Best Quarterback - Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
How does a quarterback with 168 yards and two touchdowns less than Tom Brady get the "Best Quarterback" ranking? By throwing two less interceptions and having two rushing TDs to Brady's zero. Still, it is only a nine point difference. Going forward Brady has a cakewalk schedule, which ends at Denver and home for Miami and Buffalo. Hopefully for Brady owners the Pats haven't already wrapped up homefield by the point and are resting starters. Conversely, Rodgers schedule is not exactly brutal, but no one stands out as pass busters. Especially the way Rodgers has looked. His week five stat line was a ridiculous 408 yards and 6 TDs (4/2) for a 45 point fantasy day. Here's another set of numbers for you - Rodgers: 24, 21, 21, 45; Brady: 34, 28, 23, 17.
Most Disappointing Quarterback -
It has to be someone who was top-10 projected, even better if they were top-5. Also, this quarterback has to be seriously underperforming against expectations. Top five candidates in no particular order - Michael Vick, Phillip Rivers, Matt Schaub, Matt Ryan, Ben Roethlisberger.
In ESPN's preseason Draft Kit rankings, fantasy writers had Vick - 2, Rivers - 5, Schaub - 7, Roethlisberger - 8 and Ryan 10. They currently sit at Vick - 6, Rivers - 14, Schaub - 15, Ryan - 16 and Roethlisberger - 28. (Even though Romo was pre-ranked at 6th, I think everyone was in agreement that this was way too high.)
Vick's drop has been a combination of two factors, injuries and the unexpected play of Cam Newton and Matthew Stafford. If those two are closer to their expected level, Vick, even with the injuries is a top five quarterback. Schaub and Ryan were certainly expected to take the next steps this year but have sputtered out of the gate.
That leaves us with Rivers and Roethlisberger. All summer long as commentators talked about the rise of Aaron Rodgers, the best quarterbacks in the league conversation went something like this:
Guy A - "Manning/Brady have to be 1-2 in some order, then Brees and Rodgers are right there followed by Rivers."
Guy B - "What about Ben Roethlisberger, he has two Super Bowl rings?"
And this was universally agreed upon. The top five did include 1/2 Brady/Manning in some order, 3/4 Brees/Rodgers in some order and then Rivers with Big Ben having to be brought up because of his post-season success. (This fails to include Vick, as most of these conversations centered around traditional passing quarterbacks). And now, if you had to redraft, you might not even take either as a bye week quarterback.
That's not true, if not for only posting six points against Kansas City in week three Rivers would probably be a top 10 QB, but I think the expectations were so much higher for him than he has performed so far. The one category he does lead the NFL in is interceptions. He does get Denver this week who Rodgers just got done torching, so he has a chance to redeem himself.
But it is Big Ben Roethlisberger who earns the award here. He leads the NFL in turnovers with five interceptions and four fumbles. The Steelers offensive line is having major problems and the big fella has yet to throw for a multiple touchdown day. He has more interceptions (let alone total turnovers) than he does touchdowns.
Most Surprising Quarterback - Cam Newton, Carolina
Newton has two less fantasy points than Tom Brady and nine more than Drew Brees. Having four rushing TDs certainly helps that number (which is 100 by the way). Newton is another player with more turnovers than touchdowns (5/6). Also, he has only thrown more than one TD once but he is third in the league for passing yards and first for rushing touchdowns among quarterbacks. These are not unreasonable trends that can't keep up. These are the things that Newton is capable of doing all season. It doesn't translate to the Panthers winning many games; but it does make him a top-10 quarterback from here on out.
Best Running Back -
The Candidates: Darren McFadden, LeSean McCoy and Ray Rice.
I am only in one league this year and it is a nice friendly league with mostly family members, or friends who are as close as family. My wife plays, my sister and her husband, my cousin and one of our best friends, etc... It is a keeper league where two players are kept from year to year. Somehow, McFadden and McCoy were not kept. I was drafting 7/8 and sincerely hoped one of the two would fall to me. Didn't happen. I literally let out a giant sigh as I wrote that sentence, thinking about what could have been. I was on the bandwagon early with these guys, most notably McCoy - in week one I told you all to trade for him if at all possible.
Currently, McFadden is leading all RBs with 79 points, followed by McCoy and Rice with 77 and 75 respectively. McCoy leads in total touchdowns with six, while the other two each have four. But here is the most interesting stat - opportunities; that is rushing attempts combined with passing targets. McFadden leads with 93 (75/18), followed by Rice with 91 (66/25) and McC0y at 85 (66/19).
McFadden gets the quarter season award, but these numbers spell a trend and I am going out right now saying that of these three, Rice ends with the highest fantasy total at the end of the season.
Most Disappointing RB -
It is really easy here to say Jamaal Charles who is done for the season with an ACL injury (everyone who drafted him in the first round are in agreement); or even Arian Foster who was limited in the first three weeks by a hamstring injury. But injuries happen, it is one of the risks of fantasy football. I am more interested in a player who isn't injured and is just underperforming
The Candidates - Chris Johnson, Rashard Mendenhall
Yes, Mendenhall was injured in the third quarter of this last game, but continuing to play couldn't have brought him out of candidacy for this award. Before Sunday's game, Mendenhall had 49 attempts for 148 yards and a single TD. He was averaging six fantasy points a game. Sunday's 25 yard, one TD, injury shortened outing wasn't bringing those numbers up significantly. As noted above, the problem for the Steelers offense is the line, and until they can get things figured out up front, Big Ben and Mendenhall will continue to disappoint.
The real winner here is Johnson (and the losers are his owners) who has underwhelmed. He got his first triple digit rushing day on Sunday (which was his first double digit fantasy day) but still has zero touchdowns on the season. I don't know, it might just be me, but maybe that diamond CJ2K pendant he wears during games is slowing him down. Also, let's say a linebacker really clocks Johnson a good one and the pendant snaps off the chain - does he get to keep it as like a trophy the way a hunter mounts a deer head on the wall?
Most Surprising Running Back
The Candidates - Darren Sproles, Beanie Wells
Wells was preseason ranked as the 24th best running back and currently sits as the seventh best, a number which would be higher if he had played in week three. But Sproles has posted double digits in 4/4 weeks and is a must start at this point - despite being ranked 50th for RBs in the preseason. He isn't doing it rushing - he only has 15 attempts. But only Matt Forte, Ryan Matthews and Ray Rice are out producing him in receiving yards and he leads all RBs in targets.
Best Wide Receiver - Wes Welker (and it's not even close)
Yes, Calvin Johnson is studding out right now, but he is still 14 points behind Welker. Welker's five TDs and 616 yards receiving is astounding. He leads all fantasy players that are not quarterbacks.
It won't last all season though (maybe) as Johnson is at eight TDs in four games. Johnson won't catch 32 touchdowns (probably) but he should still end up as the best receiver when all is said and done (possibly).
Most Disappointing Wide Receiver - Roddy White
White was ranked as the second best receiver going into this season and currently sits at 24th. He has one touchdown and only one game over 100 yards - which happened to be his only double digit fantasy day. He is a big disappointment, especially to me as I drafted him in the first round (after two keeper "rounds") instead of getting McFadden or McCoy like I was targeting.
Most Surprising Wide Receiver - Jordy Nelson
Not to me though. You see, I used a late draft pick to nab Nelson under the assumption that Donald Driver is as old as Methuselah and James Jones drops a lot of passes. I saw Nelson moving into the top three with Greg Jennings and Jermichael Finley in Green Bay.
Well, well, well, I am not above tooting my own horn so let Nelson's place as the 11th best fantasy receiver and 3/4 double digit games count as my "TOOT-TOOT."
Other notes -
Who cares about Tight Ends, Defenses and Kickers? Gates has been hurt, Pittsburgh isn't as great as they used to be and Jason Hansen is old but awesome. There.
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