Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning are two quarterbacks that are discussed as elite quarterbacks in the NFL. Does that mean they are elite fantasy football quarterbacks too? Also, which quarterback is a better fantasy option when you look ahead to 2013?

Let’s take a look. There’s a few glaring issues that stand out.

First, when you look back at the 2012 season, both quarterbacks finished very close in total scoring. According to eDraft, Manning finished as the 15th highest scoring quarterback with 232.92 points while Roethlisberger finished as the 18th highest scoring quarterback with 223.80 points. Just looking at those numbers you’d think that both quarterbacks are equal.

Think again.

For those who don’t remember, Big Ben suffered a severe rib injury last season that caused him to miss three games. If you were to average Big Ben’s 13 full games last season, he averaged about 14 points a game. If you add 42 points (14 points a game) to his final 2012 total, he would’ve finished with 265.80, good enough for 12th overall in quarterback scoring. While this isn’t a major boost, if you play in a 12-team league, Big Ben becomes a starter for someone’s team.

When you break down the touchdowns between both quarterbacks there’s something that stands out there too. Both quarterbacks threw 26 touchdowns last season even though Roethlisberger played in three less games. This shows that Roethlisberger is more apt to throw touchdowns than Eli Manning, but Eli Manning will have more passing yards.

When looking at passing touchdowns throughout the season, one shows consistency while the other doesn’t. Roethlisberger threw at least one touchdown in each of the 13 games he played last year. In the 16 games Manning played, there were four games where he didn’t throw for a single touchdown. This shows that you can depend on Roethlisberger and the Steelers while Manning and the Giants seem to suffer through many highs and lows.

After looking at the touchdowns between each quarterback, it’s hard to miss the interception numbers as well. Manning threw 15 total interceptions while Roethlisberger threw only eight. While Roethlisberger did play three less games than Manning, its hard to see him throw seven interceptions in three games since he only threw eight all season. Again, consistency.

Finally, the wide receiver situation on each team must be addressed since it will affect the quarterbacks play. The Steelers lost Mike Wallace in free agency and was a successful deep threat for Ben Roethlisberger, but it’s not that devastating for fantasy owners who like Big Ben.

In nine of sixteen games last season, Mike Wallace had four catches or less for the Steelers. In addition, in nine games Wallace finished with 52 receiving yards or less. Clearly, Roethlisberger trusts Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders more, especially on third down than Wallace.

As for the Giants, Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks are still on the roster but appear to be headed toward contract disputes. Neither played has shown up for voluntary workouts and that leads to distractions for them and the rest of the offense.

While both Cruz and Nicks can finish with 1,000 yards a piece, I tend to stay away from players who don’t attend workouts and training camp due to contract disputes. It’s mainly because their bodies aren’t prepared for a long season and tend to have an increased risk of injury. Look at what happened to Darrelle Revis and Maurice Jones-Drew.

Paired with the inconsistency of the Giants offense and Eli Manning, I’d look to Ben Roethlisberger as the better fantasy quarterback option in 2013. He’ll give a team consistent points every week which will help you succeed as a fantasy football owner. If you want to live on the edge and gamble for a high number of points in a certain week, take Eli Manning. Just be prepared for the five point week he will give you as well.

Hopefully, it’s not when you’re playing the first-place team.