Quarterback
MVP: Cam Newton (Panthers)
Where the hell has this Cam Newton been? Newton has had a miserable 2014 campaign thanks to playing through a laundry list of injuries and having one of the worst offensive lines in the league tasked with protecting him. Against all odds, Newton broke out this week and showed everyone what is he capable of doing when he's given a chance to make plays. Newton was a menace through the air on the ground, accumulating 309 total yards (226 passing, 83 rushing) and 4 total TD's (3 passing, 1 rushing) in the Panthers epic beatdown of the Saints on Sunday afternoon. Newton's mostly horrid performances this year make him hard to trust, but owners can take solace in the fact that Newton has another relatively favorable matchup next on the schedule, as the Buccaneers travel to Carolina this week.
Honorable Mentions: Matt Ryan (Falcons), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)
LVP: Peyton Manning (Broncos)
Well I don't think anyone saw this coming. Manning's streak of 51 consecutive straight games with a touchdown pass came to a close this week as the Broncos faced a stingy Bills defense. Manning threw the ball just 20 (completing 14 passes) times for 173 yards and got picked off twice, as the Broncos once again heavily leaned on the running game to pick up a victory. Manning has faced basically every elite defense in the NFL over the past month, so you can't really fault him for not putting up his typical inhuman numbers of late. Manning gets a bit of a reprieve this week against a decent, but not particularly scary Chargers defense, so you should except a solid performance at the very least out of him.
Dishonorable Mentions: Ryan Tannehill (Dolphins), Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Phillip Rivers (Chargers)
Running Back
MVP: Le'Veon Bell (Steelers)
Anyone still doubting the legitimacy of Le'Veon Bell as a running back should finally be silenced after this week. Bell became the first running back since Walter Payton to pick up 200+ yards from scrimmage in 3 consecutive games, as he trounced the Bengals defense on Sunday. Bell ran 26 times for 185 yards and 2 touchdowns and added another 60 yards and a touchdown on 5 receptions. Bell is an absolute freak that can do anything that's asked of him on the field. Bell faces the lowly Falcons run D in Week 15, so another monster performance could very well be in the cards.
Honorable Mentions: DeMarco Murray (Cowboys), Joique Bell (Lions), C.J. Anderson (Broncos)
LVP: Mark Ingram (Saints)
It was an embarrassing afternoon for everyone on the Saints, as the Panthers came into the Super Dome and manhandled the Saints 41-10. On the offensive side of the ball, no one looked worse than Mark Ingram. Ingram-who gassed the Panthers for 100 yards and 2 TD's in their previous meeting- was held to just 43 yards and fumbled this time around. Ingram has looked solid for most of the year, but he's also put up a fair amount of stinkers. Ingram faces the relatively solid Bears run defense in Week 15, so its far from a guarantee that he bounces back.
Dishonorable Mentions: Alfred Morris (Redskins), LeSean McCoy (Eagles), Tre Mason (Rams)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Julio Jones (Falcons)
When Julio Jones is on, he's as good as any wideout in the league. For the second straight week, Jones set a career-high in receiving yards in a game, as he decimated the Packers secondary for 259 yards and a touchdown on Monday night.Unfortunately for his fantasy owners, Jones exited the game in the 4th quarter with a hip injury and his status is currently unknown. If Jones is good to go, he has arguably the best schedule of any WR for the last 3 weeks of the season as the Falcons face the Steelers, Saints and Panthers. I can speak for Jones owners everywhere, having him not be available for these matchups would be devastating. In the case the Jones misses time or god forbid, the rest of the season, you need to race to the waiver wire and put in a claim for Harry Douglas if he's available in your league.
Honorable Mentions: A.J. Green (Bengals), T.Y. Hilton (Colts), Jordy Nelson (Packers)
LVP: Demaryius Thomas (Broncos)
The Demaryius Thomas double-digit fantasy point streak is over. For the first time since the Broncos returned from bye in Week 5, Thomas had a garbage fantasy outing on Sunday against the Bills. Between Peyton Manning's performance and going up against the Bills highly underrated top corner Stephon Gilmore, Thomas just didn't have a lot of chances to produce this week. Thomas faces a Chargers secondary this week that he torched for 105 yards earlier this season, so as long as Manning can be effective, Thomas should be able to return to form.
Dishonorable Mentions: Randall Cobb (Packers), Josh Gordon (Browns), Mike Wallace (Dolphins)
Tight End
MVP: Jared Cook (Rams)
Another week, another random tight end ends up being the top fantasy play of the week. The typically silent Jared Cook had his best game of the year in Week 14, picking up 61 yards and 2 TD's against the Redskins on Sunday afternoon. Cook is far too inconsistent to expect good numbers from every week, but he's worth a start for desperate owners this week, as he faces a Cardinals team that he scored on in their first matchup and continues to struggle against tight ends.
Honorable Mentions: Mychal Rivera (Raiders), Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), Martellus Bennett (Bears)
LVP: Kyle Rudolph (Vikings)
Remember all the talk of Kyle Rudolph being a huge factor for the Vikings offense once he returned from injury? Well, that hasn't exactly happened so far. Rudolph picked up just 9 yards on 2 receptions in Sunday's contest with the Jets, who have been awful against tight ends all season long. With Teddy Bridgewater at the helm, this offense is extremely limited in the passing game, and owning a Vikings receiver is just not a wise choice at this point in time.
Dishonorable Mentions: Delanie Walker (Titans), Antonio Gates (Chargers), Jimmy Graham (Saints)
Defense
MVP: St. Louis Rams
The Rams defense continued their return to dominant form in Week 14 as they suffocated the trainwreck otherwise known as the Redskins. The Rams picked up their second straight shutout, and registered 7 sacks, 2 INT's and a kick return touchdown on the afternoon. The sledding gets tougher this week against the Cardinals, but with the way they're playing right now, you just can't bench them.
Honorable Mentions: New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions
LVP: San Francisco 49ers
The rapid demise of the 49ers hasn't been more evident than it was this week, as they got their asses kicked by the Raiders, who were coming off of a laughable 52-0 loss against the Rams a week ago. The 49ers defense, which has been the backbone of this squad this season, couldn't bail out their limp offense this week as they allowed 24 points, got only a single sack and failed to get a turnover against their Bay Area "rivals". The 49ers are traveling to Seattle this week to face the Seahawks, so don't even think about starting their defense (or anyone else on the team for that matter.)
Dishonorable Mentions: Cincinnati Bengals, Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins
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