Quarterback
MVP: Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
The typically conservative Russell Wilson had an unusually strong passing day in Week 12, throwing for 345 YDS and a career-high 5 TD against the Steelers horrendous secondary. Wilson has taken advantage of his much improved pass protection of late by throwing for a whopping 605 YDS and 8 TD's and completing 76.1% of his passes over the last two games. Wilson's aerial hot streak paired with his top-notch rushing ability make him a very attractive QB1 option for his Week 13 matchup with the Vikings.
Honorable Mentions: Matthew Stafford (Lions), Philip Rivers (Chargers), Tyrod Taylor (Bills)
LVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
Drew Brees simply couldn't get anything going against the suddenly dominant Texans defense throwing for a pedestrian 228 YDS and finishing a game without a TD pass for the first time since 2012. Brees has fallen off quite a bit since his 7 TD performance against the Giants in Week 9 and I would strongly advise his fantasy owners to bench him for the Saints week 13 matchup with the Panthers.
Dishonorable Mentions: Matt Ryan (Falcons), Jay Cutler (Bears), Brian Hoyer (Texans)
Running Back
MVP: Adrian Peterson (Vikings)
The remarkable 2015 comeback campaign of Adrian Peterson continued in Week 12. The 30-yard old running back carried the Vikings offense on his back yet again, picking up 187 total yards (158 rushing, 29 receiving) and 2 TD's on 31 touches against the Falcons. The Vikings should continue to ride Peterson as they fight for a playoff spot in the ultra-competitive NFC and even with some rough matchups on the docket, he should continue to be best fantasy running backing option for the remainder of the season.
Honorable Mentions: C.J. Anderson (Broncos), Eddie Lacy (Packers), DeAngelo Williams (Steelers)
LVP: DeMarco Murray (Eagles)
DeMarco Murray's turkey of a performance on Thanksgiving against the Lions (30 yards on 14 carries) was easily one of the worst outings in a beyond frustrating first season in Philadelphia for the 2014 NFL rushing leader. The combination of a banged-up offensive line that can't open up holes with any form of consistency and a terrible fit in Chip Kelly's uptempo scheme has made Murray one of the biggest fantasy flops of 2015. No team in the NFL has looked as incompetent as the Eagles over the past 2 weeks and I wouldn't bother starting Murray until they show some signs of life.
Dishonorable Mentions: Lamar Miller (Dolphins), Frank Gore (Colts), Todd Gurley (Rams)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Doug Baldwin (Seahawks)
Doug Baldwin was the primary beneficiary of Russell Wilson's career day, hauling in 145 YDS and 3 TD on 6 receptions. Baldwin should be more involved with the offense now that Jimmy Graham is out for season, but Wilson's tendency to have a new favorite receiver every week makes him nothing more than a boom-or-bust WR3.
Honorable Mentions: Sammy Watkins (Bills), Calvin Johnson (Lions), Brandon Marshall (Jets)
LVP: DeAndre Hopkins (Texans)
DeAndre Hopkins' 5 reception/36-yard performance against the Saints in Week 12 might be the biggest single game disappointment of the 2015 fantasy season. Hopkins seemed primed to go off against the Saints 31st-ranked pass defense, but couldn't get anything going despite the fact that he was facing one of the worst cover corners in the NFL in Brandon Browner. Hopkins should draw the attention of excellent rookie cornerback Ronald Darby in a decent, but not overly great matchup with the Bills in Week 13.
Dishonorable Mentions: Michael Floyd (Cardinals), Demaryius Thomas (Broncos), Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
Tight End
MVP: Julius Thomas (Jaguars)
After a pretty slow start since returning from minor offseason hand surgery in Week 5, Julius Thomas finally showcased why the Jaguars signed him to a massive deal this past offseason. Thomas was the Jaguars primary source of offense in a dogfight with the Chargers, securing 9 of his 10 targets for 116 YDS and a TD. Thomas' largely unimpressive numbers this year make him a pretty risky play, but his distinction as the Jaguars primary redzone threat makes him worth a look at the talent-barren tight end position.
Honorable Mentions: Antonio Gates (Chargers), Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
LVP: Jason Witten (Cowboys)
It's kind of unfair to pick on Jason Witten since his unproductive day (36 YDS on 4 receptions) against the Panthers stemmed from Tony Romo's nightmare 3 INT performance, but fantasy owners ultimately only care about the results, not what caused them. With Romo now done for the year after re-breaking his clavicle at the end of the 3rd quarter in this horrendous loss, Witten will be reduced to a low-end TE1/high-end TE2 moving forward.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jordan Cameron (Dolphins), Richard Rogers (Packers), Charles Clay (Bills)
Defense
MVP: Carolina Panthers
The Panthers defense made Tony Romo and the Cowboys big Thanksgiving homecoming a massive nightmare. This widely disrespected defense took advantage of a clearly not 100% Romo by picking up 3 INT and 2 TD in the first half, basically ending the game the halftime. The Cowboys did ultimately put up 14 points (11 of which where scored in garbage time) on the Panthers D, but that was only a small victory for a team whose slim playoff hopes went up in flames after this crushing loss. The Panthers are an elite fantasy defense that could very well end up passing the Broncos as the top fantasy defense by the time the season is over.
Honorable Mentions: Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens
LVP: Philadelphia Eagles
The defensive issues the Eagles displayed in Week 11 somehow got even worse in Week 12. Matthew Stafford and the below-average Lions offense hung 45 points on the Eagles without even breaking a sweat. They couldn't even muster a single takeaway to salvage this terrible performance. A top-flight fantasy defense just a few weeks ago, the Eagles are now on the verge of being droppable in both 10-and 12 team leagues.
Dishonorable Mentions: Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots
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