NFL
Fantasy Football: Season in Review
The fantasy football season ended this weekend as Week 17 wrapped up for the few fantasy owners that did play this week. This season was influenced heavily by many factors; and the emergence of new players led some to the title, while the disappointment of others lost them their seasons. So without further ado, here is your 2018 fantasy football season recap.
Factors that Defined this Fantasy Season
Offense
This season was one of the most prolific for fantasy football. Due to the explosion of offense throughout the course of the season, fantasy production escalated significantly. The NFL has seemingly completed their transition to a pass-happy league where you have to throw the ball to win, much like what the college game has come to. Teams like the Rams, Chiefs, and Saints are the best examples of this of this. These teams have very fantasy-friendly offenses, with dual-threat running backs instrumental in moving the ball. The Chiefs and Rams faced off this year in what became one of the best games in recent memory. The Rams were able to get the victory winning 54-52. This change will help fantasy football players even more, as offenses build off of this year’s increased scoring pace.
Rookie QB’s
Rookies were also a huge part of fantasy football this season. Five QBs were taken in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Baker Mayfield was taken first by the Cleveland Brows in a highly criticized move, but it has turned out to be the right move for the franchise. Josh Allen was taken by the Bills and has become a sufficient starting asset towards the end of the year with his usage in the ground game. Lamar Jackson (selected by the Ravens) is one of the top QB’s going into next year as well, mainly due to his unique running ability and usage in the Ravens offense. Other first round rookie quarterbacks Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen did not play as well, though seemed to be a product of poor coaching, as both of their head coaches were fired after the close of Week 17.
Injuries
Another important factor in this season was the injury bug. The injury bug struck heavier than any season before. No star was immune to it and it drastically impacted many fantasy teams. AJ Green, Odell Beckham Jr., Jimmy Garoppolo, Delanie Walker, and Emmanuel Sanders – to name a few – were all sidelined by injury. Losing players of this caliber proved critical, killing many fantasy teams’ shot at the playoffs or a title.
Fantasy Awards
Stud of the Year
Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers: Most would pick Patrick Mahomes for this award, but McCaffrey’s play down the stretch helped to solidify himself for the honor. From Week 12 to Week 16, McCaffrey put up over 150+ all-purpose yards in 4 of the 5 games. In the one game where he failed to reach that mark, McCaffrey still surpassed 100 total yards. He also scored five touchdowns over that stretch. The Panthers never fully committed to him last year, but gave him one of the largest workloads in the league this year. The team’s reward was McCaffrey breaking the single-season record for receptions by a running back. His floor is solidified as one of the highest in fantasy, especially in PPR leagues. This was a year to remember for the second-year player, who will likely become a top selection in fantasy league drafts next year.
Dud of the Year
Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots: Gronkowski’s fall from consensus top tight end in the league was massive this year. He was drafted as a second round pick in most leagues, with the owners who selected him anticipating his usual prolific, video game-level numbers. It’s fair to say, then, that Gronk did not live up to the billing. He only surpassed 100 yards in two games this year. Considering the level of dominance he’s played at during his career, his fall this season was staggering.
Gronkowski is also mostly known for his prowess in the touchdown department due to his size and athleticism. That number seemed to regress most of all, as he only caught three touchdowns all year and never had a multi-touchdown game. He is not all to blame, though, as quarterback Tom Brady seemed to decline at some points as well and did not look like the Brady of past seasons. Gronkowski will have a much lower price tag in most drafts next year.
Other Duds
Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers: Bell would have been the obvious choice for Dud of the Year, but his situation was a result of full-season holdout instead of poor performances. The Bell saga has been well-documented — from the multiple franchise tags, to the tensions with teammates, and eventually to the season-long holdout in order to secure a long term deal elsewhere. Bell’s holdout cost many fantasy owners their seasons, with most spending their first round picks on him. He will enter free agency this offseason and look to find a new home for next season. Despite missing the 2018 season entirely, Bell will still likely be a late first round pick i many fantasy leagues.
Tom Brady, New England Patriots: Father Time might be catching up with Tom Brady. He has avoided it for so long, but has finally started to show signs of aging. The Patriots did not look like the dominant team they once were for much of the season. Most of their offense was based around the two-headed attack of James White and Sony Michel. This did not help Brady put up big games consistently, which proved a crushing blow to his fantasy value. Brady is no longer an elite option at his position and could be available at a discounted price next year.
Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars: Fournette has looked highly ineffective from the end of last season throughout this season. Some of this can be attributed to poor quarterback play from Blake Bortles and Cody Kessler. Notably, he’s also struggled with injury throughout the season, which limited his running ability and general involvement in the offense. The second-year player will need a bounce-back year, likely with a new quarterback, to escape the ever-growing bust label.
Surprise of the Year
Phillip Lindsay, Denver Broncos: No one could’ve anticipated the rise of rookie Phillip Lindsay this year. Coming into the season, the Broncos seemed to be set at running back. They had just let go of a solid rusher in CJ Anderson, opting to invest in the draft for their backfield. Denver started the season with pass-catching specialist Devontae Booker and third-round rookie Royce Freeman, who was seen as a potential star in the making. Enter Philip Lindsay: an undrafted rookie out of Colorado who wasn’t even expected to make the roster. Lindsay was known for his impressive speed and receiving ability, as well as being a Denver native. He joined the backfield rotation early in the season, then completely took over when Freeman went down with an injury.
The rest is history. Lindsay went on to rush for 1,037 yards (second among all rookies) and 9 touchdowns, along with 35 catches for 241 yards and another score in the air. He has firmly established himself as the running back of the future for the Denver Broncos, as well as a high-end RB2 for fantasy owners in next year’s draft.
Breakout Stars
Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings: Thielen was highlighted early as someone who could breakout this year with Kirk Cousins under center, but no one foresaw the extent of his meteoric rise. He was the top receiver for most of the season, before hitting a rough patch with the rest of the Vikings offense. Notably, Thielen managed a streak of eight consecutive 100-yard games to start the season. Thielen was one of the the most valuable fantasy players to start the season, but did tail off towards the end — coming up short for Stud of the Year.
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills: Allen was the one rookie quarterback who most thought needed a year to learn behind an established veteran before taking over as starter. He seemed out of place as the Bills starting quarterback to start the season, but dominated in fantasy football by the end of the season. He showed dual-threat ability, rushing for over 100 yards twice, and over 90 another two times. While his throwing accuracy needs work, Allen has generational arm strength. His rocket passing should become a serious asset if the Bills invest in their receiving corps. Josh Allen should be a top 10-15 quarterback next season.
James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers: When Le’Veon Bell held out from the Steelers, the starting backfield job fell into James Conner’s lap. Despite having such large shoes to fill, Conner did not disappoint. He was a consistent top-five running back when he was healthy. Conner rushed for over 100 yards five times and, like Bell, displayed excellent pass-catching ability. He was able to carve out a significant role for himself in the Steelers offense, reminiscent of Bell’s workload. He was caught by the injury bug at the end of the season, however, which did not allow him to guide fantasy owners through the playoffs. With the offseason to recover, Conner will be a coveted asset in next year’s draft.
Fantasy Rookie of the Year
Saquon Barkley, New York Giants: Saquon Barkley had one of the best seasons by a rookie in recent memory. He surpassed 2,000 all-purpose yards and caught more passes than any rookie running back in NFL history. Barkley was one of the most hyped-up players before this season, but was able to live up to his lofty billing. Even more impressive is the fact that he accomplished such a dominant rookie season behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league and with a quarterback who consistently struggled to move the ball downfield.
While the Giants may regret being stuck with Eli Manning this year (and possibly the next), having an all-pro running back for the future helps lay a promising foundation for the offense. In terms of fantasy, Barkley will finish as either the first or second-best running back depending on scoring format. He will be a surefire top fantasy option for owners in years to come, and is rated as the second overall player in the early 2019 rankings below.
Way-Too-Early 2019 Fantasy Ranks (By Position)
Quarterback
- Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
- Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
- Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans
- Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
- Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
- Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
- Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns
- Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams
- Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers
- Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Running Back
- Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams
- Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
- Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers
- Ezekiel Elliot, Dallas Cowboys
- Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
- Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers
- Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals
- Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
- Le’Veon Bell, Free Agent
- David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
Wide Receiver
- DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans
- Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers
- Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
- Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs
- Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons
- Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants
- Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings
- Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers
- JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers
Tight End
- Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
- Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles
- George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
- OJ Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
- Evan Engram, New York Giants
- Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots
- Hayden Hurst, Baltimore Ravens
- Eric Ebron, Indianapolis Colts
- Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers
Photo Credit
Featured image courtesy of Nazrul Islam via Flickr
Like this fantasy season recap? Follow Ben Glassmire on Twitter (@brglass10) and on TSJ101Sports: NFL for all the latest fantasy football content!
Subscribe to get the latest news from TSJ at the TSJ 101 Sports TV YouTube channel!
Play And Win Weekly at ThriveFantasy!
