Quarterback
MVP: Philip Rivers (Chargers)
The resurgence of Philip Rivers continues. Rivers had arguably his strongest game of the season with an eye-popping 392 yards and 3 TD's on a stout Chiefs defense (it is worth nothing that their top pass-rushers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston left the game with an injury.) Rivers owners will hope he continues to come up big against tough defenses when the Chargers face the Bengals on Sunday.
Honorable Mentions: Tom Brady (Patriots), Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Alex Smith (Chiefs), Cam Newton (Panthers)
LVP: Case Keenum (Texans)
Just when you thought the Texans had a legit starter in Case Keenum, he puts up another stinker against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. Keenum couldn't find the end zone for the second straight week and was out-of-sync with his receivers the whole game. With Keenum's inconsistency and opponents that include the Patriots, Titans and Broncos over the last month of the season, there is no use for keeping him on your fantasy roster.
Dishonorable Mentions: Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Matt Ryan (Falcons), Peyton Manning (Broncos), Joe Flacco (Ravens)
Running Back
MVP: Knowshon Moreno (Broncos)
With Peyton Manning having a subpar game by his standards, the Broncos needed someone to step up and Knowshon Moreno answered the call. Moreno got the ball an astronomical 37 times for 224 yards and a touchdown against the Patriots on Sunday night. Moreno continues to get a ton of touches and a has nose for the endzone making him about as valuable of an RB2 as you can have right now.
Honorable Mentions: Jammal Charles (Chiefs), Eddie Lacy (Packers), Maurice Jones-Drew (Jaguars), Danny Woodhead (Chargers)
LVP: Frank Gore (49ers)
This caught me completely my surprise. A workhorse like Frank Gore has had strong outings against elite run defenses like the Cardinals and Panthers gets all but completely shut down by a below average at best unit in the Redskins. This isn't all Gore's fault, he only had 13 touches in the game but his 2.4 yards per carry is a bit disconcerting. Hopefully the 49ers get him more involved in the coming weeks, especially with the Rams coming up this week, who Gore absolutely smashed in their first meeting this season.
Dishonorable Mentions: Ben Tate (Texans), Matt Forte (Bears), Stevan Ridley (Patriots), Alfred Morris (Redskins)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Josh Gordon (Browns)
Bold claim alert: Josh Gordon is the most underrated wide receiver in the NFL. Gordon had another explosive outing this week against the Steelers with 237 yards and a TD. Just about every week Gordon is putting up crazy numbers, which is beyond impressive considering that he has a bunch of weak quarterbacks throwing him the ball. With Jordan Cameron slumping and a nonexistent running game, Gordon is the lone playmaker on the Browns offense and should continue to put big numbers as long as he is getting the ball.
Honorable Mentions: Julian Edelman (Patriots), Anquan Boldin (49ers), Mike Wallace (Dolphins), Brandon Marshall (Bears)
LVP: Victor Cruz (Giants)
What the hell happened to Victor Cruz? After starting the year on a hot streak, Cruz has done next to nothing in the past month or so. This week against the Cowboys is easily the most disappointing performance of the season for Cruz so far. With Hakeem Nicks inactive and a matchup against the abysmal Cowboys secondary, Cruz should've went off. Instead, Cruz mustered a whopping 27 yards and a fumble on the afternoon. Cruz has a big redemption chance against the Redskins this week, but given the fact that he has only 1 breakout game over the past month and a half, it's far from a guarantee.
Dishonorable Mentions: Andre Johnson (Texans), Vincent Jackson (Buccaneers), Jordy Nelson (Packers), Eric Decker (Broncos)
Tight End
MVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
Jimmy Graham went off again last Thursday night against the Falcons and broke the goal post when he was celebrating a touchdown. In other words, Jimmy Graham is pretty much the most terrifying player in the league.
Honorable Mentions: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), Martellus Bennett (Bears), Jason Witten (Cowboys), Jared Cook (Rams)
LVP: Heath Miller (Steelers)
It was a feast for the Steelers offense in a blowout win over the Browns, but Heath Miller was left starving again with just 41 yards on the day. Miller simply just has not been himself this season since returning from the torn ACL he suffered late last year and is a respectable TE2 at best with his current production level.
Dishonorable Mentions: Delanie Walker (Titans), Garrett Graham (Texans), Charles Clay (Dolphins), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons)
Defense
MVP: Pittsburgh Steelers
Hold the phone, the Steelers defense is capable of getting sacks and takeaways? The Steelers managed to get 5 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries and a pick six against the rapidly-declining Browns on Sunday. This rare explosion is almost a certainly a fluke from a defense that is normally useless for fantasy purposes.
Honorable Mentions: Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals
LVP: Cleveland Browns
The Browns pass rush is basically nonexistent the past couple weeks and it hit a new low with no sacks on a Steelers offensive line that is absolutely horrid. The Browns weren't even able to salvage the afternoon with a takeaway. Their last 5 games have too many favorable matchups to get rid of them, but they are going to need show more consistency to warrant starting week-by-week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Chicago Bears, Kansas City Chiefs, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans
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