It's a great era for a quarterback; let's draft two!

OK, OK, so that's not precisely how the quote went and the original was spoken by an athlete from that other sport, but there's truth to it: Quarterback scoring has increased in recent years to an extent that it's a shame to leave so many productive players on fantasy benches.

Facts are facts: The No. 20 scoring quarterback in 2014 totaled more fantasy points than all but eight running backs, nine wide receivers and one tight end. That's right, 20 quarterbacks managed 175 or more fantasy points. A grand total of 18 from all other positions totaled at least that many.

Ah, but there's a format that helps alleviate this: The two-quarterback league, where quarterbacks are routinely selected more closely to the order of their final fantasy points ranking, and you're not stuck having to choose between Tom Brady and Philip Rivers each and every week. No longer does the strategy, "You can wait on your starting quarterback," carry weight; in this format, you need to add the line, "but you can't wait on both of your quarterbacks."

To illustrate, we gathered 10 great fantasy football minds on July 17 for a two-quarterback -- and three-wide receiver, for another added wrinkle compared to our standard league format -- mock draft: From ESPN Fantasy, Jim McCormick, Joe Kaiser, Tom Carpenter, Christopher Harris, Eric Karabell, KC Joyner, Keith Lipscomb and me, Tristan H. Cockcroft; plus, ESPN NFL Nation New Orleans Saints reporter Mike Triplett and Pro Football Focus' Jeff Ratcliffe.

Listed below are the round-by-round results of the mock draft, with commentary where applicable. The tables themselves, in addition to listing the overall selection number, player, position, NFL team and drafting owner, also include where he was selected compared to others at his position, as well as the differential ("Diff.") between the spot in which he was selected and my preliminary two-quarterback league top 100 rankings, originally published June 18. Players who did not make my top 100 then are listed with "--" in that column.

Surprise, surprise, Adrian Peterson with the first pick -- even in a two-quarterback league! Mike Clay previously made the case for Peterson in an ESPN standard (10 teams, two starting wide receivers) league, but he's apparently not alone in his assessment that Peterson warrants consideration first overall. In this league, it stands out, especially with two quarterbacks and three wide receivers in the starting lineup.

"I still view Peterson as a league-winning -- or, more appropriately, a week-winning -- fantasy back," said McCormick. "I was willing to forgive the 25 percent-or-so gap in average weekly fantasy production between Aaron Rodgers and, say, Matt Ryan for the more sizable gap that can be found among the elite tailbacks and the deeper tiers at the position."

The heavier weight given to running backs wasn't only present at No. 1 overall. For the second consecutive season, precisely three quarterbacks graced the first round of our mock, though this year, instead of Peyton Manning squeezing into the first, he lasted into the second, while Andrew Luck was the fifth overall selection. Drew Brees making the first round in consecutive years, though, was somewhat unexpected, Brees is coming off a disappointing 2014 and has since lost one of his most trusted targets, tight end Jimmy Graham, who was traded to the Seattle Seahawks during the offseason. Lipscomb, disheartened when he learned he drew the No. 10 pick, was targeting Brees from the mock draft's very start, making Brees lasting that long a pleasant surprise.

"Even with the loss of Graham," said Lipscomb, "Brees still will throw a bunch. I felt I had to make sure I got at least one high-quality starter at 10 or 11, not knowing how many quarterbacks would be taken from picks 12 through 29."

Triplett agreed: "Brees will continue to put up big numbers; this isn't shifting to a run-first offense despite the offseason changes."

With seven running backs selected in Round 1, I was surprised to see Luck last until my pick. In two-quarterback leagues this season, I'm considerably more interested in getting either Rodgers or Luck, both ahead of the majority of that bunched-up group of first round-caliber running backs, in fact. Eddie Lacy was a consideration, but I know how quickly quarterbacks tend to fly off the board in Rounds 2 and 3. To pass on Luck, and risk the possibility of having only Ryan, Cam Newton and Ben Roethlisberger available for my second- or third-round picks -- the latter the point at which a quarterback would be essential -- was too risky for my tastes.

As noted above, Roethlisberger wasn't one of my preferred quarterback targets for Round 2, but Joyner made a compelling case when confidently selecting the Pittsburgh Steelers signal-caller.

"The most notable reason [to target Roethlisberger in Round 2] might be that he had the lowest bad decision rate (BDR) of any quarterback with 200 or more vertical pass attempts last year," said Joyner. "Getting 200 or more attempts at that depth level -- aerials thrown 11 or more yards downfield -- is the bar for upper-tier volume there, so that's a major plus. Leading in BDR is a big step forward for Roethlisberger, as he used to fare poorly in this metric, which gauges how often a quarterback makes a mental error that leads to a turnover opportunity for the defense. Combining elite downfield production with few mistakes, playing behind a great offensive line, throwing nearly 200 passes to the best wide receiver in the league, throwing another 75-100 passes to the best running back in the league, and the possibility of having a second dominant vertical threat in Martavis Bryant, the result is a quarterback who could contend for the top spot by season's end."

Wide receivers, strangely, were the ones that lingered in this draft, with only four of the perceived top tier of seven at the position going in Round 2. After Antonio Brown went 13th overall (and the third receiver in the round), I grabbed Demaryius Thomas, primarily because of the three-wide receiver format, which pushes his value into the top-12-overall range on my draft board. I thought Brown, Thomas and Dez Bryant each went two or three spots later than they should have, selected closer to the range they should have in a 10-team, two-wide receiver league.

I'm not among those who believe that Rob Gronkowski's true value is that of a first-rounder, though I know there are those who believe it. That said, his value shouldn't be so low as that of a third-rounder -- even in a league that adds an extra quarterback and wide receiver to the mix. Though I considered both Jeremy Hill and Alshon Jeffery, I couldn't pass up Gronkowski's significant point-potential advantage over the rest of his tight-end brethren.

Hill, a borderline first-round pick in standard leagues, was one of the round's better values. "I darn near considered Hill at picks 10-11, so it pained me to watch him last until just four picks before my third-rounder," said Lipscomb.

More members of the wide receiver's top tier lingered into the third round, with former perennial first-round pick Calvin Johnson one of the round's more unexpected values. "I couldn't pass up Dez Bryant -- whom I consider a top-10 overall player even in leagues that start two wide receivers, let alone three -- with pick No. 17, and I really couldn't pass up Calvin Johnson at No. 24," said Harris. "I was sticking to my board."

Mark Ingram or Tom Brady? My first difficult choice of the draft, and yes, roster composition influenced my decision. Which would've been worse: Missing out on Brady, or potentially settling for a barely-top-20 running back as my No. 1 at that position? In hindsight, I probably should've taken Brady. That said, the decision surely shifts in either direction -- wiser or more foolish -- the further we get into the appeals process regarding his four-game suspension.

"Before his suspension came down [Brady] was my No. 5 quarterback, so if I was told he was going to play the full 16, I'd consider him a potential second-round pick in a two-quarterback league," said Harris. "So to get him in the fourth feels like good potential value, and I did back him up with Jimmy Garoppolo late, just in case Jimmy G. can play."

Interestingly enough, I discovered after the draft that my decision might've been impacted had Triplett gone in a different direction, as Ingram would've been a consideration for Triplett had he not determined he'd take a quarterback. "Tough choice between Tony Romo and Tom Brady as my top quarterback in Round 4. The suspension didn't scare me that much, but it was enough of a tiebreaker to choose Romo. I trust him behind that offensive line."

Brandin Cooks going ahead of four wide receivers who not only outscored him by more than 60 total fantasy points in 2014, but also averaged at least a point per game more? Believe it, as Ratcliffe took the bold leap at wide receiver.

"Why Cooks ahead of T.Y. Hilton, Emmanuel Sanders, Kelvin Benjamin and DeAndre Hopkins?" pondered Ratcliffe. "With Andre Johnson in Indy, Hilton's targets are almost guaranteed to decline. He was also heavily reliant on deep passes -- just over 25 percent of his targets were 20 yards or more last season -- and that has the potential to decline also with Phillip Dorsett on the field. Sanders was insanely efficient last season, and is a prime candidate for regression with an aging Peyton in a Gary Kubiak, run-oriented offense. I actually like Benjamin a lot and took him in the 5th round. However, I'm a little concerned with his hamstring issue, so I give Cooks the edge. And Hopkins -- who's his quarterback?

"Ultimately, Cooks is a gamble. But, coupled with his potentially low floor is a WR1 fantasy ceiling in a Saints offense with plenty of extra targets to go around, with Kenny Stills and Graham out of the picture."

After missing out on Brady, it was time to get my second quarterback, which I knew was going to be Ryan Tannehill after Harris nabbed Brady. As the selections ticked down, I was hoping Tannehill would make it back to me. Success! And as fantasy owners so often enjoy, it kick-started a mini-run at the position, always a good result because it increases the chances that your next fallback at another spot will make it back to you.

Following the draft, I asked my colleagues whether the Tannehill selection forced their hands, just as the Brady one did for me the round before.

"It was supposed to be Tannehill time, but an annoying colleague chose him the pick before me," said Karabell. "I didn't see that much difference in Tannehill and the lesser Manning, and didn't want to wait and having to chance needing to rely on one of the rookies. But getting the rookies later, when reasonable flex options had been exhausted, that was palatable."

"Although Rivers had a shaky December last year, thanks to nagging back and rib issues, I still consider him one of the most reliable quarterbacks in the league," said Triplett. "NFL Nation Chargers reporter Eric Williams said Rivers is healthy now, and offensive coordinator Frank Reich believes San Diego's improved run game with Melvin Gordon should help protect Rivers, who was one of the best play-action passers in the league last year (82 percent completions, 495 yards, four touchdowns, zero interceptions)."

"Taking [Matthew Stafford] at that point was partly due to the run on quarterbacks," said Joyner. "I was hoping that Eli would fall that far, as I've got him rated sixth at quarterback. Stafford was an OK consolation prize."

Sammy Watkins in the sixth was a great selection. Strangely enough, his selecting owner didn't necessarily agree.

"I officially don't like this draft," said Lipscomb. "Didn't love either Lamar Miller [Lipscomb's fifth-round pick] or Watkins. They're fine, but I still want to love my picks this early."

Well, Keith, Triplett also loved your Watkins pick, having targeted the second-year Buffalo Bills wide receiver entering the round.

"I was really targeting Sammy Watkins in Round 6, based in part on what NFL Nation reporter Mike Rodak has written about high expectations for him," said Triplett. "But when Watkins went earlier than expected, I made the rushed decision on Bell instead.

"It was my biggest regret [all draft], taking Detroit RB Joique Bell over Saints RB C.J. Spiller in Round 6. As the Saints reporter, I should have backed up my own lofty hype for Spiller. I got too cute and thought Spiller might fall another round since it wasn't a PPR league, but this crew is too savvy for that. I'm expecting a big year from Spiller in New Orleans' offense, with 70-plus catches and 1,000-plus yards from scrimmage realistic numbers."

My pick was the ho-hum Allen. Not much to say there other than he's a perfectly adequate WR2, and I like to play wide receiver matchups besides, so he's another one to add to the pile behind my weekly starter Demaryius Thomas.

As Kaiser astutely pointed out, "I felt like Round 7 represented a noticeable drop-off in talent from the first six rounds."

Quarterback had drained to only your weekly matchup types, untested arms and upside plays, the latter a group including the intriguing Teddy Bridgewater, who was a solid choice by Ratcliffe at 68th overall.

At running back, I had my sights firmly on Latavius Murray and Andre Ellington, and Harris nabbed Murray one spot ahead to make the decision for me.

We've officially reached the "well, we've gotta have two, so..." stage at the quarterback position, as Lipscomb (Joe Flacco) and McCormick (Colin Kaepernick) grabbed their second signal-callers. McCormick, who took Matt Ryan in Round 2, made it a double-dip to give himself a backup, pairing Kaepernick to conclude this round with Carson Palmer to begin the next.

"I guessed there was a large enough tier of second and third quarterback options available to me at that Round 6/7 turn that going for skill players wouldn't burn me too badly," said McCormick. "I have both Palmer and Kaepernick listed as options capable of providing a complementary platoon at QB2, so pulling them back-to-back at the Round 8/9 felt like my final option at getting 'starting' caliber signal-caller play."

"All the quarterbacks at the back end of the top 20 went before I could pick in Round 7, particularly Bridgewater to Ratcliffe," said Lipscomb. "Hopefully Flacco benefits from [new offensive coordinator Marc] Trestman and even improves on his solid 27-to-12 touchdown-to-interception rate last season. Gonna need Breshad Perriman to have a big rookie year, though."

Ah, Keith, as you'll find out in two rounds, this columnist thinks Perriman just might -- though for Round 8, it was Vincent Jackson, another wide receiver to add to the weekly matchups stockpile.

Triplett admitted to some help from his ESPN NFL Nation brethren on the Travis Kelce pick, which was solid value here in the eighth. "Chiefs reporter Adam Teicher was high on Kelce in OTAs," said Triplett.

Harris became the final team to pick his second quarterback, settling for the inconsistent and matchup-prone Andy Dalton.

"Anyone who's read, listened or seen me talk about the 'Red Rifle' knows I'm not a fan," said Harris. "But there were 20 quarterbacks gone, and I'd already drafted a couple backup running backs in Latavius Murray and Giovani Bernard. So I leaned toward taking quarterbacks in the 9th and 10th rounds, though if you hadn't taken Breshad Perriman one spot before me, I'd probably have grabbed him over RG III. But anyway, no, this isn't a ringing endorsement of Dalton. Then again, even mediocre quarterbacks will put up double-digit fantasy points most weeks, so with a strong cast around him on my fantasy squad, I'll survive."

More insider info from Triplett on his pick, Shane Vereen: "ESPN NFL Nation reporter Dan Graziano wrote that Vereen could have a bigger role than expected, especially if Giants need him more in pass protection."

Great, Mike, why couldn't you have told me that before I took Rashad Jennings two spots sooner?

While I built a stable of higher-ranked wide receivers for the purposes of playing the matchups game -- Perriman becoming the fourth such player I selected -- Triplett took a more discount approach, every bit as viable a strategy. My top five wide receivers went 16th, 56th, 76th 96th and 116th overall, while Triplett picked his 27th, 67th, 94th, 107th and 134th.

"Some of the picks I was most excited about later were Allen Robinson, Davante Adams and Cody Latimer," said Triplett. "I don't mind waiting at all on receivers, even in a three-wide receiver draft, because I think there's so much depth with all of these young receivers coming into the league the past two years. Or, 'old' steady guys like Marques Colston."

Welcome to the ugly stage of the quarterback position, resulting in only five selected at the position during this five-round span. Nick Foles, my Round 11 pick, was in fact the final one I considered a "comfortable" pick, though it's always possible that either Blake Bortles or Geno Smith could finally figure it out. There's always someone in that group that does.

"Once Derek Carr and Geno Smith were selected, I decided not to take a third quarterback and just figure out that spot during the season," said Lipscomb. Carpenter was the only other owner to stop at the minimum two quarterbacks.

Among the better values in this range: Montee Ball, 109th overall to Joyner, who completed the brilliant strategy of handcuffing Denver Broncos running backs; Zach Ertz, a great tight end value in the 12th round; Roddy White, who really shouldn't last past the 100th pick even in a two-wide receiver league; and Kenny Stills, who graded a good 15 spots higher in my two-quarterback rankings.

"I should have pounced earlier on Austin Seferian-Jenkins or David Cobb," added Triplett, registering his choices for value picks in this range. "I got recommendations on both of those guys from the respective NFL Nation writers, who expect them to emerge a bit this year."

Round 17 Pick Player Team Pos. Owner Rank Diff. 161 Dolphins D/ST MIA D/ST McCormick D6 -- 162 Steven Hauschka SEA K Kaiser K1 8 163 Adam Vinatieri IND K Carpenter K2 -- 164 Broncos D/ST DEN D/ST Harris D7 -- 165 Vikings D/ST MIN D/ST Cockcroft D8 -- 166 Cole Beasley DAL WR Karabell WR60 -- 167 Andre Williams NYG RB Triplett RB52 41 168 Ravens D/ST BAL D/ST Ratcliffe D9 -- 169 Darren Sproles PHI RB Joyner RB53 -- 170 Browns D/ST CLE D/ST Lipscomb D10 --

Yes, four non-kickers or team defenses lasted into Rounds 17-18, granted mostly because a few defenses were selected sooner. But Round 16 turned into somewhat of a lottery-ticket round: David Johnson, Jay Ajayi, Dwayne Allen, my Victor Cruz pick, Dorial Green-Beckham and even Eric Ebron.

"I was amazed that Pierre Garcon -- and even Victor Cruz -- was still there in the 16th, but since I already had seven wide receivers, I needed to take David Johnson because of my iffy running back corps," said Lipscomb.

Full team rosters

For those of you who want a look at how each team roster stacks up, here you go: