One of the prime benefits of playing fantasy football is the exposure to emerging players throughout the National Football League. Any dedicated sports fan might be able to list off the rookies, injuries and upsets relevant to his/her preferred team, but dedicating time to a fantasy league develops a broader understanding of the game, the players and their statistics.

(Let’s not talk about the disadvantages of fantasy football, which is just about as addicting and dangerous for your social life as Four Loko.)

My Saturday night activities aside, one rising player affiliated with a team to which I have no ties comes to mind. Tracking Yahoo! draft trends and staying up-to-date on Michael “PETA Pal” Vick’s injuries have yet to translate into a post-graduate job (big deal) for me, but playing fantasy football did direct my attention to the rise of Ryan Fitzpatrick ’05.

No longer is it only Harvard’s closet sports fans cheering on the Bills’ QB and 2005 Ivy League Player of the Year, but sports nerds throughout the nation.

Fitzpatrick first turned some heads this season after stepping in for an ailing Trent Edwards in Week 3 against the Patriots, nearly upending the division rivals with 247 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-30 loss. Going 5-0 in touchdowns to interceptions over the next two winless (and Edward-less) weeks, Fitzpatrick elicited more notice in Week 7 when he delivered the most touchdown passes (4) against the Baltimore Ravens since Peyton Manning’s riotous December 2007 performance. Despite Fitzy’s 382 yards and four TD’s, an overtime mistake from tight end Shawn Nelson cost Fitzpatrick’s team the 37-34 loss. On Sunday, the first victory of the season seemed imminent until a fourth quarter interception (perhaps Fitzpatrick’s biggest mistake yet) set up the visiting Bears for the go-ahead score.

Okay, so you might sense a theme here: the Bills (0-8), as a team, are terrible.

In general, Buffalo is failing worse than Democratic House candidates did last Tuesday. The Bills’ D has coughed up more points (29.1) and rushing yards (178.2) per game than any other team in the league. And although the Bills’ offense (304.6 yards/game) isn’t exactly as menacing as House Minority Leader John Boehner, we cannot simply look to the team’s proverbial leader as the sole indicator for its outcomes despite mounting losses.

In fact, Fitzpatrick’s statistics of late suggest the opposite is true.

So far Fitzpatrick has produced an 85.8 passer rating for the year–just about average for the league but still ahead of nearly-certain Hall of Famers (Brett Favre, Donovan McNabb) and highly-touted young talent (Mark Sanchez). Over six games Buffalo’s former second-string QB passed for 13 scores and only seven interceptions. With upcoming matchups against the inexperienced Lions, disappointing Bengals and bizarre Browns, Fitzpatrick and the Bills might just win a game this season.

Wins and losses aside, Fitzpatrick’s ascension to a starting QB position in the NFL must be considered a success story relative to most other recent Harvard athletes turned pro.

Fitzpatrick has far exceeded his former gridiron go-to, Clifton Dawson ’07. Dawson, holder of the all-time Ivy League rushing record, left a storied career at Harvard end entered the NFL with limited success. After brief appearances on the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals, a season-ending injury led to Dawson’s most recent parting with the Houston Texans in 2009.

Moving to the NBA, Jeremy Lin ’10 currently faces the immense growing pains of adjusting to professional-grade competition. After leaving his own giant mark on the Ivy League, it is strange but nonetheless correct to call Lin a rookie, as the small guard appeared in only two games for the Golden State Warriors so far and contributes one point and 1.5 assists per game.

Relative to Lin, Dawson and the majority of Harvard athletes, Fitzpatrick’s accomplishments should be carefully traced in seasons to come. He may not be the next Drew Brees, but he is certainly worth a second look–regardless if you play fantasy football or not.

A good friend of mine and Buffalo native frequently (and correctly) reminds me, “It’s tough to be a Bills fan.”

After starting Fitzpatrick in fantasy football, though, I can say that it’s becoming very easy to be a Fitzpatrick fan.

—Staff writer Emmett Kistler can be reached at ekistler@fas.harvard.edu.