Highlighting a few key risers and fallers, the Dynasty Dashboard assists in keeping you on top of player valuation changes as they are developing. Further, a deep sleeper or largely overlooked player worthy of consideration for a spot on your roster will also be identified each week. Keep an eye on the dashboard and drive your team toward dynasty league success.

This being the last installment of the Dynasty Dashboard this season, I thought it would be useful to provide my player rankings at each of the primary positions. By no means do I pretend that my rankings are any more special or precise than those of the next fantasy writer out there, but I do hope they are valuable to you if only for the fact that they stimulate thought and make you consider, or perhaps reconsider, your current stance on certain players. It is worth noting that I have players at each position ranked and grouped in tiers. Typically, there is only a small difference in my valuation of the listed players in a given tier. The highest-ranked player in a tier will have a value that is very close to that of player in the middle or bottom of that tier. Often times it simply comes down to preferences or team needs to really differentiate between players in a particular tier.

Quarterbacks

It may seem controversial to some, but Robert Griffin III is my top-rated QB. He edges out Aaron Rodgers by a hair, but both are phenomenal players to serve as building blocks for your team. However, Griffin’s rushing stats and age (6+ years younger than Rodgers) are just enough to put him nominally ahead of Rodgers. Things get more interesting in the second tier, with Andrew Luck and Cam Newton at the head of that pack. A month ago, I had Newton a few spots lower, but he has charged upward lately. Drew Brees and Tom Brady are currently in front of Matt Ryan and Matthew Stafford in my rankings, but for rebuilding teams, these duos would probably flip.

The third tier at QB is made up mostly of established veterans. Peyton Manning has been great this year and is well deserving of being ranked at least this high, yet I have some concern given his neck issues and age. Andy Dalton is the one of the relatively young QBs in this tier. The Bengals QB has been great in his first two years and is in a favorable situation to put up numbers going forward. Russell Wilson has been special during his rookie season and if the offense is ever opened up more for him, he could become a big stats producer. Phillip Rivers is the player that I nearly dropped into the next tier. The loss of Vincent Jackson along with Antonio Gates slowing has dinged Rivers’ value significantly. However, the emergence of Danario Alexander is one small, bright light for Rivers owners.

The fourth tier is sort of a mixed bag of QBs. There is some youth in this tier that has alluring upside and there is also some aging vets that seem to have some gas left in the tank, but the needle could point to empty sooner than many of us expect. This was supposed to be the year when Joe Flacco finally emerged as a big-time QB, but it just hasn’t happened and I worry that we’ve already seen his best. Ryan Tannehill has had some ups and downs this year, but I have liked what I have seen from him. An upgrade to his receiving corps over the next two years could greatly help the young QB. Michael Vick pulls the rear of this tier, and while his days in Philadelphia are likely numbered, he may surface somewhere else as the short-term starter. Say what you will about his real-life value as a QB, but his fantasy production is always solid.

The next two groupings of QBs largely consist of below-average NFL starters and guys that are currently waiting in the wings. Christian Ponder started off the year playing really well during the first few weeks, but has struggled for the bulk of the season. I have trouble seeing him being much of a fantasy factor in future campaigns. Alex Smith is an intriguing player, but his upside is very limited even if he gets an opportunity to start elsewhere. Chad Henne has been decent for Jacksonville post Gabbert injury, but he is not likely the answer for the team as they go forward. Tim Tebow could actually be interesting in Jacksonville. His time in New York has been a snooze, but if some team were to gamble on Tebow, he is capable of putting up some nice fantasy numbers.

Running Backs

Arian Foster tops the list at RB, but I was conflicted with this ranking. Adrian Peterson has been so dominant the second half of the season that he probably deserves the top spot. But the fact that he turns 28 years old in March made me withhold the #1 ranking from him. The guy is superhuman, but how long can he keep up his elite level of play? Trent Richardson’s yards per carry leave something to be desired, but he is having a very good rookie year, particularly when you take into account the subpar team he is surrounded with at the moment. The rookie is a strong runner that is very capable in the passing game as well.

Leading the second tier of RBs is another rookie; the “muscle hamster,” Doug Martin. The first-year Buccaneer has been excellent in the second half of the season and his future looks very bright. LeSean McCoy slipped a few spots due to his mediocre play this season and the fact that Bryce Brown has filled in so well in his absence. Further, it remains to be seen how he will fit in a potentially new offensive scheme if Andy Reid leaves Philly. C.J. Spiller has could post huge numbers now that he has emerged as the top RB in Buffalo. Owners that have been patient with him are being handsomely rewarded. Those that gave up on him prematurely should be kicking themselves.

The next tier at this position has several players that are capable of big things, but have had trouble shaking the injury bug. Darren McFadden, DeMarco Murray, and Ryan Mathews have to figure out how to stay on the field in order to have the level of impact that they are capable of. Mathews is a particularly intriguing RB for 2013, as SD could have a new coaching staff in place, and their view of Mathews could vary significantly from the current regime. Stevan Ridley and Alfred Morris are in the mix in this group, despite having far less game-breaking ability. Both probably fall into the churner or compiler category, but these types can be very valuable in fantasy football if things line up in their favor. And this appears to the case for each.

Right now, I have David Wilson ranked ahead of Ahmad Bradshaw. I could change my mind on this, but the flashes of brilliance the younger player has shown recently makes me believe that his ceiling could be extremely high, worthy of a ranking ahead of the much more well-round Bradshaw. Reggie Bush is a player that could be higher if it was clear that he’d be primary back for someone next year, but that is looking less-than-certain at this juncture. He may find himself in a smaller RBBC role sooner rather than later. Mark Ingram has been playing better lately, yet remains a fish out of water in New Orleans. In a different situation he could potentially churn out multiple 1,000-yard seasons, but the Saints use a more specialized attack out of the backfield and Ingram’s role for the team is fairly modest.

The fifth group of RBs is made up mostly of proven RBs that have limited upside or those that are getting a little long in the tooth. Frank Gore has passed the eye test for me routinely this season; looking quick and powerful running the ball, but his age is a concern. Knowshon Moreno is an interesting option at RB that has looked great filling in for the injured Willis McGahee. Some may call for Ronnie Hillman to play more, but John Fox loves his veterans, and Moreno now finds himself in a nice situation to produce (with defenses focusing on Manning and air attack). Chris Wells is a player that can produce when he is healthy, even in the less-than-ideal Arizona offense. I still like his odds of being “the guy” for the Cardinals when 2013 opens.

Moving onto the sixth tier, the group of players contained therein are mostly youthful RBs that have yet to fully develop. In my view, Lamar Miller has the potential to be a productive lead RB for the Dolphins. Ben Tate has been very good at times in Houston and Daryl Richardson has been surprisingly productive serving as the change-of-pace back in St. Louis. Bilal Powell and Daniel Thomas have been decent in secondary roles during their second seasons, but neither has jumped off the screen to me as guys potentially ready to serve as the lead back for their respective teams. Only time will tell.

The seventh and eighth tiers of RBs are made up of wildly varying players, both in points in their career arc and their skill sets. Guys like Michael Turner and DeAngelo Williams could still produce another respectable season or two, or they could each fall off the map in the blink of an eye. Then there are guys like Kendall Hunter, Jacquizz Rodgers and LaMichael James; each of whom I believe are not suited to be lead backs, yet they have enough playmaking ability to produce with potentially limited touches in a RBBC. Michael Bush has value to Forte owners as a handcuff, but offers very little outside of that. Toby Gerhart is a RB that has spent his entire career behind a truly special RB, in Adrian Peterson. If Gerhart can work his way into even a timeshare situation for a new team eventually, he could gain some fantasy relevance, but I’m not holding my breath.

Wide Receivers

At the midpoint of the season, I had A.J. Green edging out Calvin Johnson as the top WR on my board. However, since that point, Green has cooled a bit and Johnson has been on fire. Week 8 is the last time that Detroit’s superstar WR failed to post a 100-yard game. Currently, Johnson is my #1 WR, but Green is keeping it close. The second tier of WRs is filled primarily with young players that have huge upsides. I could see a case for any of these guys being ranked at #3, but ultimately I went with Julio Jones. The combination of his skill set and Atlanta’s shift to a more pass-friendly team made me give him the nod amongst this group. Dez Bryant could potentially be a couple of spots higher, but there are some risks associated with him that holds him back a bit in my rankings.

The third tier is led by Hakeem Nicks, a player whom I have been very high on at times. Unfortunately, nagging injuries have held him back and it seems as though Cruz has emerged as Eli’s favorite target in New York. Toward the middle of this pack sits Wes Welker. After a quiet Week 1, and given the fact that he was already 31 years old, I was ready to write Welker off, but the guy is simply a PPR beast. With two games left in the season, he already has 100 catches; marking the fifth time in his career he has done such. Vincent Jackson is another aging player that just keeps putting up numbers. Even the move to Tampa Bay hasn’t slowed him down.

Dwayne Bowe is a physical WR that could be near the top 10 if he was in the right system with the right QB chucking him the rock. This wasn’t the backdrop for him this year in Kansas City, but he may be playing for a new team in 2013. Eric Decker has a real shot at 1,000 yards and 10 TDs this year, and is definitely worthy of being in the fourth tier. Having Peyton Manning behind center has benefitted him greatly. Danario Alexander is a WR that has burst onto the scene in the last two months. He is now the top threat in the air for the Chargers and would be several spots higher in my rankings if not for his gnarly injury history.

Justin Blackmon has shown a couple of flashes, so I have him ranked higher than Cecil Shorts for the long-term. However, Shorts has been remarkable this season, and any dynasty owner with him on their squad should feel fortunate (assuming they landed him for peanuts). Josh Gordon has a promising future in Cleveland, but in order for Gordon to take the next step at WR, he will need Weeden to progress substantially as a QB. Reggie Wayne is ancient, but the receptions and yardage he has amassed this season with Luck throwing him the ball is impressive. I like his odds of posting another 1,000-yard season and see him as a great fit on a title-contending dynasty team.

The sixth tier of WRs consists mostly of WRs that “are what they are.” This group is not likely to develop into something greater than what we’ve already seen from them. But don’t get me wrong, Mike Williams is a capable WR3 or WR4 to have on your roster and James Jones has been a TD machine while filling some of the void left by an injured Jennings and Nelson. In the seventh tier, Alshon Jeffery is one of my favorite upside potential WRs. Chicago desperately needs someone to help Brandon Marshall in the receiving game, and Jeffery has a real shot. Chris Givens is a big play threat that could develop with another year in St. Louis. Michael Floyd and Vincent Brown have shown us little to this point, but I like both a lot as prospects moving forward.

The final two tiers at this position contain a wide variety of players, but most have only modest value at this point and simply are “shots in the dark” or either they have limited upsides due to age and/or situation. These are primarily roster fillers and not guys that are likely to have a big impact on your team. However, some of these shots in the dark are receivers that I definitely feel are worthy of stashing. Marvin Jones has a very high ceiling, and while he will have competition for playing time in Cincinnati next year, he could have a big impact if things shakeout in his favor. And while Nick Toon hasn’t seen the field this year, he has the skill set to be a solid possession receiver and could eventually benefit from being in a great system in New Orleans.

Tight Ends

The top three TEs have all had some injury issues to deal with this season, yet they are far and away the top options at their position. Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham and Aaron Hernandez have upside plus relative youth at their position. The next tier is very small, consisting of only Jason Witten. The long-time Cowboy has proven over numerous years to be an elite performer, but he remains a solid notch below the top trio due to age as well as diminishing upside. Still, any of the top four will put a fantasy team in a nice place at the TE position.

The third tier of TE’s contains a mix of players, some that are toward the end of the road and others that have not yet realized their fullest potential. Greg Olsen is looking like the player that Chicago thought they were drafting a few years ago. His football divorce from Mike Martz a couple of seasons ago has resulted in a nice boost in his production. Kyle Rudolph, Jermaine Gresham and Coby Fleener all have very high ceilings, but need to take that next, very important step. Owen Daniels is consistent, but he lacks the upside of many of the younger players in this group. Tony Gonzalez could have yet another top-five season in 2013, or this could be the end of the road for him if he decides to retire.

The fourth tier is chock-full of unsexy options that are largely capable performers. Most fantasy owners probably don’t want a guy like Brandon Meyers, Heath Miller or Dennis Pitta starting for them on a weekly basis, but they could do far, far worse. The remaining two tiers of TE’s provided are uninspiring. These are mostly bye week fillers, backups and deep league stash candidates. A few of these guys have had some nice moments this season, but haven’t sustained a level of play worthy of being regular or even semi-regular starters on most fantasy teams. Ladarius Green and D.J. Williams could have some nice upside if/when they ascend to a starting role for their current squads.