Quarterback
MVP: Matt Ryan (Falcons)
In my humble opinion, Matt Ryan is the most underrated quarterback in the NFL and his performance on Sunday reminded people just how great he is. Ryan threw for a career-high 448 yards and 3 TD's on Sunday against a Saints secondary that finished in the top 5 in the league in 2013. Having a healthy Julio Jones and Roddy White does wonders for Ryan's play and if they stay healthy, he is going to continue dominate opposing defenses. Ryan's average draft position of the 6th-7th round could prove to be a huge steal if he stays this sharp all season long.
Honorable Mentions: Matthew Stafford (Lions), Andrew Luck (Colts), Peyton Manning (Broncos)
LVP: Tony Romo (Cowboys)
Tony Romo reverted back to his old turnover-ridden self on Sunday against the 49ers after a great season in 2013. Romo threw 3 INT's-which is already just shy of a third of the INT's he threw in 2013- and looked completely out of sync with his receivers for most of the game. This performance may been ugly, but this is by no means a kiss of death for Romo's 2014 season. Romo puts up some horrid performances every year that make him look like a far worse quarterback than he actually is, and this game against the 49ers was just that. Romo tends to bounce back nicely from terrible performances, so I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he came out and played great against the Titans this Sunday.
Dishonorable Mentions: Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Tom Brady (Patriots), Drew Brees (Saints)
Running Back
MVP: Le'Veon Bell (Steelers)
A majority of the alleged stud second-year running backs underwhelmed in Week 1, which makes Le'Veon Bell's performance that much more impressive. Bell absolutely annihilated a pretty solid Browns defense for 197 total yards (109 rushing, 88 receiving) and a touchdown. Bell opened a lot of eyes with this performance and showed improvement in every aspect of the game from his solid 2013 rookie campaign. Time will tell if this production will hold up for the entire year, but Bell looked like a serious contender to become the next big-impact running back in the NFL on Sunday.
Honorable Mentions: Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks), Knowshon Moreno (Dolphins), DeMarco Murray (Cowboys)
LVP: Jammal Charles (Chiefs)
Of all the underwhelming performances in Week 1, none surprised me more than Jammal Charles. The Chiefs offense typically runs through Charles, but for whatever reason he only touched the ball 11 times (7 carries, 4 receptions) for a whopping 34 total yards in their lopsided loss against the Titans on Sunday. I fully believe Charles' poor performance against the Titans is a fluke. Charles lays more eggs than any other star running back in the league and when he disappoints, it seems to always be against teams that are very favorable matchups on paper. Unless something drastic happens, this performance should be considered to be just a bump in the road for Charles. He should be back to his usual high volume of touches and top-tier RB1 form in no time.
Dishonorable Mentions: Doug Martin (Buccaneers), Eddie Lacy (Packers), Zac Stacy (Rams)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Calvin Johnson (Lions)
Calvin Johnson never ceases to amaze me. Megatron came out on Monday Night and was his typically superhuman self shredding the Giants secondary for 164 yards and a pair of TD's. Johnson is already in midseason form and his fantasy owners should continue to reap the benefits from his inhuman play.
Honorable Mentions: A.J. Green (Bengals), Cordarrelle Patterson (Vikings), Steve Smith (Ravens)
LVP: Demaryius Thomas (Broncos)
What the hell happened to Demaryius Thomas? Thomas dropped numerous passes and got flat-out outplayed by just about every other receiver on the Broncos roster in their victory over the Colts on Sunday night. Thomas' 48-yard non-factor performance is especially shocking considering the fact that Wes Welker-the Broncos other top target in the passing game- was out of the lineup. Thomas had the perfect opportunity to have a huge game with less facets to the Broncos offense available than usual, it just didn't come to fruition. Thomas should be fine in the long run thanks to his chemistry with Peyton Manning, it was just shocking to see him play so poorly after being so consistently dominant over the past two seasons.
Dishonorable Mentions: Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals), Vincent Jackson (Buccaneers), Victor Cruz (Giants)
Tight End
MVP: Julius Thomas (Broncos)
While Demaryius Thomas failed to produce for the Broncos on Sunday, Julius Thomas absolutely flourished. The other Thomas brother (Before anyone bitches at me, I know that they're not actually related) picked up where he left off last year with 104 yards and 3 TD's on the night. Any skepticism as to whether or not he could repeat the success of his 2013 season was erased with this performance. Thomas was easily the centerpiece of this offense on Sunday and with his ability to haul in all but one of his targets for the whole game, I expect that trend to continue for the entire season. With his consistently improving rapport with Peyton Manning and nose for the endzone, Thomas has the potential to be the top fantasy tight end in 2014.
Honorable Mentions: Vernon Davis (49ers), Greg Olsen (Panthers), Zach Ertz (Eagles)
LVP: Jason Witten (Cowboys)
No one suffered from Tony Romo's poor performance on Sunday more than Jason Witten. The grizzled veteran tight end was held to 14 yards on 2 receptions in Sunday's ugly loss to the 49ers. Witten remains Romo's favorite target behind Dez Bryant and if Romo can get back on track ASAP, I expect Witten to reclaim his role as one of the most reliable tight ends in fantasy football.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jordan Cameron (Browns), Jimmy Graham (Saints), Ladarius Green (Chargers)
Defense
MVP: Houston Texans
The Texans defense came back with a vengeance this week. The unit returned to their dominant form of 2012 with 3 sacks, 2 fumbles recoveries, 2 blocked punts and a defensive touchdown in their 17-6 beatdown of the Redskins on Sunday. It will be interesting to see how this defense fares without rookie phenom Jadeveon Clowney out for at least the next month, but for now the Texans defense looks damn good and is definitely worth a start every week.
Honorable Mentions: San Francisco 49ers, Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills
LVP: St. Louis Rams
Wow, I didn't see this coming. The very talented Rams defense were almost complete non-factors on Sunday in a blowout loss against the Vikings on Sunday afternoon. They don't deserve all of the blame as the offense played horrible, which forced them to be on the field a lot and get fatigued really fast. That being said, their lack of pass rush (just a single sack for the game) and no takeaways on the game was extremely disappointing for a unit that's as loaded with talent as the Rams are. With all the uncertainty on offense, it will be interesting to see how the Rams defense hold up in 2014. There's too much talent on this defense to drop them right now, but I wouldn't be shocked if they end up underwhelming for most of the season.
Dishonorable Mentions: Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals
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