2012 Fantasy Football Dynasty League Rankings

by Jared Smola, DraftSharks.com

Looking for 2012 fantasy football dynasty league rankings? Draft Sharks has you covered.

The fantasy football season never ends for owners in keeper or dynasty leagues. In fact, the offseason is a great time to infuse your roster with fresh talent through trades and free-agent acquisitions. And it’s never too early to start thinking about who your 2012 fantasy football keepers will be.

On that note, we’ve got fresh dynasty league rankings – the top-40 QBs, 60 RBs, 70 WRs, and 40 TEs – with full analysis. The complete rankings are available to Draft Sharks members. But here’s a sneak peek at our top-5 at each position:

QBs

1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers
He's recorded 4-straight top-2 finishes and could easily have another 5 or 6 left in him. A-Rodg is just 28 years old and is surrounded by a bevy of talented pass-catchers. And his rushing ability gives him sneaky added value.

2. Cam Newton, Panthers
We knew he could run it, but Newton emerged as a professional passer almost overnight. Carolina needs to get him some more weapons on the outside, but Cam's legs will ensure that he's a high-upside fantasy option. We'd say that his propensity to take hits makes him an injury concern, but the dude is bigger than most of the LBs in the league!

3. Drew Brees, Saints
Brees has been dynamite with the Saints, averaging 4,734 yards and 34 TDs in 6 seasons in the Big Easy. He's 32 years old now, but he doesn't take many big hits and should still have 3 or 4 dominant seasons left.

4. Matt Stafford, Lions
Finally healthy for a full season, Stafford produced a 5,000-yard campaign in 2011. And he doesn't turn 24 until February! Stafford has an elite skill-set and plenty of weapons to work with. He has as much upside as anyone on this list.

5. Tom Brady, Patriots
Brady threw for a career-high 5,239 yards in 2011. His 39 TDs were his most since that record-setting 2007 season. The emergence of TEs Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez has reinvigorated Brady's fantasy stock. He'll be 35 this August though.

RBs

1. Ray Rice, Ravens
Rice is an ultra-talented 24-year-old back on a run-first offense. Oh, he's good for 60+ catches per season too.

2. Arian Foster, Texans
After getting over that bum hamstring, Foster was dominant again in 2011. Ben Tate's presence is the only thing keeping him out of the top spot.

3. LeSean McCoy, Eagles
McCoy is the youngest of the elite RBs -- he doesn't turn 24 until July. Shady has topped 1,600 yards in each of the past 2 seasons. He's a true 3-down back who's also taken on goal line duties.

4. Matt Forte, Bears
His season-ending knee injury was just a sprained MCL and shouldn't be a long-term issue. Forte is a free-agent this offseason, but we'd be shocked if he didn't return to Chicago. With OC Mike Martz gone, Forte could see more carries but fewer catches in 2012. Regardless, he'll continue to be the focal point of the Bears' offense.

5. Adrian Peterson, Vikings
Most soon-to-be 27-year-olds recovering from a late-season torn ACL would have plummeted down this list. But AP is a freak and has a good chance to give owners 2-3 more elite seasons.

WRs

1. Calvin Johnson, Lions
A physical freak who's just now realizing how dominant he can be. Johnson is only 26 years old, and his QB is only 24. Megatron should be the #1 pick in start-up dynasty leagues.

2. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals
The best part about Fitz is that you know he'll produce regardless of who's tossing him the rock. He's averaged 1,296 yards and 10 TDs over the past 5 seasons. Still only 28 years old, Fitz has 3-4 elite seasons left.

3. A.J. Green, Bengals
Besides the 2 guys above him on this list, Green may already be the most talented WR in the league. More importantly, QB Andy Dalton has shown a willingness and ability to get him the ball. The sky's the limit here.

4. Hakeem Nicks, Giants
Victor Cruz stole the spotlight in 2011, but Nicks is still the most talented WR on the roster. He reminded us of that during the postseason. Durability is actually the biggest concern with Nicks. He's missed 6 games in his first 3 pro seasons. Still, he's only 24 and figures to be a perennial top-10 WR over the next 5-6 seasons.

5. Julio Jones, Falcons
It'll be fun watching Jones and A.J. Green duke it out for top WR honors in the 2011 draft class. Green has the talent edge, but Jones is in a better spot. He could emerge as Atlanta's #1 WR as soon as next season.

TEs

1. Jimmy Graham, Saints
Graham gets the slight edge over Gronk just because he seems to have more room for growth. Remember that he didn't even play football until his final year of college. He's still learning the finer points of the position. There's no cap on his upside.

2. Rob Gronkowski, Patriots
Gronk set a TE record with 1,327 receiving yards in 2011. His 17 TDs give him a ridiculous 27 in his first 32 pro games. He's a physical mismatch with a sticky set of hands playing on an elite passing attack.

3. Aaron Hernandez, Patriots
Gronkowski is elite, but Hernandez is pretty damn good in his own right. He racked up 910 yards and 7 TDs in 2011, finishing 3rd among TEs in fantasy points. And at 22 years old, Hernandez is still one of the youngest players in the NFL.

4. Jermichael Fnley, Packers
Finley has yet to cash in on his massive upside. But he's still a supremely-talented TE who hasn't even turned 25 yet. He's a free-agent this offseason but is expected back in Green Bay.

5. Vernon Davis, 49ers
Davis had a down year, admittedly slowed by needing to learn a new offense during the lockout. He came on down the stretch though. And at 27 years old, he's just entering his prime.