Drop your books! The 2012 NFL football season is getting ready to start, which means that fantasy football leagues all over the country are getting ready to begin.

The most important players in the NFL are quarterbacks, so it’s not surprising that they net fantasy owners the most points. The top three quarterbacks you should draft are also the trio typically considered to be the top players in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Drew Brees.

Green Bay Packers’ star Aaron Rodgers was the best fantasy player last year with 45 passing touchdowns and only six interceptions. He threw for more than 4,600 yards while chipping in three rushing touchdowns. Rodgers, who is in the prime of his NFL career, might not live up to the numbers he put up last year but can be expected to have a huge season.

Brady, of the New England Patriots, played phenomenally last year, putting up 39 touchdowns and 5235 passing yards. With the addition of Brandon Lloyd to the receiving core, fans can expect another good year from Tom Teriffic.

Even without Eastern alum and Saints’ head coach Sean Payton, Drew Brees can be expected to have another great season. Last year, he ended up with a NFL single season record of 5478 passing yards and 46 passing touchdowns. His offensive maestro may be gone, but Brees knows how to get it done.

Other top quarterback options include Cam Newton, Matthew Stafford, Tony Romo, Matt Ryan, Ben Roethlisberger, and Eli Manning.

When looking for the best wide receiver options, one doesn’t have to go any farther than Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions. Johnson caught 16 touchdowns in the 2011 season, while accumulating 1681 yards through the air. “Megatron” is a dominant physical specimen who will not be denied in the red zone.

The Arizona Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald is always a top fantasy performer, and this season should be no different. Fitzgerald caught nine touchdowns last season while accumulating 1,411 yards through the air.

Other top receiving options include Andre Johnson, Roddy White, Greg Jennings, A.J. Green, and Victor Cruz.

Over the years, the value of a running back has continued to drop in fantasy football. That doesn’t mean an elite back isn’t a great weapon to have, though.

The Texans’ Arian Foster is healthy and ready to go for the 2012 season, which is a great thing for owners looking for a solid running back. Last year while battling injuries, Foster finished with 1,224 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Those numbers will only go up this year. Other top running backs include Ray Rice, LeSean McCoy, Marshawn Lynch, Maurice Jones-Drew, and Chris Johnson.

While the value of a running back has decreased, tight end stock just keeps going up. Patriots tight end Ron Gronkowski and Saints tight end Jimmy Graham gave their fantasy owners record points for the position last year. Gronkowski finished the season with a tight end record of 18 touchdowns and 1,327 receiving years. Graham wasn’t too far behind in production, scoring 11 touchdowns while accumulating 1,310 yards through the air.

Gronkowski and Graham are the only tight ends worth a high round pick, but there are some other tight ends, later in the draft, who might net some points. Antonio Gates, Vernon Davis, Jermichael Finley, Aaron Hernandez and Jason Witten are all good players who have the eye of their quarterbacks.

Erik Jensen can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].