As soon as it became obvious the Denver Broncos were not only keeping veteran quarterback Kyle Orton and then proclaiming him the starter, I expected to see Orton's stock rise in fantasy football circles. I mean, Orton isn't Aaron Rodgers by any means, but last season, when he was the starter, he and Brandon Lloyd were a fantastic team. It wasn't just Lloyd putting up big numbers; Orton produced six 20-point fantasy games in his first 11 games. He was easily a top-10 guy. And then, through no fault of his own, he was watching Tim Tebow play.
Orton will not be watching Tebow play anytime soon, and that's why I remain surprised that Orton remains on the outside looking in for top 20 quarterback status in ESPN average live drafts. For Orton to be going after rookie Cam Newton is just ridiculous. Have you seen Newton in action this preseason? He's making some plays, but when you watch him, you often grimace. And the stats aren't quite there.
To read Eric's thoughts on Kyle Orton's, Matthew Stafford's and Peyton Manning's draft value, you must be an ESPN Insider.


