Yet another Fantasy Football question...

[UncleRemus]

I'm in a 10-team, start 2 QB league (rough stuff, QB's are actually in higher demand than RB's in this league...) Scoring is a little different as well, where TD's are progressively worth more as the distance of the play increases, going from 6 points for a TD <9 yards, and increasing by a point by roughly every 9 yards. QB Yardage is scored 1pt/40 yards.

Now that the background information is out of the way, here's where I'm torn...

I have Manning, Hasselbeck, and Rattay. Manning is obviously an easy start against the Chiefs, and could single handedly win me my game this week, but I'm still not sure who to plug into my second slot.

Hasselbeck is simply a stud. I hate sitting studs, however he's been in a pretty bad slump as of late, and coming off an attrocious week against 'Zona. Lastly, Matt is facing a Panthers defense that is ranked 6th in the league in yardage, and first in passing touchdowns against. Ouch.

Rattay, on the other hand, is facing a Chicago defense that isn't nearly as good at defending the pass. However, they are MUCH worse at defending the run -- one of the worst in the league -- and I can see Barlow taking quite a few carries in this one. Somehow, Rattay is still begging me for a start in this one. He's coming off of a bye week, which is a huge plus. Not to mention the fact that at least his QB rating is 90+, compared to Hasselbecks putrid 69.6...

What do you guys think? Will Hasselbeck break out of it this week, or do I give the ball to the consistant Rattay?

[jamesburke]

my 2 cents is that hasselback will bounce back and have a big week.

[BellyBuster7]

I don't think you can consider Hasselbeck a stud quite yet. I go with the guy who's been producing more fantasy points, and right now, that's Rattay.

[pokerkai]

I like rattay against an underperforming injured bears D.
Robinson is also out for hassleback and with the shawks on a little bit of a nose dive here, I think theyll look to shawn alexander more to steady the ship...especially against a porous kc run D.

[Pepsquad]

This post was just SPOOKY! I'm in a 12 team league that has to start two QB's as well. In my other league (a dynasty league) our pts per TD increase with distance. My 3 QB's in that league are Manning, Hasselbeck and...I sh*t you not...RATTAY! Granted, there's millions of people out there playing fantasy these days but I just about fell off my chair!

Want proof? Here's my league's site (My team is "Loveland Family") www.flatmountainsffl.homestead.com

Anyway, to answer your question - check out this excerpt from a Sporting News article posted today...

Judgment Calls: How a QB's value can fluctuate
Oct. 29, 2004
Print Article

Quarterbacks often don't hold the keys to their own success. Like other skills players, they are often held hostage by their teammates and even the schemes in which they play. That's why a QB's value can dramatically rise or drop from season to season even if they are in excellent health. Here are three QBs whose value has either risen or dropped based on circumstance, not on physical ability.

Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with Hasselbeck physically, but he has been terrible this season. But how would he be performing if he had more consistent receivers? You might have seen video of Koren Robinson's drops, and the numbers bear things out. STATS Inc. reports the Seahawks "lead" the NFC with 19 dropped passes (the NFL team average is 11). Robinson has eight drops alone (and only 24 receptions). If Hasselbeck's receivers had "average" hands, his completion percentage would go up a few points, and he'd be averaging nearly 250 yards a game instead of 233. But we think he'd be even better. Hasselbeck would be playing with more confidence and rhythm, and he would be performing as he did last year. Hasselbeck is an emotional player -- watch him, and you'll see he goes up and down depending on how the last play went. With his team playing poorly behind him, he doesn't show the same fire and desire. Hence, the team has increased its reliance on the running game, and Hasselbeck has diminished fantasy value. We like Hasselbeck for the long term, but his receivers' inconsistency hurts him more than other similarly-talented QB.

Tim Rattay, 49ers. Rattay lacks major arm strength, but he is quick and decisive. He is surrounded by reasonably talented receivers, and he plays in a West Coast offense that rewards smart, savvy QBs who have good recognition and execute with a minimum of fuss. Rattay's injuries are a problem, but he has put up superb numbers for a fantasy afterthought. And as long as Rattay's defense is CFL caliber, he should keep scoring well in most fantasy formats. He's a great fit in San Francisco because his team's scouts recognized his strengths when he was at Louisiana Tech, and they knew he'd be a good fit in their offensive scheme. Playing him this week looks like a stretch, considering he could be a game-time decision.



I'd give Rattay serious consideration at least for this week.

[Rick Diesel]

First of all, there are only 2 fantasy QBs that can be considered studs, Manning and Culpepper. After them, there are 10-12 other QBs (Bulger, Brady, Brooks, Carr, McNabb, Hasselback, Vick, Pennington, Leftwich, Favre, Plummer, etc.) who are all relatively the same. Yes, some of them may have gotten off to a hotter start than some of the others, but they will all still produce in close to the same capacity.

In my league we only start one QB, so I decided that if I didn't get Manning or Culpepper, I would not draft a QB until the sixth round at the earliest. I ended up getting Brooks in the 6th and Carr in the 10th.

Now, onto your question. I definitely go with Rattay here. Until Hasselback starts putting up the numbers, or Rattay stops, I leave Hasselback on the bench. QB is the one position in the league that can really run hot and cold, and it appears that Hasselback is definitely cold.

Rick Diesel

[jamesburke]

This should make it a no brainer:

49ers: Rattay sits out again

by Fanball Staff - Fanball.com
Saturday, October 30, 2004

News
49ers' quarterback Tim Rattay did not practice on Friday due to the strained forearm that has plagued him throughout the season. 49ers' head coach Dennis Erickson said Friday that Rattay's playing status won't be determined until shortly before the Niners face the Bears on Sunday night. "He and I need to make a decision on how he feels before we decide whether he'll start," Erickson told the Mercury News. If Rattay is unable to play, Ken Dorsey would replace him as the starting signal caller.

Views
Rattay intends to take part in Saturday's walk-through practice, but there is a very good chance that he'll miss the game on Sunday. And with Erickson holding off on naming the starter until game-time on Sunday night, fantasy owners should look elsewhere for a starting quarterback this week.