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2012 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks

Aaron Rodgers is a lock for the top fantasy quarterback. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Aaron Rodgers is a lock for the top fantasy quarterback. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Getty Images


It was hard to believe the points that the quarterback position posted during the 2011 season. It was really amazing, especially if you were one of the owners who grabbed a stud quarterback early or was able to steal Cam Newton late. On draft day 2012, it would be wise to grab your quarterback early. Otherwise you'll be placing yourself at a disadvantage. I'm not saying you'll lose your league but the going will be much tougher.

Will Robert Griffin III or Andrew Luck have as nice a season as Cam Newton did last year? I really don't think so but they should display quite a bit of promise and produce a decent amount of fantasy points. RG3 has a stronger supporting cast, which will help take some of the pressure off. Luck, on the other hand, does not have as much talent around him but should show flashes of star potential.

Don't forget about the quarterbacks that have changed teams: Manning to the Broncos, Flynn to the Seahawks and Tebow to the Jets. Each of those quarterbacks have red flags but they could offer great value at a bargain price. Training camp and the pre-season games should help us discern how much these quarterbacks can help our teams. I'm really anxious about Peyton and whether he can help one of my dynasty teams.

My 2012 Quarterbacks rankings after the jump:

Rank Quarterback Comment
1 Aaron Rodgers Big numbers through the air and adds nice value with his rushing.
2 Drew Brees

Thirteen 300 yard passing games in 2011 and he has thrown a TD in every game since Week 4 of the 2009 season.

3 Tom Brady

No superstar receiver but he'll still put up big numbers.

4 Matthew Stafford Detroit relies heavily on the pass (66 % pass plays), expect more of the same this season.
5 Cam Newton With a full offseason, I expect Newton to be as good or better than 2011.
6 Eli Manning Eli has become a true top 10 fantasy QB and the better Manning to own in fantasy football.
7 Michael Vick Choosing Vick is a gamble but could pay off BIG.
8 Tony Romo Romo had a nice bounce back season but I have concerns about the Cowboys leaning towards a balanced offense.
9 Philip Rivers His numbers were very close to his averages but it was Rivers jump in turnovers that were really a cause for concern.
10 Matt Ryan A solid choice but still looking for that breakout year.
11 Peyton Manning I'll place Peyton here for now but he will be watched throughout training camp and the pre-season.
12 Ben Roethlisberger The Steelers have surrounded Big Ben with a variety of weapons but he needs to stay healthy to use them.
13 Matt Schaub If Schaub stays healthy, he should pass for over 4000 yards and around 25 touchdowns.
14 Robert Griffin III Griffin is stepping into an almost ideal situation. It's going to be fun to watch his passing and running skills in the NFL.
15 Jay Cutler He has his favorite receiver back in Brandon Marshall but remember this is still a ground and pound offense.
16 Josh Freeman Freeman's value bottomed out last year but should bounce back strong in 2012.
17 Andy Dalton I can't see much more than a small improvement over his 2011 numbers.
18 Joe Flacco It seems as though this is where Flacco has settled in fantasy rankings, not great but not poor.
19 Ryan Fitzpatrick Fitzpatrick started 2011 on fire but came down to earth in the second half of the season.
20 Carson Palmer He gets to work with a nice set of young receivers but I think Palmer's best fantasy seasons are behind him.
21 Andrew Luck He'll start right away and may have a few really good games.
22 Alex Smith It's great that the team added some receiving weapons but we all know this offense will stay mostly grounded.
23 Matt Flynn Flynn has put up impressive numbers in the two starts he has made in his career but could that sample size be any smaller.
24 Sam Bradford I think this will be another year of struggles for Bradford, as the Rams continue to rely on their running game.
25 Matt Cassel Cassel also quarterbacks a run first offense.
26 Christian Ponder The Vikings need to give Ponder more to work with.
27 Mark Sanchez It's good that he has competition but will he rise to the challenge.
28 Jake Locker Still needs more time to develop.
29 Kevin Kolb Will he make it through all 16 games healthy?
30 Blaine Gabbert See 28
31 Matt Moore Holding the spot warm until Tannehill is ready.
32 Tim Tebow Waiting to take control of the Jets offense.

Please comment below with your thoughts and who you've drafted at quarterback for this season.