Quarterback
MVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
Even with relatively quiet days from Jimmy Graham (yards-wise, he still scored twice) and Marques Colston, Drew Brees massacred the Bills secondary for 332 yards and 5 TD's. Brees remains one of the highest quality options at quarterback from a fantasy standpoint because of the Saints inability to run and a number of very favorable matchups coming up for the rest of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Andy Dalton (Bengals), Matthew Stafford (Lions), Cam Newton (Panthers), Colin Kaepernick (49ers)
LVP: Robert Griffin III (Redskins)
Just when he was on the verge of a breakthrough, Robert Griffin III put up a very poor performance against the Broncos on Sunday. Griffin couldn't get much going through the air (132 yards, a touchdown and 2 INT's) and got buried when he tried to run (5 carries for a measly 7 yards.) Making matters worse for RG3 owners, he took a late-game shot from Broncos defensive tackle Terrence Knighton that resulted in him leaving for the rest of the game with a knee injury. Both the Redskins and Griffin himself insist he's fine, but it's still not a good thing watching someone coming off a major injury like him get knocked out of a game. RG3 has been looking better of late so as long as he's healthy, I expect him to put up good numbers most weeks for the rest of the year.
Dishonorable Mentions: Tom Brady (Patriots), Eli Manning (Giants), Matt Ryan (Falcons), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)
Running Back
MVP: Andre Ellington (Cardinals)
Andre Ellington made an extremely strong case for being the starting running back for the Cardinals on Sunday against the Falcons. With Rashard Mendenhaal out, Ellington split carries with Stepfan Taylor (who struggled mightily with 38 yards on 14 carries) and showed his extreme potential as a runner. Ellington burned the Falcons for 154 yards on 15 carries including an 80-yard touchdown. The rookie has looked far stronger than the rest of the Cardinals backfield and even when Mendenhaal returns, Ellington should get his fair share of carries and may even earn the starting job if he keeps up his high level of play.
Honorable Mentions: Eddie Lacy (Packers), Frank Gore (49ers), Darren McFadden (Raiders), Knowshown Moreno (Broncos)
LVP: Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks)
Monday Night Football has not been kind to superstar running backs the last couple weeks. A week removed from Adrian Peterson's underwhelming performance in primetime against a week run defense in the Giants, Marshawn Lynch did the exact same thing against a horrible Rams run D. Lynch somehow only got 8 touches for 23 yards on the night. This especially makes no sense since Russell Wilson was getting drilled all night and got sacked 7 times. Lynch has been one of the few brightspots at RB1 this year, so I expect him to return to form against a battered Buccaneers team on Sunday.
Dishonorable Mentions: LeSean McCoy (Eagles), Steven Jackson (Falcons), Darren Sproles (Saints), Joesph Randle (Cowboys)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Calvin Johnson (Lions)
Ladies and gentleman, Calvin Johnson. In yet another inhuman fate, Johnson gouged the Cowboys all game long for a near-record 329 yards on 11 receptions and a touchdown. What's even harder to comprehend is that he could've done even more if he didn't run out of gas on a 87-yard reception in the 1st quarter and get tackled twice at the 1-yard line. Johnson honestly isn't a human being and his fantasy owners will sorely miss his contributions this week while he's on bye.
Honorable Mentions: Marvin Jones (Bengals), Jordy Nelson (Packers), Josh Gordon (Browns), Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
LVP: Pierre Garcon (Redskins)
Pierre Garcon was a victim of RG3's poor showing, only managing 46 yards on a Broncos secondary that has been getting passed on all season. Garcon's big play ability has been silenced over the past few weeks, but he's bound to get back on-track with the amount of targets he gets. He's still an explosive receiver with WR2 ability, he's just currently slumping for no apparent reason. The Redskins face an inconsistent Chargers secondary this week, which makes this game a prime comeback contender for Garcon.
Dishonorable Mentions: Eric Decker (Broncos), Hakeem Nicks (Giants), Marques Colston (Saints), Anquan Boldin (49ers)
Tight End
MVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
Even on the weeks were Jimmy Graham is contained, he finds a way to establish fantasy value. Graham only had 37 yards on the afternoon, but pulled in a pair of touchdown grabs in the redzone in the Saints victory over the Bills. Graham is playing hurt at the moment with a foot injury he suffered against the Patriots a couple weeks back. He might not put up the insane numbers he did at the beginning of the year while's he playing through this injury, but is still a big scoring threat every single week.
Honorable Mentions: Vernon Davis (49ers), Tim Wright (Buccaneers), Jordan Reed (Redskins), Jordan Cameron (Browns)
LVP: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
A week after his glorious return, Rob Gronkowski faltered against the Dolphins on Sunday. He did have a touchdown revoked due to a penalty, but even with that the Dolphins did a good job slowing him down all game long. Gronkowski is the centerpiece of this otherwise wildly erratic Patriots receiving corps, so as long as Gronkowski is out there, he's going to get a ton of targets.
Dishonorable Mentions: Julius Thomas (Broncos), Jason Witten (Cowboys), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons), Jeff Cumberland (Jets)
Defense
MVP: Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals caught the Jets on a bad Geno Smith week and made them pay all game long. The Bengals managed 4 sacks and a pair of pick 6's on the day and provided one of the few bright spots on a pretty mediocre week for fantasy defenses.
Honorable Mentions: Denver Broncos, New York Giants, Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots
LVP: Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs have been the top dogs amongst fantasy defenses all year long, but that didn't come out this week. They somehow managed to put up a rare stinker against a Browns offense that has gives the ball away non-stop managing only 1 sack and a fumble recovery on the afternoon. The Chiefs have a big chance to return to domination this week against the Bills, that just allowed 4 sacks and 3 turnovers to a inferior Saints defense on Sunday.
Dishonorable Mentions: Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions
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