By Stan Simmons for Betonline.com
NFL fantasy betting: quarterback primer
NFL fantasy betting is heating up with the NFL season just around the corner. NFL betting futures, Super Bowl odds and fantasy drafts are all coming up, so it’s never too early to get prepared. With Tom Brady healthy and back in the New England Patriots lineup, he climbs back to the top of the rankings, but he’s got some company now. Here’s a list of the Top 20 fantasy quarterbacks for NFL fantasy betting:

?Drew Brees tops rankings even with Brady back

?How will loss of head coach, offensive coordinator effect Peyton Manning?

?Trent Edwards a sleeper

1. Drew Brees – New Orleans Saints

NFL fantasy betting experts might be surprised to see Brees here, but here are the facts: Saints head coach Sean Payton loves to the throw the ball, the Saints have no running game and no defense. That means plenty of passing opportunities for Brees, who nearly broke Dan Marino’s single-season passing yards record last year.

 2. Tom Brady – New England Patriots

 The Patriots will probably run the ball a little more this year and they probably won’t run up the score like they did two years ago when Brady smashed all sorts of records, but he’s still got Randy Moss, and Wes Welker, and Joey Galloway…

 3. Peyton Manning – Indianapolis Colts

 NFL fantasy betting experts know that Peyton Manning is always a safe pick, but there are a few amber signs that may yield you from drafting him before Brady and Brees. Longstanding head coach Tony Dungy and offensive coordinator Tom Moore have moved on, and Marvin Harrison has been released. That’s enough change to drop Manning slightly.

 4. Philip Rivers – San Diego Chargers

 How do you argue with Philip? He tore it up last year and that was with minimal production from his favorite weapon: Antonio Gates. Rivers was also recovering from offseason knee surgery. Now both are healthy, which means another big season from Rivers.

 5. Aaron Rodgers – Green Bay Packers

 Rodgers was one of the surprises of the 2008 NFL fantasy betting season and he should be able to put up similar numbers in 2009. With Donald Driver, James Jones and Greg Jennings, he has plenty of weapons around him. More importantly, the defense is still back, so the Packers will need points aplenty.

 6. Tony Romo – Dallas Cowboys

 Don’t neglect Tony Romo, who was one of the top quarterbacks drafted last year. The sportsbook odds makers have dropped expectations for the Cowboys because of the loss of Terrell Owens, but don’t be surprised if this unit is better now. With Jason Witten and Roy Williams still around, Romo should have a good fantasy season.

 7. Donovan McNabb – Philadelphia Eagles

 McNabb had a stellar season last year, and if he can stay healthy, he might build on it this year. The Eagles love to pass, which is always great news for McNabb. With Brian Westbrook coming off offseason surgery, the Eagles may have to rely on McNabb a bit more.

 8. Kurt Warner – Arizona Cardinals

 Warner is a solid option because the Cardinals have the best wideout tandem in the NFL with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, and the Cardinals love to air it out. The only concern is that Warner may get pushed by Matt Leinart, but no one seems overly concerned by that.

 9. Matt Ryan – Atlanta Falcons

 Ryan had a huge fantasy season and now the team has added a great safety valve: Tony Gonzalez. This is still a run-first team with Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood, but don’t be surprised if this is a high-scoring team as well.

 10. Trent Edwards – Buffalo Bills

 It might have surprised some online betting players to see Edwards in the top 10, but how can you ignore the weapons? With two good running backs and Terrell Owens and Lee Evans on the outside, this is going to be one pretty offense to look at.

 11. Matt Schaub – Houston Texans

12. Jay Cutler – Chicago Bears

13. Ben Roethlisberger – Pittsburgh Steelers

14. Carson Palmer – Cincinnati Bengals

15. Jake Delhomme – Carolina Panthers

16. Matt Cassel – Kansas City Chiefs

17. Matt Hasselbeck – Seattle Seahawks

18. Eli Manning – New York Giants

19. Brett Favre – Minnesota Vikings

20. Kyle Orton – Denver Broncos

For more fantasy news and analysis on NFL lines, check out the BetOnline.com Betting Edge daily.

Stan Simmons first tasted football through the college game, but his football handicapping has strictly focused on the professional sport. Not many people devote as much time to the NFL as Simmons. For six days a week he works, labors and handicaps the sport, and on the seventh he rests as the games play out. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.

Please click HERE to ensure that you are eligible for all BETONLINE offers