Top 20 quarterbacks in 2010 NFL

Here's a look at the top 20 quarterbacks in the NFL this season.

1) Drew Brees, QB, wholesale Saints jerseys

Not only did he tie his career high with 34 touchdowns last season, but Drew Brees also cut his interceptions by six en route to a Super Bowl Championship. The Saints are very much a passing attack dominated by lead targets Marques Colston, Robert Meachem, and even running back Reggie Bush. Though there may be some concern that the Saints will again rest their top talents in the final weeks of the season, Brees is a quarterback who should easily surpass 4000 yards and 30 touchdowns again this season. However, it's not a bad idea to trade him late in the season before the coaching staff opts to rest him.

2) Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers

He may lack the name recognition of a Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, but Aaron Rodgers remains on the upside of his career as he enters his third season as the Packers starting quarterback. Not only did he throw for greater yardage and fewer interceptions than Drew Brees last season, but Rodgers also rushed for 316 yards and scored five touchdowns by foot. The Packers have some fine young receivers in Greg Jennings, James Jones and tight end Jermichael Finley, while dependable veteran Donald Driver returns as well. Expect another season of improvement from Rodgers, and it's worth noting that he actually got better down the stretch of the 2009 campaign.

3) Peyton Manning, QB, wholesale Colts jerseys

Even though it seems like he's no longer in his prime, Peyton Manning actually accumulated the second-most passing yardage of his career last season and racked up the second most-touchdown completions while adapting to several new wide receivers. At 34-year's old, Manning might not surpass 40 touchdowns, but he will approach the 30 mark while passing for 4000+ passing yards. He's solid as a rock and the safe pick at the quarterback position.

4) Tom Brady, QB, Patriots

After practically missing the entire 2008 campaign, Tom Brady came back with 4398 passing yards and 28 touchdowns. While those numbers are solid, they are a far cry from his record-shattering 2007 season when Randy Moss played up to his ability. The good news is that Moss enters a contract year, which could inspire major production. On the other hand, the 2007 season is looking more and more like an anomaly, as Brady has never tossed more than 28 touchdowns in a season, aside from the 50 he threw in that memorable season. We leave Brady on a positive note, and that is that Wes Welker is looking healthy. I'd bet on another 28 touchdowns and 4200 yards coming from Brady this year.

5) Matt Schaub, QB, Texans

Matt Schaub finally survived all 16 games as a starter and the end result was phenomenal: 29 touchdowns and 4770 passing yards. Though he will not accumulate many yards on the ground, Schaub does throw for about 300 yards per game. He has some great targets including Andre Johnson, the best wide out in the NFL, and Owen Daniels, who is usually a reliable target. This season look for Schaub to start targeting other receiving threats such as Jacoby Jones, one of the better playmakers in the NFL. Though his injury concerns are not very far behind him, Schaub possesses as much upside as just about any quarterback in the NFL.

6) Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers

With LaDainian Tomlinson now playing in the Big Apple, there are no questions about it, the Chargers are a pass-dominated offense and Philip Rivers plays the lead role. This was clear last season when the San Diego rushing game struggled, and Rivers tossed a career-high 4254 yards. On the other hand, the Chargers offence became predictable, and the team has responded by drafting Ryan Matthews with a first-round pick. All told, Rivers is now ranked amongst the elite, surpassing former fantasy quarterback leaders Tony Romo, Carson Palmer, and Donovan McNabb. The only concern here is that Vincent Jackson will miss some time due to suspension, and possibly more if he opts to hold out or force a trade. Nonetheless, Rivers will find his targets, and the one that stands out is the 6'6 tight end who once donned a basketball jersey in college: Antonio Gates.

7) Tony Romo, QB, Cowboys

Whoever drafts cheap Tony Romo jerseys this season will get the Cowboys signal-caller at a great value. Romo has actually been improving the past few seasons and is coming off arguably his finest yet. In fact, Romo racked up a career-high 4483 yards last season with 29 touchdowns compared to just nine interceptions. The Cowboys offensive line had some issues, as Romo was sacked on 34 occasions, but with playmakers Miles Austin, Roy Williams, and Jason Witten returning, plus the addition of wide receiver prospect Dez Bryant, the Cowboys passing game should once again make a solid contribution to the fantasy football world.

8) Brett Favre, QB, Vikings

He's back! With his usual dose of controversy and drama, Brett Favre has returned to the field for the Minnesota Vikings. This is your high-risk, high-reward fantasy pick as the soon-to-be 41-year-old is fresh off the best season of his career, which says a lot. Nonetheless, Favre is coming off ankle surgery and his seven interceptions from a season ago are unlikely to be repeated considering he tossed 22 picks the season prior. If all goes well, Favre will toss 30 touchdowns and 4000 yards to flourishing targets such as Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin.

9) Joe Flacco, QB, Ravens

A rising talent, Joe Flacco will finally have a chance to show off his passing ability now that the Ravens have brought in Anquan Boldin and the controversial Dante Stallworth, while also drafting David Reed. Flacco made some strides last season, tossing for 3613 yards and 21 touchdowns compared to 13 interceptions. However, the Ravens have been known to play it safe over the years, pushing the ball on the ground with conservative play calling in order to allow their stalwart defense to win games. Now that the team has several offensive weapons in the arsenal with Ray Rice, Boldin, and Derrick Mason on staff, expect Flacco to be unleashed.

10) Carson Palmer, QB, Bengals

The top pick of the 2003 draft, Carson Palmer was a fantasy star for several seasons, tossing 32 touchdowns in 2005, and a career-best 4131 passing yards in 2007. However, since then, Palmer has been derailed by knee injuries and his production has slipped. In fact, last season marked the first time in his career that Palmer failed to average at least 220 passing yards per game. Sadly, he came well short with just 3094 total yards, or 193 passing yards per game. The Bengals believe that last season's struggles were a result of a lack of playmakers on the wings. While Chad Ochocinco had a decent season, the team let TJ Houshmandzadeh move to Seattle, and Chris Henry tragically passed away. This season, Palmer will once again have plenty of talents to target. Ochocinco returns with the addition of Antonio Bryant and Terrell Owens, as well as first-round pick Jermaine Gresham at tight end. We will find out if Palmer has what it to takes to return to fantasy stardom.

11) Jay Cutler, QB, Bears

Thank goodness interceptions are more costly in reality than they are in fantasy. Jay Cutler found the opposition nearly as much as his own wide receivers last season, racking up a career-high 26 interceptions, eight more than any other season. The good news is that Cutler also established a career-high 27 touchdowns. Cutler should once again be throwing aplenty this season, as the Bears have brought in passing mastermind Mike Martz to run the offense. Cutler should produce lofty statistics including 25-plus touchdowns and close to 4000 passing yards, but it won't be pretty when it comes to turnovers unless he makes an adjustment to his game.

12) Kevin Kolb, QB, Eagles

If you're willing to take on some risk at the quarterback position, Kevin Kolb is the pick for you. The Eagles first-time starter was terrific in his two starts last season as a fill-in for the injured Donovan McNabb. He threw for 391 yards and three touchdowns against the eventual Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints and then followed with another 327 yards and two touchdowns in a win over the Chiefs. Though he didn't take another snap the remainder of the season, his performance was promising enough that the Eagles shipped McNabb to Washington this off-season. Without much of a proven ground game, the Eagles will likely call on Kolb often to pick from his stable of targets including DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and tight end Brent Celek.

13) Eli Manning, QB, Giants

Though the Giants were a major disappointment last season, Eli Manning actually had his best statistical season. Manning established career highs with 4021 yards and 27 touchdowns. Though his eight fumbles were a bit more than you'd desire, This season the Giants will look to better balance their offense, relying on the legs of Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw resulting in fewer yards for the Ole Miss legend.

14) Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons

This former Boston College standout has gotten a lot of slack for a supposed sophomore slump but Ryan wasn't all that bad last season. He racked up a career-high 22 touchdowns compared to 14 interceptions and only fumbled twice all season. Additionally, Ryan missed two games due to injuries, which helps explain the decline in passing yards. Now entering his third season, I expect Ryan to take his place amongst the better quarterbacks in the NFL.

15) Matthew Stafford, QB Lions

Not a bad backup quarterback for a fantasy squad, Matthew Stafford is a former No. 1 overall pick with a heck of an arm and plenty of playmakers surrounding him. Though the numbers were ugly last season with 20 interceptions, there were enough bright spots in the season to have us chomping at the bit. For instance, against the Browns, Stafford connected on 26 passes for 422 yards and five touchdowns. There should be more big games like that coming our way.

16) Donovan McNabb, QB, wholesale Eagles jerseys

Though he is a safe bet with a career touchdown-to-interception ratio better than 2:1, Donovan McNabb has missed 10 games over the last four years while averaging just 20 touchdowns per season. A transition to Washington is actually a downgrade in surrounding talent as there is no clear playmaker in the 'Skins receiving corps.

17) Alex Smith, QB, 49ers

The first overall pick of the 2005 draft, Alex Smith finally lived up to his promise last season with 18 touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions in 11 games. Just 26-year's old, Smith has youth on his side and he has some talented receivers to throw to as Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis provide some star power. Plus, with the ultra-talented Frank Gore in the backfield, Smith is under center for a balanced offense, which should make his passing assignments easier.

18) Vince Young, QB, Titans

We have seen some great performances from Vince Young over the last four seasons, but he has lacked consistency. That explains how he has racked up just 32 touchdowns compared to 39 interceptions while averaging barely more than 150 passing yards per game. Nonetheless, it's the additional 28 rushing yards per game and 12 career rushing touchdowns that has fantasy managers hoping that this is a breakout season.

19) Matt Leinart, QB, Cardinals

For the last couple of years there have been few passing offences as impressive as the cheap Cardinals jerseys. Of course, a large part of the success was the arm of potential Hall of Famer Kurt Warner. Another key part of the squad has been wide out Anquan Boldin. Of course, Boldin is now in Baltimore, and Warner's departure is what opens the door for Leinart to start. Add to that the fact that Larry Fitzgerald will likely miss the entire preseason because of a bum knee, and we're talking about an underdog story for Leinart. That explains why he's in the bottom half of our QB rankings.

20) Mark Sanchez, QB, Jets

You will be hard-pressed to find a quarterback with better weapons than second-year Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez. That does not guarantee fantasy bliss, however, as Sanchez had solid weapons last season yet managed just 12 touchdowns compared to 20 interceptions. The Jets were very dependent on the rushing attack last season, and may be so again this year. However, if it's potential that you're after in the later rounds, the sky is the limit for Sanchez.