Why Peyton Manning is Left Out of Most Fantasy Football Drafts

Why Did We Leave Out Peyton Manning?

Peyton Manning - arguably one of the best quarterbacks the sport has ever seen. A highly consistent quarterback, you can always count on Manning to deliver the numbers and even pull up the team for the come from behind victory. Even though he has only won the Super Bowl once (XLI), he has become a highly successful player that he has become the face of Indianapolis Colts. You could even see him almost everyday as he is always tapped as the endorser of various products.

Peyton Manning in Motion

But even though Peyton Manning has achieved so much, why did we leave him out for this season? If you take a look at various mock drafts and lists of their starting fantasy team for the season, you'll notice that the great quarterback usually comes in as third choice or even fourth. You can even say that the only group that takes Peyton as the first choice is when you're a true Colts fan. Some suspect that the reason many choose to ignore the great quarterback was that he was lackluster for the first few games last season because of his injury. But he eventually got through the challenge and even became the MVP.

But if you take at the situation of Peyton Manning, there is a reason why some mock drafts opted him out this season. He could be one of the best quarterback but he is still a team player. That means his performance is still greatly affected by the people around him. Among them is the new Colt's head coach, Jim Caldwell. Tony Dungy was practically the brain behind the great time driven by Peyton Manning and a new leadership requires the great quarterback to adjust. The rest of the team will also have to adjust to the new head coach.

Fortunately, the new head of Colts will handle the relatively old body of the winning team. Peyton Manning will still be supported by the players he is accustomed to play with through the years. He will still have Joseph Addai and more importantly, Reggie Wayne. As the numbers of the quarterback in a fantasy game is greatly influenced on how well they pass, a good wide receiver is important. The tandem of Manning and Wayne should never be taken lightly as they can put up fierce numbers game after game.

Peyton, Archie and Eli Manning

The lesson: don't give up yet on Colts. Sure they may have some troubles in the past and they are not as popular as other teams. But remember that the popularity of many teams this season is largely based on controversies outside the court. The Colts on the other hand, is just a silent team that can easily break out to playoffs and into the Super Bowl, if they stay healthy. Don't count out Peyton Manning yet. He is healthy, ready and based on how he performed during the pre-season games, he is back on his original form. Just make sure you double check the injuries surrounding Manning (Sanders, Clark, Wayne, etc.) so that his numbers will stay consistent.