The Quarterback By Committee (QBBC) Matrix

A fantasy owner who is following the Quarterback By Committee (QBBC) strategy will ignore the quarterback position on draft day until the middle or late rounds, and then take 2-3 QBs to form a committee that he/she can use throughout the season based on weekly matchups.

With the successful return of Peyton Manning, along with the emergence of young signal callers like Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, the quarterback position is extremely deep this year. This makes a committee that much more viable, as the QB2 group -- players ranked #13-#24 in our rankings -- includes several proven vets as well as a few up-and-comers.

While Quarterback By Waiver Wire (QBBWW) is also a good strategy, fantasy owners will want to consider a QBBC approach if the roster size in their league is relatively large (18-plus) or if the number of teams exceeds the 10- or 12-team norm. As the number of roster spots and/or teams in the league increases, the thinner the QB position becomes, and it becomes that much more difficult to find quality replacements on the waiver wire.

Below you'll find a table of the 231 possible combinations of the 22 teams with QBs ranked #11 to #32 in our preseason rankings. Each combination has been assigned a grade based on the duo's combined schedule, which is derived our preseason Hot Spots report. Duos with an "x" should be avoided since they have the same bye.

Keep in mind that preseason passing strength of schedule (SOS) is not as predictive as rushing SOS, so use these letter grades loosely as a guide. If you like a pair of players, and their combined schedule is a "C" or better, don't be afraid to use that duo in a committee. However, if you're trying to decide between two different committees -- one "A" and one "F" -- you can be reasonably certain that the "A" committee is the better choice. Also, the grade only applies to the combined schedule, not to the players in question. For QB rankings, click here.

Josh Freeman & Carson Palmer

We've been touting two specific sleepers at the QB position: Josh Freeman [Sleeper Alert] and Carson Palmer. That duo's combined schedule gets a "C-," so it wouldn't be a bad combination given the fact that we are relatively high on each player, especially at their current ADPs.

Freeman's schedule combines well with Tony Romo, Ryan Tannehill, Eli Manning and Alex Smith. Palmer's schedule meshes nicely with Alex Smith, Tony Romo, Jay Cutler, Philip Rivers and whoever wins the Oakland and Philadelphia jobs. Palmer also fits well with entrenched starters Ben Roethlisberger, Ryan Tannehill and Andy Dalton.

Three-Man Committee

Owners who elect to go with a three-man committee should be able to find a mediocre-to-favorable matchup each week, so they don't need to worry too much about the matrix, though it's not a bad idea to start with a duo with a decent grade and then add a third QB.

In this case, it's acceptable to target a nice committee of two players that have the same bye and then add a third QB. Cutler/Schaub, Rivers/Schaub and Luck/Rivers are duos that fall into this category.