Fantasy Football 2012 Week 1 Rankings: Top 25 Quarterbacks

Can you believe the NFL’s regular season is less than a week away? 

Let’s kick off our Week 1 rankings with a look at the quarterbacks.  Where do rookie Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III fall?  Who has the chance to get off to an impressive start?  Who might struggle? 

Let’s take a look:

1. Drew Brees – New Orleans Saints – vs. Washington
2. Matthew Stafford – Detroit Lions – vs. St. Louis
3. Tom Brady – New England Patriots – at Tennessee
4. Aaron Rodgers – Green Bay Packers – vs. San Francisco
5. Cam Newton – Carolina Panthers – at Tampa Bay
6. Matt Ryan – Atlanta Falcons – at Kansas City
7. Philip Rivers – San Diego Chargers – at Oakland
8. Eli Manning – New York Giants – vs. Dallas
9. Ben Roethlisberger – Pittsburgh Steelers – at Denver
10. Michael Vick – Philadelphia Eagles – at Cleveland
11. Tony Romo – Dallas Cowboys – at New York Giants
12. Matt Schaub – Houston Texans – vs. Miami
13. Peyton Manning – Denver Broncos – vs. Pittsburgh
14. Jay Cutler – Chicago Bears – vs. Indianapolis
15. Robert Griffin III – Washington Redskins – at New Orleans
16. Jake Locker – Tennessee Titans – vs. New England
17. Joe Flacco – Baltimore Ravens – vs. Cincinnati
18. Christian Ponder – Minnesota Vikings – vs. Jacksonville
19. Russell Wilson – Seattle Seahawks – at Arizona
20. Blaine Gabbert – Jacksonville Jaguars – at Minnesota
21. Carson Palmer – Oakland Raiders – vs. San Diego
22. Josh Freeman – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – vs. Carolina
23. Andy Dalton – Cincinnati Bengals – at Baltimore
24. Andrew Luck – Indianapolis Colts – at Chicago
25. Alex Smith – San Francisco 49ers – at Green Bay

Thoughts:

• Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the league, but he faces a hefty challenge in Week 1.  It’s impossible to knock him too far down the rankings and this may be the only time he’s not considered one of the top two options in any given week.
• The Cowboys worked hard to improve their secondary this offseason and they will immediately be put to the test as they open the season against the Giants’ high-octane offense.  With Hakeem Nicks healthy, they are going to find out just how explosive Eli Manning and Co. can be.  I certainly wouldn’t shy away from Manning as a top option for the opening week.
• Speaking of the Cowboys: If Tony Romo’s offensive line can keep him upright, he should get plenty of opportunities to make plays in Week 1 (regardless of which of his receivers are healthy and who is missing).  The Giants secondary is already their weak spot, but they also are dealing with a few injuries.  It all comes down to protecting Romo, which is no guarantee given the Giants’ pass rush.  Consider Romo a low-end QB1.
• Peyton Manning is going to get a quick test in taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers.  He should be a good option, though the matchup dictates him as more of a high-end QB2 (or a low-end QB1).  A strong performance in this one will cement his spot as a QB1 once again, however.
• As impressive as Andrew Luck was in the preseason, this is going to be a different story.  Taking on the Chicago Bears, he could quickly learn what the NFL game is all about.  Rookies are tough to depend on anyway (despite recent performances), and don’t be surprised to see him struggle in his debut.  He’s very a low-end QB2 this week.
• If Carson Palmer had looked any better in the preseason he would be a more highly recommended option.  However, it’s hard to depend on him at this point.  He’s a mid-level QB2 until he proves otherwise.

Make sure to check out the rest of our Week 1 rankings:

• Top 40 Running Backs

Haven’t drafted yet? Make sure to check out our 2012 preseason fantasy football rankings:

• Top 30 Quarterbacks
• Top 40 Running Backs
• Top 50 Wide Receivers
• Top 25 Tight Ends