Quarterback
MVP: Cam Newton (Panthers)
Cam Newton's unreal performance in Week 9 reaffirmed why he's one of the most lethal players in all of fantasy football. Newton's dual-threat abilities were on display all afternoon as he carved up the Packers for 297 YDS and 3 TD through the air and added another 57 YDS and 1 TD on the ground. With his large role in both aspects of the offense and largely favorable upcoming schedule, Newton should be a weekly top 5-10 QB for the rest of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Marcus Mariota (Titans), Drew Brees (Saints)
LVP: Eli Manning (Giants)
In a pretty excellent week for QB's, Eli Manning's middling performance (213 YDS/2 TD/2 INT) against the Buccaneers ended up being the worst play of the week. It should be noted that it was dumping rain for the duration of the game, which made a plethora of turnovers inevitable for both sides (there was a combined total of 5 in the game). Manning's a mildly shaky play in Week 10 against a much-improved Patriots secondary.
Dishonorable Mentions: Tyrod Taylor (Bills), Ryan Tannehill (Dolphins), Matt Ryan (Falcons)
Running Back
MVP: DeAngelo Williams (Steelers)
Returning to the starting lineup after star running back Le'Veon Bell suffered a torn MCL last week, DeAngelo Williams looked every bit as dominant as he did when he filled in for Bell earlier this year. The NFL 2nd oldest running back decimated the Raiders normally stout defensive front for a ridiculous 225 total YDS (170 rushing, 55 receiving), 2 TD and a 2-point conversion on 31 touches. Williams apparently suffered a foot injury during Sunday's game, but he didn't appear to be hampered it at any point. Williams should be in another for another huge day if he's active on Sunday with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger out of the lineup and a juicy matchup against the Browns bottom-ranked rush defense.
Honorable Mentions: Lamar Miller (Dolphins), Karlos Williams (Bills), DeMarco Murray (Eagles)
LVP: Ronnie Hillman (Broncos)
No player filled his fantasy owners more rage in Week 9 than Ronnie Hillman. Hillman embarrassed himself in a prime matchup against the Colts, picking up just 1 yard on 7 carries. Hillman's grasp on the starting job appears to be slipping as C.J. Anderson outplayed him by a wide margin for a 2nd straight week. Even in the currently scarce RB market, Hillman isn't really worth keeping on your roster in a league that's smaller than 12 teams.
Dishonorable Mentions: Doug Martin (Buccaneers), Jonathan Stewart (Panthers), Jeremy Hill (Bengals)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Antonio Brown (Steelers)
After a quiet few weeks (by his standards), Antonio Brown returned with a career day in Week 9. Brown gassed the Raiders secondary all day long with every conceivable route in his repertoire, putting up 284 yards on 17 receptions-both of which are franchise records for the Steelers. The unprecedented flurry of targets Brown receives every week and his ability to consistently separate from defensive backs makes him an unbenchable WR1 for fantasy purposes.
Honorable Mentions: Michael Crabtree (Raiders), Sammy Watkins (Bills), Jordan Matthews (Eagles)
LVP: Demaryius Thomas (Broncos)
Last week, Emmanuel Sanders got ignored in Manning season-best game against the Packers. This week, it was Demaryius Thomas' turn to get the cold shoulder from Manning. Thomas picked up just 50 yards on 5 catches against a Colts secondary that has allowed the 8th most fantasy points to receivers this season. Thomas' inability to find the endzone in 2015 (he has just 1 TD on the year) is a bit disconcerting, but he's still been very productive with 3 100+ yard games and no less than 5 receptions in every game this season. Thomas has a prime chance to bounce back in Week 10 against a horrible Chiefs secondary that he torched for 116 YDS in their 1st meeting this year.
Dishonorable Mentions: DeSean Jackson (Redskins), Stefon Diggs (Vikings), A.J. Green (Bengals)
Tight End
MVP: Tyler Eifert (Bengals)
Tyler Eifert once again rewarded his fantasy owners by following up a clunker with a simply monstrous performance. The Bengals favorite redzone target made the most of his opportunities, picking up 53 YDS and 3 TD's on 5 receptions. Finally healthy for the 1st time in his NFL career, Eifert has become the player a lot of experts thought he would be when the Bengals drafted him in the 1st round in 2013. Eifert is currently on pace to be the 2015 winner of the prestigious "best tight end not named Rob Gronkowski" award and is a no-brainer weekly fantasy start for all of his owners.
Honorable Mentions: Delanie Walker (Titans), Owen Daniels (Broncos), Richard Rogers (Packers)
LVP: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
Speaking of Gronkowski, the Patriots cyborg tight end actually looked like a mortal man on Sunday. Gronkowski reeled in just 4 catches for 47 YDS in what was a relatively quiet and surprisingly sloppy afternoon for the Patriots red-hot offense against a below-average Redskins defense. Gronkowski will more than likely return to destroying everything in sight when he goes up against the Giants god awful pass defense in Week 10.
Dishonorable Mentions: Heath Miller (Steelers), Charles Clay (Bills), Jordan Cameron (Dolphins)
Defense
MVP: New York Jets
After a really awful performance against the Raiders in Week 8, the Jets defense got back on track against the lowly Jaguars in Week 9. The Jets may have surrendered 23 points, but they more than made up for that subpar point against total with 6 sacks, 2 INT's and 2 fumble recoveries against the Jaguars talented, but erratic young offense. The Jets inconsistent pass rush and currently dinged-up secondary make them far from a slam dunk, but they are a pretty good option for fantasy owners who like to stream defenses based on matchups.
Honorable Mentions: New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots
LVP: Green Bay Packers
The Packers defense fall from fantasy grace continued in Week 9. The Packers D frequently looked lost and overmatched as they got 0 sacks and allowed 37 points to the Panthers mediocre offense. They did manage to pick off Cam Newton late in the 4th quarter, but the damage was already done at that point. The borderline dominant play this unit showed in the first 6 weeks of the season is now just a distant memory and their owners should search the waiver wire for a competent replacement (i.e. The Vikings, Steelers or Giants).
Dishonorable Mentions: Miami Dolphins, St. Louis Rams, Atlanta Falcons
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