Tim Heltman-USA TODAY Sports
“No one ever won their league starting Tony Romo.” While this may seem like sound advice, does Romo really deserve to be buried beneath a dozen other Fantasy quarterbacks? His legacy as a choke artist in crucial games for the Dallas Cowboys notwithstanding, Romo has put up solid Fantasy numbers for several years now, and there’s little reason to believe that will change in 2013.
Would I ever trust Romo to come through in a must-win situation? Of course not. But Fantasy is a different ballgame, a game that doesn’t care about things like “clutch factor,” or “most consecutive years hanging on to your job while somehow turning your entire fanbase against you.”
Hey, did you know Romo is fifth all time in quarterback rating? Fifth! I know, he’s benefitted from playing in the most quarterback-friendly era of all time, but he still has a career edge over the likes of Matt Ryan, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers and Drew Brees, all of whom are ranked ahead of Romo in most 2013 Fantasy projections.
What’s more, there’s little reason to believe this year will be any different. With the likes of Dez Bryant, Miles Austin and Jason Witten catching his passes, Romo should throw for a ton of yards again this season.
It may seem like a better move to take a new-age QB like Robert Griffin III, Colin Kaepernick or Russell Wilson ahead of a traditional passer/choke artist like Romo, but I’m highly skeptical that these three will continue their enormous success of 2012; the NFL is too smart to let the read-option continue to dominate the way it did last year, and with many coaches around the league having devoted significant resources this offseason to figuring out the best way to stop it, I think we’ll see a leveling off in production. Besides, a running quarterback is more likely to be an injured quarterback; just ask RGIII. Do you really want to roll the dice on a guy who could be concussed or severely injured because he tried to run for five extra yards?
Believe me, I know Romo is a punch line around the league. But the guy puts up solid numbers year in, year out, and that’s all that matters in your Fantasy league. Don’t let his past failures in Week 17 cloud your judgment, Romo is a fine starter and an exceptional backup to have on your roster.
Tony Baker is a Los Angeles Angels writer for Rant Sports. You can follow him on Twitter at @tonloc_baker or on Google.
Related:
