Fantasy tips,
Johnson shines; Gronkowski is first-round bust
The fantasy season is over, and it is time to recognize those players who delivered championships for their owners ... and those who just got in the way.
QUARTERBACK
Best player: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Rodgers returned to his spot atop the position, and at 33, he has years to go. His 40 total touchdowns lead the league and his slow start evolved into a furious finish during the fantasy playoffs. Aside from the cold weather in Chicago for Week 15, Rodgers had at least three scores in every game since Week 7. (Runner-up: Drew Brees)
After a down 2015 when he passed for only 20 touchdowns, Ryan was a deep fantasy backup in drafts this summer. It did not take long to realize what a fortuitous pick that would prove to be since Ryan should challenge for a career high in yardage and has 34 touchdown passes, third most in the league. (Runner-up: Kirk Cousins)
The former Mississippi State star is a major surprise as the eighth quarterback drafted. He’s flirted with top-10 stats in about half of his games while being blessed with a formidable running game. He has played nearly errorfree with four interceptions vs. 20 passing touchdowns and merits starting consideration most weeks. (Runner-up: Carson Wentz)
While Newton hasn’t been terrible, the consensus No. 1 quarterback taken in fantasy drafts has not been a difference-maker as he was in 2015. His 35 passing touchdowns from a year ago have turned into 18 this year, and the 10 rushing scores became five. He has been little more than average in nearly every game. (Runner-up: Russell Wilson)
No free agent quarterback came through as an every-week starter this season. Bradford produced mostly average numbers but threw for over 290 yards in each of his last three games. (Runner-up: Alex Smith)
RUNNING BACK
Best player: David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
While the Cardinals struggled this season, Johnson has been one of the most consistent and productive players in the NFL. His late-season success from 2015 carried through this year with more than 100 total yards in every game. Johnson has scored 20 touchdowns and totaled over 2,000 yards. (Runner-up: Le’Veon Bell)
The Bears had a starter in Jeremy Langford, so the rookie from Indiana was taken as the 50th running back on average. Howard had a minor role until his breakout performance in Week 4, when he totaled 142 yards vs. the Detroit Lions. Howard would go on to score seven touchdowns and total 1,476 yards, with six games topping 100 rushing yards. (Runner-up: Melvin Gordon)
No questions here. The top running back taken in the 2016 NFL draft proved to be one of the best rookie backs ever. Elliott leads the NFL in rushing yardage and has gotten even even stronger as the season has progressed. (Runner-up: Howard)
Peterson was drafted on the strength of his lengthy résumé as perhaps the NFL’s best active running back. But after a Week 1 flop at the Tennessee Titans, Peterson suffered a torn meniscus in Week 2 and landed on injured reserve. Even owning his backup did not produce a viable fantasy starter. What seemed to be perhaps the safest first-round pick proved to be a disaster. (Runnerup: Todd Gurley)
Montgomery wasn’t even a running back to start the season but was used in that capacity after Eddie Lacy was lost for the year and James Starks missed time because of a knee injury. Montgomery caught 10 passes in each of his first two starts and has remained a part of the backfield. For a position that is heavily raid- ed in fantasy drafts and weekly waiver-wire moves, Montgomery offered late-season help far beyond any other free agent backs. (Runner-up: Matt Asiata)
WIDE RECEIVER
Best player: Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers
Brown won this title last year with a ridiculous 136 catches for 1,834 yards and 10 touchdowns. With one game to play, he has 106 receptions for 1,284 yards and 12 touchdowns, which might lag behind 2015 but is enough to lead in fantasy points among wide receivers. (Runner-up: Odell Beckham Jr.)
The development of Amari Cooper was expected to overshadow Crabtree, even though he ended 2015 with 85 catches for 922 yards and nine touchdowns. Both receivers would end with similar reception and yardage totals, but Cooper only scored four times while Crabtree totaled eight touchdowns. For the average cost of the 35th wideout drafted, Crabtree will turn in top-12 fantasy stats in most leagues. (Runnerup: Davante Adams)
Preseason hype had the Ohio State star taken as early fantasy depth over the summer, but he ended up as a top receiver. Thomas caught 82 passes for 981 yards with eight touchdowns as the immediate replacement for Marques Colston. (Runner-up: Sterling Shepard)
The elite receiver from 2015 was selected in the first round of most fantasy drafts. But he struggled with Brock Osweiler as the starting quarterback. Hopkins topped 60 yards in only four games and scored once after Week 5. He was drafted to be a fantasy team’s best starter but deserved the bench in most weeks. (Runner-up: A.J. Green)
Thielen was just position depth to start the year but showed up as the second-best wideout in Week 1. He not only became the top fantasy play among Vikings wideouts, but he also was the top receiver in Week 16 with 12 catch- es for 202 yards and two scores. He topped 100 yards in two of the final three weeks of the fantasy playoffs. (Runner-up: Tyreek Hill )
TIGHT END
Best player: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
It is not enough that Kelce leads all tight ends with 84 receptions for 1,117 yards. It is that he has been playing lights-out since Week 10, topping 100 yards in five of the last six games. After a mundane first half of the season, Kelce has become largely unstoppable. (Runner-up: Greg Olsen)
Health and performance concerns from 2015 led the one-time star to fall to around the 10th tight end selected in fantasy drafts, if not later. But Graham resumed his productive ways, and his 61 catches for 859 yards and six scores put him back among the elite tight ends in a down year for the position. (Runner-up: Kyle Rudolph)
Though he had to take a back seat to Antonio Gates in most games, the Arkansas product scored seven times and looks like the next big thing for the position in 2017 when Gates should step aside. (Runner-up: Austin Hooper)
The NFL’s most dangerous tight end suffered a down year because of injuries. He was slowed until Week 5 by a hamstring strain and, after four of his typical big games, he was lost for the season with a back issue. Gronkowski was taken in the first round of most fantasy drafts but left a major hole in rosters since he played in so few games and delayed the drafting of other important positions. (Runner-up: Coby Fleener)
The Buccaneers finally soured on Austin Seferian-Jenkins and released him after Week 3. One reason was the level of play that they were getting from Brate. The third-year undrafted Harvard product merited fantasy starts every week, and his 57 catches for 660 yards and eight touchdowns put him among the top 10 tight ends. (Runner-up: Dennis Pitta)