Guys I like: Quarterbacks

One thing we've learned about drafting: There are always going to be guys on your board that you wouldn't mind drafting, and if they fall into a value spot, maybe you'll take 'em.

But want really counts -- if you've been keeping up with your off-season homework -- are the guys who have a nice aura around them whenever your thoughts turn their way. The guys you like, not only to be OK, but to really help your team.

Here's my list of the guys I feel good about this offseason, along with a list of guys who I'd like to feel good about (my "Want To Like," or WTL, players), only my head keeps intervening...

(Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer, Tom Brady, Rex Grossman, Ben Roethlisberger, Alex Smith, Matt Schaub,  WTL: Drew Brees, Donovan McNabb, Tony Romo, Matt Hasselbeck, Philip Rivers, JP Losman, Daunte Culpepper)

ELITE QUARTERBACKS

1. Peyton Manning - What's not to like? He's the best quarterback I've ever seen, and he's worth drafting ahead of all but the top seven or eight running backs.
2. Carson Palmer -- I'm worried about the Bengals as a team, but not Palmer as a fantasy player.
3. Tom Brady -- If I'm drafting a QB high, I want to feel secure that he won't wind up flopping. From a fantasy perspective, Brady is like a warm comforter and a glass of milk on a cold winter night. He's not No. 1, but he's Top 5 barring something unforeseen, such as an unexplained thermonuclear war.

VALUE QUARTERBACKS

1. Rex Grossman -- There's a big drop from Brady to Grossman, but as undervalued as he is right now he's a Top 10 QB you can draft in the 13th round.
2. Ben Roethlisberger -- Big Ben will cost you a bit more than Grossman, but he might just outscore him this year if the Steelers' offense stays wide open.
3. Alex Smith -- Boy, has this kid made strides every offseason or what? At this rate, he'll be challenging for a spot in the Pro Bowl by November. I'm not kidding.
4. Matt Schaub -- Yes, he's in a tight spot. But you watch this guy and you get the sense that maybe he's got the mojo to lift the Texans to mediocrity. At the very least he'll put up some touchdowns.

WTL QUARTERBACKS

Drew Brees should be No. 3 on this list ahead of Brady, but he strikes me as enough of a risk that he's almost always going to get drafted ahead of where I'd like him...

Donovan McNabb is a pure stud, but the knee injuries make me cautious...

Tony Romo has got the skills and the situation, but I want to see a little more from him before I pick him where he's been falling...

Matt Hasselbeck is a veteran, but his weapons leave me underwhelmed...

Philip Rivers isn't pretty, but he'll be a success for the Chargers this year. The problem is, he might not be much of a fantasy success...

JP Losman is talented and moving in the right direction, but momentum in the NFL isn't as easy to maintain as one might think...

Daunte Culpepper is positioned to be the Comeback Player of the Year. But I also remember that he was awful two years ago BEFORE a knee injury knocked him out.

NEXT UP: RUNNING BACKS