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You don\'t have to rush out for Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning — as great as they are. And if those three QBs come off the board quickly in your draft (or are bid up greatly in an auction format), don\'t panic and grab Tony Romo or Matt Schaub. I think it\'s a more wise strategy to sit and wait for a lower-ranked guy in the next tier of quarterbacks.

Using PFW\'s scoring system (four points for TDs; one point for every 20 yards passing), Brees was our 2009 scoring leader with 389 points. But Jay Cutler was second at 361. Brady, obviously, didn\'t play most of last season, but Manning had 317 — fewer than Philip Rivers, Kurt Warner and Aaron Rodgers.

And those are the guys I am talking about getting. Rivers could have a huge season. I think Warner has one more big year left in him. And Rodgers might be the next star in the game.

There are others. Donovan McNabb has a better arsenal. Matt Ryan is obviously on the verge of being a top-shelf QB. And even the much-maligned David Garrard finished ninth overall in the PFW fantasy scoring.

My point is that as great as Brees, Manning and Brady are, those 4,500-yard and 40-TD seasons don\'t happen very often. Of the three, I think Brees has the best chance to have one more killer statistical season this year, with maybe as many as 45 touchdown passes. Forty would be phenomenal. But most of these guys average fewer. Take away those three players\' best TD seasons, and they collectively average about 27 TD passes over the past five years — a strong total, but not one worth reaching too far for.

In a 10- or 12-team format, there are enough good QBs for every fantasy owner to get at least one. You should even be able to get a fine backup. Ryan, Carson Palmer, Matt Cassel, Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning are all ranked outside PFW\'s top nine QBs. It\'s far more important to load up at running back and wide receiver, at which positions you probably start two (or more) apiece each week. Those QBs mentioned above all went in Rounds 5-9 in PFW\'s most recent mock draft while Brees, Brady and Manning went in the first three rounds.

There\'s not enough separation between the top guys and the second- and even third-tier quarterbacks to reach that high. Stockpile players at other positions, grab two quarterbacks somewhere between Rivers (PFW\'s sixth-ranked QB) and Eli Manning (15th), and you should have a quality option at QB every week without sacrificing depth and talent elsewhere.