Fantasy: 2012 Tamme Index – Quarterbacks

| 2012/04/19

Updated 5/17/2012

Introduced a season ago, the charts you’re about to see include handcuff information for each of the important fantasy positions: Quarterback, Running Back, Wide Receiver, and Tight End. Why am I doing this? Simple. So that when one of your key fantasy contributors goes down with an injury, you know the right player to target.

A few years back, when Colts TE Dallas Clark went down for the season with an injury, there was a mad scramble to the waiver wire. Who was the right add? H-Back Gijon Robinson? Receiving prospect Jacob Tamme? Blocker Brody Eldridge? The correct add, of course, was Tamme, who bailed out plenty of TE-deprived owners down the stretch.

And it doesn’t end there, ladies and gentlemen. That same season, elite fantasy TEs Chargers’ Antonio Gates and the Packers’ Jermichael Finley also missed significant action, leaving fantasy owners to wonder which handcuff to add: Gates’, Finley’s, or Clark’s? By including the ‘Your Move’ column , you’ll know which ones are worth targeting and which should be left on waivers. In fact, you’ll even be able to use these charts in deep leagues in order to stash the league’s high-upside handcuffs. For example, deep-league Antonio Gates owners should pass on his handcuff Randy McMichael, who wouldn’t have much use should Gates go down anyways, and instead roster an elite handcuff like Delanie Walker or Tony Scheffler.

Note: In most cases, “starter” refers to the player atop the team’s depth chart at the noted position. In some cases, however, the “starter” listed will actually be the “player(s) worth owning in fantasy”.

Your Move What it means
Starter This player is, at worst, a borderline starter (Top 12 QB, Top 24 RB, Top 36 WR, Top 12 TE) in 12 team leagues
Bench This player is worth a roster spot in 12 team leagues.
Monitor You don’t need to add this player in 12 team leagues, but monitor his progress over the next few weeks.
Ignore Ignore this player, as they do not have much Fantasy value.

 

Tm Note Starter Handcuff Your move
ARZ Not much of a pass offense here after Larry Fitzgerald and potentially Floyd. We’ve seen Skelton in action and, although he’ll have a few decent games, he’s not worth rostering. Kevin Kolb John Skelton Monitor
ATL This offense continues to move away from Michael Turner and towards the passing game. Redman could be a decent QB2 if called upon. Matt Ryan Chris Redman Bench
BLT The Ravens seem to like Taylor, so he needs to, at least, be on your radar if called upon to start. Don’t waste a roster spot, though. Joe Flacco Tyrod Taylor Monitor
BUF Thigpen might score a few points with his legs, but he’s not much of a passer and Buffalo would lean heavier on the running game. Don’t bother with him. Ryan Fitzpatrick Tyler Thigpen Ignore
CAR Plain and simple, Anderson isn’t very good. The Panthers will go extremely run heavy if Newton gets hurt. Cam Newton Derek Anderson Ignore
CHI Cutler isn’t quite a fantasy starter, so Campbell wouldn’t be either. Still, he’s one of the game’s best No. 2 quarterbacks and is worth consideration for a bench spot. Jay Cutler Jason Campbell Bench
CIN Gradkowski isn’t effective enough to warrant a roster spot. Andy Dalton Bruce Gradkowski Ignore
CLV The Browns’ pass offense is poor and, although he has experience, McCoy is simply a game manager. Don’t waste the roster spot. Brandon Weeden Colt McCoy Monitor
DAL Orton is one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league, but would be too risky to start if called upon. He’d be a strong QB2 in fantasy, though, so grab him and stash him. Tony Romo Kyle Orton Bench
DEN Going from Manning to an ineffective Caleb Hanie would be a huge letdown for the Broncos’ offense and your fantasy team.  Instead, take a shot on rookie Osweiler, who would inevitably get a chance. Peyton Manning Brock Osweiler Monitor
DET The pass-heavy Lions offense would give Hill an extra couple of opportunities at fantasy points, but he’s not good enough to warrant starting consideration. Grab him for your bench. Matthew Stafford Shaun Hill Bench
GB Then Packers No. 2, Matt Flynn was the premier handcuff to own in 2011, as shown by his explosive Week 17 performance. Harrell isn’t as experienced as Flynn, but he’s still a great speculative add to your bench. Aaron Rodgers Graham Harrell Bench
HST Yates performed well for the Texans as a rookie, but he wasn’t much of a fantasy producer due, in part, to the fact that the Houston offense is extremely run heavy. Keep an eye out, but don’t add him. Matt Schaub T.J. Yates Monitor
IND Stanton has a history of decent production when called upon, but we aren’t talking about a strong pass offense here. Just keep an eye on him. Andrew Luck Drew Stanton Monitor
JAX Henne is a decent backup quarterback, so you have to keep an eye on him, but the Jaguars’ run-heavy approach and overall ineffectiveness won’t lead him to many fantasy points. Blaine Gabbert Chad Henne Monitor
KC Cassel is a back-end QB2 at best, so a downgrade to Quinn would be bad news for the Chiefs. Avoid at all costs. Matt Cassel Brady Quinn Ignore
MIA Garrard is a bit of a mystery after missing all of 2011, but he was always quietly effective as a fantasy quarterback thanks to his running ability. He’s worth bench consideration. You can also roster Ryan Tannehill in case Garrard is finished. Matt Moore David Garrard/
Ryan Tannehill		 Bench
MIN Webb won’t do much through the air, but he will put up the points with his legs. He’s worth a look if you need a QB2, but he’s never worth starting. Christian Ponder Joe Webb Monitor
NE Much like with Matt Cassel a few years ago, Brady’s would-be replacement is a must-own. Stash him and give him a week or two to see what he can offer. If he struggles, quickly grab Ryan Mallett. Tom Brady Brian Hoyer Bench
NO Considering the high-powered offense, Daniel is a must-add, but he’s not nearly as good as Brees and the Saints have the ability to turn to the run game. Stash him. Drew Brees Chase Daniel Bench
NYG Carr, a former No. 1 overall pick, has some talent and plenty of experience. The Giants aren’t afraid to chuck the ball around either, which gives him a little bit of fantasy potential. He’s worth a look for your bench. Eli Manning David Carr Bench
NYJ Tebow showed in 2011 that he can put up fantasy points in bunches with his legs and long, explosive passes. He’s a must-add and a borderline QB1. Mark Sanchez Tim Tebow Starter
OAK Leinart didn’t accomplish much in Arizona when he had his chance to start, but he’s talented enough to warrant a spot on your watch list. Carson Palmer Matt Leinart Monitor
PHI Kafka hasn’t shown that he’s NFL material, but the Eagles’ offense has a history of turning underwhelming quarterbacks into decent fantasy plays. He’s worth keeping an eye on. Michael Vick Mike Kafka Monitor
PIT Leftwich can be safely ignored. The Steelers would switch to a run-heavy attack, only allowing him to manage the game. Ben Roethlisberger Byron Leftwich Ignore
SD Whitehurst has some experience, but wasn’t very effective in those games. The Chargers’ pass offense is strong, however, so he’s worth keeping an eye on. Philip Rivers Charlie Whitehurst Monitor
SEA Jackson started most of the team’s 2011 games, but he’s not good enough to warrant anything more than back-end QB2 consideration. Wilson is worth bench consideration Matt Flynn Russell Wilson /
Tarvaris Jackson		 Bench
SF Johnson would likely do more damage with his legs than his arm, but he does have some upside as a passer. Keep an eye on him. Alex Smith Josh Johnson Monitor
SL Clemens hasn’t proven to be very effective and the Rams’ offense is still a work in progress. Stay away. Sam Bradford Kellen Clemens Ignore
TB Tampa expects to lean on the run and Orlovsky is a pretty big downgrade from Freeman. Don’t waste the roster space. Josh Freeman Dan Orlovsky Ignore
TEN Locker has a ton of upside and would be a strong QB2, making him worth an add. Matt Hasselbeck Jake Locker Bench
WAS Grossman had a few big games in 2011, but he’s not effective enough to warrant QB1 consideration. Kirk Cousins is a year away from nailing down the No. 2 job. Robert Griffin III Rex Grossman Monitor

Follow Mike Clay on Twitter @MikeClayNFL

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