Choose Your QB: Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning

By foxsports
Published

Today's installment of Choose Your Quarterback pits Peyton Manning against Tom Brady, the Nos. 3 and 4 assets in my latest rankings of the 32 presumed starting quarterbacks.

Here's a week-by-week fantasy breakdown of Brady vs. Manning ... just in case you're torn on which quarterback offers better value in Round 1 or 2:

Week 1—Manning (vs. Baltimore) over Brady (@ Buffalo)
Week 2—Manning  (@ N.Y. Giants) over Brady  (vs. N.Y. Jets)
Week 3—Brady (vs. Tampa Bay) over Manning  (vs. Oakland)
Week 4—Manning (vs. Philadelphia) over Brady  (@ Atlanta)
Week 5—Manning (@ Dallas) over Brady (@ Cincinnati)
Week 6—Brady  (vs. New Orleans) over Manning  (vs. Jacksonville)
Week 7—Manning (@ Indianapolis) over Brady  (@ N.Y. Jets)
Week 8—Manning (vs. Washington) over Brady  (vs. Miami)
Week 9—Brady (vs. Pittsburgh) over Manning (BYE)
Week 10—Manning  (@ San Diego) over Brady  (BYE)
Week 11—Manning (vs. Kansas City) over Brady  (@ Carolina)
Week 12—Brady over Manning (HEAD TO HEAD IN FOXBORO)
Week 13—Manning (@ Kansas City) over Brady  (@ Houston)
Week 14—Manning (vs. Denver) over Brady (vs. Cleveland)
Week 15—Brady  (@ Miami) over Manning  (vs. San Diego)
Week 16—Brady (@ Baltimore) over Manning  (@ Houston)
Week 17—Manning (@ Oakland) over Brady  (vs. Buffalo)























Final Tally

Manning comfortably tops Brady, 11-6


Quick Hitters


1. We're splitting hairs with the matchups from Weeks 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, 15 and 16, reiterating just how close Manning (4,569 yards passing, 37 TDs last year) and Brady (4,827 yards passing, 38 total TDs) should be during the August drafts.

2. Peyton had 12 outings of 300 yards passing and/or three touchdowns last year with Denver, a threshold of greatness that Brady reached only eight times in 2012.

3. Here's another example of the future Hall of Famers' razor-thin differences: For 2013, Manning has eight common opponents from last year's regular-season slate. Of those games, he averaged 312 yards passing and 2.5 touchdowns. Brady also has eight carryover opponents from last year's schedule — averaging 275 yards passing and 2.6 TDs in the outings.

4. We'll give Brady the slight edge in the Broncos-Patriots showdown for Week 12, based on home-field advantage. At the same time, it's worth noting Peyton cleaned up with garbage-time numbers (337 yards, three TDs) in last year's trip to Foxboro.

5. For the playoff period of Weeks 13-16, Brady and Manning each get the nod twice — although one could make the argument for Peyton having equally attractive (or better) matchups for Weeks 15 (vs. San Diego) and 16 (@ Houston).

6. Here's why Peyton wins decisively in my world:

The Broncos have the NFL's best receiving corps of Demaryius Thomas (94 catches, 1,434 yards, 10 TDs), Eric Decker (85 catches, 1,064 yards, 13 TDs) and Wes Welker (118 catches, 1,354 yards, six TDs with New England) ... whereas Brady has only one guaranteed blue-chipper for Week 1 — tight end Aaron Hernandez.

Danny Amendola can be a game-changer in Points Per Reception leagues; and Rob Gronkowski is probably fantasy's top tight end, when healthy. But it's hard to give Brady the nod over Peyton with Michael Jenkins (119 catches, seven TDs from 2010-12) as a primary target.