Ask the Experts

ASK THE EXPERTS appears weekly with answers to a new question being posted Thursday morning. How the guest experts responded when we asked them:

Which backup quarterback who has recently moved into the starting lineup will have fantasy relevance in 2011?

KEVIN PAYNE

I'm willing to gamble on Colt McCoy. He was thrown into the fire (go beat the Steelers in your first game rook) and did quite well. If he stays healthy and gets some more weapons (and more Josh Cribbs play-calls), he'll be an interesting pick. The other guy I'll admit is intriguing is Tim Tebow. I know the "guy's a winner" stuff is annoying but I think there's something to that. Add in the team's usage of him around the goal line and you've got a QB who is more relevant as a fantasy QB than a real-life QB. Take him as a late backup.

RotoWire.com is a fantasy sports news site that focuses on MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, auto racing (mostly NASCAR), golf, college football, college basketball and soccer. The web site features player news, draft kits, mock-draft software, in-season tools, feature stories and statistical data to help fantasy players in each sport. RotoWire hosts a three-hour daily radio show on Sirius-XM, XM 147, Sirius 211 11 AM - 2PM ET, has partnerships with Yahoo! Sports, ESPN, NFL.com and FoxSports, among others. To sign-up for a free-trial to RotoWire.com, go to RotoWire.com/trial..

MIKE NAZAREK

Rex Grossman and John Skelton won't be starting barring injury in 2011. Jimmy Clausen will likely be starting since the Panthers will stick to the "cheap is best" way of doing things. Not a good thing for their fans. Clausen won't be a fantasy factor in 2011. Tim Tebow could very well start for the Broncos, but greatly diminishes the fantasy value on the wideout corps as a whole since he'll look to run first, a la a young Michael Vick. Without a healthy Knowshon Moreno, Tebow will struggle. Former HC Josh McDaniels really set the entire Broncos franchise back about a decade with his idiotic trades and draft picks.

Nazarek is the CEO of Fantasy Football Mastermind Inc. His company offers an online rookie draft kit, preseason draft guide, customizable cheat sheets, fantasy auction & regular drafting programs, weekly in-season fantasy newsletters, injury reports and free NFL news (updated daily) at its web site. He has been playing fantasy football since 1988 and is the one and only four-peat champion of the SI.com Experts Fantasy League, a nationally published writer in several fantasy magazines and a former columnist for SI.com. For more info go to www.ffmastermind.com. Nazarek can be reached at miken@ffmastermind.com.

LOUIS TRANQUILLI

Rex Grossman. I think Mike Shenanigans (yes he's been renamed)and his son Mike Jr. err. Kyle Shenanigans (isn't one of these guys enough for the NFL?) have made it very clear they will be in the market for a young QB in the draft. Rex Grossman does just enough to look like a starting NFL QB, only to lose. He's the new Jon Kitna...anyway look for Washington to blow Donovan out the door and stick with Rex for 10 games next season while they groom a young guy. Rex won't have a lot of value, the Skins need WRs an offensive line and a running back but Grossman can be the sacrificial lamb for a while then get out of the way and hold a clip board. Merry Christmas.

Tranquilli is the founder and the primary "brains" (if you stretch it) of BFDFANTASYfootball.com. BFD is about delivering the information players want, not fluff, just opinions that matter to fantasy football players. Lou has worked with NFL players and gives a unique perspective because of it.

IAN ALLAN

I think Tim Tebow has relevance right now. I realize he’s raw as heck — the worst throwing quarterback in the league right now among starters. But look at who he’s starting against this week. The hapless Houston defense, which has been the worst in the league against the pass. Anybody, it seems, is capable of passing for 220-240 yards and a couple of touchdowns against this group. And when he factor in that Tebow will be a very effective and active scrambler, I think that makes him a candidate to be top-5 quarterback in a lot of formats this week. Think of him as a poor man’s Michael Vick. As far as his long-term potential, I’m not so sure. But I am high on Tebow for his game on Sunday.

Allan is the senior writer for Fantasy Football Index. He's been in that role since 1987, generating most of the player rankings and analysis for that publication. His work can be seen in Fantasy Football Index magazine, and also at the company's website, www.fantasyindex.com.

CORY BONINI

Of the four mentioned, I'll run with Tim Tebow. He has the intelligence to comprehend what is being asked of him, and, in time, I think it will start to come together on the field. Don't get me wrong, though, he is a project of sorts. The Broncos invested a lot in him, and while Tebow was a product of the Josh McDaniels regime, I believe the organization has to find out what it has in him. A lot of his maturation will be predicated on the system that will be installed next year. I highly doubt Tebow will become a fantasy phenom in 2011, but he should be a low-end No. 2 fantasy quarterback because of his running ability.

Since 1996, KFFL.com has been combining its award-winning news service with top-notch fantasy analysis. KFFL.com offers industry-leading services, including daily news, draft guides and in-season advice. Now 100 percent free, KFFL.com is your destination for fantasy baseball, football and NASCAR cheat sheets, tips, sleepers and much more. KFFL.com has won more than a dozen expert championships and was listed as "One of the 10 essential sports-related online destinations for fans, athletes and fantasy owners" by Time.com. KFFL.com has provided content to USA Today, Yahoo! Sports, FOXSports.com and many other quality organizations.

SAM HENDRICKS

I am not buying the Tim Tebow era in Denver stuff. Kyle Orton has a contract through 2011 and the Broncos could end up with the #1 draft pick as well, so Andrew Luck could be throwing to Brandon Lloyd next year. Instead you have to narrow your choices to QBs with a good chance to start in 2011. Therefore John Skelton and Jimmy Clausen are the two front runners with Skelton the slight edge in long term potential and Clausen the winner in short term fantasy potential. Whichever team has the best running game should be the key.

Sam Hendricks is the author of Fantasy Football Guidebook, Fantasy Football Tips and Fantasy Football Basics, all available at his website, www.ffguidebook.com, at all major bookstores, and at www.amazon.com. He is a 20-year fantasy football veteran who regularly participates in the World Championship of Fantasy Football (WCOFF), National Fantasy Football Championship (NFFC) and finished 7th and 16th overall (out of 228 competitors) in the 2008 and 2009 Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC).

JEFFREY KAMYS

We think Tebow will have some value in 2011. You know that based on what Michael Vick has done in the NFL this year, offensive coordinators will be licking their chops trying to figure out ways to develop dual threat QBs. Tebow potentially could do some of what Vick is doing in the run game.

Kamys is president of Dr. Stats Fantasy Sports. His company, via the web, offers player news, injury reports, cheat sheets, projections, weekly matchups, statistics, and a customized team tracker. Dr. Stats Fantasy Sports also e-mails preseason newsletters and reports throughout the season. For more info visit www.docstats.com or send email to webmaster@docstats.com.

PRETZEL MAY

I would think Skelton and Tebow have the best shot at fantasy relevance next year. Grossman isn't the answer in Washington whether McNabb is back or not. Of the remaining 3, Skelton will most likely be the only one that won't have to learn a new offense. Tebow will most likely have relevance just based on his slash player skillset, regardless of system he will make some plays and get you some points.

The May brothers have more than 16 years of combined fantasy football experience and are the co-founders of FantasyDraftMaster.com. The cornerstone of FDM is the UberRank which is a revolutionary approach to the traditional fantasy football cheat sheet. FantasyDraftMaster.com also offers insightful and humorous commentary on football happenings as well as recommendations on waiver wire pickups, line up submissions and weekly pick em' pools. For more info, visit www.fantasydraftmaster.com or email us at info@fantasydraftmaster.com.

ANDY RICHARDSON

I don't like any of them very much. I think Colt McCoy will be a starter next year, but don't think he'll be fantasy viable. Tim Tebow has to be considered, but he doesn't look like he'll be a capable passer, so I don't think he'll stay in the lineup for long. Some smart defensive coordinator will figure out how to keep him in the pocket and it will be all over. The other guys, Clausen and Skelton, are just backup types and not good ones either. All of the teams starting backups right now will be looking for another, better option in the offseason.

Richardson has been a columnist and contributor to the Fantasy Football Index magazine and web site for the past nine years. His responsibilities include team defense and IDP projections and various site features, and he has run the magazine's annual draft and auction leagues since their inception. He previews all the NFL games on Saturdays and writes a wrap-up column on Mondays during the NFL season.

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