Quarterback
MVP: Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
In typical Russell Wilson fashion, he was at his best when it mattered most. Wilson had his best game through the air all season throwing for 339 yards and 2 TD's while adding another 88 yards and a score on the ground, as the Seahawks dominated the Cardinals on Sunday night, and reclaimed the lead in the NFC West. Wilson had his best season to-date from both a real life and fantasy perspective in 2014, and he delivered the goods for fantasy owners in a week where most elite QB's stumbled.
Honorable Mentions: Ryan Tannehill (Dolphins), Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Tony Romo (Cowboys)
LVP: Andrew Luck (Colts)
What the hell happened to Andrew Luck this week? Luck, who has been the clear top fantasy quarterback all season long, had a disastrous outing at the worst possible time for his owners. A combination of bad play calling, a banged-up offensive line and a few really bad throws, led Luck to finish the day with just 109 yards, 2 INT's and to top it all off, 0 TD's as the Colts got shockingly decimated by the Cowboys on Sunday afternoon. Luck's performance no doubt cost a lot of owners a title (I was lucky enough to get doubly burned by Luck this week!) and ended what was an otherwise great season on the sourest of notes.
Dishonorable Mentions: Tom Brady (Patriots), Drew Brees (Saints), Matthew Stafford (Lions)
Running Back
MVP: Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks)
All hail Beast Mode. In a game where he was battling severe stomach pain and going up against a Cardinals rush defense that's one of the best in the league, Lynch still went off. On just 10 carries, Lynch picked up 113 yards and 2 TD's- the latter of which was a career-long 79-yard run that rivaled the infamous "Beastquake" run against the Saints in January 2011 as the finest of his entire career. Lynch was one of the very few bright spots at running back this season and for the sake of the NFL as a whole, he better not retire at the end of this season.
Honorable Mentions: Frank Gore (49ers), Matt Asiata (Vikings), Lamar Miller (Dolphins)
LVP: Jammal Charles (Chiefs)
Of all the top-tier running backs in the league, no one has had a more schizophrenic season than Jammal Charles. Like all of Charles' poor performances this season, he got a shockingly small amount of touches (14 total for 77 yards) and lost a key fumble in the Chiefs loss to the Steelers on Sunday. When Charles doesn't get the ball a ton, the Chiefs don't win games, so it was odd to see him be used so sparingly in a game where the Chiefs playoff hopes were at stake. Despite weak performances like this, Charles was still mostly an elite fantasy player this season and proved once again to be worthy of his high draft position.
Dishonorable Mentions: Justin Forsett (Ravens), Daniel Herron (Colts), Bishop Sankey (Titans)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants)
The ridiculous reign of dominance by Odell Beckham Jr. continued in week 16. Despite being targeted by the entire Rams defense and falling victim to numerous late hits/dirty plays, Beckham Jr. still managed to put up 148 yards and 2 TD's on 8 receptions. Beckham Jr. has manhandled opposing defenses all season long and if he continues to play like this in the future, he'll be one of the top wideouts in the league in no time.
Honorable Mentions: Ruben Randle (Giants), Emmanuel Sanders (Broncos), Torrey Smith (Ravens)
LVP: Jeremy Maclin (Eagles)
The Eagles demise with Mark Sanchez at the helm has been swift and no player has suffered more from the Sanchize's presence than top wideout Jeremy Maclin. Maclin's numbers have been pretty mediocre over the last month and this week was no different as he put up just 62 yards against the horrid Redskins secondary. Despite his weak finish, Maclin was one of the top steals in fantasy drafts this year (he went somewhere between the 8th-10th rounds in most leagues) Maclin is a free agent after the season, but based on his production in Chip Kelly's offense this season, I wouldn't be surprised if he stayed with the Eagles for a long time.
Dishonorable Mentions: DeAndre Hopkins (Texans), Kelvin Benjamin (Panthers), Mike Evans (Buccaneers)
Tight End
MVP: Antonio Gates (Chargers)
With Keenan Allen out for the season, someone in the Chargers receiving corps had to step up and fill the void and as you would probably expect, that man was Antonio Gates. Gates had one of his strongest outings of the season posting 92 yards and 2 TD's on 7 receptions in the Chargers insane come from behind win against the 49ers on Saturday night. The preseason rumors of Gates' demise proved to be completely unwarranted as he was once again one of the top TE's in the league, putting up 754 yards and 12 TD's on the year. In a year where tight ends were pretty much a non-factor in fantasy football, Gates was even more of a godsend to his owners than usual.
Honorable Mentions: Jason Witten (Cowboys), Jordan Cameron (Browns), Zach Ertz (Eagles)
LVP: Martellus Bennett (Bears)
Martellus Bennett could not finish the fantasy season on a high note, as he got completely shut out against the Lions on Sunday. Bennett was targeted just 3 times and ended up with only a single reception for 0 yards as he was delegated to more of a blocking role to make up for the absence of injured guard Kyle Long. Bennett was one of the few highlights in a highly disappointing season for the Bears, and is on track to be a top-flight fantasy tight end again in 2015 if he can keep progressing in Chi-town.
Dishonorable Mentions: Greg Olsen (Panthers), Dwayne Allen (Colts), Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
Defense
MVP: Cincinnati Bengals
Hold up the Bengals delivered in a primetime game for the first time in an eternity and it was against the mighty Broncos!?!?!?!?! The Bengals were highly productive on both sides of the ball as they shocked the Broncos and eliminated them from the chase for home-field advantage in the playoffs on Monday night. The defense got under Peyton Manning's skin all night with constant pressure that led to 4 interceptions, 2 sacks and a late pick-six that sealed the victory. The Bengals defense has been up-and-down all year long, but they closed out their season on a triumphant note in the toughest possible matchup.
Honorable Mentions: Green Bay Packers, San Fransisco 49ers, Chicago Bears
LVP: Buffalo Bills
The Bills defense has been giving opposing offenses fits for the past month, but that all came to an end this week against the Raiders. The Bills allowed 26 points, got just 1 sack and failed to get a takeaway in what seemed like a golden matchup for this elite defense. The Bills D slipped up at a really bad time for their owners, but that doesn't put much of a damper on their otherwise excellent season. They'll be strong contenders in the conversation for top projected fantasy defense heading into the 2015 season.
Dishonorable Mentions: New England Patriots, St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals
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