Like every year, the fantasy season has come and gone with the blink of an eye. As frustrating as fantasy football can be, I give myself a matter of weeks before I start counting down to the 2017 season. I’ll try to pass the time with Draft Kings and some fantasy baseball, but neither really compare to the roller coaster thrill ride that is fantasy football. Chances are, your disappointing season has you setting your sights for next year already. It’s championship or bust in this game. However, now is a good time to commemorate all the good- and the bad- that 2016 fantasy football brought us. And with that, I give you my 2016 Fantasy Football Awards.
*Note- stats are all based on standard scoring leagues
MVP
Aaron Rodgers
Runners Up:
1) David Johnson
2) Ezekiel Eliott
Aaron Rodgers finished as the highest scoring fantasy player for 2016, with a comfortable 31 point lead over the second place Matt Ryan. Rodgers’ dominance goes beyond his seven 25+ fantasy point performances and average of 22.8 points per game. What separated A-Rodg from the pack was his ability to perform against the league’s elite. When going up against a top-10 defense, Rodgers averaged 21 fantasy points per game, while the rest of the league’s quarterbacks averaged just 13.6 fantasy points per game when facing these same defenses. A matchup-proof Aaron Rodgers is deservingly this year’s fantasy football MVP.
Unsung Hero
Davante Adams
Runners Up:
1) Frank Gore
2) Tyrell Williams
So many times with fantasy football we get caught up with the big names and forget the guys behind the scenes. If you took a chance on the post-hype Davante Adams this year, you reaped in the benefits. Adams finished as the number eight fantasy wide receiver, ahead of big name guys such as Brandin Cooks, Michael Crabtree, Amari Cooper, and Doug Baldwin. His four, 100+ yard games this season matches that of fantasy juggernauts Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham, and Mike Evans. Not to mention his 12 touchdowns are good enough to rank him second amongst wide outs.
‘Where’d You Come From?’ Award
Dak Prescott
Runners Up:
1) Jay Ajayi
2) Tyrell Williams
Would it really be a fantasy football season if some under-the-radar player didn’t emerge into a fantasy star? For me, that player this year was Dak Prescott. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, Prescott was presumably the back-up (or possibly even the third stringer) to Tony Romo. A dynamite preseason coupled with a Romo injury allowed the rookie signal caller a chance to show his stuff. Prescott ended the year as the 6th ranked fantasy quarterback and- aside from Week 17- posted just one game below 10 fantasy points. Averaging 17 FPPG and a 23:4 touchdown to interception ratio made Prescott a QB1 every week.
Rising Star Award
Ezekiel Elliott
Runners Up:
1) David Johnson
2) Tyreek Hill
Zeke gouged opposing defenses this season on his way to average 17.5 FPPG and lead the league in rushing with 1,631 yards. In fact, he was just 177 rushing yards short of break Eric Dickerson’s rookie rushing record. What made Elliott so successful was his big play ability and knack for finding pay dirt. He lead all running backs with 14 rushes of 20 or more yards and had the third most touchdowns in the league with 15. Running behind what has been- and will continue to be- the best offensive line in football, Zeke has an illustrious career ahead of him.
Golden Boot Award
Justin Tucker
Runners Up:
1) Matt Bryant
2) Adam Vinatieri
Although technically Matt Bryant was the highest scoring kicker in fantasy this season, I believe Justin Tucker was undoubtably the best kicker in the NFL. Bryant had the luxury of playing for the league’s second ranked offense, while the Ravens were the 17th ranked offense. Tucker made all his extra points and was 10-10 on field goals beyond 50 yards. In fact, had it not been for a blocked field goal during the Patriots game, Tucker would have finished the year without missing a field goal or extra point. Justin Tucker was the only certainty in the Ravens’ shaky offense.
Make You Want to Rip Your Hair Out Award
Jeremy Hill
Runners Up:
1) Russell Wilson
2) Mark Ingram
This award is given to the player whose inconsistency nearly drove you insane this season. If you owned Jeremy Hill this year, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Since dominating during his rookie season, Hill has enjoyed two seasons riddled with inconsistency. He’ll rush for 100 yards one game and you’ll think he’s figured it out, and then the next game he’s a dud. This season, Hill had three games of 20+ fantasy points and three games of sub 5 fantasy points. Hill couldn’t even capitalize on being the workhorse back after Giovani Bernard’s injury. Maybe 2017 will gift Jeremy Hill with consistency. But then again, probably not.
Biggest Disappointment
Todd Gurley
Runners Up:
1) DeAndre Hopkins
2) Allen Robinson
Probably one of the more frustrating aspects of fantasy football is selecting a seemingly elite player within the first couple rounds, only to watch him underperform throughout the season. All three of these candidates were first round to high second round picks in this year’s draft, and all played like they didn’t even deserve a roster spot (maybe that’s a little too harsh, but you get my point). After spending a part of season injured, Gurley took the league by storm last year. However, this season was a different story. He finished outside the top-20 for running backs and averaged a pedestrian 8.8 FPPG. He recorded just five games of 10+ fantasy points and six games of sub 6 fantasy points. If you endured a season of waiting for Todd Gurley to turn back into his rookie self, I truly pity you.
First Team All-Fantasy Football
Quarterback- Aaron Rodgers
Running Back- David Johnson
Running Back- Ezekiel Elliott
Wide Receiver: Antonio Brown
Wide Receiver: Odell Beckham Jr.
Wide Receiver: Mike Evans
Tight End: Travis Kelce
Kicker: Justin Tucker
Defense/Special Teams: Vikings
First Team All-Rookie
Quarterback: Dak Prescott
Running Back: Ezekiel Elliott
Running Back: Jordan Howard
Wide Receiver: Michael Thomas
Wide Receiver: Sterling Shepard
Wide Receiver: Tyreek Hill
Tight End: Hunter Henry
Second Team All-Fantasy Football
Quarterback: Tom Brady
Running Back: Le’Veon Bell
Running Back: LeSean McCoy
Wide Receiver: T.Y. Hilton
Wide Receiver: Jordy Nelson
Wide Receiver: Julio Jones
Tight End: Kyle Rudolph
Kicker: Matt Bryant
Defense/Special Teams: Broncos
