Fantasy Football 2013 Quarterback Rankings: Week 15

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Peyton Manning and Drew Brees lead Athlon Sports' fantasy football Week 15 quarterback rankings, but it's some other names near the top that have opened the most eyes this season.

Josh McCown led all fantasy scorers with 47.52 fantasy points (Athlon scoring) last week after throwing for 348 yards and four touchdowns in the Monday night win over Dallas. McCown also added a rushing score for good measure and has been quite productive in relief of an injured Jay Cutler. In five starts, McCown is averaging 27.32 points per outing as he has thrown 13 total touchdown passes and just one interception on the season. McCown is a clear-cut, top-10 option this week against Cleveland, provided he starts. Cutler is getting closer to returning from his ankle injury, and head coach Marc Trestman has already said that McCown would cede the starting gig back to Cutler when he's cleared to play. Will that happen this week? For now, we are inclined to believe the Bears will stick with McCown.

As remarkable as McCown's run has been, Nick Foles has been putting up impressive numbers for a longer stretch of games. Taking advantage of Michael Vick's injury-prone nature, Foles has emerged as one of fantasy's most productive quarterbacks. On the season, Foles has accounted for 23 total touchdowns (20 pass, 3 rush) and has turned the ball over twice (INT, fumble). He's a borderline top-15 fantasy quarterback, which is impressive considering he's played in just 10 games. As a starter, Foles is averaging 25.76 fantasy points. The only two quarterbacks averaging more per start are Manning and Brees. Foles is assured of getting the start on Sunday and he in checks in at No. 4 on Athlon's rankings because of his matchup against a Minnesota defense that has given up the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks. This Eagle could help many owners win a fantasy championship in 2013.

One quarterback who won't be leading anyone to a fantasy title is Robert Griffin III. RG3's disappointing sophomore season will end with him on the bench, as Washington head coach Mike Shanahan has decided to sit RG3 for Kirk Cousins. Whether it's driven by a desire to protect RG3 or the latest indicator that the Redskins are one dysfunctional mess of an organization right now, the end result is the same — RG3 was one of the season's biggest disappointments.

Each week during the NFL season, we will rank enough players at each position to appease everyone from those in 8-team leagues to 16-team leagues, those that can start two QBs, two TEs, three RBs and four WRs. We cut out the rest, because if you're looking at who the 50th-best running back or the 17th-best kicker is for that week, you need more help than any website can give you.

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2013 NFL Week 15 Fantasy Football Rankings — Quarterbacks


Rk	Player	Team	OPP
1	Peyton Manning	DEN	vs. SD (Thurs.)
2	Drew Brees	NO	at STL
3	Cam Newton	CAR	vs. NYJ
4	Nick Foles	PHI	at MIN
5	Matthew Stafford	DET	vs. BAL (Mon.)
6	Russell Wilson	SEA	at NYG
7	Josh McCown	CHI	at CLE
8	Tony Romo	DAL	vs. GB
9	Andrew Luck	IND	vs. HOU
10	Tom Brady	NE	at MIA
11	Philip Rivers	SD	at DEN (Thurs.)
12	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT	vs. CIN
13	Alex Smith	KC	at OAK
14	Matt Ryan	ATL	vs. WAS
15	Colin Kaepernick	SF	at TB
16	Ryan Tannehill	MIA	vs. NE
17	Joe Flacco	BAL	at DET (Mon.)
18	Andy Dalton	CIN	at PIT
19	Kirk Cousins	WAS	at ATL
20	Jason Campbell	CLE	vs. CHI
21	Carson Palmer	ARI	at TEN
22	Ryan Fitzpatrick	TEN	vs. ARI
23	Case Keenum	HOU	at IND
24	Matt Cassel	MIN	vs. PHI
25	Matt Flynn	GB	at DAL

Rankings are based upon Athlon Sports' standard scoring system:

OFFENSIVE SCORING
All touchdowns are 6 points
1 point for 25 yards passing
1 point for 10 yards rushing/receiving
Receptions are .5 points
Interceptions/fumbles are minus-2 points

Additional Week 15 Positional Rankings

Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
Defense/Special Teams
Kickers