American League Baltimore Orioles
(CL) Jim Johnson (R)–Recorded his 41st save of the season on Thursday after pitching 0.2 innings of relief. He gave up one hit in the appearance but was able to get the job done by forcing one ground ball out and one strikeout on just eight pitches thrown. (08/31/12)
(SU) Pedro Strop (R)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on Thursday giving up two runs on two hits in 0.1 innings of relief. Strop has hit a bit of a rough patch as of late and has now given up three runs in his last 1.1 innings of relief. (08/31/12)
(MR) Darren O’Day (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on Sunday in a non-save situation giving up just one walk in the outing. With this appearance O’Day lowered his earned-run average to 2.30 on the season. (09/03/12)
Boston Red Sox
(CL) Andrew Bailey (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on Monday in a non-save situation giving up one walk in the outing. Although the Red Sox have yet to officially announce the switch, Bailey appears to be the teams closer moving forward. (08/28/12)
(SU) Vicente Padilla (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on Friday night giving up two runs on three hits in the appearance. With this appearance Padilla raised his earned-run average to 4.47 on the season. (09/01/12)
(MR) Alfredo Aceves (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on Friday night giving up two runs on one hit while striking out one batter. Aceves has looked horrible as of late and is likely going to be removed completely from the closer role if he keeps this up. (09/01/12) Chicago White Sox
(CL) Addison Reed (R)–Recorded his 24th save of the season on Saturday night despite giving up one run on two hits while striking out one batter. Reed has now given up three runs in his last two appearances and will need to turn things around if he wants to stay in the closer role. (08/26/12)
(SU) Brett Myers (R)– Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on Sunday giving up one hit and one walk in the outing. He needed 13 pitches to get through the appearance forcing two fly ball outs to get the job done. (09/03/12)
(MR) Matt Thornton (L)– Pitched one inning of relief on Friday night giving up one run on one hit while striking out one batter on 13 pitches thrown. With this appearance Thornton raised his earned-run average to 3.52 on the season. (09/01/12)
Cleveland Indians
(CL) Chris Perez (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on Thursday giving up one run on one hit while striking out two batters in a non-save situation. This was his first appearance since last Saturday, so expect him to be ready to go for this weekend’s series against the Rangers. (08/31/12)
(SU) Vinnie Pestano (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on Wednesday night in a non-save situation giving up two runs on three hits while striking out one batter. Despite the rough outing Pestano is still sitting on a 2.08 earned-run average this season. (08/30/12)
(MR) Tony Sipp (L)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on Thursday giving up one run on four walks in the appearance. With this outing Sipp raised his earned-run average to 4.70 on the season and has now given up runs in two of his last three games. (08/31/12) Detroit Tigers
(CL) Jose Valverde (R)–Recorded his 28th save of the season on Sunday night despite giving up one run on three hits in the ninth inning. Valverde got himself into a bit of a jam but was able to limit the damage to just one run. (09/03/12)
(SU) Joaquin Benoit (R)–Picked up his 27th hold of the season on Friday after striking out the side in the eighth inning on 17 pitches thrown. With this appearance Benoit lowered his earned-run average to 3.10 on the season. (09/01/12)
(MR) Phil Coke (L)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on Tuesday night giving up one hit and one walk while striking out one batter. With this appearance Coke lowered his earned-run average to 3.72 on the season. (08/29/12) Kansas City Royals
(CL) Greg Holland (R)–Recorded his 10th save of the season on Sunday after striking out the side in the ninth inning. Holland has been excellent since taking over the closer role and is now a perfect 10-for-10 in save chances. (09/03/12)
(SU) Aaron Crow (R)–Picked up his 16th hold of the season on Sunday after striking out the only batter that he faced in the eighth inning. With this appearance Crow lowered his earned-run average to 3.48 on the season. (09/03/12)
(MR) Tim Collins (L)–Picked up the win on Sunday despite being charged with a blown-save after surrendering two runs on three hits and one walk in the sixth inning. With this appearance Collins improved to 5-2 on the season even though it was a rough outing. (09/03/12)
Injured–Joakim Soria (out for season) Los Angeles Angels
(CL) Ernesto Frieri (R)– Recorded his 16th save of the season on Thursday night after pitching a scoreless ninth inning. He struck out two batters in the appearance while forcing one ground ball out on 25 pitches thrown. (08/31/12)
(SU) Kevin Jepsen (R)–Picked up his 11th hold of the season on Thursday after pitching a scoreless eighth inning giving up one hit and one walk in the outing. With this appearance Jepsen lowered his earned-run average to 3.34 on the season. (08/31/12)
(MR) Scott Downs (L)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on Sunday giving up one run on two hits while striking out one batter. With this appearance Downs raised his earned-run average to 3.08 on the season, which has been steadily increasing since the All-Star break. (08/27/12) Minnesota Twins
(CL) Glen Perkins (L)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on Thursday in a non-save situation retiring all three batters he faced in order. He struck out one batter while forcing two fly ball outs on just 12 pitches thrown. (08/31/12)
(CL) Jared Burton (R)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on Thursday giving up one hit in the appearance. He struck out one batter while forcing one ground ball out and one fly ball out on 16 pitches thrown. (08/31/12)
(MR) Alex Burnett (R)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on Sunday giving up one run on three hits and one walk while striking out two batters. With this appearance Burnett raised his earned-run average to 2.97 on the season. (09/03/12)
Injured–Matt Capps (15-Day DL) New York Yankees
(CL) Rafael Soriano (R)–Recorded his 34th save of the season on Tuesday night after pitching a 1-2-3 ninth inning striking out two batters. Soriano has now pitched three straight days and will likely be given the day off on Wednesday. (08/29/12)
(SU) David Robertson (R)–Picked up his 21st hold of the season on Tuesday after pitching a scoreless eighth inning. He retired all three batters he faced in order and ahs now pitched three consecutive days so don’t expect to see him take the mound on Wednesday. (08/29/12)
(MR) Boone Logan (R)–Failed to record an out in his appearance on Sunday giving up a hit to the only batter he faced on two pitches thrown. Logan has now pitched back-to-back days and will likely be unavailable on Monday. (09/03/12)
Injured–Mariano Rivera (out for the season) Oakland Athletics
(CL) Grant Balfour (R)–Recorded his 15th save of the season on Monday night after pitching a scoreless ninth inning giving up one walk while striking out three batters. With this appearance Balfour lowered his earned-run average to 2.54 on the season. (08/28/12)
(SU) Ryan Cook(R)–Pitched a scoreless seventh inning on Sunday retiring all three batters he faced in order on 13 pitches thrown. He struck out one batter while forcing one ground ball out and one fly ball out to get through the inning. (09/03/12)
(MR) Sean Doolittle (L)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on Sunday retiring all three batters he faced in order. He struck out one batter while forcing one ground ball out and one fly ball out to get the job done. (09/03/12)
Injured–Joey Devine (15-Day DL), Jordan Norberto (15-Day DL) Seattle Mariners
(CL) Tom Wilhelmsen (R)–Recorded his 22nd save of the season on Sunday despite giving up one run on one hit and one walk while striking out one batter in the ninth inning. With this appearance Wilhelmsen lowered his earned-run average to 2.66 on the season. (09/03/12)
(SU) Lucas Luetge (L)–Pitched one inning of relief on Friday night giving up three runs on three hits while striking out one batter. Luetege has hit a rough patch and has now given up four runs in his last two appearances. (09/01/12)
(MR) Oliver Perez (L)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on Tuesday night giving up one hit in the outing. He faced just two batters in the appearance forcing one fly ball out on eight pitches thrown in his first outing since last Friday. (08/29/12)
Injured–George Sherrill (15-Day DL) Tampa Bay Rays
(CL) Fernando Rodney (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on Wednesday night in a non-save situation giving up one hit while striking out one batter. With this appearance Rodney lowered his earned-run average to 0.75 on the season. (08/30/12)
(SU) Joel Peralta (R)–Picked up his 31st hold of the season on Wednesday after pitching a 1-2-3 eighth inning. He needed only 13 pitches to get through the appearance striking out one batter while forcing one ground ball out and one fly ball out to get the job done. (08/30/12)
(MR) Kyle Farnsworth (R)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on Friday night retiring all three batters he faced in order. He needed 11 pitches to get through the appearance forcing one ground ball out and two fly ball outs to get the job done. (09/01/12) Texas Rangers
(CL) Joe Nathan (R)–Recorded his 28th save of the season on Friday night after retiring the final two batters of the ninth inning on 11 pitches thrown. He struck out one batter in the appearance while forcing one ground ball out to get the job done. (09/01/12)
(SU) Mike Adams (R)–Picked up his 24th hold of the season on Tuesday after pitching a scoreless eighth inning giving up one hit while striking out one batter. Adams as now pitched back-to-back days and will likely be given the day off on Wednesday. (08/29/12)
(MR) Robbie Ross (L)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on Wednesday night needing 17 pitches to get through the appearance. He forced three ground ball outs in the outing which was his first since last Saturday. (08/30/12) Toronto Blue Jays
(CL) Casey Janssen (R)–Recorded his 19th save of the season on Friday night after pitching a scoreless ninth inning giving up two hits while striking out one batter. Janssen has now pitched three straight days and will likely get the day off on Saturday. (09/01/12)
(SU) Brandon Lyon (R)–Picked up his sixth hold of the season on Wednesday despite giving up one run on two hits while striking out one batter in the eighth inning. With this appearance Lyon lowered his earned-run average to 2.35 on the season. (08/30/12)
(MR) Steve Delabar (R)–Picked up his seventh hold of the season on Friday night after pitching 1.1 innings of relief giving up two hits. He struck out three batters in the appearance while forcing one ground ball out on 20 pitches thrown. (09/01/12)
Injured–Sergio Santos (out for season), Jason Frasor (15-day DL)
National League Arizona Diamondbacks
(CL) J.J. Putz (R)–Took the loss and was charged with his fourth blown-save of the season on Sunday after surrendering two runs on two hits and one walk in the ninth inning. With this outing Putz falls to 1-5 on the season with a 3.13 earned-run average. (09/03/12)
(SU) David Hernandez (R)–Picked up his 21st hold of the season on Sunday after pitching a scoreless eighth inning giving up one walk in the outing. With this appearance Hernandez lowered his earned-run average to 2.14 on the season. (09/03/12)
(MR) Bryan Shaw (R)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on Friday night striking out the only batter he faced to get the sixth inning. He needed only four pitches to get through the appearance with three pitches going over for strikes. (09/01/12)
Injured–Takashi Saito (15-Day DL) Atlanta Braves
(CL) Craig Kimbrel (R)–Was charged with his third blown-save of the season on Friday night after giving up one run on one hit in the ninth inning. Kimbrel had been on fire as of late so regression was bound to happen at some point. (09/01/12)
(SU) Eric O’Flaherty (L)–Picked up his 22nd hold of the season on Friday after pitching a scoreless eighth inning giving up one hit while striking out two batters in the outing. He needed 12 pitches to get through the appearance with nine pitches going over for strikes. (09/01/12)
(MR) Jonny Venters (L)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on Sunday giving up one walk in the outing. With this appearance Venters lowered his earned-run average to 3.40 on the season and has now put together two straight solid outings. (09/03/12)
Chicago Cubs
(CL) Carlos Marmol (R)–Took the loss on Sunday after surrendering two runs on two hits and two walks in the ninth inning. With this appearance Marmol raised his earned-run average to 4.15 on the season. (09/03/12)
(SU) James Russell (L)–Pitched a scoreless seventh inning on Sunday retiring all three batters he faced in order. He struck out one batter in the appearance while forcing one ground ball out and one fly ball out on 11 pitches thrown. (09/03/12)
(MR) Shawn Camp (R)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on Sunday retiring all three batters he faced in order. He needed 18 pitches to get through the appearance striking out one batter while forcing one ground ball out and one fly ball out. (09/03/12)
Cincinnati Reds
(CL) Aroldis Chapman (L)–Recorded his 34th save of the season on Sunday after pitching a 1-2-3 ninth inning. He struck out two batters in the appearance while forcing one fly ball out on 16 pitches thrown. (09/03/12)
(SU) Jonathan Broxton (R)–Picked up his sixth hold of the season on Sunday after pitching a scoreless eighth inning retiring all three batters he faced in order. With this appearance Broxton lowered his earned-run average to 4.50 since joining the Reds. (09/03/12)
(MR) Sean Marshall (L)–Picked up his 18th hold of the season on Monday after pitching a 1-2-3 seventh inning. He struck out one batter in the appearance while forcing one ground ball out and one fly ball out on 18 pitches thrown. (08/28/12)
Injured–Ryan Madson (out for season), Nick Masset (15-Day DL) Colorado Rockies
(CL) Rafael Betancourt (R)–Recorded his 27th save of the season on Sunday despite giving up one run on three hits in the appearance. With this outing Betancourt raised his earned-run average to 2.57 on the season. (09/03/12)
(SU) Matt Belisle (R)–Picked up his 23rd hold of the season on Sunday after retiring all three batters he faced in order in the eighth inning. Belisle has now pitched back-to-back days and will likely be given the day off on Monday. (09/03/12)
(MR) Matt Reynolds (L)-Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on Sunday giving up one hit and one walk on 10 pitches thrown. Reynolds has now pitched two of the last three days, but should be available out of the bullpen on Monday. (09/03/12) Houston Astros
(CL) Wilton Lopez (R)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on Sunday giving up one run on two hits in the appearance. Lopez has now pitched three straight days and will likely be unavailable to pitch on Monday. (09/03/12)
(SU) Fernando Rodriguez (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on Sunday in a non-save situation striking out all three batters he faced in order. He threw just 11 pitches in the appearance with nine pitches going over for strikes. (09/03/12)
(MR) Rhiner Cruz (R)–Pitched two innings of relief on Thursday after giving up two runs on three hits and one walk. Cruz has had a rough year and has now giving up three runs in his last three innings of relief. (08/31/12)
Injured–Francisco Cordero (15-Day DL)
Los Angeles Dodgers
(CL) Kenley Jansen (R)–Jansen is out indefinitely with a recurrence of an irregular heartbeat. He has now been placed on the disabled-list as of yet, but if he is going to need blood thinners he will likely miss the rest of the season. (08/30/12)
(CL) Ronald Belisario (R)–Picked up the win on Sunday after pitching a scoreless ninth inning giving up one hit while striking out three batters. With this appearance Belisario improved to 4-1 on the season with a 2.60 earned-run average. (09/03/12)
(CL) Brandon League (R)–Pitched a scoreless 10th inning on Friday striking out the side on just 12 pitches thrown. League isn’t known for his strikeout-ability but he has now struck out five batters in his last three innings of relief. (09/01/12)
Injured–Matt Guerrier (15-Day DL), Todd Coffey (15-Dal DL) Miami Marlins
(CL) Steve Cishek (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on Friday night in a non-save situation retiring all three batters he faced in order. He struck out one batter while forcing one ground ball out and one fly ball out on 16 pitches thrown. (09/01/12)
(SU) Heath Bell (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on Wednesday night giving up two runs on four hits in the appearance. Bell’s issues continued Wednesday and is now sitting on a 5.92 earned-run average on the season. (08/30/12)
(MR) Mike Dunn (L)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on Wednesday giving up one run on one hit in the appearance. He needed 10 pitches to get through the appearance forcing two ground ball outs to get the first two outs of the eighth inning. (08/30/12)
Injured–Juan Oviedo (15-Day DL)
Milwaukee Brewers
(CL) John Axford (R)–Recorded his 23rd save of the season on Sunday after pitching a 1-2-3 ninth inning striking out two batters. Axford has now pitched back-to-back days and will likely be given the day off on Monday. (09/03/12)
(SU) Francisco Rodriguez (R)–Pitched a scoreless seventh inning on Sunday retiring all three batters he faced in order. He needed only nine pitches to get through the appearance forcing three fly ball outs to get the job done. (09/03/12)
(MR) Jim Henderson (R)–Picked up his sixth hold of the season on Friday night after pitching a scoreless eighth inning giving up one hit in the outing. He needed 16 pitches to get through the appearance striking out two batters while forcing one ground ball out. (09/01/12) New York Mets
(CL) Frank Francisco (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on Sunday in a non-save situation retiring all three batters he faced in order. He needed 11 pitches to get through the appearance forcing two ground ball outs and one fly ball out to get the job done. (09/03/12)
(SU) Jon Rauch (R)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on Sunday retiring all three batters he faced in order. He struck out two batters in the appearance while forcing one fly ball out on 13 pitches thrown. (09/03/12)
(MR) Bobby Parnell (R)–Pitched a scoreless sixth inning on Sunday retiring all three batters he faced in order. He threw just five pitches in the appearance forcing two ground ball outs and one fly ball out to get through the inning. (09/03/12)
Injured– Tim Byrdak (15-Day DL) Philadelphia Phillies
(CL) Jonathan Papelbon (R)–Took the loss and was charged with his fourth blown-save of the season on Sunday after surrendering three runs on two hits and one walk in the ninth inning. With this appearance Papelbon falls to 3-6 on the season with a 3.02 earned-run average. (09/03/12)
(SU) Antonio Bastardo (L)–Pitched a scoreless seventh inning on Friday retiring all three batters he faced in order. He struck out two batters in the appearance while forcing one fly ball out on just 14 pitches thrown. (09/01/12)
(MR) Josh Lindblom (R)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on Sunday giving up one hit while striking out two batters on 13 pitches thrown. Lindblom has now struck out four batters in his late 2.2 innings of relief bringing his total to 59 on the season. (09/03/12)
Injured–David Herndon (15-Day DL)
Pittsburgh Pirates
(CL) Joel Hanrahan (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on Wednesday night in a non-save situation giving up one hit while striking out one batter on 18 pitches thrown. With this appearance Harahan lowered his earned-run average to 2.31 on the season. (08/30/12)
(SU) Jason Grilli (R)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on Wednesday retiring all three batters he faced in order. He needed 13 pitches to get through the appearance forcing one fly ball out while striking out two batters.(08/30/12)
(MR) Tony Watson (L)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on Sunday giving up one walk in the appearance. With this outing Watson lowered his earned-run average to 3.74 on the season and has now pitched three straight solid outings. (09/03/12) San Diego Padres
(CL) Luke Gregerson (R)–Recorded his third save of the season on Friday night despite giving up one run on one hit in the ninth inning. He limited the damage to just one run and was able to work out of the jam to get the job done. (09/01/12)
(SU) Dale Thayer (R)–Picked up his 11th hold of the season on Friday after pitching 0.2 innings of relief striking out two batters he faced. With this appearance Thayer lowered his earned-run average to 3.69 on the season. (09/01/12)
(MR) Cory Burns (R)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on Sunday throwing just three pitches to get through the appearance. With this outing Burns lowered his earned-run average to 3.00 on the season. (09/03/12)
Injured–Huston Street (15-Day DL) San Francisco Giants
(CL) Sergio Romo (R)–Recorded his eighth save of the season on Thursday night after striking out the only batter he faced in the ninth inning. With this appearance Romo lowered his earned-run average to 1.99 on the season. (08/31/12)
(SU) Jeremy Affeldt (L)–Pitched 1.1 innings of relief on Sunday retiring all four batters he faced in order. He threw 19 pitches in the appearance striking out two batters while forcing one ground ball out and one fly ball out to get the job done. (09/03/12)
(MR) Santiago Casilla (R)–Picked up the win on Sunday after pitching one inning on Sunday giving up one hit in the outing. He needed 12 pitches to get through the appearance forcing two ground ball outs and one fly ball out to get the job done. (09/03/12)
Injured–Brian Wilson (out for season)
St. Louis Cardinals
(CL) Jason Motte (R)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on Friday night giving up two runs on two hits in a non-save situation . This was a rough outing for Motte, but it wasn’t a save situation so that might have something to do with it. (09/01/12)
(SU) Mitchell Boggs (R)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on Friday retiring all three batters he faced in order. He struck out one batter in the appearance while forcing one ground ball out and one fly ball out on 14 pitches thrown. (09/01/12)
(MR) Marc Rzepczynski (L)–Pitched 1.1 innings of relief on Friday night giving up one hit while striking out one batter on 23 pitches thrown. With this appearance he lowered his earned-run average to 4.46 on the season. (09/01/12) Washington Nationals
(CL) Tyler Clippard (R)–Recorded his 29th save of the season on Sunday after pitching a 1-2-3 ninth inning striking out one batter. With this appearance Clippard lowered his earned-run average to 2.69 on the season. (09/03/12)
(SU) Sean Burnett (L)–Was charged with his third blown-save of the season on Sunday after surrendering two runs on three hits in the seventh inning. Burnett has now pitched back-to-back days and will likely be given the day off on Monday. (09/03/12)
(MR) Drew Storen (R)–Picked up his seventh hold of the season on Wednesday night after pitching a scoreless eighth inning. He retired all three batters he faced in order striking out one batter while forcing one ground ball out and one fly ball out on 13 pitches thrown. (08/30/12)
Injured–Henry Rodriguez (15-Day DL)
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Rodgers is coming off an incredible 2011 season where he threw for over 4,600 yards with 45 TD passes and only 6 interceptions. He also ran for over 250 yards and scored three rushing TD’s. Rodgers will once again be the biggest weapon in a high powered Packer offense in 2012. Green Bay is a pass happy offense that will put up big points every week, so Rodgers will have no problem putting up similar numbers this season. Without doubt he should be the #1 QB off the board in all fantasy drafts.
Brady also plays in a pass friendly offense with a load of talented pass catchers. Brady is coming off a year where he threw for over 5,200 yards and had 42 total TDs (39 passing, 3 rushing). With the addition of big play WR Brandon Lloyd to go along with Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, the Patriot signal caller should be able to attack the 5,000 yard mark and 40 plus TDs once again.
Stafford was able to stay healthy in 2011 to play all 16 games and we were able to see what type of fantasy numbers he can put up. He managed to throw for 5,038 yards and 41 TD passes and with a WR like Calvin Johnson to throw to fantasy owners will continue to see big things. As long as Stafford can avoid injury he will be considered an elite fantasy QB.
Brees set an NFL record with 5,476 passing yards in 2011 and added 46 touchdown passes. Brees has been as consistent as they come and will once again post great fantasy numbers. Saints are another team with a throw first attitude and Brees and company have no problem piling up the points against their opponents. Even with head coach Sean Payton suspended, look for Drew Brees to keep the Saints’ offense rolling.
Newton had a great rookie season throwing for over 4,000 yards with 35 total TDs (21 passing, 14 rushing). Newton is only going to get better and if he can cut down on his interception total his fantasy numbers will be huge. With the improvement he can make as a passer and the fact he is the Panthers #1 goal line rusher Newton should easily be considered a top 5 fantasy QB in 2012.
Romo threw for over 4,000 yards and 31 TDs even though he dealt with injured ribs throughout the 2011 season. With WRs Miles Austin and Dez Bryant along with his safety blanket Jason Witten, Romo should be able to surpass last year’s totals for a solid 2012 fantasy season.
Eli threw for almost 5,000 yards in 2011 and added 29 TD passes. As long as Manning can get a healthy Hakeem Nicks back and with the emergence of Victor Cruz, he should be a lock to throw for well over 4,000 yards again and 30 touchdowns.
Rivers is coming off what is considered a poor 2011 season, but still managed to throw for over 4,600 yards and 27 touchdowns. The downside was he threw 20 interceptions. The Chargers did lose Vincent Jackson in the off season, but they added WRs Robert Meachem and Eddie Royal. Plus with TE Antonio Gates healthy, Rivers should have a big bounce back year and he will again be considered an elite fantasy QB.
In 13 games last season Vick had 3,303 passing yards with 18 TD passes and 14 INTs. He also rushed for 589 yards and a touchdown. This was not the Michael Vick fantasy owners were hoping for in 2011. If Vick can stay healthy in 2012 he can put up big fantasy numbers and carry your team on any given week. Vick is an injury risk, but he is capable of turning your fantasy team into a champion.
Ryan threw for 4,177 yards and 29 TDs last season. With one of the NFL’s top receivers in Roddy White, up and coming star Julio Jones and the idea that the Falcons will start throwing more and riding the arm of Ryan, he should exceed his production from 2011.
Big Ben is coming off a very non impressive season. He did manage to throw for over 4,000 yards, but only had 21 TD passes and threw 14 INTs. He will still have speedy Mike Wallace alongside dangerous Antonio Brown and with the running game without Rashard Mendenhall, Roethlisberger should be putting the ball in the air a ton. He will have no problem getting over 4,000 yards and upping his TD total as long as he can stay healthy.
Hopefully we will see a healthy Manning this year after he missed all of last season. If he is ready he can still put up the fantasy numbers that warrant him QB1 status. Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas can be solid WRs for Peyton and help him be the steal of the 2012 draft.
Griffin could be a fantasy star in 2012 just as Cam Newton was last year. He has great athleticism to go along with his strong arm and he will be able put up good weekly numbers in the air and on the ground. Griffin may not be worth drafting as your starter, but may crack fantasy lineups soon enough.
Flacco may never be considered an every week starter due to his inconsistent play and RB Ray Rice being the focal point of the Ravens’ offense. But Flacco can be a solid fantasy backup and can be used occasionally pending on his matchup.
Cutler may see a boost in his production this season with the addition of WR Brandon Marshall. Marshall gives Cutler his first bonified #1 WR since coming to Chicago. Cutler could have a pretty nice fantasy year, but not sure if he can be more than a QB2.
Schaub’s draft position will drop from where he’s been drafted in previous fantasy drafts. He is coming off a 2011 season where he played in just 10 games due to a foot injury. With WR Andre Johnson making plays and RB Arian Foster catching passes out of the backfield, Schaub can definitely find his way back into fantasy starting lineups. He can easily get his passing yards over 4,000 and add 25-30 TD passes.
Palmer will get his chance in 2012 to work with the Raiders’ offense from the start. He can be a very good QB2 and have some quality fantasy weeks. With play maker Denarius Moore and a healthy Darren McFadden, Palmer will be a great backup and bye week replacement on any fantasy squad.
Freeman had a terrible 2011 season, throwing only 16 TD passes and 22 INTs. Fantasy owners expected so much more from Freeman after his 2010 season where he had 25 TD passes and only 6 INTs. With Vincent Jackson coming to Tampa to help out what was a pretty poor receiving core, Freeman gets a legitimate #1 option. If Freeman can avoid the mistakes he will have the opportunity to bounce back and show 2010 was no fluke.
Dalton had a very impressive rookie year in Cincinnati throwing for just under 3,400 yards with 20 TD passes. Dalton should only get better as a starting NFL quarterback and his fantasy numbers will improve as well. He may not be considered a fantasy option just yet, especially because of the division the Bengals play in, but Dalton is not that far off.
Alex Smith has never been a fantasy option in the past, but with the additions of Randy Moss and Mario Manningham joining Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis, Smith has the weapons for him to put up some good numbers. If Jim Harbaugh can show trust in Smith and have him throw the ball more he may finally put himself on the fantasy map.
Fitzpatrick is coming off a season where he threw for over 3,800 yards and had 24 TD passes, but he also threw 23 interceptions. Fitzpatrick must cut down on his mistakes or he will only be considered an injury replacement at best.
The Rams are hoping Bradford can show some of the promise he did as a rookie in 2010. Last year was a disappointment for him as he dealt with injury and poor play. The Rams weapons don’t seem like enough to make Bradford relevant for fantasy owners.
Luck will no doubt go through a learning process in his rookie season. He has all the tools to become a solid NFL QB, but he doesn’t figure to be a fantasy standout in 2012. He may be worthy stashing on your fantasy roster if you can afford holding the spot for him.
As long as Hasselbeck can keep the starting QB job away fromJake Locker, he is capable of having pretty good fantasy statistics. Hopefully the Titans will have a healthy Kenny Britt back to boost their receiving core and help Hasselbeck to a solid 2012 season.
Update: The Titans named Jake Locker their opening day starter, so drop Hasselbeck in the rankings. He should be left off all fantasy rosters to start the 2012 season.
