24 Mar 2008
 VS 
Hasselbeck Roethlisberger
480.84 pts 460.72 pts
Ht: 6'4" Ht: 6'5"
Wt: 225 lbs Wt: 241 lbs
If you weren’t a football fan, you might open this article expecting to see me compare character names for a revival of Fraggle Rock.
Luckily you, the avid fantasy baller, know better than that, that Matt Hasselbeck and Ben Roethlisberger both had great 2007 seasons – both over 3100 yards, 28 TDs, with a QB rating of over 90.
Furthermore, Roethlisberger and Hasselbeck both answered some major questions in ’07. Big Ben was coming off a sub par, injury-plagued 2006 that saw the Super Bowl champion Steelers miss the playoffs while their young stud Quarterback threw 23 interceptions to only 18 Touchdowns. Pretty much every fan in the Steel city was starting to wonder if Roethlisberger’s championship run could all be credited to a great running game and defense.
In ‘07, Big Ben put all those questions to rest. He netted a 104.1 QB rating while throwing 32 touchdowns to only 11 interceptions for the AFC North champion Steelers, at the end of the year he was rewarded with a $102 million dollar, eight-year contract.
In Seattle, the questions weren’t so much about Hasselbeck’s skills, but about the offense as a whole. Top wideout Darrell Jackson had been traded to San Francisco, and superstar running back Shaun Alexander had only 896 yards in 2006, almost 1,000 less than he had in 2005.
So the first options for Hasselbeck were supposed to be Alexander, Deion Branch, and D.J. Hackett. Alexander ran for 716 yards with four touchdowns, Branch had 661 yards receiving with four touchdowns, and Hackett had 384 receiving yards with three touchdowns.
All of that makes the fact that Hasselbeck led the Seahawks to another NFC West title and an opening round win in the playoffs even more impressive. 35 year-old Bobby Engram had a career high 1,147 yards and tied a career high with 6 TDs, and Nate Burleson had 694 yards and tied a career high with 9 TDs.
Hasselbeck had 28 TDs to 12 INTs and closed in on 4,000 yards with the second best year of his career.
REDRAFT CONSIDERATIONS
Hasselbeck is 32 to Roethlisberger is 26 but that doesn’t mean Hasselbeck is on the downside of his career, no he’s still in his prime. Hasselbeck’s shown that he can produce no matter the compliments and he’ll go into 2008 with Branch, Engram, and Burleson all back and more time to improve their chemistry.
In Pittsburgh, Roethlisberger lost his best lineman in All-Pro Guard Alan Faneca. This should mean slightly less time in the pocket, but could have a significant negative effect on the Steelers’ running game. If that happens, Roethlisberger might be forced to throw more often into Nickel and Dime coverages.
If you’re just drafting for one year, Hasselbeck takes the slight edge because his success has now held up over time. He’s one of the safest starting fantasy quarterbacks once you get past Brady, Manning and Romo.
KEEPER/DYNASTY CONSIDERATIONS
This one’s a little dicey because Hasselbeck is six years older than Roethlisberger. Hasselbeck’s not ready to start declining yet, but in two or three years, he just might. Big Ben, while unlikely to repeat his spectacular numbers of ’07, should be a good fantasy QB for many years to come.
This one really depends on the length of your keeper league (and or contracts). If you’re keeping a quarterback for three years, the two are just about even, if you’re going for five years or dynasty with no contracts, go with Roethlisberger.
SITUATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
Shaun Alexander and Hines Ward are aging stars on their teams, and how they hold up this year could mean a great deal for their QB.
Rumors are swirling that the Seahawks will release Alexander, electing instead to go with the quicker Maurice Morris along with newly signed Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett for the short work. Considering the four-year contract the Seahawks gave to Jones, you’d expect they see him as the starter.
While Hasselbeck has shown he can produce without a running game, a good one could be the difference between a solid season and a great one.
In Pittsburgh, Hines Ward has been the possession receiver for a decade. This year he’ll enter camp as the clear number two to Santonio Holmes. If Hines can stay healthy and continue to produce at a high level it will mean a lot for the Steelers. Any kind of long-term injury during the season would be a huge blow, as Santonio probably can’t carry the load as a true No. 1 just yet.
BOTTOM LINE
Despite the lucrative contract for Big Ben, Hasselbeck is a better quarterback right now and the Steelers still have a run first offense. Draft Hasselbeck just before Roethlisberger, but don’t be disappointed with either one. With either of these two, don’t be surprised if you’re only losing weekly points to the Brady/Romo/Manning owners.
REDRAFT EDGE - Hasselbeck
+++++
KEEPER/DYNASTY EDGE - Even
| 
