Matt Schaub: Backup Quarterback In Fantasy Football?

Joe Fortenbaugh of NFP penned an article yesterday examining three (3) QBs who are going later in fantasy drafts than usual yet could still provide excellent value for fantasy owners. One of the three QBs Fortenbaugh identified was none other than Houston's own Matt Schaub. In his write-up on Schaub, Fortenbaugh said something that caught my eye.

Matt Schaub, Houston Texans (ADP: 106.1): The two problems with Schaub are injuries (only two full 16-game seasons in last five years) and the stellar Houston defense, which will limit the amount of passes the Virginia product needs to throw in the fourth quarter. But the 15th quarterback off the board? I’m not buying it. With Arian Foster to anchor the running game and Andre Johnson lining up on the outside, Schaub is without question the most appealing QB2 on the market this summer. If you can manage to land a consistent and productive QB1 before drafting Schaub in the later rounds, you’ll have a fat piece on trade bait on your hands.

Drafting Matt Schaub as your second-string fantasy QB? Zuh? I understand the concerns surrounding his health and the strength of the Texans' defense and running game, but intentionally drafting The Schaub as a QB2?

Granted, the last sentence of the analysis seems to champion the idea of trading Schaub to a fantasy squad in need of a QB1 down the line. Still, I cannot fathom going into a draft with the plan of taking Matt Schaub as my backup QB. Unless you play in a league that starts two QBs, why would you use a mid-round pick on a QB to ride the bench? And why would you keep Schaub on the bench anyway? We've seen what kind of numbers he is capable of putting up when he's healthy.

For those of you who steer clear of fantasy football, I'll loop you in by asking how many games you believe Matt Schaub will start in 2012. Coincidentally, your answer to that question will be a good indicator of how you feel about Matt Schaub as a fantasy football QB.