2012 (Early) Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks (QBs)
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Updated as of Monday, May 7th
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Scoring: These rankings are based on standard scoring (one point per 10 rushing yards, six points per rushing
touchdown plus one point per ten receiving yards and six points per receiving touchdown) and are for redraft
leagues only.
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Not only did Drew Brees become the first player to have two 5,000-yard seasons, but this time he broke Dan Marino's previous single-season record of 5,084 passing yards.
In fact, he shattered it.
The Saints quarterback threw for 5,476 yards last season as he broke the record with a game to spare. In addition, Brees broke a number of other single-season records including completions (468), completion percentage (71.2 percent) and 300-yard games (13).
In his two postseason games this year, Brees threw for the second- and third-most yards ever in a playoff game after Cleveland's Bernie Kosar (489 yards on 1/3/87). Brees completed 73 of 106 passes for 928 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions in those two games.
So, if you include the playoffs, Brees threw for a staggering 6,404 yards, 53 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 18 games this year.
That said, Brees, the 2011 AP Offensive Player of the Year, was not the league MVP. And neither were the other two 5,000-yard passers this season.
Here are our 2012 fantasy football quarterback rankings:
1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers
Although 15 quarterbacks threw more pass attempts than Rodgers (502), no quarterback had more fantasy points. Rodgers, the league MVP, set the NFL single-season record for passer rating (122.5) and broke the franchise record for passing touchdowns (45) while throwing a career low of six interceptions as a starter.
2. Drew Brees, Saints
If it weren't for a full year suspension of head coach Sean Payton and the apparent lack of progress in his contract situation, Brees, who was designated with the franchise tag, would be a legitimate challenger for the top spot on this list. Instead there is a miniscule difference between Brees and Tom Brady, the No. 3 QB on this list.
3. Tom Brady, Patriots
While Brady finished second in the league in passing yards (5,235) behind Brees last year, it was a career-best year for him and that total is the second-highest in NFL history. Last year, Brady had 300-plus yards and/or multiple touchdowns in all 16 regular-season games. Not only does Brady have the league's top-TE duo in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, the Pats have added a bunch of receivers in the offseason -- Brandon Lloyd, Jabar Gaffney, Donte Stallworth, etc.
4. Matthew Stafford, Lions
After playing only 13 games in his first two seasons, Stafford played a full 16-game season, was named AP Comeback Player of the Year and led the Lions to their first playoff appearance since the 1999 season. Like Brady and Brees, Stafford threw for 5,000-plus yards in 2011, and he threw a league-high 663 times, which is the third-highest in league history after Drew Bledsoe (691 in 1994) and Peyton Manning (679 in 2010).
5. Cam Newton, Panthers
Panthers quarterback Cam Newton had a record-setting rookie campaign and ran away with the Offensive Rookie of the Year award (see past winners). Not only did Newton break the record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (14), he became the first player in NFL history to throw for 4,000-plus yards (4,051) and run for 700-plus yards (706) in the same season.
6. Tony Romo, Cowboys
A bit snubbed on NFL Network's list of Top 100 Players for 2012 at No. 91, Romo threw for just under 4,200 yards with 31 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions last year. There aren't many quarterbacks that have the weapons that Romo has at his disposal in Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten (among others).
7. Eli Manning, Giants
Speaking of snubs, I feel like I'm snubbing Eli a bit here. Not only was he named Super Bowl MVP (see past winners), but he was only 67 yards shy of becoming the fourth 5,000-yard passer last season. In addition, the Giants are loaded at wide receiver with Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and rookie Reuben Randle, who slipped to them in the second round.
- Related: See video of Eli's SNL performance
8. Michael Vick, Eagles
As a dual-threat quarterback, Philadelpia's Michael Vick had a disappointing season. Not only did Vick miss three games and fail to reach 4,000 total yards (3,303 passing yards and 589 rushing yards), but he ran for only one touchdown. In 2010, Vick ran for nine touchdowns. With his size and style of play, Vick will always have a higher-than-average risk of injury (missing games), but fantasy owners have the potential to reap huge returns on a per-game basis considering his much lower fantasy draft status in 2012 compared to last season.
9. Peyton Manning, Broncos
While Peyton Manning missed the entire season with his neck injury, all indications are that he will be fully ready to be under center in Week 1 as he begins the next era of his career in the Mile High City. With the transition from Tebow to Manning, the Broncos will obviously become a much better passing offense, which really boosts the fantasy value of their receivers: Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, etc. That said, it's unlikely that Peyton returns to his pre-injury form considering the majority of his games will be played outdoors and he has missed an entire season. If he does, however, he's a steal here.
10. Philip Rivers, Chargers
With a career high in pass attempts (582), Rivers threw for more than 4,600 yards for a second consecutive season. That said, he also set four-year lows in completion percentage (62.9 percent) and touchdowns (27) and set a career high in interceptions (20). Although there was speculation that Rivers might have been hurt, he has insisted that he wasn't. If he has a bounce-back season, Rivers could be a bargain where he's currently being drafted.
11. Matt Ryan, Falcons
Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan threw a few less passes in 2011 (566) than he did in 2010 (571), but he set career highs in passing yards (4,177) and touchdowns (29). Although Ryan threw more interceptions last year than in 2010, he had a 20:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio after the bye and it's expected that the Falcons will transition to becoming more of a passing offense. In addition, Ryan and the Falcons have the most favorable strength of schedule for quarterbacks from a fantasy perspective in 2012.
12. Matt Schaub, Texans
With good health for Schaub and Andre Johnson, Schaub has the potential for 4,700-plus yards and nearly 30 touchdowns like in 2009. That said, Andre Johnson has played a total of only 20 regular-season games over the past two years and has missed at least three games in four of his past seven seasons.
13. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers
Heading into this offseason, it appeared to be a foregone conclusion that the Steelers would lose its top receiver Mike Wallace via free agency. While the deadline for other teams to sign Wallace to an offer sheet has passed, the bad news is that Wallace is in no hurry to sign his tender as a restricted free agent (RFA) and could possibly be a holdout into training camp. On a positive note for Roethlisberger, the Steelers improved their offensive line in the draft by selecting David DeCastro and Mike Adams with their first two draft picks. Provided Wallace plays under his RFA tender (or a long-term deal), Big Ben should be a lock for 4,000-plus yards and 25-plus touchdowns.
14. Jay Cutler, Bears
It's been a pretty good offseason so far for Cutler. The Bears have signed free-agent running back Michael Bush, traded for his former teammate in receiver Brandon Marshall and used their second-round pick to draft South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffery. With Marshall and Jeffery, Cutler has a pair of big targets to go along with the speedy Devin Hester and possession receiver Earl Bennett.
15. Josh Freeman, Buccaneers
Tampa's Josh Freeman regressed considerably in his third season. After posting a 25:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2010, Freeman threw only 16 touchdowns and 22 interceptions (second worst in the NFL) last year. The good news for Freeman is that the Bucs have added a playmaker (Vincent Jackson) and protection (guard Carl Nicks) via free agency this offseason.
16. Andy Dalton, Bengals
Dalton had a very solid rookie season, especially considering there was a lockout and the team had a rookie offensive coordinator, rookie quarterback and its top receiver was a rookie as well. From Weeks 12 to 17, Dalton threw for less than 200 yards in four of six games and only threw five touchdowns (but only one interception) during that span. With a full offseason under his belt and the addition of Mohamed Sanu, Marvin Jones and Orson Charles through the draft and a healthy Jordan Shipley, Dalton should be able to build upon last year's solid performance.
17. Robert Griffin III, Redskins
With Cam Newton's tremendous success as a rookie last season, some might place expectations on Griffin that are much higher than what should be expected. That said, his upside is tremendous. Griffin throws an extremely accurate deep ball, has world-class speed and is highly intelligent. Compared to Andrew Luck, I expect RG3 to have more success in 2012 although both are great from a dynasty standpoint.
18. Joe Flacco, Ravens
Is Flacco a top-five quarterback? If you ask Flacco, that's an understatement. “I mean, I think I’m the best. I don’t think I’m top five, I think I’m the best," Flacco said. Granted, Flacco has led (or kept on track) a defensive-minded football team to win lots of games over his four NFL seasons. In each of the past three seasons, Flacco has been a model of consistency with the following numbers: 3,610-3,622 yards, 20-25 touchdowns and 10-12 interceptions.
19. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills
First off, he has one of the greatest nicknames in football: The Amish Rifle. Although he set career highs in passing yards (3,832) and touchdowns (24), he also set a career high in interceptions (23), which was the most by any quarterback in 2011. The other concern with Fitzpatrick is his struggles in the second half of the season. Here are his combined splits over the past two seasons: 62.8 completion percentage, 244.9 YPG, 28-16 TD:INT (1H) and 57.7 completion percentage, 226.9 YPG, 19-22 TD:INT (2H).
20. Sam Bradford, Rams
Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, the No. 1 overall pick in 2010, missed six games last year, but he struggled when he was on the field. Bradford's completion percentage dropped from 60.0 percent as a rookie to 53.5 percent in 2011 and he threw only six touchdowns in the 10 games he played last year. While the Rams added two receivers in the first 100 picks of his this year's draft -- Brian Quick (No. 33) and Chris Givens (No. 96), they also lost Brandon Lloyd through free agency. Another concern for Bradford is that the Rams allowed a league-worst 55 sacks last year.
21. Matt Flynn, Seahawks
As Rodgers sat out against the Lions in the regular-season finale, Flynn set the Packers' franchise single-game record with 480 passing yards and six touchdowns. While there was some speculation that Flynn would follow Joe Philbin, his former offensive coordinator, to Miami, Flynn signed with the Seahawks.
22. Carson Palmer, Raiders
After coming out of "retirement," Palmer threw 16 interceptions in 10 games after throwing 20 interceptions with the Bengals in 2010. On a positive note, Palmer set a career high in passing yards with 275.3 per game and the Raiders might find themselves playing from behind often, which will lead to a lot of yards and interceptions alike.
23. Andrew Luck, Colts
Luck, the top overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft, is better option in dynasty leagues, but the Colts have focused their draft efforts on trying to put some weapons around Luck including his collegiate teammate Coby Fleener.
24. Alex Smith, 49ers
Although it may insult Jim Harbaugh's "football sensibility," Smith is essentially a game manager. In his 16 regular-season games, Smith had zero 300-yard games, averaged only 196.5 yards per game and never threw more than 38 pass attempts in any game. The 49ers added some weapons via free agency and the draft (Randy Moss, Mario Manningham, AJ Jenkins, LaMichael James, etc.), but it's unlikely that Smith's numbers change significantly from last year's production.
25. Matt Cassel, Chiefs
In my 2013 NFL mock draft, I project that the Chiefs will select a quarterback in the first round. In other words, I'm not expecting a huge season from Cassel. Although he had a 27:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2010, Cassel has averaged only 198.8 yards per game in his three seasons with Kansas City.
More 2012 Rankings: RBs - WRs - TEs
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