Back here with another versus segment fantasy addition on GetRealFootball.com and we are going to talk about two quarterbacks that had big years last season in Andrew Luck of the Colts and Matt Ryan of the Falcons.
Andrew Luck is coming off of a record breaking rookie year and has asserted himself as a good start at fantasy and Matt Ryan who has been some what productive as a fantasy starter as of late broke out last year having a career year, and is now being put up with the Tom Brady and Cam Newtons of the world. Now which one is the better option you might ask?
It is a very close one – but lets see who gets the advantage, shall we?
Andrew Luck:
Positives – Andrew Luck had arguably the best rookie year of all time taking the Colts from a 2-14 record to a impressive 11-5 and a playoff berth. Going to fantasy Luck averaged over 16 points a game which in most fantasy owners eyes isn’t that flashy but there were games where he broke over 30 points and then others with a 15 point game so he is a high risk high reward player but it is worth it. He has a big time receiver in Reggie Wayne so the weapons are there for Luck but that might not be his most dynamic ability. Andrew Luck’s running ability is very underrated mainly because of what Newton, RG3, and Russell Wilson are doing over in the NFC. Luck had 5 rushing touchdowns last year so he can move his legs if he needs to which all owners love if their QB can run as it gets a bonus amount of points. Andrew Luck is still not asserted as a top 10 QB because he is only a second year player so if you want to wait for a QB around the 6th or 7th round you can bank on Luck who will be a great starter so you can build your other positions.
Negatives- There are a few possible concerns you might want to consider when deciding whether to take Luck. One is turnovers which Luck had a lot of last season. He had over 15 interceptions and tended to force a lot of passes last season. What might be a reason for the turnovers is the offense Luck is in which is pass heavy, the run game is not asserted with Ahmad Bradshaw and Vick Ballard who we still need to see some consistency out of and Bradshaw can’t stay healthy. Bottom line for Luck is he is high risk high reward player. One game he can have over 30 points but then another can be 10, this might not be what you want at QB but Luck is going to be vastly improved in year two and you should take a risk on the guy later in the draft, it is worth it.
Matt Ryan
Positives- “Matty Ice” is coming off a career year last season getting over the playoff hump as he got his first playoff victory. Ryan is loaded with talent on offense, Julio Jones and Roddy White is arguably the best receiving combo in the NFL and he gets Tony Gonzalez back for one more season which is always a good thing to have the best TE in history on your team. Matt Ryan had 4,719 yards, an impressive 32 touchdowns last year which is his career high. Ryan averaged over 20 points a game so the consistency is there each and every week. Now that Steven Jackson is a Falcon, the passing game becomes even bigger for Matt Ryan. A guess on where you could get Ryan is probably around the 4th or 5th round so it is a little higher than Luck so it is still a bit late for such a consistent QB. The deep ball in Atlanta is at large with home run hitter Julio Jones so the big play ability for Ryan is going to be a re occurrence many a time this season, so if you are in a league with extra points for big plays, Ryan might be your guy.
Negatvies- Matt Ryan has a few negatives to worry about, one is his inability to run the football. You will not see Ryan roll out and burst for 15 yards that just isn’t his game. Ryan did have 14 interceptions last year which obviously hurts his stock as turnovers are costly in fantasy at times. Bottom line for Ryan is he has asserted himself as a fantasy starter and if you want to wait which tends to be the strategy on quarterbacks this year, Ryan is your guy.
Bottom Line: Both Quarterbacks had big seasons last year and I personally would love to have both guys but if I had to give the advantage to one it would be Matt Ryan for a couple reasons, he has been consistent for his entire year and he has more weapons than Luck.
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