Week 17 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2021 Edition

 Quarterback

MVP: Joe Burrow (Bengals)

It was one thing for Burrow to thoroughly dismantle a helpless Ravens secondary that he had already exceled against earlier in the year. It's another entirely to shred a Chiefs defense that has been playing lights out for the past couple months. Burrow posted video game numbers (446 YDS, 4 TD, 10 Rushing YDS) as he led the Bengals to a 34-31 come from behind victory and clinched the Bengals their first division title since 2015. Even with his relative lack of rushing stats, Burrow should be in contention for a top 5 QB slot in next year's drafts.

Honorable Mentions: Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Tom Brady (Buccaneers), Dak Prescott (Cowboys)

LVP: Jalen Hurts (Eagles)

Playing mistake-free football in a winning effort just isn't good enough for people who were banking on Hurts to erupt against a Football Team defense that had allowed the most fantasy points to QB's coming into this week. Hurts' very pedestrian 214 YDS/44 Rushing YDS/0 TD effort surely burned a lot of people who got within striking distance of a title in part due to his steady dual-threat output at a non-premium price (he was the 10th QB drafted on average in most leagues). With the Eagles very likely to add more offensive weapons in the offseason and his status as the next potential franchise quarterback in Philly seemingly solidified after a pretty impressive 2021 campaign, Hurts' stock should be on the rise in 2022.

Dishonorable Mentions: Matthew Stafford (Rams), Derek Carr (Raiders), Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins)

Running Back

MVP: Rashaad Penny (Seahawks)

Don't adjust your eyes folks, the top running back during fantasy championship week was indeed a guy who felt like he was on the cusp of washing out of the NFL entirely as recently as a couple months ago. The Seahawks 32nd string running back who has infamously failed to live up to his billing as a 1st round pick ran around, past and through the lowly Lions defense-for a grand total of 170 YDS and 2 TD's on 25 carries while also adding 2 catches for 15 YDS. After a couple of strong performances in the past few weeks in relief of the injured Chris Carson and Alex Collins, it'll be very interesting to see what the next move for Penny ends up being.  

Honorable Mentions: Najee Harris (Steelers), Devin Singletary (Bills), Darrel Williams (Chiefs)

LVP: Dalvin Cook (Vikings)

Stacked boxes on account of Sean Mannion's complete inability to play quarterback at the pro level paired with hilariously negative gamescript for nearly 4 full quarters led to a spectacular flop from Cook (9 CAR, 13 YDS) this week against the Packers. While it's hard to precisely provide a 2022 outlook for Cook given his tendency to miss time every season and the potential of a new head coach coming in that isn't as high on running the ball 30 times a game as Mike Zimmer is, he should land somewhere near the top of the 1st round for the 3rd straight year. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys), Javonte Williams (Broncos), D'Andre Swift (Lions)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Ja'Marr Chase (Bengals)

After Tee Higgins ended up being the primary beneficiary of Burrow's explosion last week, the MVP baton was passed over to Chase this week. The likely Offensive Rookie of the Year made the Chiefs secondary (particularly Charvarius Ward) look downright helpless for 4 quarters as he posted an 11 REC/266 YDS/3 TD line that allowed him to break Justin Jefferson's record for the most receiving YDS ever by a rookie. Chase already looks like one of the best WR's in the league after 1 season and will almost certainly be joining his former LSU teammate Jefferson as a 2nd round pick in next year's fantasy drafts.

Honorable Mentions: Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions), DK Metcalf (Seahawks), Davante Adams (Packers)

LVP: Marquise Brown (Ravens)

2021 was a nice step forward for Brown as he played with more consistency and cut down a bit on the drops that killed him during his previous 2 pro seasons. However, Week 17 wasn't his finest hour as he caught just 3 passes for 28 YDS and lost a fumble in a Ravens loss to the Rams. Brown will be on the WR3/4 borderline to start 2022. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Chase Claypool (Steelers), A.J. Brown (Titans), Jaylen Waddle (Dolphins)

Tight End

MVP: Noah Fant (Broncos)

Fant ended a pretty extended quiet stretch with a solid 6 REC/92 YDS/TD outing in an otherwise very poor showing by the Broncos against the Chargers. Whatever veteran QB lands in Denver this offseason will determine where the athletic, yet erratic Fant ends up on the TE1 scale.

Honorable Mentions: Rob Gronkowski (Buccaneers), Mark Andrews (Ravens), Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

LVP: George Kittle (49ers)

Neither Trey Lance nor Kyle Shanahan wanted anything to do with Kittle in Sunday's contest with the Texans. The stud tight end had just 1 catch for 29 YDS and 1 carry for 6 YDS in a very weird game where the 49ers started off playing terribly and finished very strongly. Finishing the fantasy season with 66 REC/900 YDS/6 TD's in 13 games, Kittle's 4th round ADP from this season should remain intact next year.

Dishonorable Mentions: Gerald Everett (Seahawks), Hunter Henry (Patriots), Pat Freiermuth (Steelers)

Defense/Special Teams:

MVP: Bears

The helpless Giants offense temporarily made the pretty average 2021 Bears defense looks like the wrecking crew they had in 1985. Bumbling former Bear Mike Glennon and horrible coaching by the Joe Judge/Freddie Kitchens stooge squad made life very easy for Sean Desai's group as they logged 4 sacks, 2 FUM REC's, 2 INT's and a safety in a 29-3 laugher. Their pass-rushing viability and the strong possibility of having an improved secondary next season should put the Bears D on the borderline of being draftable in 2022.   

Honorable Mentions: Saints, Titans, Rams

LVP: Buccaneers

It took a ballsy final drive by Tom Brady for the Bucs to avoid being upset by the F'n Jets on Sunday and a poor showing by their defense was a big reason why that shocking outcome was so close to coming to fruition. Todd Bowles' group mustered just 1 sack and a fumble recovery while allowing 24 points to a Zach Wilson-led offense that has been beat up on by the majority of their opponents this season. Despite their decent overall numbers, this group proved that the dominant play they displayed during last year's postseason run was a fluke with their middling performances for most of this season. Barring some free agent upgrades to their secondary and pass-rush, they should be considered nothing more than a low-end starting option in 2022.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Chiefs, Cardinals, Dolphins