Week 12 Fantasy Football Rankings: Top 10 Players for Each Offensive Position

Week 12 is approaching, and it's time to start looking at fantasy football rankings for all offensive players.

We've started to see some emerging fantasy players crawl into the rankings for their respective positions.  Players like Russell Wilson, Giovani Bernard and Alshon Jeffery have emerged as top-tier fantasy options, making some fantasy owners very happy.

Below are the top 10 quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends for Week 12, followed by a breakdown of the most interesting player at each position.

Note: All information regarding points scored is based off of ESPN's standard scoring leagues. 

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent
1	Drew Brees	NO	@ATL
2	Matthew Stafford	DET	@PIT
3	Peyton Manning	DEN	@NE
4	Cam Newton	CAR	@MIA
5	Tony Romo	DAL	@NYG
6	Tom Brady	NE	DEN
7	Andrew Luck	IND	@ARZ
8	Robert Griffin III	WSH	SF
9	Alex Smith	KC	SD
10	Colin Kaepernick	SF	@WSH

Player to Watch: Cam Newton

Cam Newton put up 26 points against the New England Patriots thanks to three touchdowns and 270 total yards of offense.

What will he do for an encore?

It really seems like Newton is becoming a top-tier fantasy QB.  He's put up some big games over the past few weeks, with the exception of his performance against the San Francisco 49ers.  He's had at least 12 points in all but two games this year, putting up 20 or more in four.

With his ability to make plays through the air and on the ground, Newton can put up big points in any game.  With a depleted offensive line for the Miami Dolphins, Ryan Tannehill and Co. should have trouble driving down the field against a tough Carolina Panthers defense, giving Newton shorter fields to work with.

Get ready for a few more touchdowns from Newton this week.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent
1	Jamaal Charles	KC	SD
2	Adrian Peterson	MIN	@GB
3	Matt Forte	CHI	@STL
4	Frank Gore	SF	@WSH
5	Eddie Lacy	GB	MIN
6	Reggie Bush	DET	TB
7	Knowshon Moreno	DEN	@NE
8	Zac Stacy	STL	CHI
9	Alfred Morris	WSH	SF
10	Rashad Jennings	OAK	TEN

Player to Watch: Rashad Jennings

While Darren McFadden has been out with a nagging injury, Rashad Jennings has stepped up big for the Oakland Raiders.

A total of 53 points in the past three games has Jennings climbing up the rankings.  He put up 21 this past week against the Houston Texans, averaging almost seven yards per carry.  He's a truly explosive player who just keeps making plays.

This week, the Raiders will be taking on the Tennessee Titans, who allow 19.8 points per game to opposing running backs, the fifth most in the league.  

He's only No. 10 in this week's rankings due to the fact that McFadden's status is uncertain for now, but if the starter is out again, Jennings should have another huge game.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent
1	Calvin Johnson	DET	TB
2	Demaryius Thomas	DEN	@NE
3	Dez Bryant	DAL	@NYG
4	Brandon Marshall	CHI	@STL
5	Andre Johnson	HOU	JAX
6	Vincent Jackson	TB	@DET
7	Victor Cruz	NYG	DAL
8	Jordy Nelson	GB	MIN
9	Wes Welker	DEN	@NE
10	Larry Fitzgerald	ARZ	IND

Player to Watch: Jordy Nelson

The loss of Aaron Rodgers has hurt Jordy Nelson's fantasy value over the past three games.

That should change this week.

For all of the struggles Scott Tolzien has had the past two weeks, we saw in the past two games, against the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants, that he can effectively throw the deep ball.  According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Tolzien has completed six of his seven passes 20 yards or deeper for a total of 217 yards.

With how well he's thrown the deep ball, the Green Bay Packers may very well start opening up the passing game even more for Tolzien this week. This means more big plays for Nelson, who already had eight catches for 117 yards this past week.

The deep ball will definitely be open this week against the Minnesota Vikings, a team that gives up 280.1 passing yards and 32 points per game.  Expect another big day from Nelson in this one.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent
1	Rob Gronkowski	NE	DEN
2	Jimmy Graham	NO	@ATL
3	Vernon Davis	SF	@WAS
4	Julius Thomas	DEN	@NE
5	Jason Witten	DAL	@NYG
6	Coby Fleener	IND	@ARZ
7	Jordan Reed	WAS	SF
8	Jordan Cameron	CLE	PIT
9	Greg Olsen	CAR	@MIA
10	Antonio Gates	SD	@KC

Player to Watch: Coby Fleener

Why is Coby Fleener ranked so high?  There are a couple of reasons.

First, the Indianapolis Colts don't have a ton of weapons right now.  Reggie Wayne is done for the year, and Darrius Heyward-Bey has been incredibly inconsistent.  At this point, that really leaves T.Y. Hilton and Fleener as Andrew Luck's top weapons.

Second, the Colts are going against the Arizona Cardinals this week.  While the Cardinals have a terrific group of players in the secondary, they struggle against opposing tight ends, especially ones as athletic as Fleener.  This season, the Cardinals give up an average of 14 points to opposing tight ends, which is by far the most in the NFL.

With a big game last week against the Titans, Fleener is showing he can get involved in the offense in a larger role without Wayne.  He should have the best game of the season this week against the Cardinals.