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2012 Fantasy Football: Updated Tight End Rankings

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:39:27 -0400

When you begin to discuss fantasy tight ends, the conversation has to start with a pair of tight ends from the 2010 draft class that had the two best years anyone has ever had at that position from a statistical standpoint.

In fact, only one wide receiver (Detroit's Calvin Johnson) did what they did last year. Megatron and the two tight ends all finished with 90-plus receptions, 1,300-plus yards and 10-plus touchdowns.

Of course, the two tight ends to which I'm referring are New England's Rob Gronkowski and New Orleans' Jimmy Graham.

While those two tight ends are 1-2 in my rankings, the position is as deep as ever.

Here are our 2012 fantasy football tight end rankings (using standard scoring -- i.e., not PPR scoring):

1. Rob Gronkowski, Patriots

A mismatch nightmare for opposing defenses, Gronkowski set single-season records for a tight end with 1,327 yards and 17 receiving touchdowns on his 90 receptions. In 36 career games counting the playoffs, Gronkowski has a total of 30 receiving touchdowns and one "rushing" touchdown.

2. Jimmy Graham, Saints

Graham had slightly fewer yards (1,310) and less touchdowns (10) than Gronkowski, but he had more receptions (99). No tight end was targeted more than Graham (149) and only five receivers had more targets. Based on the average fantasy points allowed to tight ends last year of all Saints' opponents in 2012, Graham and the Saints' tight ends have one of the top three most favorable schedules.

3. Aaron Hernandez, Patriots

Hernandez missed two games yet he still finished with 79 receptions for 910 yards and seven touchdowns. Based on his production of 65 yards per game, Hernandez would have likely given the Pats two 1,000-yard tight ends if he had played all 16 games. In addition, Hernandez was used as a rusher more frequently down the stretch. Especially if opposing defenses focus on slowing down Gronkowski, Hernandez could be poised for a monster season.

4. Jason Witten, Cowboys

Witten set five-year lows in both receptions (79) and yards (942), which is partly due to the production of the Cowboys top three receivers: Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Laurent Robinson, but Robinson signed with the Jaguars this offseason. Over those five seasons, Witten has three of the ten 1,000-yard seasons achieved by tight ends.

5. Vernon Davis, 49ers

Davis posted three-year lows of 792 yards and six touchdowns last year. That said, Davis is a freakish athlete that was nearly unstoppable in the postseason. In two playoff games, Davis had 10 receptions for 292 yards and four touchdowns.

6. Antonio Gates, Chargers

After missing a few games early in the season due to his foot, Gates had 56 receptions for 704 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games. Although coach Norv Turner says Gates is "back" to his pre-injury form, there is still some reason to worry that the injury will flare up and I view the top five options to be safer bets.

7. Jermichael Finley, Packers

Capable of being a top-five tight end, Finley frustrates fantasy owners with his inconsistency. Finley, who re-signed with the Packers for two years this offseason, had three fantasy points or less in five games this season. Although he set a career high in touchdowns (eight), he had his lowest yards-per-game average (47.9) since his rookie season.

8. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons

Gonzalez, who has 1,149 career receptions for 13,338 yards, has decided to play another season, which makes sense considering how productive he was in 2011. Gonzalez finished last season with 80 receptions for 875 yards and seven touchdowns, all of which were three-year highs.

9. Jermaine Gresham, Bengals

Gresham, the Bengals' first-round pick in 2010, posted slightly better numbers in his second season (56 receptions for 596 yards and six touchdowns, all career highs) than he did in his rookie campaign. That said, he is one of the tight ends that I am targeting later in drafts and think he could be poised for a breakout season.

10. Fred Davis, Redskins

Despite missing the final four games of the season due to league suspension, Davis totaled 59 receptions for 796 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games last year. While RG3 did not target his tight ends much in college and the 'Skins added some receivers in free agency, Davis is still a low-end TE1.

To see the rest of our top 25 fantasy tight ends, click here.

More 2012 Rankings: QBs - RBs - WRs

To keep track of our updates, follow @EDSFootball on Twitter and/or "like" us on Facebook.

2012 Fantasy Football Rankings: Updated Top 70 Wide Receivers

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:39:40 -0400

Detroit's Calvin Johnson had some (very) good seasons going into the 2011 season.

With elite size (6-5, 235 pounds) and athleticism, however, Megatron seemed capable of even more, especially with improved quarterback play. Not only did Matthew Stafford, the top overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, stay healthy for 16 games, he became one of only four quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for 5,000-plus yards.

Meanwhile, Johnson blew away his previous career highs. In 2011 (previous highs in parenthesis), Johnson had 96 receptions (78) for a league-high 1,681 yards (1,331) and 16 touchdowns (12).

Only six players in NFL history had more receiving yards in a single season.

Aside from Megatron, the only other player in NFL history to finish with 1,600-plus yards and 16-plus touchdowns in the same season was Randy Moss (2003).

Johnson had a little bit of dryspell from Weeks 10 to 14 -- no 100-yard games and only one touchdown in those five games.

In his next (and final) four games counting the Lions' playoff loss, however, Megatron had three 200-yard games. During that four-game span, he had 36 receptions for 771 yards and six touchdowns! (As a comparison, Tampa Bay's Mike Williams had 771 yards and three touchdowns in the entire season.)

Hands down, Megatron goes into 2012 season as the clear No. 1 fantasy wide receiver and it's not close.

Based on standard scoring (i.e., not point-per-reception (PPR) scoring), here are our 2012 fantasy football wide receiver rankings:

1. Calvin Johnson, Lions

See above.

2. Andre Johnson, Texans

When healthy, Johnson is still elite. That said, Johnson has played a total of only 20 regular-season games in the past two years and missed a total of nine regular-season games during two stints for a hamstring (and aggravation of the) injury last year. Johnson was playing well before the injury (21 receptions for 316 yards and two touchdowns in his first three games) and in the postseason (13 receptions for 201 yards and a touchdown in two games).

3. Hakeem Nicks, Giants

Even though he set a career high in receiving yards (1,192), his season was a very mild disappointment for some. In addition to seeing his receptions (76) and touchdowns (seven) drop some, Nicks finished second on the team in all categories behind Victor Cruz (82-1,536-9). That said, Nicks is a more talented receiver than Cruz and was tremendous in the postseason with 28 receptions for 444 yards and four touchdowns over four games.

4. Wes Welker, Patriots

Based on data from Pro Football Reference, a player has reached 110-plus receptions 25 times in NFL history. Over the past five years, Patriots slot receiver Wes Welker has done it four of those 25 times. Welker, who was designated with the team's franchise tag, finished with career highs in yards (1,569) and touchdowns (nine) and his 122 receptions was one shy of his previous career high.

5. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals

Imagine if Fitzgerald had better quarterback play and a legitimate weapon on the other side of the offense. Well, he'll have to settle for one out of two as the Cards drafted Michael Floyd in the first round. Even with the Cardinals' lack of strong quarterback play, Fitzgerald posted the fourth 1,400-yard campaign of his career. In other words, he's quarterback-proof.

6. Roddy White, Falcons

White has been a model of consistency and of good health. For five consecutive seasons, White has had 80-plus receptions and 1,100-plus yards. In the past two seasons, White has 100-plus receptions. As impressively, White has yet to miss a game in his seven-year NFL career. With all that said, it would seem logical that the gap in targets between White (181) and Julio Jones (96) diminishes in 2012.

7. A.J. Green, Bengals

Receivers A.J. Green and Julio Jones made big splashes in their rookie seasons despite a lack of an offseason to get acclimated to their respective offenses. Green became the first rookie to finish with at least 1,000 yards since Marques Colston did so in 2006.

8. Greg Jennings, Packers

With Jennings missing three games last year, he set four-year lows in receptions (67) and receiving yards (949) last year. Not only was Jennings second on the team in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns (nine), but he ranked second on the team in receiving yards per game behind Jordy Nelson.

9. Julio Jones, Falcons

Jones had 54 receptions for 959 yards and eight touchdowns, but he missed three games and would have (almost certainly) finished with more than 1,000 yards as a rookie (like Green) had he stayed healthy for all 16 games.

10. Victor Cruz, Giants

After not catching a single pass in 2010, Giants receiver Victor Cruz burst onto the scene in Week 3 and finished the season with 1,536 receiving yards, which ranked him third in the NFL behind Megatron and Welker. In addition, that set a franchise record. As noted above, Cruz had more receptions (82), yards (1,536) and touchdowns (nine) than Nicks (76-1,192-7).

11. Jordy Nelson, Packers

Nelson had a huge performance in Super Bowl XLV and seemed poised to break out in 2011 with the only possible barrier being too many talented passcatchers in the Packers offense. Nelson took the next step forward with career and team highs across the board last year: 68 receptions for 1,263 yards and 15 touchdowns.

12. Mike Wallace, Steelers

A couple of spots lower in this update, Wallace and the Steelers can find themselves in a bitter contract situation. If the Steelers and Wallace don't agree to a long-term deal, Wallace would play under a restricted free agent (RFA) tender of less than $3 million and he has expressed his unwillingness to sign that tender any time soon.

13. Brandon Marshall, Bears

Marshall had a five-year low of 81 receptions in 2011, but he has been reunited with quarterback Jay Cutler. When both were in Denver, Marshall had his only three seasons with 100-plus receptions and his only season with double-digit touchdowns.

14. Vincent Jackson, Bucs

In any given week, Jackson can give fantasy owners 30 fantasy points. Or three points. Jackson, who signed with Tampa Bay in the offseason, had four great games last year and 12 less-great games. During his four best games, Jackson had 27 receptions for 586 yards and seven touchdowns. In his other 12 games, he had 33 receptions for 520 yards and two touchdowns.

15. Dez Bryant, Cowboys

From a physical standpoint, Bryant has the tools to be a top-five receiver in the league. On the other hand, he has yet to demonstrate the maturity or mental makeup to make us believe that his path to that lofty status, if he gets there, will be smooth. Fortunately, there is not a lockout this offseason and let's hope he spends more time at Valley Ranch than the NorthPark Center Mall.

For the rest of our top 70 fantasy wide receivers, click here. Or for our point-per-reception (PPR) rankings (top 60), click here.

In addition, we have also recently updated our top 25 fantasy quarterbacks and our top 50 fantasy running backs for 2012.

To keep track of our updates, follow @EDSFootball on Twitter and/or "like" us on Facebook.

Wes Welker says he won't hold out

Mon, 14 May 2012 15:34:20 -0400

Patriots receiver Wes Welker was designated with the franchise tag this offseason. If he and the Patriots don't agree to a long-term deal by July 15th, Welker will earn a guaranteed salary of $9.5 million once he signs the franchise tender.

And it's those "nine and a half million reasons" that Welker won't hold out.

“There’s nine and a half million reasons why I wouldn’t miss any regular season games, so you don’t have to worry about that,” Welker said on WEEI today (via Pro Football Talk).

[Listen to full audio of interview here.]

As NFL's Jon Zimmer tweeted this morning, Welker is tied with Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison for the most 100-reception seasons (four) in a career.

Another way to look at it is Welker is the only player with four 110-reception seasons in NFL history. Four other players are tied with two seasons.

Updated 2013 NFL Mock Draft

Sun, 13 May 2012 21:27:04 -0400

Since the first iteration of my 2013 NFL mock draft on May 1st, we have released our consensus NFL power rankings.

Therefore, the draft order used for my mock is the inverse order of our consensus power rankings. All future updates (until the draft order is known) will be based off of our power rankings.

Here is how I see the first half of the 2013 NFL mock draft:

1. (Projected trade with Colts) Arizona Cardinals - Matt Barkley, QB, USC

If the Colts end up with the first overall pick again in 2013, it is likely that they trade down with a quarterback-needy team. After drafting Notre Dame's Michael Floyd with 13th overall pick in 2012, the Cardinals have a pair of stud receivers with a dud quarterback. With Kevin Kolb due to earn $9 million in 2013 and a $2 million March roster bonus, the Cardinals may opt to go with another USC quarterback named Matt that decided to return for his senior season. Hopefully, that works out better for the Cardinals this time around.

2. Cleveland Browns - Robert Woods, WR, USC

By drafting Trent Richardson, Brandon Weeden and Mitchell Schwartz with their first three picks in 2012, the Browns have improved at three offensive positions in need of an upgrade. That said, they still have one glaring weakness on the offensive side of the ball -- playmakers at wide receiver. In his sophomore season, Woods finished with 111 receptions for 1,292 yards and 15 touchdowns and is likely to be the top receiver selected in next year's draft.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars - Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas

I'm not sure what Gene Smith was thinking when he drafted a punter in the third round. Perhaps he figured that the Jaguars would have plenty of three-and-outs with Blaine Gabbert under center. With an improved receiving corps that includes rookie Justin Blackmon and free-agent addition Laurent Robinson, Gabbert needs to take a big step forward from his dismal rookie season. If he doesn't, the Jags could draft his replacement. In his first year as a starter, Wilson posted a 24:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio last year.

4. St. Louis Rams - D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama

With two first-round picks, the Rams could use help on the offensive line and at wide receiver (although the team used two top-100 picks on receivers in the 2012 draft). No team allowed more sacks than the Rams (55) last year and Fluker (6-6, 335 pounds) is one of the top offensive tackles in the country.

5. Minnesota Vikings - Dave Amerson, CB, North Carolina State

Although they used two of their first three picks on defensive backs (Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith and Central Florida cornerback Josh Robinson), no defense allowed more passing touchdowns (34) or had fewer interceptions (eight) than the Vikings last year. The Vikings have to face Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford and Jay Cutler a minimum of six times per season. Amerson, who led the country in interceptions (13), has the size (6-3, 195 pounds), ball skills and athleticism to help significantly upgrade the Vikings secondary.

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State

Although the Bucs have used some early picks to improve their interior defensive line, those picks haven't yet lived up to expectations. As a sophomore, Hankins, who has great size but the versatility to also play defensive end, had 67 tackles (fourth on team), 11.0 tackles for loss (second) and three sacks (tied for second).

7. Miami Dolphins - Sam Montgomery, DE/OLB, LSU

As a first-team All-SEC selection last year, Montgomery led LSU in sacks (9.0) and ranked third in the conference. Montgomery should be one of the first pass-rushers off the board in 2013 and gives the Dolphins a pass-rusher to pair with Cameron Wake.

8. Oakland Raiders - Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech

With Carson Palmer due to earn $13 million in 2013 and Matt Leinart signing a one-year contract to back him up in 2012, the Raiders need a long-term (and perhaps short-term) solution at quarterback. Thomas (6-6, 262 pounds) has as much upside as any other quarterback in the draft. In his first year as a starter, the sophomore signal-caller completed nearly 60 percent of his passes for more than 3,000 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also ran for 469 yards and 11 touchdowns, which is a Virginia Tech quarterback record.

9. (Projected trade with Cardinals) Indianapolis Colts - Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia

In the first six rounds of the draft, the Colts used all of their picks to improve their offense with the exception of taking Alabama nose tackle Josh Chapman in the fifth round. A transfer from USC, Jones led the Bulldogs and the SEC in sacks (13.5), had 19.5 tackles for loss and was an first team All-American last year.

10. Carolina Panthers - Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah

Lotulelei was a first-team All-Pac-12, led the team in tackles for loss (nine) and helped the Utes hold opposing offenses to only 97 rushing yards per game and 2.9 yards per carry last year. Meanwhile, the Panthers allowed 130.8 rushing yards per game and 18 rushing touchdowns, fourth-most in the NFL, last year.

11. St. Louis Rams (via Redskins) - Keenan Allen, WR, California

Not only did the Rams rank dead last in sacks allowed as noted above, but they ranked last in the NFL in passing touchdowns (nine) last year. After improving their offensive line with their first pick, they give Sam Bradford, the No. 1 overall pick in 2010, another weapon on the outside. While he had all five of his 100-yard games in the first six games of the 2011 season, Allen (6-3, 205 pounds) had a breakout season: 98 receptions, 1,343 yards and six touchdowns.

12. Buffalo Bills - Barkevious Mingo, DE/OLB, LSU

After signing Mario Williams to a $100 million contract and drafting cornerback Stephon Gilmore in the first round, the Bills continue to improve themselves on the defensive side of the ball here. Mingo led LSU and ranked fourth in the SEC in tackles for loss (13.5) and finished second on the team in sacks (8.0) behind Montgomery last year. Both starting OLBs for the Bills (Nick Barnett and Kirk Morrison) are in the early-30's.

13. Kansas City Chiefs - Tyler Bray, QB, Tennessee

Depending on how Matt Cassel performs in 2012, the Chiefs could look to go in a different direction in 2013. As I noted in our fantasy football rankings, Cassel has averaged less than 200 passing yards per game in his first three seasons in Kansas City. Then again, depending on how Bray performs in 2012, he could be long gone by this spot.

14. Seattle Seahawks - Marquess Wilson, WR, Washington State

Perhaps the Seahawks will go with a quarterback here. Considering they signed Matt Flynn to a three-year deal and drafted Russell Wilson in the third round, it seems unlikely. Instead I have the Seahawks adding a weapon to help whichever quarterback is under center. As a sophomore, the 6-foot-4 receiver set school records with 82 receptions for 1,388 yards in addition to scoring 12 times and is the third Pac-12 receiver off the board in the top half of the first round.

15. Tennessee Titans - Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State

After having four interceptions as a freshman in 2010, Rhodes had an off year with only one interception and battled some nagging injuries throughout the season. That said, Rhodes is a big (6-2, 215 pounds), physical and athletic cornerback and could be the second cornerback off the board with a solid season.

16. Cincinnati Bengals - Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina

Although his season was cut short by an ACL injury in October, Lattimore has rushed for more than 2,000 yards and 27 touchdowns in his season and a half at South Carolina. Perhaps he'll have a slow start this year, but the 230-pound back will be 18 months removed from the injury by the time the 2013 NFL draft rolls around.

For picks 17 to 32, click here. For our 2013 NFL mock draft database, click here.

We have also recently updated our 2012 NBA mock draft as well.

For all of our updates, you can either (1) follow me on Twitter @EDSFootball or (2) like us on Facebook -- or both.

2012 Fantasy Football Rankings: Updated Top 50 Running Back Rankings

Sat, 12 May 2012 15:54:55 -0400

With the NFL draft behind us, we continue to update our 2012 fantasy football rankings with running backs next up. Although this is our third update of the offseason, it is our first update that includes rookies.

Cleveland's Trent Richardson is clearly the top rookie running back in this year's draft class for both re-draft and dynasty formats. Many of the backs in the next tier of running backs landed in spots where they could end up splitting carries with another featured back, which makes them better options in dynasty formats.

Based on standard scoring (i.e., not point-per-reception (PPR) scoring), here are our 2012 fantasy football running backs rankings:

1. Arian Foster, Texans

Despite missing three games, Houston's Arian Foster carried the ball 278 times for 1,224 yards and 10 touchdowns and had 53 receptions for 617 yards. Counting the postseason, Foster had nine 100-yard rushing games and three 100-yard receiving games in 15 total games last year. Through last year's postseason, Foster has 656 carries for 3,125 yards and 29 touchdowns plus 127 receptions for 1,272 yards and four touchdowns in 31 games over the past two seasons. While Ben Tate is more than a capable backup, the Texans love to give Foster a workhorse's workload.

2. Ray Rice, Ravens

Ravens running back Ray Rice, who was designated with the franchise tag this offseason, set career highs in rushing yards (1,364) and receiving yards (704) plus he scored a total of 15 touchdowns, which shattered his previous career high of eight. Rice has three straight seasons with 1,200-plus rushing yards and 500-plus receiving yards and 60-plus receptions.

3. LeSean McCoy, Eagles

Philadelphia's LeSean McCoy, the Eagles' second-round pick in 2009, set career highs in carries (273), rushing yards (1,309) and rushing touchdowns (17). McCoy sat out Week 17, but he scored at least one touchdown in every game he played except for Weeks 11 and 16. With the additions of Bryce Brown (seventh round) and Chris Polk (undrafted free agent), McCoy is likely to get a slightly reduced workload in 2012, which is what Andy Reid has previously suggested.

4. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars

Despite having to face many eight-men fronts, Jones-Drew led the NFL in rushing with 1,606 yards. And perhaps more impressively, he became the first running back in league history to rush for at least 80 yards in 15 of 16 games. Along with Atlanta's Michael Turner, MJD was one of only two running backs to go over 300 carries. Pocket Hercules had a league-high 343 carries, which is the fourth-most over the past five seasons.

5. Ryan Mathews, Chargers

Mathews, a top-12 pick by the Chargers in 2010, racked up more than 1,500 yards from scrimmage -- 1,091 rushing yards and 455 receiving yards on 50 receptions -- despite missing two games last season. With the departure of Mike Tolbert, who rushed for 19 touchdowns over the past two seasons, Mathews could truly break out if (albeit a big if) he can stay healthy for a full season. In addition, Mathews and the Chargers running backs have a favorable schedule from a fantasy perspective.

6. Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks

Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch, who re-signed with the Seahawks for four years, finished the season with 1,204 rushing yards and 212 receiving yards with 13 total touchdowns last year. He was particularly tough from Week 9 on. He rushed for 100-plus yards six times in his final nine games including against the 49ers, the league's top-ranked run defense. Can he duplicate last year's success, especially after getting a big contract?

7. Chris Johnson, Titans

Titans running back Chris Johnson had a lackluster season with the exception of a four-game span (Weeks 9 to 12). Johnson rushed for a total of 486 yards and had three of his four 100-yard games of the season during that stretch. In the other 12 games, however, Johnson had 177 carries for 561 yards (3.17 yards per carry) and one rushing touchdown.

8. Darren McFadden, Raiders

Based on pure talent, McFadden could be a top-five pick overall in any fantasy draft. Add in his injury risk and you're playing with fire. In his four seasons in Oakland, McFadden has played a total of 45 games including only seven last year and has missed at least three games every year he's been a pro. Over his 20 games in the past two seasons, however, McFadden has averaged 121.6 yards from scrimmage (YFS) per game. Over a full 16-game season, that would be 1,945 YFS. Feeling lucky?

9. Adrian Peterson, Vikings

Peterson, who recently ran for the media in Minnesota, expects to play in Week 1. Considering Peterson will only be around nine months removed from his ACL injury at the start of the season, there is no guarantee that he will be ready Week 1 and it might take a year before he regains his pre-injury explosiveness. When healthy, however, Peterson is one of the best two or three backs in the league and he has been a touchdown-scoring machine: 64 rushing touchdowns and three receiving touchdowns in 73 career games.

10. DeMarco Murray, Cowboys

From Weeks 7 to 12, no running back had more rushing yards than Cowboys rookie DeMarco Murray (761). (Rams running back Steven Jackson, 593, had the second most during that span.) Going into the 2012 season as the unquestioned feature back, Murray will/should be one of the top 10-12 backs off the board.

11. Matt Forte, Bears

In the 11 games he finished, Bears running back Matt Forte was an absolute stud. During those 11 games, he had 985 rushing yards and 490 receiving yards on 52 receptions and he was on pace for 2,145 yards from scrimmage for the season. Like Rice, however, Forte is not thrilled about being designated with the franchise tag. In fact, he felt "disrespected" by the fact that the Bears signed free-agent running back Michael Bush to a four-year deal. Although it's a great (real) football move, Bush signing with the Bears diminishes both backs' fantasy value.

12. Trent Richardson, Browns

There is plenty to like about Richardson, who is the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson. Not only does Richardson have freakish strength, he has good speed for his size, soft hands and he goes into a situation where he will have the opportunity to be an every-down back. On the flip side, Richardson will likely face many eight-men fronts with the lack of perimeter weapons in the offense and he'll have to face the stout AFC North run defenses six times per year.

To see the rest of our top 50 running backs, click here. For our PPR running back rankings, click here.

If interested, check out our way-too-early 2013 NFL mock draft.

To keep track of our updates, follow @EDSFootball on Twitter and/or "like" us on Facebook.

2012 Fantasy Football Rankings: Updated Top 25 Quarterbacks

Mon, 07 May 2012 07:10:44 -0400

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.

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.

To see the rest of our top 25 quarterbacks for 2012, click here.

We will update all of our fantasy rankings over the course of this week.

To keep track of our updates, follow @EDSFootball on Twitter and/or "like" us on Facebook.

Our 2012 NFL Consensus Power Rankings, Post-Draft Edition

Sun, 06 May 2012 09:34:57 -0400

Although we are roughly four months away from the Giants-Cowboys season opener, the majority of offseason moves have been made (via free agency and NFL draft).

Therefore, it makes sense to release our first consensus power rankings for the upcoming season based on those moves. In a sense, these are our (pre-) preseason rankings. Our next update will occur during the preseason and then weekly throughout the season.

In addition to many sites releasing their power rankings as well, Vegas has odds set for Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans next February. The early favorites are the Packers and Patriots with odds at 5/1 each, according to SportsBook.com. The next lowest odds (10/1) belong to three teams: 49ers, Texans and Eagles.

Another way to look at it is the defending Super Bowl champions (15/1) were not in the top five in best odds and weren't even the top choice in their own division as the Eagles have 10/1 odds. That said, they were one of two teams to tie for the top spot in our power rankings.

On the flip side, there six teams that are tied for the worst odds (100/1): Rams, Vikings, Colts, Browns, Jaguars and Bucs.

With each update, we always all respond to one roundtable question.

This update's roundtable topic: Which team has made the biggest improvement of their roster from last season through offseason moves and draft picks?

Kevin (follow Kevin on Twitter): Philadelphia Eagles

I debated three teams here: Eagles, Bengals and Bears. While the Bengals did not make a ton of splashy offseason moves, I thought they had as strong of a draft as any other team. Not only did they use their two first-rounders on two positions of need -- cornerback (Dre Kirkpatrick) and interior offensive line (Kevin Zeitler), but they got good values later in the draft as well. The Bears added playmakers through the free agency (Michael Bush), trade (Brandon Marshall) and draft (Alshon Jeffery). While I like what the Bears and Bengals have done, I like what the Eagles have done more. By trading a mid-round pick for DeMeco Ryans, a former Defensive Rookie of the Year, they filled a huge void before the draft. In the draft, they got a ton of value. In my opinion, Fletcher Cox was the best defensive tackle prospect in the draft. While they used four of their first five picks on the defensive side of the ball, they got some good values later in the draft on the offensive side in Marvin McNutt, Brandon Washington and Bryce Brown and they added Chris Polk as an undrafted free agent.

John (follow John on Twitter): Denver Broncos

It seems that the Patriots and the Eagles were among the biggest winners of the NFL draft. Still, in terms of impact on next year, it's tough to ignore the big free agent signing in Denver. While the Broncos did make the playoffs last year and even won a playoff game, nobody thought of them as a real contender. They won several fluky games to win the division, and played a great game against the Steelers to advance to the second round. This year, the Broncos will be viewed as a legitimate contender, and rightly so. The addition of Peyton Manning gives them a 2-3 year window where they have a significantly improved chance to win the Super Bowl. Mario Williams will greatly improve Buffalo, a good draft will certainly help fill some deficiencies from last year for teams like the Pats and Eagles, but no team improved from 2011 to 2012 like the Broncos. Looking at the Super Bowl favorites for next year, you'll see all of the usual suspects (Packers, Patriots, Steelers, Ravens, etc), with one exception; Denver will be among the favorites. No other team had a free agent signing or draft that is expected to have the kind of impact that Peyton Manning will have in Denver. With one acquisition, the Broncos made the biggest improvement from last year to next.

Dan (follow Dan on Twitter): New England Patriots

Yes again this may seem like a heavy dose of homerism, but so far I think the New England Patriots have made the biggest improvement to their team with the draft and free agency. The Patriots have added skilled targets in Brandon Lloyd, Jabar Gaffney, and Donte Stallworth. They have also massively bolstered their front seven in the draft in adding two potential blue chippers in Donta Hightower and Chandler Jones. I am loving the Patriots moves so far this year, and most likely there will be more to come.

Sean (follow Sean on Twitter): Buffalo Bills

[Note: I'm still awaiting Sean's rationale for his pick, but presumably the addition of Mario Williams via free agency and drafting of Stephon Gilmore and Cordy Glenn will be factors.]

See how all 32 teams ranked in our post-draft edition of our 2012 NFL consensus power rankings.

2012 Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule (By Position)

Wed, 02 May 2012 18:14:37 -0400

There are many factors that determine which players will have the most productive season from a fantasy perspective.

To name a few, the player's natural ability, their opportunity (playing time, depth chart, etc.), play-calling or offensive scheme, supporting cast, etc. all contribute to the player's production.

Another factor is the opponent a team faces on a week-by-week basis.

Over the course of a full season, teams will face some teams that are generous, others that are stingy and plenty in the middle when it comes to the fantasy points they allow to the opposition. In other words, the advantage to exploit (or disadvantage to avoid) is certainly much more pronounced in any given individual week than it the cumulative totals will be over the course of a 16-game season.

Bear in mind, however, that a favorable schedule does not automatically make a player on that team a better option to draft than one that plays on a team with a much less favorable schedule.

For example, the team with the most favorable schedule for wide receivers in leagues that use standard scoring is the Seattle Seahawks. The team with the least favorable schedule for receivers is the Cincinnati Bengals. That does NOT mean that I would prefer Sidney Rice over A.J. Green.

Instead, if a decision comes to two players for whom you have comparable expectations with all other things considered, then this is simply another tool that could be useful in tweaking your personal rankings.

Based on position, below you will find the teams with the most and least favorable strength of schedule for fantasy football in 2012 and links to the full rankings:

Quarterbacks:
- Most Fantasy-Friendly Schedule: Atlanta Falcons
- Least Fantasy-Friendly Schedule: New England Patriots
- Full Rankings

Running Backs:
- Most Fantasy-Friendly Schedule (Standard Scoring): Atlanta Falcons
- Most Fantasy-Friendly Schedule (PPR Scoring): Atlanta Falcons
- Least Fantasy-Friendly Schedule (Standard Scoring): Green Bay Packers
- Least Fantasy-Friendly Schedule (PPR Scoring): Cincinnati Bengals
- Full Rankings, PPR Rankings

Wide Receivers:
- Most Fantasy-Friendly Schedule (Standard Scoring): Seattle Seahawks
- Most Fantasy-Friendly Schedule (PPR Scoring): Seattle Seahawks
- Least Fantasy-Friendly Schedule (Standard Scoring): Cincinnati Bengals
- Least Fantasy-Friendly Schedule (PPR Scoring): Cincinnati Bengals
- Full Rankings, PPR Rankings

Tight Ends:
- Most Fantasy-Friendly Schedule (Standard Scoring): Indianapolis Colts
- Most Fantasy-Friendly Schedule (PPR Scoring): Houston Texans
- Least Fantasy-Friendly Schedule (Standard Scoring): Buffalo Bills
- Least Fantasy-Friendly Schedule (PPR Scoring): Denver Broncos
- Full Rankings, PPR Rankings

* Note: Although teams have modified their rosters, I used last year's production as the baseline for determining how tough an opponent will be this year (without tweaking the numbers).

Jabar Gaffney to sign with the Patriots

Wed, 02 May 2012 17:24:34 -0400

One day after being released by the Redskins, veteran receiver Jabar Gaffney will be going to the Patriots, per ESPN's Josina Anderson.

During his 10-year NFL career, Gaffney spent three of those seasons with the Patriots (2006-2008) and two additional seasons in Denver with Josh McDaniels, the Patriots' offensive coordinator.

Gaffney set career highs last year in receptions (68) and receiving yards (947) and tied his career high in touchdowns (five). In fact, he has set new career highs in receiving yards in each of his past three seasons.

With the number of options at receiver (and tight end) in New England, it is highly unlikely that Gaffney sets a new career high for a fourth consecutive season.

2013 NFL Mock Draft, 1.0

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:48:14 -0400

Even though the 2012 NFL Draft just concluded on Saturday, it's never too early to look ahead to next year's NFL draft.

Over the next week or so, we will release our site's first consensus NFL power rankings for the 2012 season and I will use the inverse order of those power rankings for subsequent mock draft updates during the season.

Here is my very early guess at how the first round will shake out in 2013:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars - Matt Barkley, QB, USC

Maybe Blaine Gabbert will turn into the franchise quarterback the Jags hoped he'd become when they traded up to draft him. (Then again, maybe Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima will realize that I'm the man of her dreams. In other words, it's not likely.) If Gabbert does not make major improvements in his sophomore season, especially with an upgraded receiving corps, the Jags may decide to hand the keys to the franchise to Barkley.

2. Minnesota Vikings - Dave Amerson, CB, North Carolina State

Although they used two of their first three picks on defensive backs (Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith and Central Florida cornerback Josh Robinson), no defense allowed more passing touchdowns (34) or had fewer interceptions (eight) than the Vikings last year. The Vikings have to face Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford and Jay Cutler a minimum of six times per season and their secondary was a mess last year. Amerson, who led the country in interceptions (13), has the size (6-3, 195 pounds), ball skills and athleticism to help significantly upgrade the Vikings secondary.

3. Cleveland Browns - Robert Woods, WR, USC

By drafting Trent Richardson, Brandon Weeden and Mitchell Schwartz with their first three picks, the Browns improved at three offensive positions in need of an upgrade. That said, they still have one glaring weakness on offensive -- playmakers at wide receiver. In his sophomore season, Woods finished with 111 receptions for 1,292 yards and 15 touchdowns and is likely to be the top receiver selected in next year's draft.

4. Indianapolis Colts - Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia

5. Oakland Raiders - Sam Montgomery, DE/OLB, LSU

As a first-team All-SEC selection last year, Montgomery led LSU in sacks (9.0) and ranked third in the conference. Montgomery should be one of the first pass-rushers off the board in 2013.

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama

With great size (6-6, 335 pounds), Fluker is one of the top offensive tackles in the country and would certainly be an instant upgrade over Jeremy Trueblood on the right side.

7. St. Louis Rams - Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M

For the Rams to provide their franchise quarterback with the greatest opportunity to succeed, they need to surround him with weapons and provide him with better protection. Although they missed out on Justin Blackmon in the first round, they used two top-100 picks on receivers: Brian Quick (33) and Chris Givens (96). The Rams, who allowed a league-high 55 sacks in 2011, now boost their pass protection with the son of Hall-of-Famer Bruce Matthews.

8. Miami Dolphins - Marquess Wilson, WR, Washington State

Although the Dolphins drafted a receiver in the sixth round (B.J. Cunningham) and seventh (Rishard Matthews), the Dolphins top two returning weapons at wideout are Davone Bess and Brian Hartline. Wilson gives the Dolphins a big time weapon to help upgrade one of the league's worst receiving corps.

9. Seattle Seahawks - Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech

In his first year as a starter, the sophomore signal-caller completed nearly 60 percent of his passes for more than 3,000 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also ran for 469 yards and 11 touchdowns, which is a Virginia Tech quarterback record. Thomas (6-6, 262 pounds) has as much upside as any other quarterback in the draft.

10. Buffalo Bills - Barkevious Mingo, DE/OLB, LSU

Mingo led LSU and ranked fourth in the SEC in tackles for loss (13.5) and finished second on the team in sacks (8.0) behind Montgomery last year. Both starting OLBs for the Bills (Nick Barnett and Kirk Morrison) are in the early-30's.

11. Arizona Cardinals - Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas

By drafting Notre Dame's Michael Floyd to line up opposite Larry Fitzgerald, the only thing the Cardinals need to upgrade their passing attack is to add, um, a quarterback. In his first year as a starter at Arkansas, Wilson completed 63 percent of his passes with a 24:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

12. St. Louis Rams (via Redskins) - Keenan Allen, WR, California

While he had all five of his 100-yard games in the first six games of the 2011 season, Allen (6-3, 205 pounds) had a breakout season: 98 receptions, 1,343 yards and six touchdowns.

13. Kansas City Chiefs - Tyler Bray, QB, Tennessee

Depending on how Matt Cassel performs in 2012, the Chiefs could look to go in a different direction in 2013. And depending on how Bray performs in 2012, he could be long gone by this spot.

14. Carolina Panthers - Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State

Rhodes is a big (6-2, 215 pounds), physical and athletic cornerback. Considering the Panthers ranked 24th in the league against the pass last year and they have to face Drew Brees and Matt Ryan (at least) four times per year, this pick makes sense if Rhodes is still available at this spot.

15. New York Jets - Manti Te'o, ILB, Notre Dame

As the best inside linebacker in this year's draft class, Te'o has the versatility and athleticism to make plays in the tackle box and from sideline to sideline. Three of the Jets' four projected starting linebackers are 30-plus years old.

16. New Orleans Saints - Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State

The draft's best defensive tackle prospect, Hankins had the versatility to play both defensive tackle and end at Ohio State and has enormous upside.

For picks 17 to 32, click here. For our 2013 NFL mock draft database, click here.

For all of our updates, you can either (1) follow me on Twitter @EDSFootball or (2) like us on Facebook -- or both.

2012 NFL Draft Results, Round 1

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:55:10 -0400

We are only a few minutes away from the start of the 2012 NFL Draft: Round 1 is tonight, Rounds 2 and 3 will be tomorrow and Rounds 4 to 7 will be held on Saturday.

As each pick of the first round is made tonight, I will update this post and add my comments:

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford: The Colts had already announced that they would select Luck, but now it is as official as it comes. Luck will clearly be one of the most scrutinized picks ever as all No. 1 picks are. [See past No. 1 picks.] Not only has he been described by some as the best quarterback prospect since HoFer John Elway, but he is replacing a legend in Peyton Manning.

2. Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor: As expected, the 'Skins take Griffin, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, with the second overall pick. Like Luck, RG3 has all the tools, intangibles and intelligence to be a franchise-changing quarterback.

3. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama: As noted earlier, the Browns traded up to this spot so that they can draft Richardson, who is considered to be the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson. Although the position may have less value than in the past, Richardson can handle the workload of an every-down back in one of the most physical divisions in the league.

4. Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT, USC: This pick makes a lot of sense. Ever since the Redskins traded to No. 2, Kalil was my pick for the Vikings at No. 3. Kalil is athletic and has the pedigree (brother is Panthers Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil).

5. Jacksonville Jaguars - Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State Trading up to No. 5, the Jaguars add the two-time Biletnikoff winner to help boost the league's worst-ranked pass offense.

6. Dallas Cowboys - Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU: Since last season, the Cowboys have significantly upgraded their pass defense by adding Brandon Carr (via free agency) and by drafting Claiborne, the top-ranked cornerback in the draft.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Mark Barron, S, Alabama: As Mike Mayock just said, Barron's ceiling is as a "Pro Bowl safety" and his floor is as a "Pro Bowl safety." Considering the three other quarterbacks in the division (Cam Newton, Drew Brees and Matt Ryan), it made sense for the Bucs to go secondary.

8. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M: The Dolphins get their (future) franchise quarterback. He has all the tools even if he needs some time to develop, but Tannehill is now reunited with his collegiate coach Mike Sherman. (Tannehill is the first first-round quarterback drafted by the Dolphins since Dan Marino.)

9. Carolina Panthers - Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College: Most projected a defensive tackle to Carolina including myself. Kuechly was a tackling machine in his three seasons at Boston College and impressed with the athleticism he displayed at the combine in February.

10. Buffalo Bills - Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina: As expected, Gilmore was the second cornerback taken in the draft, but I thought the Bills would go (should have went) with Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd or Iowa tackle Riley Reiff.

Updated 2012 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 14:11:05 -0400

Earlier today, we updated both our 2012 fantasy football cheat sheets for both leagues that use standard scoring and those that use point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

Here are our standard-scoring rankings:

1. Ray Rice, Ravens
2. Arian Foster, Texans
3. LeSean McCoy, Eagles
4. Calvin Johnson, Lions
5. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars
6. Aaron Rodgers, Packers
7. Ryan Mathews, Chargers
8. Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks
9. Drew Brees, Saints
10. Darren McFadden, Raiders
11. Chris Johnson, Titans
12. Andre Johnson, Texans
13. Rob Gronkowski, Patriots
14. Hakeem Nicks, Giants
15. Wes Welker, Patriots
16. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals
17. Tom Brady, Patriots
18. Adrian Peterson, Vikings
19. DeMarco Murray, Cowboys
20. Matt Forte, Bears
21. Roddy White, Falcons
22. Jimmy Graham, Saints
23. A.J. Green, Bengals
24. Jamaal Charles, Chiefs
25. Greg Jennings, Packers

Top 100 Rankings: Standard Scoring - PPR Scoring

Note: We have excluded rookies from these rankings, but we will include them after the 2012 NFL Draft. In addition, we will expand our cheat sheets to include the top 150 for both scoring formats.

Our Early 2012 Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 15:04:08 -0400

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 records this year including completions (468), completion percentage (71.2 percent) and 300-yard games (13).

In his two postseason games this year, Brees threw the second- and third-most yards ever in a playoff game after Cleveland's Bernie Kosar. Brees, who was designated with the franchise tag this offseason, completed 73 of 106 passes for 928 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions in those two games.

If you include the playoffs, Brees threw for 6,404 yards, 53 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 18 games this year.

While Brees (the AP Offensive Player of the Year) was the most prolific quarterback this season, Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers (the league MVP) was the most efficient.

Although 15 quarterbacks threw more pass attempts than Rodgers (502), no quarterback had more fantasy points. Rodgers set the NFL 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.

Here are some more notes on quarterbacks:

- As Rodgers sat out, Packers backup quarterback Matt Flynn set the franchise record with 480 passing yards and six touchdowns against the Lions in the regular-season finale. While there was some speculation that Flynn would follow Joe Philbin, his former offensive coordinator, to Miami, but Instead Flynn signed with the Seahawks.

- Brees wasn't the only 5,000-yard passer last season. New England's Tom Brady (5,235) and Detroit's Matthew Stafford (5,038) both reached the 5,000-yard milestone and New York's Eli Manning, Super Bowl XLVI MVP, just missed it by 67 yards.

- 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. Stafford 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).

- While Peyton Manning missed the entire season with his neck injury, all indications are that he will be 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.

- Although he did not become the team's starting quarterback until Week 7, Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow had the second-most rush attempts (122) and rushing yards (660) at the quarterback position this year. Counting his two postseason starts, however, Tebow threw for 200-plus yards only three times and had less than 100 passing yards in two starts and he will now back up Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, who quietly tied Tebow for second among quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns (six) last season. With the presence of Tebow, however, Sanchez will likely lose out on most of those touchdown runs, lose a few passing snaps and could face some fan unrest seeking a change if he struggles.

- 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.

- Similar to Newton 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.

- 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 a league-worst 22 interceptions. The good news for Freeman is the Bucs added a playmaker (Vincent Jackson) and protection (guard Carl Nicks) via free agency this offseason.

- 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 in 2010 to 53.5 percent in 2011 and he threw only six touchdowns in the 10 games he played last year. While the Rams lost Brandon Lloyd via free agency, many mock drafts (including mine) have the Rams taking Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon, the back-to-back Biletnikoff winner.

- 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.

Here are our 2012 fantasy football quarterback rankings:

1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers
2. Drew Brees, Saints
3. Tom Brady, Patriots
4. Cam Newton, Panthers
5. Matthew Stafford, Lions
6. Tony Romo, Cowboys
7. Eli Manning, Giants
8. Peyton Manning, Broncos
9. Philip Rivers, Chargers
10. Michael Vick, Eagles
11. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers
12. Matt Schaub, Texans
13. Matt Ryan, Falcons
14. Jay Cutler, Bears
15. Andy Dalton, Bengals
16. Josh Freeman, Buccaneers
17. Joe Flacco, Ravens
18. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills
19. Matt Flynn, Seahawks
20. Carson Palmer, Raiders
21. Matt Cassel, Chiefs
22. Matt Moore, Dolphins
23. Alex Smith, 49ers
24. Sam Bradford, Rams
25. Mark Sanchez, Jets

Note: We excluded rookies from our rankings, but we will include them after the 2012 NFL Draft in April.

More 2012 Rankings: RBs - WRs - TEs

2012 NFL Mock Drafts: Kevin Hanson - Brendan Donahue - Our Mock Draft Database

To keep track of our updates, follow @EDSFootball on Twitter and/or "like" us on Facebook.

Our Early 2012 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 14:57:07 -0400

The Jaguars had the league's worst-ranked offense, which makes what running back Maurice Jones-Drew did all that more impressive.

Jacksonville averaged only 259.3 yards per game of total offense, but that was primarily due to their deficiencies in the passing game. The Jaguars averaged only 136.2 passing yards per game in 2011.

Along with Atlanta's Michael Turner, MJD was one of only two running backs to go over 300 carries. Pocket Hercules had a league-high 343 carries, which is the fourth-most over the past five seasons.

Here are some more notes on running backs:

- Ravens running back Ray Rice, who was designated with the franchise tag this offseason, set career highs in rushing yards (1,364) and receiving yards (704) plus he scored a total of 15 touchdowns, which shatters his previous career high of eight. Rice has three straight seasons with 1,200-plus rushing yards and 500-plus receiving yards and 60-plus receptions.

- Broncos running back Willis McGahee, who turned 30 in October, was one yard shy of 1,200 yards for the third time in his career and the first time since 2007. That said, he had a career low in rushing touchdowns (four) last year.

- Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch, who re-signed with the Seahawks for four years, finished the season with 1,204 rushing yards and 212 receiving yards with 13 total touchdowns last year. He was particularly tough from Week 9 on. He rushed for 100-plus yards six times in his final nine games including against the 49ers, the league's top-ranked run defense.

- In the 11 games he finished, Bears running back Matt Forte was an absolute stud. During those 11 games, he had 985 rushing yards and 490 receiving yards on 52 receptions and he was on pace for 2,145 yards from scrimmage for the season. Like Rice, however, Forte is not thrilled about being designated with the franchise tag. In fact, he felt "disrespected" by the fact that the Bears signed free-agent running back Michael Bush to a four-year deal. Although it's a great (real) football move, Bush signing with the Bears diminishes both backs' fantasy value.

- Despite missing three games, Houston's Arian Foster carried the ball 278 times for 1,224 yards and 10 touchdowns and had 53 receptions for 617 yards. Counting the postseason, Foster had nine 100-yard rushing games and three 100-yard receiving games in 15 total games last year. Through last year's postseason, Foster has 656 carries for 3,125 yards and 29 touchdowns plus 127 receptions for 1,272 yards and four touchdowns in 31 games over the past two seasons.

- Foster's teammate Ben Tate finished with 942 rushing yards and 98 receiving yards. Tate rushed for 100-plus yards four times last year.

- Philadelphia's LeSean McCoy, the Eagles' second-round pick in 2009, set career highs in carries (273), rushing yards (1,309) and rushing touchdowns (17). McCoy sat out Week 17, but he scored at least one touchdown in every game he played except for Weeks 11 and 16.

- Miami's Reggie Bush nearly doubled his previous career high with 1,086 rushing yards on 216 carries. Like McCoy, Bush sat out Week 17. Before that, Bush rushed for 100-plus yards in four straight games and no running back had more rushing yards than Bush (519) during that four-game span.

- From Weeks 7 to 12, no running back had more rushing yards than Cowboys rookie DeMarco Murray (761). (Rams running back Steven Jackson (593) had the second most during that span.) Going into the 2012 season as the unquestioned feature back, Murray will be one of the top 10-12 backs off the board in 2012.

- Three elite running backs are coming off torn ACLs: Minnesota's Adrian Peterson, Kansas City's Jamaal Charles and Pittsburgh's Rashard Mendenhall. Of the three, Charles' injury happened the earliest (Week 2), which gives him the best chance to be ready for opening day. Meanwhile, Peterson is already running and coach Leslie Frazier said, "Our trainer, Eric Sugarman, was really impressed with his movement and the things he was able to do. He's on schedule. He's doing well."

- Jets running back Shonn Greene set career highs across the board: carries (253), rushing yards (1,054) and touchdowns (six) in addition to receptions (30) and receiving yards (211). That said, Greene was mostly mediocre aside from a two-game span in Weeks 13/14: 46 carries for 217 yards and four TDs plus six receptions for 84 yards.

- Speaking of mediocre, Titans running back Chris Johnson had a lackluster season with the exception of a four-game span. Johnson rushed for a total of 486 yards and had three of his four 100-yard games of the season during that stretch. In the other 12 games, however, Johnson had 177 carries for 561 yards (3.17 yards per carry) and one rushing touchdown.

- In the final six games of the season, the Redskins had five 100-yard rushing games by rookie running backs. Roy Helu, their fourth-round pick, had three of them and Evan Royster, a sixth-round pick, had two of them.

- Only four players had more rushing touchdowns than BenJarvus Green-Ellis (11), who signed with the Bengals earlier this offseason. Of the players with double-digit rushing touchdowns, The Law Firm had the fewest rushing yards (667), by far. In 510 career regular-season carries, Green-Ellis has yet to fumble.

Based on standard scoring (i.e., not point-per-reception (PPR) scoring), here are our 2012 fantasy football running backs rankings:

1. Ray Rice, Ravens
2. Arian Foster, Texans
3. LeSean McCoy, Eagles
4. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars
5. Ryan Mathews, Chargers
6. Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks
7. Darren McFadden, Raiders
8. Chris Johnson, Titans
9. Adrian Peterson, Vikings
10. DeMarco Murray, Cowboys
11. Matt Forte, Bears
12. Jamaal Charles, Chiefs
13. Steven Jackson, Rams
14. Michael Turner, Falcons
15. Fred Jackson, Bills
16. Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants
17. Frank Gore, 49ers
18. Darren Sproles, Saints
19. Reggie Bush, Dolphins
20. Roy Helu, Redskins
21. Shonn Greene, Jets
22. Willis McGahee, Broncos
23. Beanie Wells, Cardinals
24. C.J. Spiller, Bills
25. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Bengals
26. LeGarrette Blount, Buccaneers
27. Isaac Redman, Steelers
28. Stevan Ridley, Patriots
29. Mark Ingram, Saints
30. Michael Bush, Bears
31. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers
32. Jonathan Stewart, Panthers
33. Ben Tate, Texans
34. Montario Hardesty, Browns
35. Peyton Hillis, Chiefs
36. James Starks, Packers
37. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers
38. Jahvid Best, Lions
39. Brandon Jacobs, 49ers
40. Pierre Thomas, Saints
41. Mikel LeShoure, Lions
42. Toby Gerhart, Vikings
43. Donald Brown, Colts
44. Daniel Thomas, Dolphins
45. Ryan Williams, Cardinals
46. Bernard Scott, Bengals
47. Evan Royster, Redskins
48. Shane Vereen, Patriots
49. Kevin Smith, Lions
50. Felix Jones, Cowboys
51. Jacquizz Rodgers, Falcons

Note: We excluded rookies from our rankings but we will include them after the 2012 NFL Draft in April.

More 2012 Rankings: QBs - WRs - TEs

2012 NFL Mock Drafts: Kevin Hanson - Brendan Donahue - Our Mock Draft Database

To keep track of our updates, follow @EDSFootball on Twitter and/or "like" us on Facebook.

Our Early 2012 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 14:32:55 -0400

Detroit's Calvin Johnson had some (very) good seasons going into the 2011 season.

Meanwhile, Johnson blew away his previous career highs. In 2011 (previous highs in parenthesis), Johnson had 96 receptions (78) for a league-high 1,681 yards (1,331) and 16 touchdowns (12).

Only six players in NFL history had more receiving yards in a single season.

Aside from Megatron, the only other player in NFL history to finish with 1,600-plus yards and 16-plus touchdowns in the same season was Randy Moss (2003).

Johnson had a little bit of dryspell from Weeks 10 to 14 -- no 100-yard games and only one touchdown in those five games.

Hands down, Megatron goes into 2012 season as the clear No. 1 fantasy wide receiver and it's not close.

Here are some more notes on wide receivers:

- Based on data from Pro Football Reference, a player has reached 110-plus receptions 25 times in NFL history. Over the past five years, Patriots slot receiver Wes Welker has done it four of those 25 times. Welker, who was designated with the team's franchise tag, finished with career highs in yards (1,569) and touchdowns (nine) and his 122 receptions was one shy of his previous career high.

- Receivers A.J. Green and Julio Jones made big splashes in their rookie seasons despite a lack of an offseason to get acclimated to their respective offenses. Green became the first rookie to finish with at least 1,000 yards since Marques Colstson did so in 2006. Jones had 54 receptions for 959 yards and eight touchdowns, but he missed three games and would have (almost certainly) finished with more than 1,000 yards had he stayed healthy for all 16 games.

- The top rookie receiver in the 2012 NFL Draft is Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon, who has won the Biletnikoff award in back-to-back seasons. During the past two seasons, Blackmon has tallied 232 receptions for 3,304 yards and 38 touchdowns. That said, it is close between Blackmon and Notre Dame's Michael Floyd, both of whom I projected to go in the top 10 in my most recent NFL mock draft.

[Related poll: Take our poll on how high Michael Floyd will be drafted.]

- After not catching a single pass in 2010, Giants receiver Victor Cruz burst onto the scene in Week 3 and finished the season with 1,536 receiving yards, which ranked him third in the NFL behind Megatron and Welker. In addition, it set a franchise record. Cruz had more receptions (82), yards (1,536) and touchdowns (nine) than Hakeem Nicks (76-1,192-7).

- Green Bay's Jordy Nelson had a huge performance in Super Bowl XLV and seemed poised to break out in 2011 with the possible barrier of too many talented passcatchers in the Packers offense. Nelson finished last season with 68 receptions for 1,263 yards and 15 touchdowns.

- Steelers second-year receiver Antonio Brown, the team's sixth-round pick in 2010, had a breakout season: 69 receptions for 1,108 yards but only two (receiving) touchdowns. If your league awards points for return yards, Brown ranked fifth in the NFL in kick return average (27.3 yards) and 10th in punt return average (10.8).

- Vikings receiver Percy Harvin set career highs in receptions (87) and receiving yards (967) and tied his career high in receiving touchdowns (six). Harvin was much better after the bye (56-633-6) than he was before it (31-334-0). From Week 10 to 17, only Atlanta's Roddy White (57) and Welker (56) had as many receptions as Harvin (56). In addition to his receiving stats, Harvin carried the ball 56 times for 345 yards and two touchdowns as well. Although Harvin will have "minor" shoulder surgery, he expects to ready for the start of offseason training activities (OTAs).

- Oakland's Darrius Heyward-Bey, the first wide receiver drafted in 2009, shattered his previous career highs with 64 receptions for 975 yards and four touchdowns. While there was an inexplicable two-game stretch with no receptions in the middle of the season, DHB finished strong: 21 receptions for 355 yards and two touchdowns in the final three weeks of the season.

- Last year, receiver Pierre Garcon had only three games with double-digit fantasy points in 2011, however, none of them were for 10 to 19 fantasy points. Garcon had either 24-plus fantasy points (three times) or eight or less fantasy points (13 times).

- Carolina's Steve Smith had a bounce-back year and finished with 840 yards more than he had last year. Smith finished the season with 79 receptions for 1,394 yards and seven touchdowns. That said, Smith was much more productive in the eight games before the bye (46-918-4) than he was in the eight games after the bye (33-476-3).

- In the seven games starting with Week 13, Denver's Demaryius Thomas had 75-plus yards in six games including a 204-yard performance in the playoffs. During that seven-game span, Thomas had 35 receptions for 745 yards and four touchdowns. And that was with Tim Tebow throwing him the ball ...

- As a Cowboys receiver, Laurent Robinson was a touchdown-scoring machine. From Weeks 8 to 17, Robinson scored all 11 of his touchdowns last season. Despite turning last season's success into a significant contract in Jacksonville, the Jaguars had the league's worst-passing offense in 2012 and he will rely on Blaine Gabbert, the team's first-round pick in 2011, or Chad Henne to get him the ball.

- Bucs receiver Mike Williams followed up his strong rookie season with a disappointing performance. While he had exactly 65 receptions in both seasons, he finished with only 771 yards (964 in 2010) and three touchdowns (11 in 2010) last year as noted above.

- Before tearing his ACL and MCL in the third game of the season, Titans receiver Kenny Britt had back-to-back 100-yard games to begin the year. In those two games, Britt totaled 14 receptions for 271 yards and three touchdowns. If there's anything positive with the injury, it happened early in the season, which gives him a better chance of being ready for the start of the 2012 season. That said, it usually takes a full season before a player returns back to pre-injury levels, if he does. [See Welker, Wes.]

Based on standard scoring (i.e., not point-per-reception (PPR) scoring), here are our 2012 fantasy football wide receiver rankings:

1. Calvin Johnson, Lions
2. Andre Johnson, Texans
3. Hakeem Nicks, Giants
4. Wes Welker, Patriots
5. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals
6. Roddy White, Falcons
7. A.J. Green, Bengals
8. Greg Jennings, Packers
9. Victor Cruz, Giants
10. Mike Wallace, Steelers
11. Julio Jones, Falcons
12. Jordy Nelson, Packers
13. Brandon Marshall, Bears
14. Vincent Jackson, Bucs
15. Percy Harvin, Vikings
16. Marques Colston, Saints
17. Dez Bryant, Cowboys
18. Miles Austin, Cowboys
19. Demaryius Thomas, Broncos
20. Steve Smith, Panthers
21. Jeremy Maclin, Eagles
22. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs
23. Antonio Brown, Steelers
24. Kenny Britt, Titans
25. Steve Johnson, Bills
26. Robert Meachem, Chargers
27. DeSean Jackson, Eagles
28. Malcom Floyd, Chargers
29. Michael Crabtree, 49ers
30. Sidney Rice, Seahawks
31. Reggie Wayne, Colts
32. Eric Decker, Broncos
33. Torrey Smith, Ravens
34. Brandon Lloyd, Patriots
35. Mike Williams, Buccaneers
36. Denarius Moore, Raiders
37. Santana Moss, Redskins
38. Santonio Holmes, Jets
39. Darrius Heyward-Bey, Raiders
40. Pierre Garcon, Redskins
41. Anquan Boldin, Ravens
42. Laurent Robinson, Jaguars
43. Lance Moore, Saints
44. Titus Young, Lions
45. Mario Manningham, 49ers
46. Doug Baldwin, Seahawks
47. Jabar Gaffney, Redskins
48. Danny Amendola, Rams
49. Nate Burleson, Lions
50. Golden Tate, Seahawks
51. Jacoby Ford, Raiders
52. Greg Little, Browns
53. Nate Washington, Titans
54. Randy Moss, 49ers
55. Deion Branch, Patriots
56. Vincent Brown, Chargers
57. Austin Collie, Colts
58. Earl Bennett, Bears
59. David Nelson, Bills
60. Jon Baldwin, Chiefs

Note: We excluded rookies from our rankings but we will include them after the 2012 NFL Draft in April.

More 2012 Rankings: QBs - RBs - TEs

2012 NFL Mock Drafts: Kevin Hanson - Brendan Donahue - Our Mock Draft Database

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