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The 2016 fantasy season is in the books. Congrats to the winners and good luck next year to everyone else! Here’s my take on this years best and worst performances.
(Disclaimer: all stats are for the first 16 weeks of the season. I chose to not include Week 17 for these awards. ADPs came from FantasyPros and scoring rankings came from FFToday)
Most Valuable Player – David Johnson, RB, Arizona (5 ADP) – This one isn’t even a debate to me. A lot of owners were skeptical of Johnson going into the year, and with good reason: he was a second-year player with a small sample size in the somewhat crowded backfield of a pass-first offense. What could have possibly made people rank this guy over other backs like Todd Gurley and Adrian Peterson?
The 2016 season showed that Johnson is an absolute monster on the field. He totaled 100 yards in every game. He scored 20 total touchdowns. His lowest scoring total in standard was 10. Johnson literally had a double digit floor this season. Also, he’s not just a system guy either. When you watch Johnson play, you can tell that this man has the ability to be an all-timer. He’s the best running back in the league and if his team was better, he’d be a legitimate MVP candidate. For now, he’ll just have to settle for fantasy MVP.
Runner Up: Ezekiel Elliot, RB, Dallas (7.1)
Non-Injury Least Valuable Player – DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston (7.9 ADP) – In terms of healthy first round picks, it definitely comes down to Hopkins and Todd Gurley. Gurley had the benefit of being involved in both the run and the passing game. He was able to total over 1,000 yards on the year and had two more touchdowns than Hopkins. Gurley was frustrating, but Hopkins has to take the cake here.
Hopkins was self-proclaimed as quarterback proof after last season. But Brock Osweiller really did a number on his career. Hopkins only recorded more than five receptions three times this season. His 2015 numbers nearly doubled his 2016 numbers in yards and nearly tripled his touchdown total. This is as big of a regression as any elite player has seen in years. Hopkins was the most frustrating first round pick of the year, injuries aside.
Runner Up: Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles (3.3)
Best Value Pick – LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo (24.4 ADP) – Shady was a fantasy savior this year. The 2016 fantasy season became the anti-thesis for going WR over RB in the first two rounds, but anyone who followed that strategy may have been saved by McCoy. I was able to grab Julio Jones followed by Dez Bryant and then McCoy; I rode that to a championship.
McCoy was a godsend this year. He finished the year third in standard scoring and fourth in PPR among flex options. Zeke and Bell may have been more effective, but being able to take one to two players before McCoy gave owners such an advantage. Anyone who drafted solid players before McCoy likely rode him to a fantasy championship.
Runner Up: Jordy Nelson, WR, Green Bay (17.9)
Worst Value Pick – Cam Newton, QB, Carolina (17.9 ADP) – We should all know better by now. We should know that drafting a quarterback high, especially in standard 4-point passing touchdown leagues, is rarely the right call. Many people bought into the hype train of the reigning MVP this season. Newton finished 15th among quarterbacks in scoring, a big drop off from last season. Compare that to the second-highest quarterback Matt Ryan, whose ADP was 139.3. And it’s not like Ryan was a guy that came out of nowhere. There was plenty of value among the quarterbacks drafted outside of the first couple of rounds. Here’s hoping we learned our lesson as fantasy owners.
Runner Up: Brandon Marshall, WR, New York Jets (19.4)
Best Sleeper – LaGarrette Blount, RB, New England – Who would have thought that in 2016 LaGarrette Blount would lead the league in rushing touchdowns? Blount managed to finish seventh in running back scoring, despite only recording seven receptions on the season. Blount played well enough in 2015, and had a great situation that should have warranted draft consideration, but many including myself chose to ignore him completely. Those who drafted him were not disappointed.
Runner Ups: Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta (139.3 ADP) & Melvin Gordon, RB, San Diego (66.3 ADP)
Still Sleeping – Devin Funchess, WR, Carolina (142.1 ADP) – Many owners took a late round flyer on Funchess due to his training camp hype and the overall expectations for the Carolina passing game. As it turned out, every single player involved in the passing game was a disappointment, even Greg Olsen for a while. Kelvin Benjamin turned out to be a major disappointment and Funchess followed suit, becoming a wasted draft pick for anyone who took him. Look for the entire Carolina passing game to rebound in 2017, Funchess included.
Runner Up: C.J. Prosise, RB, Seattle (181.4)
Best Waiver Add – Jordan Howard, RB, Chicago (222.6 ADP) – Jeremy Langford was a popular preseason sleeper pick, but many like myself were skeptical of drafting him. We weren’t sure if he was even good, and we weren’t sure if he would keep the job in Chicago. Injuries did Langford in, but it opened the door for Jordan Howard to have one of the best rookie seasons of the year. The Pro Bowl running back finished ninth in scoring and recorded seven 100-yard rushing games this season. Howard would have been this year’s offensive rookie of the year had it not been for Ezekiel Elliot.
Runner Up: Terrelle Pryor, WR, Cleveland (198.9)
Worst Waiver Add – Jerick McKinnon, RB, Minnesota (175.9 ADP) – McKinnon played fairly well when filling in for Adrian Peterson during his rookie season. So when Peterson went down with an injury again this season, owners flocked to McKinnon on the waiver wire and expected big things. McKinnon did not deliver, finishing just 34th in scoring among running backs.
Runner Up: Dwayne Washington, RB, Detroit (290)
Jonas Gray Award for One Hit Wonder – Marvin Jones, WR, Detroit (87 ADP) – Owners who drafted Marvin Jones were likely in their glory after the first three weeks of the season. Jones put up two solid games to start, but it was his Week 3 performance that took the hype levels to another level. Jones posted 205 yards and two touchdowns against the Packers. We should have seen the signs, as he did this on just six receptions, but Jones owners likely started him for another six weeks after this. He only scored two touchdowns for the rest of the season and had just two games with over 70 yards receiving after this. Jones owners likely started out on top and proceeded to fall from grace in the following weeks.
Runner Up: Dennis Pitta, TE, Baltimore
Kurt Warner Award for “Oh Yeah, He’s Good at Football” – DeMarco Murray, RB, Tennessee (48.1 ADP) – Murray flew under the fantasy radar a bit this offseason due to a subpar 2015 season and having to share the backfield with Heisman winner Derrick Henry. However, Murray reminded the league that he’s still one of the best backs around and that 2015 was the fluke season, not 2014. Murray finished fifth in scoring among running backs, only behind Johnson, Zeke, Bell, and McCoy. His 48.1 ADP made him a great value for an elite RB1, and he may certainly be a first round pick once again in 2017.
Runner Up: Frank Gore, RB, Indianapolis (77.5)
Johnny Manziel Award for “Did I Really Think This Would Work?” – Josh Gordon, WR, Cleveland (87.8 ADP) – Josh Gordon is one of the most depressing stories in the league. The last time Gordon played a full season, he was a first team All-Pro and led the NFL in receiving yards, despite poor quarterback play. Gordon has played just five games since and hasn’t appeared in a game since 2014. While many including myself blamed this on a ridiculously harsh substance abuse policy, it’s become clear over the last year that Gordon did have a problem. Fortunately, Gordon has begun to seeking the right help. This was a decision that Gordon owners were happy with even if it meant they wasted a draft pick on Gordon.
But the Josh Gordon hype train keeps rolling down the tracks and it will forever until he officially retires. If Gordon reemerges sober this offseason, you can bet I’ll be taking Gordon in my 2017 fantasy drafts.
Runner Up (Albeit for drastically different reasons) – Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England (9.9)
Steve Rebeiro is a staff writer and podcast host for Rams Talk. He graduated from Marquette University in 2016. For more of his opinions, follow him on Twitter here.
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The 2016 fantasy season is in the books. Congrats to the winners and good luck next year to everyone else! Here’s my take on this years best and worst performances.
(Disclaimer: all stats are for the first 16 weeks of the season. I chose to not include Week 17 for these awards. ADPs came from FantasyPros and scoring rankings came from FFToday)
Most Valuable Player – David Johnson, RB, Arizona (5 ADP) – This one isn’t even a debate to me. A lot of owners were skeptical of Johnson going into the year, and with good reason: he was a second-year player with a small sample size in the somewhat crowded backfield of a pass-first offense. What could have possibly made people rank this guy over other backs like Todd Gurley and Adrian Peterson?
The 2016 season showed that Johnson is an absolute monster on the field. He totaled 100 yards in every game. He scored 20 total touchdowns. His lowest scoring total in standard was 10. Johnson literally had a double digit floor this season. Also, he’s not just a system guy either. When you watch Johnson play, you can tell that this man has the ability to be an all-timer. He’s the best running back in the league and if his team was better, he’d be a legitimate MVP candidate. For now, he’ll just have to settle for fantasy MVP.
Runner Up: Ezekiel Elliot, RB, Dallas (7.1)
Non-Injury Least Valuable Player – DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston (7.9 ADP) – In terms of healthy first round picks, it definitely comes down to Hopkins and Todd Gurley. Gurley had the benefit of being involved in both the run and the passing game. He was able to total over 1,000 yards on the year and had two more touchdowns than Hopkins. Gurley was frustrating, but Hopkins has to take the cake here.
Hopkins was self-proclaimed as quarterback proof after last season. But Brock Osweiller really did a number on his career. Hopkins only recorded more than five receptions three times this season. His 2015 numbers nearly doubled his 2016 numbers in yards and nearly tripled his touchdown total. This is as big of a regression as any elite player has seen in years. Hopkins was the most frustrating first round pick of the year, injuries aside.
Runner Up: Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles (3.3)
Best Value Pick – LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo (24.4 ADP) – Shady was a fantasy savior this year. The 2016 fantasy season became the anti-thesis for going WR over RB in the first two rounds, but anyone who followed that strategy may have been saved by McCoy. I was able to grab Julio Jones followed by Dez Bryant and then McCoy; I rode that to a championship.
McCoy was a godsend this year. He finished the year third in standard scoring and fourth in PPR among flex options. Zeke and Bell may have been more effective, but being able to take one to two players before McCoy gave owners such an advantage. Anyone who drafted solid players before McCoy likely rode him to a fantasy championship.
Runner Up: Jordy Nelson, WR, Green Bay (17.9)
Worst Value Pick – Cam Newton, QB, Carolina (17.9 ADP) – We should all know better by now. We should know that drafting a quarterback high, especially in standard 4-point passing touchdown leagues, is rarely the right call. Many people bought into the hype train of the reigning MVP this season. Newton finished 15th among quarterbacks in scoring, a big drop off from last season. Compare that to the second-highest quarterback Matt Ryan, whose ADP was 139.3. And it’s not like Ryan was a guy that came out of nowhere. There was plenty of value among the quarterbacks drafted outside of the first couple of rounds. Here’s hoping we learned our lesson as fantasy owners.
Runner Up: Brandon Marshall, WR, New York Jets (19.4)
Best Sleeper – LaGarrette Blount, RB, New England – Who would have thought that in 2016 LaGarrette Blount would lead the league in rushing touchdowns? Blount managed to finish seventh in running back scoring, despite only recording seven receptions on the season. Blount played well enough in 2015, and had a great situation that should have warranted draft consideration, but many including myself chose to ignore him completely. Those who drafted him were not disappointed.
Runner Ups: Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta (139.3 ADP) & Melvin Gordon, RB, San Diego (66.3 ADP)
Still Sleeping – Devin Funchess, WR, Carolina (142.1 ADP) – Many owners took a late round flyer on Funchess due to his training camp hype and the overall expectations for the Carolina passing game. As it turned out, every single player involved in the passing game was a disappointment, even Greg Olsen for a while. Kelvin Benjamin turned out to be a major disappointment and Funchess followed suit, becoming a wasted draft pick for anyone who took him. Look for the entire Carolina passing game to rebound in 2017, Funchess included.
Runner Up: C.J. Prosise, RB, Seattle (181.4)
Best Waiver Add – Jordan Howard, RB, Chicago (222.6 ADP) – Jeremy Langford was a popular preseason sleeper pick, but many like myself were skeptical of drafting him. We weren’t sure if he was even good, and we weren’t sure if he would keep the job in Chicago. Injuries did Langford in, but it opened the door for Jordan Howard to have one of the best rookie seasons of the year. The Pro Bowl running back finished ninth in scoring and recorded seven 100-yard rushing games this season. Howard would have been this year’s offensive rookie of the year had it not been for Ezekiel Elliot.
Runner Up: Terrelle Pryor, WR, Cleveland (198.9)
Worst Waiver Add – Jerick McKinnon, RB, Minnesota (175.9 ADP) – McKinnon played fairly well when filling in for Adrian Peterson during his rookie season. So when Peterson went down with an injury again this season, owners flocked to McKinnon on the waiver wire and expected big things. McKinnon did not deliver, finishing just 34th in scoring among running backs.
Runner Up: Dwayne Washington, RB, Detroit (290)
Jonas Gray Award for One Hit Wonder – Marvin Jones, WR, Detroit (87 ADP) – Owners who drafted Marvin Jones were likely in their glory after the first three weeks of the season. Jones put up two solid games to start, but it was his Week 3 performance that took the hype levels to another level. Jones posted 205 yards and two touchdowns against the Packers. We should have seen the signs, as he did this on just six receptions, but Jones owners likely started him for another six weeks after this. He only scored two touchdowns for the rest of the season and had just two games with over 70 yards receiving after this. Jones owners likely started out on top and proceeded to fall from grace in the following weeks.
Runner Up: Dennis Pitta, TE, Baltimore
Kurt Warner Award for “Oh Yeah, He’s Good at Football” – DeMarco Murray, RB, Tennessee (48.1 ADP) – Murray flew under the fantasy radar a bit this offseason due to a subpar 2015 season and having to share the backfield with Heisman winner Derrick Henry. However, Murray reminded the league that he’s still one of the best backs around and that 2015 was the fluke season, not 2014. Murray finished fifth in scoring among running backs, only behind Johnson, Zeke, Bell, and McCoy. His 48.1 ADP made him a great value for an elite RB1, and he may certainly be a first round pick once again in 2017.
Runner Up: Frank Gore, RB, Indianapolis (77.5)
Johnny Manziel Award for “Did I Really Think This Would Work?” – Josh Gordon, WR, Cleveland (87.8 ADP) – Josh Gordon is one of the most depressing stories in the league. The last time Gordon played a full season, he was a first team All-Pro and led the NFL in receiving yards, despite poor quarterback play. Gordon has played just five games since and hasn’t appeared in a game since 2014. While many including myself blamed this on a ridiculously harsh substance abuse policy, it’s become clear over the last year that Gordon did have a problem. Fortunately, Gordon has begun to seeking the right help. This was a decision that Gordon owners were happy with even if it meant they wasted a draft pick on Gordon.
But the Josh Gordon hype train keeps rolling down the tracks and it will forever until he officially retires. If Gordon reemerges sober this offseason, you can bet I’ll be taking Gordon in my 2017 fantasy drafts.
Runner Up (Albeit for drastically different reasons) – Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England (9.9)
Steve Rebeiro is a staff writer and podcast host for Rams Talk. He graduated from Marquette University in 2016. For more of his opinions, follow him on Twitter here.
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