Fantasy football is all about points. The more you score, the better chance you have to win.
(It ain't rocket science, folks).
While traditional scoring leader lists offer a look at how well a player did overall during a given season, it doesn't take into account such factors as games missed and injuries. So, let's take a deeper look into the numbers to see how our heroes performed when the football was in their hands. In the case of the quarterbacks, we examined how well players performed on a per pass attempt basis with notes on those whose value was improved due to their skills as a runner. This exercise helps us find which quarterbacks do the most with their opportunities, and which ones need lots of chances to be relevant.
Here's a look at your top 20 fantasy field generals from last season, ranked based on their fantasy-point-per-attempt averages.
1. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (0.65 FPPT): The second-highest scoring player in fantasy football last season, Ryan dazzled in the stat sheets with career bests almost across the board. His 117.1 passer rating was also a full 18 points better than his previous best (99.1) back in 2012.
2. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (0.63 FPPT): Prescott was consistent for fantasy owners during his rookie campaign, scoring 17-plus points 12 times with six performances of 20-plus points. Around 22 percent of his total fantasy points came as a runner, which gives him even more value.
T-3. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (0.62 FPPT): Rodgers scored 32.56 fantasy points more than the next-best player (Ryan), and he was the lone quarterback to hit the 40-touchdown pass mark last season. Not surprisingly, Rodgers also finished third in pass attempts (610) at the position.
T-3. Tyrod Taylor, Buffalo Bills (0.62 FPPT): Taylor, who led all quarterbacks in fantasy points per touch in 2015, finished right near the top again last season. Keep in mind though, that T-Mobile scored almost 36 percent of this points as a runner. That's what makes him a fantasy threat.
5. Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers (0.61 FPPT): Kaepernick can't seem to find a job in the NFL (at least for now), but he did score a high grade in our point-per-touch analysis. Like Taylor, the veteran out of Nevada also recorded a very high percentage of points as a runner (29 percent).
6. Tom Brady, New England Patriots (0.60 FPPT): Brady finished 15th in fantasy points among quarterbacks, but he averaged an impressive 21.5 points a game (don't forget he served a four-game suspension to start the year). By comparison, Rodgers averaged 23.7 as the league's top fantasy scorer. Imagine what Brady could accomplish with Brandin Cooks now in the mix.
7. Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans (0.58 FPPT): Mariota scored 19-plus fantasy points per game during a red-hot, five-game stretch that saw his value soar. Unfortunately, he hit that mark in just two other games and missed the end of the season with a broken fibula. Still, Mariota has lots of potential.
8. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts (0.56 FPPT): Despite a bum shoulder, a questionable offensive line and one missed game, Luck still averaged 20.5 fantasy points per game and ranked fourth in points among quarterbacks. Barring a setback from shoulder surgery, Luck will be ranked as a top-five signal-caller in 2017.
T-9. Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins (0.50 FPPT): Cousins threw the football 606 times (sixth-most) and averaged 18.8 fantasy points per game last season. His draft value did take a bit of a hit when the Redskins lost DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, but he's still a surefire No. 1 quarterback.
T-9. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers (0.50 FPPT): Roethlisberger's home-road fantasy splits told a tale of two different players, but he still ranked in the top 10 in point-per-attempt totals. He should do it again next season, and the potential return of Martavis Bryant would add to his appeal.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com and NFL Network and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Have a burning question on anything fantasy related? Tweet it to _**@MichaelFabiano**_ or send a question via **Facebook**!
