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Ask The Maverick !
by Fantasy Maverick
21/3/2010
 
Got a Fantasy dilemma? Can't decide what to do? Your toubles are over as the doctor is in session...fire your questions at the Maverick and we will publish the most needy patients...

M&Ms
 
Timothy Allen: Looking ahead to the 2010 season, which of last year's big name first round quarterbacks – Matt Stafford or Mark Sanchez, is going to be the better fantasy quarterback?
 
Maverick: Timothy, one thing's for certain – both will be better than any rookie drafted this year, whether that's (St. Louis Ram?) Sam Bradford or (Washington Redskin? Buffalo Bill? Cleveland Brown?) Jimmy Clausen.
 
But there's a lot to like about Sanchez and Stafford – above and beyond the simple fact they've got a year of experience each under their belts and won over their NFL teammates with solid, sometimes gutsy (especially in Stafford's case) play down the line.
 
Stafford has one thing, in particular, going for him. Sure he's got arm strength, smarts, a gunslinger mentality and all that, but above all he has Calvin Johnson.
 
Megatron, as he's known, is overdue for a monster season, and Stafford will be the beneficiary in 2010. Seeing that CJ needs some help across from him, the Lions brought in solid, if unspectacular, Nate Burleson to play second fiddle too, and while he's not worth the $25 million he'll receive, he's consistent enough to make more plays on the ball than Bryant Johnson was able to last year. With sophomore tight end Brandon Pettigrew back in fine fettle too, you have to figure that Stafford should easily improve on his typically rookie numbers from '09 (13 TD/ 20 INTs).
 
One problem – or two actually. An offensive line that neither protects Stafford consistently nor opens holes for the running game. If the Lions do indeed draft OT Russell Okung in April, as I expect them to, things automatically improve in both areas. If the Lions can also find a decent all-around back to improve upon incumbent Maurice Morris, Stafford should be able to post 20+ TDs for the first time, and should tip toe past 3000 yards passing too. He won't be a Top-10 fantasy QB this season, but he might threaten the Top-15 if things fall his way.
 
Sanchez showed in January's playoffs that he's coming of age – with 19 NFL games under his belt in '09, he essentially played two college seasons on the trot and really started to pick things up by the AFC Championship game. The Jets certainly need another playmaking receiver for Sanchez – Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery are an ok tandem, but not much more unless Edwards explodes as he did in '06 – and should seek one early in the draft (Golden Tate, Arrelious Benn and others will be in the conversation).
 
But the issue with Sanchez is the offense he's in – a run first attack bolstered by the recent addition of LaDainian Tomlinson. That said, if there's one thing Tomlinson can still do well, it's pass receive, and he will help Sanchez on third downs in the event Leon Washington is slow to recover. Still, you have to figure that Sanchez won't get far past 20 TD passes and will get less opportunities to throw than Stafford – partly because it's presumed the Jets will be protecting more leads than Detroit in 2010.
 
So on balance Timothy, I'd be selecting Stafford just slightly ahead of Sanchez if the draft was today. I prefer Sanchez as a player and I prefer his team, but something tells me Stafford is going to accrue an awful lot of passing attempts trying to keep the Lions in games when September rolls around.
 
And what do passes make? Points, more often than not.