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Factoid

Matt Ryan

Has QB been written off too soon?

It's a week of fantasy drafts, and I had my home league a couple of nights ago. This league awards 6 points for touchdown passes, but quarterbacks don't tend to go much earlier than in other leagues. There's good depth at the position, as shown by the fact that Mr. Irrelevant in this 16-round affair was Matt Ryan.

Ryan is 36 -- old, but we're certainly seeing some quarterbacks be effective even older. For a pocket passer who isn't throwing his body around the field and into piles of tacklers each week, no reason why he can't still be one of the league's better quarterbacks. Plenty of other elite passers have done it lately.

Over the last 10 years, 34 quarterbacks aged 35 or older have posted top-20 fantasy numbers. That includes Ryan himself, finishing as the 12th-best quarterback last season. Almost none of those guys did anything noteworthy as runners; they just stood in the pocket and slung it.

TOP 20 FANTASY QUARTERBACKS, 2011-2020 (35 OR OLDER)
YearPlayerAgePassTDIntRunTDPPRRk
2013Peyton Manning, Den.3754775510-311498.81
2015Tom Brady, N.E.384770367533410.42
2016Drew Brees, N.O.3752083715202422.42
2018Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt.3651293416983429.22
2017Tom Brady, N.E.404577328280363.73
2014Peyton Manning, Den.3847273915-240394.03
2020Aaron Rodgers, G.B.3742994851493440.23
2012Tom Brady, N.E.354827348324404.63
2014Drew Brees, N.O.3549523317681393.54
2015Carson Palmer, Ariz.3646713511241382.05
2015Drew Brees, N.O.3648703211141378.96
2012Peyton Manning, Den.364659371160383.66
2016Philip Rivers, S.D.3543863321350354.86
2020Tom Brady, T.B.434633401263410.27
2017Philip Rivers, LAC3645152810-20337.67
2018Aaron Rodgers, G.B.3544422522692367.07
2018Drew Brees, N.O.393992325224356.99
2017Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt.3542512814470333.39
2018Philip Rivers, LAC374308321270354.110
2017Drew Brees, N.O.384334238122321.911
2014Tom Brady, N.E.374109339570343.211
2013Tom Brady, N.E.3643432511180323.011
2019Aaron Rodgers, G.B.3640022641831334.412
2020Matt Ryan, Atl.3545812611922356.212
2018Tom Brady, N.E.4143552911352350.913
2019Philip Rivers, LAC3846152320290327.713
2020Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt.3838033310110327.214
2019Tom Brady, N.E.424057248343322.315
2016Carson Palmer, Ariz.3742332614380321.516
2018Eli Manning, NYG3742992111201313.016
2019Ryan Fitzpatrick, Mia.37352920132434306.818
2011Matt Hasselbeck, Ten.3635711814520255.818
2020Philip Rivers, Ind.3941692411-80305.620
2016Eli Manning, NYG3540272616-90304.520

I'm not saying anyone should be excited about drafting Ryan, but I think he makes a lot of sense as a No. 2 and spot starter. No Julio Jones, but everyone seems to be pretty high on Calvin Ridley and Kyle Pitts, with Russell Gage also around. Ryan could have some good games in him this year.

--Andy Richardson

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