If your league has the standard start 1 QB format, then there are a number of quarterbacks this season you should be keeping an eye on who make ideal backups.  An good backup is obviously one who fills in on a bye week with relative success, but an ideal backup is a QB who is just barely a notch below your starter and can be justified being started when they have favorable matchups, and if, by chance, your QB1 goes down to injury you have a replacement with little value lost.  This is who seems to be emerging as the ideal backups for this season:

Matt Shaub:  When is the last time a Houston QB was relevant in the fantasy world?  Warren Moon maybe?  Whether it has been the lack of talent at the wideout position, or lack of protection from the offensive line, Houston QB’s have not been worth drafting at all, let alone as your first backup.  Well though David Carr had little success the last two seasons, Shaub is in a much better position.  The protection from the line has been improved and Shaub is better suited for this offense as a mobile QB.  He has one very talented receiver in Andre Johnson, and a running back in Ahman Green that the defense has to pay attention to.  Noone has seen enough of Shaub yet in real games to really predict how he is going to do, but he seems to be arriving in Houston just as this team is about to improve.  He is worth a gamble to produce as much as the Eli Mannings, and you can probably get him in the late rounds of any draft.

JP Losman:  If he figured out how to be an NFL QB like he appeared to over the last six games of last season, the Losman may have turned the corner.  I still don’t think you are going to get consistent numbers out of him each week, but he finally may put in more good weeks than bad, and be worth a start when Buffalo is playing a favorable matchup.  Losman will really need to get something out of the running game (Marshawn Lynch and Anthony Thomas) so that the defense doesn’t sit on his passes.  He is worth a pick based on the way he closed out last season, but if he comes out of the gates slowly don’t wait to drop him.

Jake Delhomme:  The forgotten man in Carolina.  Delhomme is really on this list for one reason. Steve Freakin  Smith.  Any QB that has Smith to throw to can put up huge numbers, but Delhomme is still being ranked down in the 15-20th range amongst QBs.  He can easily outperform that ranking.  Remember last season Smith was hurt, and then Delhomme hurt his wrist and never recovered so he had few games where he really got to play within the offense or like himself.  He isn’t young anymore, but if he is healthy he could be much more productive than most expect.

Alex Smith - This season Smith actually may be getting drafted as a QB 1 in some drafts.  If not, look to grab him as your QB 2 and watch his upside as the season goes.  Smith has a much better offense around him as compared to his first two seasons.  D-Jax is a legitimate WR, and Vernon Davis is growing in leaps and bounds and appears to be the next big ticket at Tight End.  Those two with Frank Gore as your main back, and the offense is fairly explosive.  Smith was a number one pick, and this should be the season fans begin to see why.

Rex Grossman:  The QB everyone loves to hate.  Rex was the talk of the town and then the he hit such a bad skid that the big debate was if he would even be with the team this year.  Losing badly in the SuperBowl probably didn’t help.  Well Rex is a gunslinger QB, and that means that on any given week he can put up big yards and TD’s, or kill you with interceptions.  That is exactly how last season went.  The thing to remember is last year was really Rex’s first season after being hurt basically all of the previous two years.  If you consider last year a rookie season it looks pretty impressive, given the team went to the SuperBowl as well.  The offense continues to improve, so it is very reasonable to consider that Rex will begin to have more great weeks than bad, if he has Muhsin, Berrian and Bradley to throw to, Benson in the backfield and add in a great offensive TE rookie in Greg Olsen.  He vows to play under more control this season, so all signs point to him having a better year.  He is definitely worth the gamble of a pick to see where his play is at for your QB2 spot.