2013 Fantasy Football Rankings – Quarterbacks

1. Aaron Rodgers (GB)

Rodgers threw for an impressive 4,295 yards in 2012, but there's actually room for improvement as he recorded the lowest YPA (7.8) since he became a starter in 2008. The quarterback started the season with an average of only 251 yards and one passing touchdown per game over the Packers' first three contests. Don't expect that to happen again. Further, there's a good chance Rodgers' touchdown total will increase as well. He threw 39 touchdowns in 2012 but actually had fewer attempts inside the opponent's 10-yard line than the other top scorers – Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Cam Newton and Matt Ryan – and by a wide margin. Brees alone had nearly twice as many passes (55) as Rodgers (29) in that area. At worst, you can probably expect Rodgers' 7.1 percent touchdown rate – down from 9.0 percent in 2011 – to remain steady in 2013. And don't forget about what the Packers quarterback can give you on the ground. Rodgers has never failed to rush for 200 yards in a season, and he's averaged nearly four rushing touchdowns per year since he became a starter. Rodgers snuck into the end zone on the ground just twice last season, so there's yet another area where the superstar's stats could "regress" in a good way.

2. Cam Newton (CAR)

Newton has been such a controversial and oft-discussed quarterback it's easy to forget he's been in the NFL for only two years. Newton failed to improve upon his stellar rookie year, compiling fewer passing yards, passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns in 2012. As a result, he scored 88 fewer fantasy points, leading many to claim he was a bust. Nonetheless, he still threw for nearly 4,000 yards, turned in improved efficiency at 8.0 YPA, decreased his interceptions to 12 and managed to run for more than 700 yards and eight scores. No matter how you slice it, that's one heck of a season for any passer, especially one in his second year in the league. We shouldn't let Newton's abnormal rookie stats cloud our judgment of just how productive he was in his sophomore campaign. One of the easiest ways for Newton's fantasy performance to improve is simply by throwing the ball more often – something that could very well happen this year. Newton's 485 passing attempts ranked him only 19th in the NFL last year. If that total jumps to around 550, you're looking at a player who could easily lead the league in fantasy points. On top of all that, you can expect Newton's rushing totals to remain steady. Quarterback rushing totals are the most consistent of all fantasy football stats – one reason Newton was actually able to improve upon his 706 rushing yards as a rookie. Newton also had 14 carries inside the opponent's five-yard line in 2012 and converted seven for scores, so you can expect the Panthers will keep calling his number from in close.

3. Drew Brees (NO)

If you want one stat to confirm Brees' dominance, consider he has thrown for at least 5,000 yards in three of the past five seasons. Those three seasons represent half of the 5,000-yard performances in NFL history. And though it seems like Brees has been around forever, he'll be just 34 years old in 2013. Brees is also remarkably consistent from game to game. In fact, he had either 300 yards or three touchdown passes in 14 of 16 games last season. In the two games he had neither, he had 213 yards and two scores in one and 239 yards and two scores in the other. Moreover, his 89 touchdown passes from 2011-12 are the highest total ever for a two-year span, thanks to Brees being the league's most prolific thrower in the red zone – his 103 attempts in that area last year were 12 more than Tom Brady's, and his 55 from inside the 10 were also tops. Plus, Brees is the king of attempts generally. He's thrown at least 635 passes in five of the past six seasons. Since the deviation in quarterbacks' YPA is relatively low, they typically post outstanding fantasy numbers by throwing the football often. Brees will do that yet again in 2013, making him perhaps the safest bet in fantasy football. And with head coach Sean Payton back in the mix, you can expect Brees & Co. to perform at peak efficiency throughout the year.