The FrankenQB - How to build a QB1 with scraps

Cam Newton is the top fantasy quarterback heading into the 2016 season. You don't need him. Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Andrew Luck round out the top four in most pre-season rankings. Don't bother with them, either. In fact, there is a lot to be said for building a quarterback from the leftovers while focusing more on other positions in the first seven or eight rounds.

A valid reason why it's wise to wait is Newton himself. Newton was the 15th QB off the board in 2015. Peyton Manning was third. You can get value at the position without burning an early draft pick.

According to FantasyPros.com, the top eight quarterbacks are going in the following order:

We want to cut any players in the top eight to make it interesting. This rule makes things a bit easier, because every league will work differently. In a league where the participants value QBs highly, runs on name players will come earlier than later. In other leagues, it will be easier to wait.

By that rule, Blake Bortles and Tony Romo become the first quarterbacks we can consider drafting. But this goes beyond simply nabbing Bortles or Romo the second Brady comes off the board; there are more options than just them. Here's how we can calculate potential success.

Bye Weeks

First, if you're drafting two QBs to use situationally, you need to know when their bye weeks are. If you draft Cincinnati Bengals QB Andy Dalton, you're not going to turn around and take Washington QB Kirk Cousins, as they both have a Week 9 bye.

This is the first step. It's not enough, but it's crucial. It's an easy mistake to make, but it's also one of the easiest to avoid by simply paying attention. Remember, this isn't a suggestion to take the lowest-ranked quarterbacks. This is about combining value in the mid-to-late tiered players.

Strength of Schedule

Those picking Rodgers look set as the Green Bay Packers have the best perceived strength of schedule based on opponents' records from a year ago. The next four teams are the New York Giants, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions.

Immediately, this makes Romo look like a fantastic candidate as the first part of the pair, as Dallas' opponents combined for a 119-137 record in 2015, and nowhere is more appealing than the opening weekend against the Giants. A lot can change from year to year, but the Giants allowed more yards through the air than any other defense last season.

Dallas has a Week 2 date with Washington, another team that was fairly weak against the pass in 2015 - though that added value to Cousins as he consistently had to pass to win. Things get a little dodgy against the Bears in Week 3. By handcuffing Romo to division rival Eli Manning - the Giants face Washington in Week 3 - alternating weeks could pay off.

You need to study your schedules and know what's coming before the draft. Otherwise, it's all a crapshoot. It helps with planning. You should go into the draft knowing which two QBs you are planning on taking because of their schedules and how they match up.

The Weapons at Their Disposal

Romo, if he's healthy, will have WR Dez Bryant at full strength. Considering the Cowboys feature one of the strongest offensive lines in the game, he should have protection. Pair that with the Cowboys' strength of schedule and he's a borderline QB1, anyway. Pushing it further, we can still find top value further in the draft.

Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan had a less-than-solid season, but he's still the top dog in Atlanta. This, plus the fact that he has a top-3 WR in Julio Jones as his primary target. Here's where strength of schedule really comes in, though. The Falcons are tied with the San Francisco 49ers for the most difficult schedule, based on 2015 results, headed into this season.

In October alone, Ryan will have to square off against the Panthers, Broncos, Seahawks and Packers. Drafting Ryan means reaching a bit for a handcuff who may fill a starting role more regularly. Which leads us to the next section.

Three Viable Combos

Tony Romo & Matt Ryan

One of the lowest-risk combinations involves drafting Romo and pairing him with Ryan in a later round. Romo just happens to have his bye in the one October week where Ryan has a favorable matchup, Week 6 against the San Diego Chargers. And for all his struggles, Ryan still gets to play against the Saints twice per season.

Depending on the league, and how your peers value QBs, Romo will probably come off the board somewhere between the eighth and tenth rounds. Sometimes, players like Eli Manning or Philip Rivers will go ahead of him, and if that's the case, it's a stroke of luck. Romo may have a reputation for being injury-prone, but has started at least 15 games in six of nine seasons.

Risk: Low

Philip Rivers & Jay Cutler

Rivers has thrown for 4,000 or more yards in every season but one since 2008. He is extremely undervalued despite having a top-15 WR in Keenan Allen, a future Hall-of-Fame TE in Antonio Gates and one of the best pass-catching RBs in Danny Woodhead. He is consistent from top to bottom.

Pairing him with Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler has some risk, especially as both face off against solid defenses in Week 1, with the Chargers at Kansas City and the Bears at Houston. After that, though, Cutler has a string of decent-to-great matchups.

Risk: Medium

Ryan Tannehill & Joe Flacco or Tyrod Taylor

Those really looking to test rocky waters should look at Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill - one of the 14 QBs taken ahead of Newton in 2015. While the Dolphins have the 11th-most difficult schedule, there are some reasons to consider him a sleeper.

Receivers Jarvis Landry and DeVante Parker are poised to become one of the top receiving tandems - Landry is already a target monster - and Tannehill has shown flashes before.

Add in RB Jay Ajayi, who showed increased pass-catching ability with every college season he played; RB Arian Foster, who has some of the best hands of any running back in the league; and a potentially resurgent TE in Jordan Cameron, and the weapons are there. And Tannehill should go between the 12th and 14th rounds, which means you can afford to wait.

Going back-to-back with Buffalo Bills QB Tyrod Taylor provides variety in the ways they can do damage, but the Bills' schedule is even tougher than Miami's. The freedom selecting division rivals provides is the ability to play Tannehill when the Bills are playing New England, and vice-versa.

Instead, Ravens QB Joe Flacco could easily be available later than either. This is not a sexy pick by any stretch, but other than Week 1 in 2015, he wasn't a net negative option, and he is poised to have a healthier receiving corps at the start of 2016. The Ravens have an easier schedule, including opening the season at home versus Buffalo.

Consider punting QB until very late by selecting either Taylor or Tannehill and snagging Flacco even later. The rest of the roster should be very strong and enough solid weeks should be found between the two QBs to help contend.

Risk: High

Alternate options: Cousins and Matthew Stafford; Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston; Manning and Teddy Bridgewater. Or, you could take any two names mentioned here and snatch newly re-signed Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick in the last round - if you're drafting early - and reap the rewards.