The NFL season kicking off in just a matter of weeks means one thing: It’s NFL Fantasy Football draft season, baby! To avoid 5 months of misery, anguish and shame — like those who drafted Philip Rivers last year — make sure you do your homework this year. There are countless fantasy rankings out there, but I’m a strong believer that ESPN’s are, if nothing else, thoroughly justified. Take a look at their Fantasy Football Rankings By Position below and keep reading for a few tips.
2012 NFL Fantasy Football Rankings By Position
(Bye weeks are listed in parentheses)
Quarterbacks
1. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (10)
2. Tom Brady, New England Patriots (9)
3. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints (6)
4. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (5)
5. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers (6)
6. Eli Manning, New York Giants (11)
7. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles (7)
8. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys (5)
9. Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos (7)
10. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers (7)
Running Backs
1. Arian Foster, Houston Texans (8)
2. Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens (8)
3. LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles (7)
4. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars (6)
5. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans (11)
6. Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks (11)
7. Matt Forte, Chicago Bears (6)
8. DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys (5)
9. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs (7)
10. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings (11)
Wide Receivers
1. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions (5)
2. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals (10)
3. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans (8)
4. Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons ( 7)
5. Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers (10)
6. Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh Steelers (4)
7. Wes Welker, New England Patriots (9)
8. Hakeen Nicks, New York Giants (11)
9. A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals (8)
10. Victor Cruz, New York Giants (11)
For complete rankings, overall and by position, head to ESPN’s Fantast Football page.
Two tips to keep in mind in this year’s draft:
Focus on running backs early
Last year’s injuries to Adrian Peterson, Rashard Mendenhall, and Chris Johnson may have you a little gun shy when it comes to running backs, but don’t lose sight of smart long-term decisions.
Only 15 backs passed 1,000 yards last year and only 5 passed the 280 carry mark. I know what you’re thinking: “So, why would I waste my early picks on players with poor production?” Well, what this REALLY means is that finding a reliable RB in later rounds becomes very difficult. Even if the position as a whole is less productive than in years past — a result of the recent increase in emphasis on the passing game — you still want to get as much out of the position as possible. Wait until after the 3rd round and, in a standard 12 team format, you could be looking at Reggie Bush instead of Matt Forte.
Remember, rookies are rookies.
Last year was a rookie-fueled anomaly. Newton, Green, Julio Jones, Torrey Smith and DeMarco Murray all made people forget why rookies get hazed by veterans: they’re new. Now, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III bear the unfortunate burden of inflated expectations. Keep yours reasonable.
RG III and Luck could very easily turn into human highlight reels — they certainly have the skill sets for it — but there are no points awarded for “opponents ankles broken” or “SportsCenter Top 10 worthy plays.” Luck can throw a perfect 80-yard touchdown, but all he has to do is misread an illusionary Ravens defense a few times he’s losing you points.
Bottom line is that we don’t know how either player (or anyone new to the league) will handle the speed, size, and schemes of the NFL.
