Fantasy Football Rankings 2012: Matthew Stafford Checks In At No. 4

Matthew Stafford had a career year for the Detroit Lions in 2011, throwing for 5,038 yards and 41 touchdowns. Those numbers put Stafford in an elite class of quarterbacks and, now that fantasy football season is set to begin, some expect Stafford to stay among the elite.

SB Nation's fantasy sports site, Fake Teams, recently released their 2012 fantasy football quarterback rankings and Stafford came in at No. 4. That ranking puts him behind only Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady. Stafford checked in ahead of players like Cam Newton, Eli Manning and Michael Vick.

In their 2011 fantasy football quarterback rankings, Fake Teams ranked Stafford No. 11, saying only injuries were keeping him back from becoming a superstar. Stafford started all 16 games in 2011 and elite numbers followed. While it still remains to be seen if Stafford can duplicate his success from last season, it's obvious many are expecting big things once again.

For more on fantasy football, visit Fake Teams. For more on Stafford and the Lions, check out Pride of Detroit.