303-18-14, 589-1

10. Peyton Manning, Den (7): Did not play

11. Matt Ryan, Atl (7): 16, 4,177-29-12, 84-2

12. Ben Roethlisberger, Pit (4): 15, 4,077-21-14, 70-0

13. Matt Schaub, Hou (8): 10, 2,479-15-6, 9-2

14. Jay Cutler, Chi (6): 10, 2,319-13-7, 55-1

15. Robert Griffin III, Was (10): Rookie

16. Joe Flacco, Bal (8): 16, 3,610-20-12, 88-1

17. Josh Freeman, TB (5): 15, 3,592-16-22, 238-4

18. Andy Dalton, Cin (8): 16, 3,398-20-13, 152-1

19. Carson Palmer, Oak (5): 10, 2,753-13-16, 20-1

20. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buf (8): 16, 3,832-24-23, 56-0

21. Alex Smith, SF (9): 16, 3,144-17-5, 179-2

22. Andrew Luck, Ind (4): Rookie

23. Sam Bradford, StL (9): 10, 2,164-6-6, 26-0

24. Matt Cassel, KC (7): 9, 1,713-10-9, 99-0

25. Mark Sanchez, NYJ (9): 16, 3,474-26-18, 103-6

NOTE: All statistics are from the 2011 season.

QUICK SLANTS: In the last four seasons, Rodgers has 147 combined passing and rushing touchdowns and has averaged 4,259 yards passing. ... In that same span, Brees has thrown for at least 4,388 yards and 33 TDs each year. ... Brady has a combined 79 TD tosses the last two years. ... Prior to playing a full season in 2011, Stafford appeared in 13 games in his first two NFL campaigns. ... Eli Manning has had three consecutive 4,000-yard seasons, and he has a norm of 29 TD passes in that stretch. ... Rivers, possibly because of the departure of Vincent Jackson in free agency, is underrated by some sites, despite averaging 4,399 yards and 30 TDs the last four seasons. ... Romo, who played six games in 2010, averaged 4,334 yards and 30 total TDs in 2009 and '11, when he appeared in all 16 contests each year. ... Ryan has norms of 3,941 yards and 30 total TDs since 2010. ... In 2009 and '10, Schaub averaged 16 games, 4,570 yards and 27 TDs. He could be a great value pick in the middle rounds. .. Flacco's yards passing the last three years: 3,613, 3,622 and 3,610. ... Freeman was terrible for much of last season, but was productive in 2010 (3,451 yards, 25 TDs, six interceptions). ... If Sanchez holds off the legend of Tim Tebow and starts all season, he is better than many fantasy backups. He had 32 combined passing and rushing TDs in 2011.

NEXT: Running backs

Peyton Manning supplanting Tim Tebow as the Broncos' starting quarterback is the type of story that is made for Twitter.

The jokes. The arguments. The nastiness.

It's all there.

Manning over Tebow is also very interesting from a fantasy perspective, as the QB who, prior to missing all of last season with the Colts, had never thrown for fewer than 3,739 yards and 26 touchdowns in a season is taking over for a QB who was frequently ripped by scouts and analysts, yet was a sneaky-good play in fantasy because of his rushing ability.

Depending on where Tebow lands in a trade, both could be fantasy options in 2012, but it's Manning who will be one of the most intriguing storylines of the season.

From 2006 to 2010, Eli's older, less-clutch brother averaged 4,328 yards and 31 touchdown passes per season.

Coming off four neck surgeries, how much faith will you have that Manning will be able to come anything close to those figures this season?

Until we see how Manning performs in the preseason and read the reports from Denver's training camp, we obviously will have no idea.

Just for fun, let's guess that Manning will be about 75 to 80 percent as good as the old Manning -- the one who had Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Pierce Garcon and Austin Collie as options. In Denver, he'll have Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker and maybe Clark, should the tight end sign with the Broncos, as many expect.

Is 80 percent of the old Peyton better than the likes of Eli Manning, Michael Vick, Ben Roethlisberger and Matt Ryan? For fantasy purposes, maybe.

That would put Manning in the Nos. 8 to 12 range at QB -- a low-end starter in a 10- or 12-team league.

There are three tiers at the top of the fantasy QB ranks. The first has Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Cam Newton, Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford. The second has Tony Romo, Philip Rivers (assuming San Diego gives him enough weapons to make up for the loss of Vincent Jackson) and possibly the Manning brothers. The third has Vick, Roethlisberger and Ryan.

Manning, even at 80 percent, makes a much more defined impact on Denver's top two receivers -- Thomas and Decker.

With Peyton at QB, both should be fantasy starters in 2012.

Decker was the Bronco most hurt by Tebow's rise to the starting role. The second-year receiver had 45 receptions and eight TDs on the season, but he caught seven passes for 85 yards and zero TDs in the Broncos' last five regular-season games.

Thomas, meanwhile, was fantastic during the same stretch in which Decker disappeared. Thomas had 25 receptions for 448 yards and three TDs in the last five regular-season games, and had 10 catches for 297 yards and a touchdown -- that memorable 80-yard overtime score against the Steelers in the playoffs, a game in which Tebow almost single-handedly blew up Twitter -- in Denver's two postseason games.

If we're assuming Manning will be a productive fantasy QB, we'd have to believe Thomas will be a No. 2 fantasy receiver and Decker a decent No. 3 -- especially in point-per-reception formats in which he could fill the role of the pre-injury Collie of 2010 or 2004 Brandon Stokley.

Before we address the latest in the Peyton Manning saga, a quick disclaimer.

I was wrong. Manning's streak of 227 consecutive starts, including the playoffs, will end Sunday because of a third neck surgery in the last 19 months. So much for a third-round value pick.

ESPN reported the typical recovery for such a procedure is 8 to 10 weeks, and the Colts said in a news release Thursday they won't place Manning on injured reserve.

If you have Manning, you should keep him on your roster for the time being unless you absolutely can't afford to reserve a spot for a player who won't help you until, at best, mid-November.

If you drafted Manning and are scrambling for a starter this week, here are five possible replacements. All are available in more than 75 percent of the leagues on ESPN.com.

1. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills (owned in 24.1 percent of the ESPN leagues): Fitzpatrick threw for 3,000 yards and 23 touchdowns in 13 games last season. Sunday, Buffalo will play at Kansas City, which ranked 17th defending the pass last season (220 yards allowed per game, 23 TD passes by the opposition).

2. Kerry Collins, Colts (3.7 percent): The 38-year-old won't be able to fill Manning's sizable shoes, but he certainly can be adequate. In 10 games last year for the Titans, Collins threw for 1,823 yards, 14 TDs and eight interceptions. In Tennessee's 31-17 win Dec. 19 over the Texans, Sunday's opponent, he was 14 of 24 for 233 yards, two TDs and one pick. The Texans should be improved against the pass this season -- they couldn't get any worse -- but they should still be generous to opposing QBs. In 2010, Houston allowed a league-worst 4,280 yards passing, gave up 8.2 yards per attempt (the second-worst in the league) and 33 TD tosses (tied with the Cowboys for the most).

3. Matt Hasselbeck, Titans (10.1 percent): Hasselbeck hasn't been good the last three seasons (a combined 34 TDs and 44 picks in 35 games), but he gets to face a Jaguars defense that ranked 28th vs. the pass in 2010 (4,004 yards). The Jags tied for 26th in the league by yielding 28 scoring passes last season.

4. Rex Grossman, Redskins (2.7 percent): In three games after replacing Donovan McNabb in 2010, Grossman threw for 840 yards, seven TDs and four picks. The Giants, however, aren't a very good matchup. New York was the NFL's No. 9 pass defense (3,352 yards), but the G-Men did allow 24 TD tosses.

5. Jason Campbell, Raiders (22.9 percent): Campbell's passing numbers were nothing to brag about last season (2,387 yards, 13 TDs and eight picks), but the same goes for Denver's defense. The Broncos, who will play host to the Raiders on Monday night, ranked 25th against the pass, allowing 3,780 yards and 26 TD passes. The latter number tied for 24th in the league in 2010.

If you're thinking more long term, I would rank the five QBs in this order for the rest of the season: 1. Fitzpatrick, 2. Collins, 3. Grossman, 4. Hasselbeck, 5. Campbell.

A quick note before we get to our first set of fantasy football rankings this preseason: The fact the Colts activated Peyton Manning from the physically unable to perform list Monday is enough for me to place the Colts quarterback in the top six at his position.

Yes, it might be a bit of a risk to take Manning in the third round of a 12-team league, but if you're hesitant to draft the player who has started 208 consecutive games, ask yourself the following questions:

Would you rather have Manning coming off neck surgery than Tony Romo, who played six games last year?

Would you rather have Matt Schaub, who threw for 4,370 yards in 2010 but finished nine TDs shy of Manning's 33?

Do you prefer Ben Roethlisberger, who averaged 250 yards passing per game last season, but only 1.4 TD tosses per contest?

I'd rather select Manning, even if there is a slight chance he will miss a game or two. He's 35, but still ranked in the top two of the league in yards passing (a career-high 4,700) and TD passes (33) last year.

Rank, player, team GP-Yds-TD-Int
1. Aaron Rodgers, GB 15-3,922-28-11
2. Michael Vick, Phi 12-3,018-21-6
3. Drew Brees, NO 16-4,620-33-22
4. Philip Rivers, SD 16-4,710-30-13
5. Tom Brady, NE 16-3,900-36-4
6. Peyton Manning, Ind 16-4,700-33-17
7. Tony Romo, Dal 6-1,605-11-7
8. Matt Schaub, Hou 16-4,370-24-12
9. Ben Roethlisberger, Pit 12-3,200-17-5
10. Matt Ryan, Atl 16-3,705-28-9
11. Josh Freeman, TB 16-3,451-25-6
12. Eli Manning, NYG 16-4,002-31-25
13. Joe Flacco, Bal 16-3,622-25-10
14. Kyle Orton, Den 13-3,653-20-9
15. Matt Cassel, KC 15-3,116-27-7
16. Sam Bradford, StL 16-3,512-18-15
17. Matthew Stafford, Det 3-535-6-1
18. Jay Cutler, Chi 15-3,274-23-16
19. Kevin Kolb, Ari 7-1,197-7-7
20. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buf 13-3,000-23-15
21. Mark Sanchez, NYJ 16-3,291-17-13
22. David Garrard, Jac 14-2,734-23-15
23. Jason Campbell, Oak 13-2,387-13-8
24. Donovan McNabb, Min 13-3,377-14-15
25. Colt McCoy, Cle 8-1,576-6-9

Note: Statistics are from the 2010 season.

Quick slants: Rodgers has averaged 4,131 yards passing and 33 total TDs (passing and rushing) the last three seasons. ... Vick reached 3,000 yards passing for the first time in 2010. ... In five years with the Saints, Brees has norms of 4,584 yards passing and 31 TD tosses. ... Rivers has norms of 4,324 yards and 31 TD passes since 2008. ... Brady has averaged 4,149 yards passing and 32 TDs since 2009. ... Peyton Manning has thrown for 4,000 or more yards in five consecutive seasons. His brother, Eli, has averaged 4,012 yards and 29 TD tosses the last two years. ... Prior to his injury-marred 2010, Romo averaged 4,047 yards and 29 TD tosses from 2007-09. ... Schaub has norms of 4,570 yards and 27 TD passes since 2009. ... Orton -- who has thrown for 7,455 yards and 41 TDs in 29 games since 2009 -- is underrated by many sites.

NEXT: Running backs

It's odd to have doubts about Peyton Manning from a fantasy perspective.

You can question whether or not he's clutch. You might think he's overexposed and want to harm Jim Nantz after seeing that Sony commercial 1,000 times (is it just me?).

In fantasy, the only complaint you might have with Manning is when the Colts decide to stop playing in Week 15 or 16 every year.

This season, Manning is recovering from neck surgery that will keep him out for the entire preseason. He told CBSSports.com he will need "every single second" of the next two weeks to get ready for the regular-season opener.

Coming from a player who has never missed a game in 13 years, that's saying quite a bit.

It's also going to have a dramatic effect on his fantasy value.

In my mind, there are five quarterbacks you have to take ahead of Manning on draft day -- Aaron Rodgers, Michael Vick, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers and Tom Brady.

We've seen Manning ranked ahead of Rivers on some sites, but I wouldn't make that pick. Granted, Manning threw for a career-high 4,700 yards and had his second-best total in terms of touchdown passes (33) in 2010 (all with Austin Collie and Dallas Clark missing significant time with injuries), but Rivers is sensational, and injury-free.

The Chargers' QB threw for 4,710 yards and 30 TDs last season, and he's averaged 4,324 yards and 31 TDs the last three seasons.

That puts Manning sixth at QB, ahead of the likes of Tony Romo, Matt Schaub and Ben Roethlisberger.

ESPN has Manning ranked fifth at QB and 22nd overall, seven spots ahead of Rivers (No. 6 QB, No. 29 overall). CBS' two fantasy writers rank Manning fifth and sixth at QB, and 19th and 29th overall. The average ranking of Manning by Yahoo's writers is seventh at QB -- and a whopping No. 40 overall.

The latter number is way too low. You can be worried about Manning, but you shouldn't doubt that he will play most, if not all, of this season.

That makes him no worse than a third-round pick in a 12-team league. I wouldn't take him in Round 2 -- which is where Manning is going in ESPN (average draft position: No. 23) and CBS (ADP: No. 18) leagues.

I'd gladly take him in Round 3, after the top six QBs are off the board.

At that point, he provides very good value, and could be considered a steal.

An added bonus: It would prevent us from seeing countless shots of him on the sideline wearing jeans.

Eagles quarterback Michael Vick will present one of the most unique draft-day dilemmas in 2011.

If you select the best athlete at his position, are you getting the player who threw for 3,018 yards and 21 touchdowns in only 12 games in 2010? Or are you getting the player who runs so often he is an injury waiting to happen? Both?

Even more of a dilemma: If you own Vick in a keeper league.

Where does he fit after the best season in his career, a campaign in which two of the 12 games he played consisted of a seven-attempt effort before getting hurt (Week 4) and a second-half mop-up in place of an injured Kevin Kolb (Week 1)?

I would place him in the top eight, ahead of Ben Roethlisberger, but that's as much of a risk as I would be willing to take on Vick, who might have a difficult time avoiding injuries because of his entertaining (reckless?) style.

That brings us to our top 10 fantasy keepers at quarterback. You might be surprised by No. 1, but only if you're expecting the list to go in order of the biggest names in the business.

1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (age 27): In his last three seasons, he's averaged 4,131 yards, 29 touchdown passes and four rushing TDs. He also ran for 356 yards in 2010 -- and you might recall that he's had a pretty decent postseason.

2. Philip Rivers, Chargers (29): He threw for a career-high 4,710 yards and had 30 TD tosses in 2010. Rivers has averaged 31 TD passes the last three seasons, a span in which he's throw for more than 4,000 yards each year.

3. Peyton Manning, Colts (34): He will be 35 on March 24, but even in a "down" year in which many of his weapons were injured, Manning threw for 4,700 yards and 33 scores. In the last five years, he's averaged 4,328 yards passing and 31 TDs.

4. Drew Brees, Saints (32): Since 2008, he's thrown for at least 4,388 yards and 33 touchdowns each year, though he was intercepted a career-high 22 times in 2010.

5. Tom Brady, Patriots (33): He threw for 3,900 yards and 36 TDs, with only four picks, in 2010, and Gisele's husband has averaged 4,149 yards and 32 TDs the last two seasons.

6. Matt Ryan, Falcons (25): Ryan was very productive in Year 3 (3,705 yards and 28 TDs), and his touchdowns have increased by six each season (from 16 as a rookie to 22 in 2009 to ... you get the idea).

7. Josh Freeman, Buccaneers (23): What a second season. Freeman threw for 3,451 yards and 25 TDs, with a 95.6 rating and 364 yards rushing.

8. Michael Vick, Eagles (30): In his first extensive action since 2006, he posted career highs in TD passes (21), passing yards (3,018), rushing TDs (9) and passer rating (100.2).

9. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (28): He threw for 3,200 yards and 17 TDs, with two rushing scores, in 12 games. He's a winner, but in fantasy, he's only had two big seasons -- 2007 (34 total TDs) and 2009 (4,328 yards passing, 28 total TDs).

10. Eli Manning, QB, Giants (30): He's averaged 4,012 yards and 29 TDs the last two seasons, but he threw a career-worst 25 interceptions in 2010.

Honorable mention

11. Matt Schaub, Texans (29): He's averaged 4,570 yards and 27 TDs since 2009.

12. Joe Flacco, Ravens (26): He threw for 3,622 yards, only 9 better than the year before, but his TD passes increased from 21 in 2009 to 25 in 2010.

13. Tony Romo, Cowboys (30): An injury ended his season after six games, but don't forget his 2007-09 production (91 total TDs).

NEXT: Running backs

START 'EM

Colts: QB Peyton Manning, WR Reggie Wayne, WR Pierre Garcon, TE Jacob Tamme, K Adam Vinatieri.

Titans: RB Chris Johnson, K Rob Bironas.

Quick slants: Manning has been at his worst in Indy's last three games, throwing 11 interceptions. Even while struggling, though, he's thrown for 1,046 yards and eight touchdowns in that span. ... Wayne has 27 receptions for 342 yards and two TDs in his last three. ... Garcon has had five or more receptions in four consecutive games. ... Tamme has been limited by a hamstring injury, but is expected to play. If he's listed as active an hour before game time, play the tight end who has 42 receptions for 416 yards and three TDs in six games in place of Dallas Clark. ... Vinatieri and Bironas are each averaging 7.4 points per game. The latter has missed one kick all year (21-for-22 on field goals and perfect in 26 point-after attempts). ... Johnson's dreams of a record-setting season seem a faint memory after a two-game span in which he's had a combined 20 carries for 58 yards. He has 74 total yards in the two contests.

SIT 'EM

Colts: RB Joseph Addai, RB Donald Brown, RB Javarris James, RB Mike Hart, WR Austin Collie, WR Blair White, defense and special teams.

Titans: QB Kerry Collins, WR Nate Washington, WR Kenny Britt, TE Bo Scaife, defense and special teams.

Quick slants: Addai is out again with a shoulder injury, and Hart will sit with an ankle ailment. ... Brown is expected to play through an ankle injury, but he has one TD on 107 touches this season. ... James had two TDs last week and has three scores in his last four games, but he has all of 21 carries for 47 yards in the four contests. ... Collie could return after missing the last two games with a concussion, but he's a risky play against a Titans defense that has one more interception (15) than TD passes allowed (14). ... Washington had five catches for 117 yards in Week 11, but has four receptions for 50 yards and no TDs in his last two. ... Britt is expected to return after missing the Titans' last four games with a hamstring ailment. He had seven TDs in a five-game span between Weeks 3 and 7, but I wouldn't risk playing him in the first week of the fantasy playoffs. ... The Colts' defense ranks 18th overall (342.8 yards per game) and is 22nd in points allowed (24.2). Indy ranks 29th against the run (142.8 yards, 13 TDs) and fourth vs. the pass. ... The Titans' defense is 24th overall (362.1 yards per game), but is eighth in points allowed at 19.6 per contest. Tennessee is 22nd against the run (123.4 yards, six rushing TDs) and 23rd vs. the pass (239 yards, 14 TDs, 15 picks).

Last season was the year of the quarterback, leaving many of us to question our past belief that you don't take a passer in the top half of the first round -- or in my case, never in the opening round.

As we wrote in our preview column, a record 10 quarterbacks had at least 4,000 yards passing in 2009, and 17 finished with more than 3,500 yards. A dozen QBs had at least 25 touchdown tosses, also an all-time mark, and 18 had 20 TDs or more.

From 2000 to 2008, the average was four 4,000-yard passers, nine 3,500-yard passers, six QBs with 25-plus TDs and 11.6 with 20-plus scores.

Does that mean you take Drew Brees in the overall top five? I wouldn't, but I would take him at No. 6 in leagues in which you get six points for a TD pass, and I might even select him in that spot in the formats in which TD throws are four points.

With that in mind, here are our top 24 QBs, with more numbers to follow after the rankings.

Rank, player, team GP-Yds-TD-Int-Rush yds-TD
1. Drew Brees, NO 15-4,388-34-11-33-2
2. Aaron Rodgers, GB 16-4,434-30-7-316-5
3. Peyton Manning, Ind 16-4,500-33-16-(-13)-0
4. Tom Brady, NE 16-4,398-28-13-44-1
5. Philip Rivers, SD 16-4,254-28-9-50-1
6. Matt Schaub, Hou 16-4,770-29-15-57-0
7. Tony Romo, Dal 16-4,483-26-9-105-1
8. Kevin Kolb, Phi 5-741-4-3-(-1)-1
9. Brett Favre, Min 16-4,202-33-7-7-0
10. Eli Manning, NYG 16-4,021-27-14-65-0
11. Joe Flacco, Bal 16-3,613-21-12-56-0
12. Ben Roethlisberger, Pit 15-4,328-26-12-82-2
13. Jay Cutler, Chi 16-3,666-27-26-173-1
14. Matt Ryan, Atl 14-2,916-22-14-49-1
15. Donovan McNabb, Was 14-3,553-22-10-140-2
16. Carson Palmer, Cin 16-3,094-21-13-93-3
17. Chad Henne, Mia 14-2,878-12-14-32-1
18. Matt Cassel, KC 15-2,924-16-16-189-0
19. Matthew Stafford, Det 10-2,267-13-20-108-2
20. Matt Hasselbeck, Sea 14-3,029-17-17-119-0
21. David Garrard, Jac 16-3,597-15-10-323-3
22. Vince Young, Ten 12-1,879-10-7-281-2
23. Matt Leinart, Ari 8-435-0-3-(-6)-0
24. Kyle Orton, Den 16-3,802-21-12-71-0
NOTE: Statistics are from the 2009 season.

QUICK SLANTS

Brees has thrown for at least 4,388 yards in each of the last four seasons, and he's averaged 30.5 TD passes in that span. ... In the last two years, Rodgers has accounted for 67 scores (58 passing and nine rushing). ... Manning has thrown for at least 3,739 yards and 26 touchdowns in each of his 12 NFL seasons. ... In Weeks 2 and 3 last season, Kolb played for an injured McNabb and threw for 718 yards and four touchdowns, and he rushed for a score. ... In 2009, Favre had a career high in TDs and recorded his lowest interception total. ... The Steelers’ Roethlisberger will be suspended for at least the first four games of the season.

PAST PREVIEWS

-- Kicker rankings

-- Defense and special teams rankings

-- All player rankings

Later this week: We'll preview the running backs, wide receivers and tight ends.

Since we're on the topic of No. 2 debates, let's get to another that won't get much notice on draft day but is significant in its own right.

Peyton Manning as one of the top two quarterbacks in fantasy football seems as automatic as Rachel Nichols reporting from Brett Favre's property every time he steps out to cut the grass, ESPN being criticized for its handling (coddling?) of LeBron James and Jim Gray confronting everyone but the one we wished he would (see One, Chosen).

This year, however, like the possibility of Adrian Peterson slipping past the No. 2 overall pick, Manning likely will fall to No. 3 on the list of quarterbacks in many leagues.

In ESPN.com drafts, the Packers' Aaron Rodgers is getting selected, on average, 11th overall, with Manning going off the board two spots later.

Both are worth considering as late first-round picks in 12-team leagues, depending on the scoring system (in six-points-per-passing-TD formats, Rodgers and Manning are top-12 picks).

Deciding between the two, however, is difficult.

The 34-year-old Manning has thrown for at least 3,739 yards and 26 touchdowns in each of his 12 NFL seasons. Last season, he had 4,500 yards passing, 33 TDs and 16 interceptions (his most since 2002). He's thrown for at least 4,000 yards in four straight seasons, and he's averaged 30.5 passing TDs in that span.

Rodgers, however, has accounted for 67 total TDs the last two seasons (58 passing and nine rushing), only three fewer than Drew Brees, who is the No. 1 QB in fantasy and a top-six or top-seven overall choice in any format.

Rodgers averaged 4,236 yards passing in 2008 and '09, and last season, he had 35 total TDs (five on the ground).

His ability to rack up rushing points sets him apart from Manning, and it puts him in the conversation with Brees in leagues that award four points for a TD pass and six for all other scores (in those formats, Rodgers might have been the best player not named Chris Johnson last season).

To sum up 11 paragraphs in one sentence, I'd take Brees first at QB, followed by Rodgers, Manning and the Patriots' Tom Brady.

After that, it's a tough decision between Matt Schaub and Philip Rivers. That's a debate that's slightly less interesting than Stuart Scott vs. Chris Berman in a battle of tired nicknames and catchphrases.

Sixteen weeks -- or if you're in a league that inexplicably plays its championship game in Week 17, aka The Game The Colts Refuse To Play -- weren't enough, so you entered a fantasy postseason pool.

Whether it's a league in which you have an actual draft or one in which you pick a certain amount of players, but not more than one from each playoff team, there are three questions to keep in mind.

1. How many games will Player X give you? 2. What is his likely lineup of opponents? 3. Do Mark Sanchez and Braylon Edwards really have to get selected?

With that in mind, here are my rankings for the top quarterbacks, with running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, kickers and defenses to follow later in the week.

QUARTERBACKS

12. Mark Sanchez, Jets: He's thrown eight more interceptions (20) than touchdown passes (12), and he hasn't accounted for a score in five games.

11. Carson Palmer, Bengals: Sanchez or Palmer will play into Round 2 at least, but neither should be much of an option unless you're in a 12-team league or you're forced to select two QBs. Palmer has had only five games with two or more touchdown throws.

10. Joe Flacco, Ravens: He's thrown one or zero TD passes in 10 of 16 games, and there's a strong chance his team will be one-and-done.

9. Donovan McNabb, Eagles: The good: He tallied 24 TDs (22 passing, two rushing) in 14 games. The bad: He had one TD in two losses to the Cowboys, whom the Eagles will play Saturday night on the road.

8. Aaron Rodgers, Packers: With 4,434 yards passing, 30 TD throws and five scores on the ground, he's much better than this ranking. But the Pack would have to win at Arizona and likely at New Orleans just for you to get more than two games from Rodgers.

7. Kurt Warner, Cardinals: Rodgers is better, but Warner would seem to be more likely to play a pair of games, and would you really be surprised if the Cardinals beat the reeling Saints in the divisional round?

6. Tom Brady, Patriots: Wes Welker's knee injury bumps Gisele's husband down a couple spots, and then there are the broken ribs and fractured ring finger from which Brady reportedly is suffering. Sixteen of Brady's 28 TD passes occurred in four games.

5. Tony Romo, Cowboys: If Dallas defeats Philadelphia for a third straight time, Romo would face a Vikings defense that has allowed 26 TD tosses. In his last six games, Romo has 1,859 yards passing, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions.

4. Brett Favre, Vikings: He finished the regular season by throwing for a combined 637 yards and six TDs, with no picks, in Weeks 16 and 17, and his NFC playoff opponents could be the Cardinals (No. 23 vs. the pass), followed by the Saints (No. 26).

3. Drew Brees, Saints: This might be one spot too low for an MVP candidate who plays for the NFC's No. 1 seed, but the next QB on the list is playing for a team that has won 11 straight. Brees had mediocre numbers in Weeks 15 and 16 (556 yards and two TDs), then rested in the regular-season finale -- all Saints losses.

2. Philip Rivers, Chargers: His likely Round 2 opponent, the Patriots, have given up 25 TD passes, and he seems to have as good of a chance of any QB to play three postseason games. Rivers accounted for a TD in 15 of 16 games.

1. Peyton Manning, Colts: When the Colts actually cared, Indy was 14-0 and Manning had 4,213 yards passing (300.9 per game) and 33 TDs. Indy's first-round opponent (the Ravens, tied for No. 8; Jets, No. 1; or Bengals, No. 6) is guaranteed to rank in the top eight against the pass, but, barring a huge upset next week, Manning will play two games at home -- and the Colts actually will be trying.

TUESDAY: Running backs

Monday, Colts coach Jim Caldwell said his 13-0 team, which has nothing to play for but perfection and fantasy owners the next three weeks, was going to "approach the 14th game exactly like we did one through 13."

A day later, the Colts' injury report was released after practice. Twenty-nine players were listed as not participating, including Peyton Manning ("glute injury"), Joseph Addai (knee), Reggie Wayne (foot) and Pierre Garcon (knee). In other words, Indy's definition of healthy will change possession by possession from Weeks 15 to 17.

If you are in your league's semifinals and have Manning, Addai, Wayne or Dallas Clark, you should root for two things (in addition to your players) tonight: 1. A close game against the Jaguars; 2. A Colts win.

If the game is close, I'd expect Manning, Addai, Wayne and Clark to play most of it. If it's not, I'd be surprised if we saw them wearing a helmet in the second half.

Should the Jags stay competitive and the Colts win, consider this quote from Wayne when he was asked about going 16-0 this week: "It'll be tough to tell Peyton Manning he'll be in two series, I'll be in two series. We'd be flipping out. It's right there. The closer you get to that, the harder it's going to be. You do it now. I need to see what it tastes like."

If Indy is 14-0 heading into next week's home game against the Jets, you would think the Colts' studs would at least play into the third quarter. If Indy loses tonight, it likely will be one- or two-series-and-out for Manning, Addai, Wayne and Clark, and you will be starting backups in your championship game.

Let's take Caldwell's one-at-a-time approach and worry about Week 15 first: If you have a very good backup QB, running back or wide receiver with a favorable matchup (say, Brett Favre at Carolina or Jamaal Charles vs. the Browns), I would play him instead of one of your Colts. Otherwise, start Manning, Addai, Wayne and Clark and hope for a 31-28 win.

On to tonight's start-and-sit lists:

START

Colts: QB Peyton Manning, RB Joseph Addai, WR Reggie Wayne, WR Pierre Garcon, WR Austin Collie, TE Dallas Clark

Jaguars: RB Maurice Jones-Drew, WR Mike Sims Walker

Quick slants: Manning needs 95 yards for his 10th 4,000-yard season in 12 years. ... Addai has accounted for 13 touchdowns (nine rushing, three receiving, one passing) in as many games and has been a top-five back in PPR formats. With his top backup, 2009 first-round pick Donald Brown, out with a chest injury for the third straight week and Mike Hart and Chad Simpson next in line at running back, he seems to be the most likely to be benched in the coming weeks. ... Wayne, who has been bothered by a foot injury, has only 11 catches for 110 yards and one TD in his last three games after totaling 76 receptions, 968 yards and eight TDs in his first 10. ... Clark has five TDs in his last four games. ... Garcon and Collie might benefit the most should Wayne rest in Weeks 16 and/or 17. Garcon has 19 receptions for 348 yards in his last four games, and Collie has scored a TD in two consecutive contests. ... Jones-Drew has been limited to 276 yards and two scores on 82 carries (3.4 average) in his last four games. He had 169 attempts, 860 yards (5.1) and 12 TDs on the ground in the Jags' first nine. ... Sims-Walker, who has battled a calf injury, has two catches for 18 yards the last two weeks. He should bounce back tonight.

SIT

Colts: K Matt Stover, defense and special teams

Jaguars: QB David Garrard, WR Torry Holt, TE Marcedes Lewis, K Josh Scobee, defense and special teams

Quick slants: Stover has scored five points or fewer in four of his last five games. ... The Colts' defense ranks 17th overall in yards (337.4 per game) but is tied for second in points allowed (16.7). Indy ranks 17th against the run (110.4 yards per game) and 20th vs. the pass (227). ... The Jags' defense ranks 20th overall (346.5 yards per game), 20th in scoring (22.1 points), 14th vs. the run (107 yards per game) and 26th vs. the pass (239.5 yards per game). ... Garrard is on pace to throw for 3,676 yards, but he has only 10 TD passes and hasn't had a TD toss in seven of 13 games. ... Holt, who is 85 receptions shy of 1,000 for his career, has yet to score a touchdown in his first season with Jacksonville. ... Lewis hasn't had a TD since Week 4. ... Scobee has scored four points or fewer in three of his last four.

While we in Northeast Ohio breathlessly await the winner of the second annual Brady Quinn-Derek Anderson debate, the real battle is of the mythical variety.

Drew Brees or Tom Brady? What about Peyton Manning, who only seems to throw for 4,000 yards and 27-plus touchdowns every year?

Even if you've been so consumed in the Quinn-Anderson derby that you barely have time to join a fantasy league, you know Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 last season. The Patriots were so concerned they traded his productive backup, Matt Cassel, to the Chiefs.

That alone lets you know Brady should be OK. But I still wouldn't take him over Brees, who has thrown for a combined 9,492 yards and 62 touchdowns the last two seasons.

Brees likely will be a first-round pick in most leagues, but I wouldn't make that move unless your league awards six points for a TD pass. Otherwise, I'd wait until the second or third round and hope Philip Rivers or Kurt Warner falls.

Brady should be a high second-round pick, and Manning a mid- to late second-rounder. The latter doesn't have the weapons -- or the offensive line -- he's become accustomed to, which makes him a consensus No. 3 at the position between Brees and Brady.

As for the winner of the battle in Berea, two words of advice: Don't bother. Neither Quinn nor Anderson should be selected as a backup in a 12-team league. I'd rank the starter, likely Quinn, 26th at the position, one behind San Francisco's Shaun Hill (should he win the job over Alex Smith).

Let's get to the top 24 (all statistics are from 2008):

Rank, player, team GP-Yds-TD-Int-Rushing yds-TD
1. Drew Brees, NO 16-5,069-34-17-(-1)-0
2. Tom Brady, NE 1-76-0-0-0-0
3. Peyton Manning, Ind 16-4,002-27-12-21-4
4. Philip Rivers, SD 16-4,009-34-11-84-0
5. Aaron Rodgers, GB 16-4,038-28-13-207-4
6. Kurt Warner, Ari 16-4,583-30-14-(-2)-0
7. Donovan McNabb, Phi 16-3,916-23-11-147-2
8. Tony Romo, Dal 13-3,448-26-14-41-0
9. Jay Cutler, Chi 16-4,526-25-18-200-2
10. Matt Ryan, Atl 16-3,440-16-11-104-1
11. Matt Cassel, KC 16-3,693-21-11-270-2
12. Carson Palmer, Cin 4-731-3-4-38-0
13. Ben Roethlisberger, Pit 16-3,301-17-15-69-2
14. Matt Schaub, Hou 11-3,043-15-10-68-2
15. Matt Hasselbeck, Sea 7-1,216-5-10-38-0
16. Eli Manning, NYG 16-3,238-21-10-10-1
17. Kyle Orton, Den 15-2,972-18-12-49-3
18. David Garrard, Jac 16-3,625-15-13-322-2
19. Trent Edwards, Buf 14-2,699-11-10-117-3
20. Brett Favre, Min 16-3,472-22-22-43-1
21. Chad Pennington, Mia 16-3,653-19-7-62-1
22. Jake Delhomme, Car 16-3,288-15-12-21-2
23. Joe Flacco, Bal 16-2,971-14-12-180-2
24. Jason Campbell, Was 16-3,245-13-6-258-1

QUICK SLANTS
In 30 games played the last two seasons, Warner has thrown for 8,000 yards and 57 TDs. ... Romo, during the "happy" Terrell Owens times, was much better in 2007 (4,211 yards, 36 TD passes, two TD rushes) than 2008. ... Palmer threw a combined 86 TD passes from 2005-07, but had his '08 ruined by an elbow injury. ... Schaub has missed five games in each of the last two seasons. ... The indecisive Favre cracks the top 20, but I would only draft him as a backup behind an elite starter. ... The 33-year-old Pennington set a career high for yards passing in his first year in Miami. ... Stay away from the mistake-prone Delhomme, who hasn't had a big season since 2005. ... This likely is the last chance in Washington for Campbell, who has only 25 TD passes in 29 games the past two seasons. ... A name to remember, should he win the starting job: San Francisco's Hill, who in 12 games played the last two seasons has accounted for 21 TDs (18 passing and three rushing).

Next: We'll preview the tight ends this weekend, then the remaining four positions (running backs, wide receivers, kickers and defenses/special teams) next week. See Sunday's editions of the News-Herald, along with the N-H's main Sports site, for our fantasy football preview, which will include rankings at every position, bold predictions, overrated and underrated players and much more.