Quarterbacks: Get the best
There's no more telling fact than this: The top five quarterbacks averaged nearly five fantasy points per game greater than quarterbacks ranked eighth to 12th -- or within two spots of the cutoff for starting spots in an ESPN standard league -- from Weeks 12-17 and nearly four fantasy points per game greater than quarterbacks who faced the five most favorable matchups.
Sure enough, in terms of total fantasy points accrued, the top five quarterbacks from Weeks 1-11 of 2011 (Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, Brees, Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford) still comprised the top five quarterbacks from Weeks 12-17 (ranked Brees, Brady, Stafford, Newton and Rodgers during that time). In fact, four of the five actually improved in terms of average fantasy points per game the final six weeks of the 2011 season. Rodgers was the exception, averaging 26.3 points in the first 11 weeks and 24.4 in the final six, but he was still third best at his position during that time, hardly concerning his owners.
Takeaway: Don't trade Brees, Rodgers, Robert Griffin III or any quarterback who has gotten you this far, and certainly don't trade Brady despite his Weeks 14-15 matchups against the Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers, which rank among the eight worst matchups for a quarterback (before Week 11's games).
Top 8 matchups 14.2 fpts/gm
Bottom 8 matchups 11.8 fpts/gm
Difference 2.4
Top 5 QBs 18.1 fpts/gm
QBs 8-12 13.5 fpts/gm
Difference 4.6