Post 2012 Value Based Drafting Numbers

Note:Post 2013 Value Based Drafting Numbers found here

I was crunching some numbers this weekend for myself so I thought I'd post up some value based drafting numbers from the 2012 season to help you get ready for the 2013 season. These numbers were compiled with standard scoring settings.
Using value based drafting numbers is a way of judging a positions relative value to the rest of the field. I typically don't use it for specific players because injuries happen, situations change, players age, and ultimately it all depends on where they are being drafted by everyone else on whether or not you should draft someone but its a great metric for gauging positions.

Let's Get to the Data

The value based drafting numbers for a specific player are calculated by subtracting the point total of the baseline player from the players point total. I'm doing these numbers for 12 team ESPN standard leagues and I'm going to use the same rankings as Karabell does in this VBD article (go to it for more explanation about value based drafting). Thus I will use the 17th ranked QB as the baseline, 43rd ranked RB, 40th ranked WR, and the 12th ranked TE. (If the 6th defense and 2nd kicker are used then these are the usual positions drafted in the first 120 picks according to Karabell, I neglected the defense and kicker positions).

The tables below show that this year the running back clearly had the most valuable player in Adrian Peterson. Peterson had 203 more points than the 43rd ranked running back. Peterson scored 49 more points than the next best running back (total and VBD) and likely secured his spot as the number one draft pick next year in redraft leagues. Running backs clearly dominated with the top 11 players. Personally I would argue that the baseline player for quarterbacks should be lower, 17th just seems pretty high (like I'd think it would be better to add maybe 8 for defense and 3 for kicker then 14th for QB but I figured I'd do it Karabell's way).

The receiver class was fairly weak last year (value based wise) and tight end was a disaster (in "The Year of the Tight End" of all years!). Receivers had a low value because the position was so deep which is why like last year I will once again be advocating drafting receivers in the mid-late rounds of the draft. I think that this year the strategy will be to load up on running backs and either grab a quarterback early or wait until late because the QB's drop off after the top guys then level off consistently (side note, I love Colin Kaepernick aka CK7 next year). For tight ends I think it is pretty unlikely that the class ends up being as bad as it was this year, the top guys were injured quite a bit this year. I'd suggest laying down a few fliers (2-3) on tight ends mid-late in the draft and hoping that one of them develops.

All in all 2012 was another exciting fantasy year and I hope you all followed my sleepers article last year ( Here's a link to the article)

Quarterbacks
PLAYERS	Total	VBD
PLAYER, TEAM	Points	Points
Drew Brees, NO	337	119
Tom Brady, NE	329	111
Aaron Rodgers, GB	329	111
Cam Newton, Car	309	91
Peyton Manning, Den	304	86
Robert Griffin III, Wsh	304	86
Matt Ryan, Atl	291	73
Tony Romo, Dal	271	53
Andrew Luck, Ind	264	46
Matthew Stafford, Det	263	45
Russell Wilson, Sea	259	41
Andy Dalton, Cin	239	21
Josh Freeman, TB	233	15
Joe Flacco, Bal	227	9
Eli Manning, NYG	224	6
Sam Bradford, StL	220	2
Matt Schaub, Hou	218	0
Carson Palmer, Oak	214	-4
Ben Roethlisberger, Pit	214	-4
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buf	201	-17
Philip Rivers, SD	200	-18
Christian Ponder, Min	180	-38
Jay Cutler, Chi	172	-46
Ryan Tannehill, Mia	171	-47

Tight Ends
PLAYERS	Total	VBD
PLAYER, TEAM POS	Points	Points
Jimmy Graham, NO	144	55
Rob Gronkowski, NE	139	50
Tony Gonzalez, Atl	135	46
Heath Miller*, Pit	125	36
Jason Witten, Dal	115	26
Greg Olsen, Car	107	18
Dennis Pitta, Bal	103	14
Owen Daniels, Hou	100	11
Kyle Rudolph, Min	99	10
Brandon Myers, Oak	97	8
Jermaine Gresham, Cin	94	5
Antonio Gates, SD	89	0
Scott Chandler*, Buf	86	-3
Martellus Bennett, NYG	86	-3
Vernon Davis, SF	79	-10
Aaron Hernandez, NE	74	-15
Marcedes Lewis, Jac	72	-17
Jermichael Finley, GB	72	-17
Lance Kendricks, StL	70	-19
Jared Cook*, Ten	68	-21
Brent Celek, Phi	65	-24
Brandon Pettigrew, Det	65	-24

Running Backs PLAYERS Total VBD PLAYER, TEAM Points Points Adrian Peterson, Min 297 230 Arian Foster, Hou 248 181 Doug Martin, TB 248 181 Marshawn Lynch, Sea 234 167 Alfred Morris, Wsh 230 163 Ray Rice, Bal 207 140 C.J. Spiller, Buf 199 132 Jamaal Charles, KC 192 125 Stevan Ridley, NE 191 124 Frank Gore, SF 190 123 Trent Richardson, Cle 188 121 Matt Forte, Chi 167 100 Chris Johnson, Ten 162 95 Reggie Bush, Mia 159 92 Shonn Greene, NYJ 155 88 Steven Jackson, StL 150 83 Michael Turner, Atl 146 79 Ahmad Bradshaw, NYG  143 76 BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cin 140 73 Mikel Leshoure, Det 139 72 LeSean McCoy, Phi 135 68 Darren Sproles, NO 131 64 DeAngelo Williams, Car 119 52 Willis McGahee*, Den 106 39 DeMarco Murray, Dal 104 37 Vick Ballard, Ind 103 36 Danny Woodhead, NE 102 35 Darren McFadden, Oak 101 34 Andre Brown*, NYG 91 24 Joique Bell, Det 91 24 Ryan Mathews*, SD 87 20 Pierre Thomas*, NO 85 18 Felix Jones, Dal 85 18 Mark Ingram, NO 85 18 Knowshon Moreno, Den 83 16 Jacquizz Rodgers, Atl 79 12 Mike Tolbert, Car 74 7 Marcel Reece, Oak 74 7 Fred Jackson*, Buf 73 6 Bilal Powell, NYJ 72 5 Jonathan Dwyer, Pit 69 2 Bryce Brown, Phi 68 1 Michael Bush*, Chi 67 0 David Wilson, NYG 67 0 LaRod Stephens-Howling 66 -1 Isaac Redman, Pit 62 -5 Jackie Battle, SD 59 -8 Daniel Thomas*, Mia 59 -8 Shane Vereen, NE 57 -10 Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac 56 -11

Wide Receivers PLAYERS Total VBD PLAYER, TEAM Points Points Calvin Johnson, Det 214 115 Brandon Marshall, Chi 210 111 Dez Bryant, Dal 201 102 A.J. Green, Cin 194 95 Demaryius Thomas, Den 191 92 Vincent Jackson, TB 181 82 Andre Johnson, Hou 176 77 Eric Decker, Den 176 77 Julio Jones, Atl 173 74 Roddy White, Atl 169 70 Marques Colston, NO 166 67 Wes Welker, NE 163 64 Victor Cruz, NYG 162 63 Michael Crabtree, SF 159 60 Reggie Wayne, Ind 158 59 James Jones, GB 158 59 Randall Cobb, GB 150 51 Mike Williams, TB 146 47 Lance Moore, NO 137 38 Steve Smith, Car 135 36 T.Y. Hilton, Ind 133 34 Cecil Shorts*, Jac 132 33 Steve Johnson, Buf 131 32 Torrey Smith, Bal 127 28 Mike Wallace*, Pit 123 24 Miles Austin, Dal 121 22 Jeremy Maclin, Phi 119 20 Brandon Lloyd, NE 114 15 Jordy Nelson, GB 114 15 Justin Blackmon, Jac 112 13 Anquan Boldin, Bal 111 12 Sidney Rice, Sea 111 12 Denarius Moore, Oak 110 11 Golden Tate, Sea 107 8 Malcom Floyd*, SD 105 6 Brian Hartline, Mia 105 6 Danario Alexander, SD 104 5 Andre Roberts, Ari 100 1 Josh Gordon, Cle 100 1 Santana Moss, Wsh 99 0 Larry Fitzgerald, Ari 99 0 Percy Harvin*, Min 99 0 Antonio Brown, Pit 96 -3 Brandon Gibson, StL 93 -6 Nate Washington, Ten 92 -7 Dwayne Bowe*, KC 91 -8 Donnie Avery, Ind 90 -9 Darrius Heyward-Bey 89 -10 Jeremy Kerley, NYJ 89 -10 Pierre Garcon, Wsh 88 -11