Week 16 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2019 Edition

Quarterback
MVP: Ryan Fitzpatrick (Dolphins) 
Championship week streamers can't work out too much better than this. Outside of an INT in the 3rd quarter, Fitzmagic was on full display at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday as the journeyman gunslinger threw for 419 YDS and 4 TD's in an insane shootout with the Bengals. While his future likely won't be in Miami as the team appears set to take a QB in the 1st round of the draft, this longtime folk hero is a solid bet to continue handing out unexpected triumphs and agonizing headaches to the fantasy community elsewhere in 2020.
Honorable Mentions: Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Ryan Tannehill (Titans)

LVP: Russell Wilson (Seahawks) 
It was a bafflingly unproductive week for star QB's with terrific matchups, but none of those failures were more shocking than Wilson's dud against the Cardinals. He was mediocre at best against a horrid defense that has surrendered the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season by a wide margin, throwing for just 169 YDS and a TD, in a sloppy home less that makes their road to the top seed in the NFC that much tougher. Uninspired December aside, Wilson was a massive fantasy asset this season despite playing with arguably the worst supporting cast he's ever had during his 8 years in the league and should be among the top 3 QB's off the board next season.
Dishonorable Mentions: Deshaun Watson (Texans), Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers)

Running Back
MVP: Saquon Barkley (Giants)
Well well well look who finally showed up to the party in Week 16. Barkley was a sheer force of nature against the Redskins on Sunday afternoon, picking up 279 scrimmage YDS and 2 TD's on 26 touches. Sure it was too little, too late for the vast majority of the owners that spend the top overall pick on him, but it was still a very encouraging sign for a guy that was hampered by injuries and being stuck in a low wattage offense for most of the season. If he's healthy heading into 2020, he'll likely be the #2 overall pick behind Christian McCaffery.
Honorable Mentions: Kenyan Drake (Cardinals), Aaron Jones (Packers), Devonta Freeman (Falcons)

LVP: Mike Boone (Vikings)

Not every streaming play can be a success... Boone was not the plug-and-play bellcow many expected him to be as the replacement for the injured Dalvin Cook. The sophomore back was wildly ineffective, mustering just 33 YDS on 12 touches and ended up getting benched for Ameer Abdullah in the second half of this pathetic outing for the Vikings offense against the Packers on Monday night. It would be a surprise if Boone ever graced a starting fantasy lineup again.

Dishonorable Mentions: Nick Chubb (Browns), Devin Singletary (Bills), James White (Patriots)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Tyler Boyd (Bengals) 

On a day where Joe Mixon surprisingly struggled, Boyd emerged as the centerpiece of the Bengals offense-securing 9 catches for 128 YDS and 2 TD's in this sneaky great shootout against the Dolphins. A solid, versatile receiver with the speed to take the top of a defense and size to be a viable redzone target, Boyd should be a solid mid-round option next year-regardless of whose under center for the Bengals.

Honorable Mentions: Michael Thomas (Saints), DeVante Parker (Dolphins), Julio Jones (Falcons)

LVP: DeAndre Hopkins (Texans)

Deshaun Watson's unexpectedly brutal afternoon against the lowly Buccaneers passing defense resulted in Hopkins finishing the day with just 23 YDS on 5 catches. Hopkins may not have delivered on his mid 1st round ADP, but he's still an excellent fantasy receiver that will warrant top 10-12 pick consideration once again in 2020.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Tyler Lockett (Seahawks), Amari Cooper (Cowboys), Adam Thielen (Vikings)

Tight End

MVP: Mark Andrews (Ravens)

What a finish to a breakout season for Andrews. He was Lamar Jackson's favorite target once again against the Browns, reeling in 6 catches for 93 YDS and 2 TD's. Given his seemingly uncontested status as the top pass-catcher in the league's most exciting offense, he should be a strong contender for the honor of being the 1st tight end not named George Kittle and Travis Kelce drafted next year. 

Honorable Mentions: Jared Cook (Saints), Mike Gesicki (Dolphins), Dallas Goedert (Eagles)

LVP: Kyle Rudolph (Vikings)

Rudolph was an unfortunate casualty of Kirk Cousins' latest horrific primetime showing, mustering just 1 catch for 7 YDS on only 2 targets. It's an unfortunate season-ending dud for a veteran guy who had been playing some of the best football of his career over the past month. Barring some unforeseen sorcery, Rudolph will continue to maintain his boom-or-bust TE1 status at the start of the next decade.

Dishonorable Mentions: Noah Fant (Broncos), Jack Doyle (Colts), Darren Waller (Raiders)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Colts

On a week where streamers reigned supreme, the Colts rose firmly to the top of the pack. The hapless Panthers barely even showed a pulse as the Colts put up 6 sacks, 3 INT's and a pair of return TD's on them in a 38-6 blowout. A surprisingly high floor option for most of 2019, look for the Colts to be a very intriguing sleeper pick next season.

Honorable Mentions: Texans, Jets, Packers

LVP: Bills

After dominating the Steelers on the road a week ago, the Bills came back down to Earth in major fashion during their trip to Gillette Stadium. After forcing a fumble on the Patriots opening drive, their presence wasn't felt in the fantasy world the rest of the day as they generated 0 sacks or additional takeaways in a 24-17 loss. Despite this anticlimactic finale, the Bills D was a terrific fantasy option this season and they should absolutely be one of the 1st 5 defenses off the board in 2020. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Ravens, Chargers, Seahawks

Week 15 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2019 Edition

Quarterback
MVP: Lamar Jackson (Ravens)
Fantasy's biggest asset showed up big time for the semifinals. He casually torched the Jets for 298 total YDS (212 passing, 86 rushing) and 5 TD's through the air on an absolute farce of a Thursday Night Football finale. Jackson will be on the hunt for redemption in Week 16 when he squares off against a Browns team that he somewhat struggled against (2 INT, fumble, sacked 4 times) back in Week 4.
Honorable Mentions: Jameis Winston (Buccaneers), Drew Brees (Saints), Ryan Tannehill (Titans)

LVP: Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers)
Coming off a remarkable performance on the road against the Saints, Garoppolo reminded owners of the erraticism that makes him so frustrating. He was bizarrely pedestrian (200 YDS/1 TD) throughout a home date against the lowly Falcons- which was definitely a contributing factor in their shocking loss. He'll look to close things out on the high end of the roller coaster against a similarly erratic Rams D that just got embarrassed by the Cowboys.
Dishonorable Mentions: Tom Brady (Patriots), Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Kirk Cousins (Vikings) 

Running Back
MVP: Kenyan Drake (Cardinals) 
Unlikely heroes have a tendency to emerge in the fantasy playoffs and Drake made a strong case to be 2019's with his inhuman performance this week. He ripped off a staggering 146 YDS (137 rushing, 9 receiving) and 4 TD's on 23 touches against an unsuspecting Browns defense that undoubtedly shifted a lot of outcomes this week. Drake will look to keep this points party rolling against a very banged-up Seahawks defense on Sunday afternoon.
Honorable Mentions: Christian McCaffery (Panthers), Miles Sanders (Eagles), Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys)

LVP: Marlon Mack (Colts)
A combination of the Colts getting dusted from the jump and a lack of available rushing lanes rendered Mack useless in Week 15 as he registered a very sad 19 YDS on 11 carries against a tough Saints defense. Mack should have a much easier go of things this week when the DOA Panthers come to Lucas Oil Stadium.

Dishonorable Mentions: Melvin Gordon (Chargers), Phillip Lindsay (Broncos), David Montgomery (Bears)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Julio Jones (Falcons)
After an extended absence, Jones returned to WR1 form with an absolutely monstrous performance. The entire Falcons offense ran through the star wideout against the 49ers as he posted 13 REC for 134 YDS and 2 TD's-including the controversial game-winner as time expired. Jones will look to end his good, but not great 2019 against a Jaguars defense that has allowed the 12th least points to receivers this season.

Honorable Mentions: DeVante Parker (Dolphins), Terry McLaurin (Redskins), Michael Thomas (Saints)

LVP: Julian Edelman (Patriots)
If there was any doubt remaining that Edelman was playing hurt, his alarmingly quiet week 15 outing against the horrific Bengals erased it. The Patriots top wideout had a hard time getting open and looked to be in considerable pain as he hauled in just 2-of-5 targets for 9 YDS. He'll be a risky WR2 for Saturday afternoon's date with the Bills excellent secondary.

Dishonorable Mentions: Amari Cooper (Cowboys), Emmanuel Sanders (49ers), Michael Gallup (Cowboys)

Tight End

MVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
With snowy conditions and no running game to speak of, Patrick Mahomes turned to his safety net at tight end to sustain drives against the Broncos. While Kelce failed to reach the endzone, his 11 receptions for 142 YDS helped the Chiefs cruise to an easy W. The high floor/high ceiling stud at the most frustrating position in fantasy football will hope to end his post-bye TD drought against the Bears on Sunday night.   

Honorable Mentions: George Kittle (49ers), Darren Waller (Raiders), Zach Ertz (Eagles)

LVP: Hunter Henry (Chargers)
Good news: Henry caught both of his targets against the Vikings. Bad news: He only gained 29 YDS and lost a fumble on the latter reception. Despite this ill-timed dud, he'll remain a no-brainer TE1 this week when squares off against the Raiders porous pass D.

Dishonorable Mentions: Austin Hooper (Falcons), Jacob Hollister (Seahawks), Jack Doyle (Colts)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Vikings 
The Vikings defense got treated to an all time Chargers implosion on Sunday. Phillip Rivers and co. turned the ball over a whopping 7 times (3 INT, 4 FUM REC) while also surrendering 3 sacks and a TD in a commanding 39-10 road victory for the Norsemen. Expect a much quieter outing when they host the turnover-averse Packers on Monday night. 
Honorable Mentions: Patriots, Bills, Packers

LVP: Browns
Perhaps nothing encapsulates the many "surprising" lows of a season where the Browns were expected to become the AFC's next legit contender than getting dominated on both sides of the ball by a Cardinals team that had lost their previous 6 games. Outside of an INT, their defense was completely silent in a 38-24 loss that showed exactly why this poorly-coached band of arrogant clowns don't have the discipline or drive required to even flirt with greatness. Sever ties with this circus ahead of their Week 16 date with the team that actually has a legit shot of blossoming into the AFC's next perennial contender.    

Dishonorable Mentions: Rams, Bears, 49ers 

Week 11 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2019 Edition

Quarterback
MVP: Josh Allen (Bills)
Fantasy owners had been waiting for an explosive performance from Allen all season and they finally got in Week 11 against the Dolphins. The athletic gunslinger showed off his big arm and mobility all game long-picking up 256 passing YDS, 56 rushing YDS and 4 TD's (3 passing, 1 rushing) in an easy 37-20 victory for the 7-3 Bills. Allen will return to his typical QB2 role when the Broncos stingy pass D heads to New Era Field this Sunday.
Honorable Mentions: Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers), Dak Prescott (Cowboys)

LVP: Deshaun Watson (Texans)
Whatever shootout potential existed in the Texans/Ravens game went up in smoke as a result of Watson's stunning no show. Porous offensive line play, a strong showing by the Ravens defense and a few uncharacteristically poor decisions resulted in Watson having one of the worst games (169 YDS, 0 TD, 1 INT, FUM Lost) of his young career so far. He'll look to continue his streak of gracefully bouncing back after a dud against the Colts banged-up secondary on Thursday night.
Dishonorable Mentions: Tom Brady (Patriots), Jared Goff (Rams), Kyle Allen (Panthers)

Running Back
MVP: Mark Ingram (Ravens)
In a week where the other top performers either failed to score (McCaffery) or lost a fumble (Gurley, Elliott), a pair of highlight reel TD catches helped elevate Ingram, who mustered a merely decent 85 scrimmage YDS (48 rushing, 37 receiving) on 16 touches, to the top of the RB hierarchy. While his yardage totals haven't been great of late (under 90 YDS in 6 of the last 7 games), Ingram's prominent role (particularly in the redzone) in the league's top rush offense will keep him on the higher end of the RB2 spectrum.
Honorable Mentions: Christian McCaffery (Panthers), Ezekiel Elliot (Cowboys), Todd Gurley (Rams)

LVP: Brian Hill (Falcons)
Not everybody on the suddenly revitalized Falcons offense showed up to play on Sunday. Devonta Freeman's injury replacement got stuffed by a poor Panthers front-finishing the afternoon with just 30 YDs on 15 carries and a single catch for 8 YDS. With Freeman expected to be out once again, Hill won't be a viable FLEX play against the Buccaneers stout rushing D in Week 12.
Dishonorable Mentions: David Montgomery (Bears), Miles Sanders (Eagles), Ronald Jones (Buccaneers)

Wide Receiver 
MVP: John Brown (Bills)
Brown continues to feast on lowly AFC East competition. The veteran burner put together his best game to date in a Bills uniform, torching the Dolphins lowly secondary for 137 YDS and 2 TD's on 9 receptions. While there hasn't been as many double digit explosions as anticipated in a Bills offense that is reliant on the deep passing game, Brown has had a surprisingly high weekly floor (he's yet to get less than 51 YDS in a game) and should continue to be a nice WR3 that has legit WR2 upside in non-brutal matchups.
Honorable Mentions: DJ Chark Jr. (Jaguars), Calvin Ridley (Falcons), Stefon Diggs (Vikings)

LVP: Amari Cooper (Cowboys)
Dak Prescott was having a ball carving up the Lions through the air, but Cooper wasn't invited to the party. Michael Gallup and Randall Cobb both went over 100 yards while the normal top dog was reduced to a supporting role (3 REC/38 YDS) for the NFC East leaders. Don't expect much better results when America's Team travels to Foxboro to take on the Patriots top-ranked pass defense.
Dishonorable Mentions: Kenny Golladay (Lions), Allen Robinson (Bears), Emmanuel Sanders (49ers)

Tight End
MVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs
After a slow start by his lofty standards, Kelce strung together his 3rd excellent performance in the last 4 weeks by burning the Chargers for 92 YDS and a TD on 7 catches in an ugly win for the Chiefs in Mexico City last night. The league's best tight end will look to overcome a brutal schedule for pass-catchers that includes dates with the Patriots, Broncos and Bears, and continue this roll into the fantasy playoffs when the Chiefs return from bye a week from Sunday.
Honorable Mentions: Mark Andrews (Ravens), Kyle Rudolph (Vikings), Zach Ertz (Eagles)

LVP: O.J. Howard (Buccaneers)
"The O.J. Howard is finally back!" train derailed after just 1 week. Howard got benched after he dropped his only target against the Saints and his backup Cameron Brate played pretty damn well (10 REC/73 YDS) in his absence. Howard has been arguably the single biggest flop in all of fantasy football this season and shouldn't be trusted moving forward-regardless of his standing as a starter.
Dishonorable Mentions: Darren Fells (Texans), Gerald Everett (Rams), Jack Doyle (Colts)

Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Saints
After getting embarrassed by the Falcons in Week 10, the Saints were rewarded with a visit from  peak implosion Jameis Winston this past Sunday. Dennis Allen's group picked off Crab Legs 4 times and sacked him twice on their way to an easy 34-17 win. A matchup with the similarly jittery Kyle Allen-led, who just threw 4 picks against the aforementioned Falcons, Panthers is up next.
Honorable Mentions: Browns, Ravens, 49ers

LVP: Steelers
A surprising hiccup in the Steelers D recent reign of terror occurred last Thursday versus the Browns. The short week seemed to drain them of all of their explosive playmaking ability as they picked up 0 takeaways and only 1 sack in a 21-7 loss. Redemption will be on their minds this Sunday when they face off against a porous Bengals offense that has committed 5 turnovers and allowed 7 sacks in Ryan Finley's 2 games under center.
Dishonorable Mentions: Vikings, Panthers, Cowboys

Week 9 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2019 Edition

Quarterback
MVP: Russell Wilson (Seahawks) 
The current MVP favorite kept rolling in Week 9. Wilson went deep into his bag of tricks (378 passing YDS/5 TD/21 rushing YDS/1 2-PT CNV) to help the Seahawks secure an ugly, but ultimately well-earned OT victory over the Buccaneers. Russ will face arguably his stiffest test of 2019 so far when the Seahawks travel down to Santa Clara to take on the undefeated 49ers next Monday night.
Honorable Mentions: Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers), Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Matthew Stafford (Lions)

LVP: Gardner Minshew (Jaguars) 
The rookie QB put together the messiest performance of his young career to-date, scoring 0 TD's and turning the ball over 4 times (2 INT's, 2 lost fumbles) while mustering 343 hollow YDS (309 passing, 34 rushing) in a horrible division loss against the Texans. Minshew Mania has been put on hold for the time being, as Doug Marrone announced today that Nick Foles will be under center when they take the field again in Week 11 against the Colts. Regardless of whether or not he plays again in 2019, Minshew showed enough grit and raw playmaking ability during his 8 starts to prove he deserves a shot to become a full-time starter in this league.
Dishonorable Mentions: Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Tom Brady (Patriots), Phillip Rivers (Chargers)

Running Back
MVP: Christian McCaffery (Panthers) 
McCaffery was awfully generous to fantasy owners yet again in Week 9. The stud back registered 166 scrimmage YDS (146 rushing, 20 receiving) and 3 TD's (2 rushing, 1 receiving) on 27 touches in a victory over the Titans. We're in the process of witnessing a special season (1,244 scrimmage YDS and 13 TD's in 8 games) and hopefully the football gods will be able to keep him healthy down the stretch so he can get the chance to chase history.
Honorable Mentions: Kenyan Drake (Cardinals), Josh Jacobs (Raiders), Melvin Gordon (Chargrs)

LVP: Aaron Jones (Packers) 
The Jones roller coaster hits its first bump in the road in a while on Sunday afternoon against the Chargers. To be fair, this was more of a game script issue than a reflection of Jones' play as the Chargers went up big on the Packers before halftime and never looked back-which limited Jones to just 9 touches for 29 YDS (30 rushing, -1 receiving). He'll look to get back on track against a Panthers defense that has surrendered the 5th most fantasy points to running backs in standard leagues this season.
Dishonorable Mentions: Sony Michel (Patriots), Tevin Coleman (49ers), Ty Johnson (Lions)

Wide Receiver 
MVP: Tyler Lockett (Seahawks)
Both Lockett and rookie DK Metcalf were able to feast on the Buccaneers terrible pass defense in this Week 9 shootout, but the veteran ended up having the better afternoon-reeling in a ridiculous 13 catches for 152 YDS and 2 TD's. Thanks to his precise route-running, top-flight speed and terrific chemistry with Russell Wilson, Lockett has seamlessly transitioned to the top wideout role vacated by the retired Doug Baldwin. He should be viewed as a borderline WR1 the rest of the way.    
Honorable Mentions: Mike Evans (Buccaneers), DK Metcalf (Seahawks), Tyreek Hill (Chiefs)

LVP: Allen Robinson (Bears)
Playing in the worst offense in the NFL has finally caught up with Robinson as he mustered just 1 reception for 6 YDS against the Eagles porous secondary. While he's certainly volatile given how bad the Bears quarterback play has been, he's done a masterful job of making the most out of the flurry of hospital balls he receives from Mitch Trubisky on a weekly basis (producing 47 REC/532 YDS/3 TD through 8 games in a passing attack this limp should put him in the MVP conversation)-which is enough to make him a solid WR3 option most weeks.
Dishonorable Mentions: JuJu Smith-Schuster (Steelers), Stefon Diggs (Vikings), D.J. Chark (Jaguars)

Tight End
MVP: Zach Ertz (Eagles)
Welcome back to the land of the productive Mr. Ertz!!!! The Eagles veteran tight end reminded fantasy owners of the dominance he's capable of by posting 103 YD and a TD on 9 receptions against the Bears last Sunday, which marked his 1st 100+ YD performance of 2019 and 1st trip to the endzone since Week 2. Ertz will likely struggle to replicate this explosion against the Patriots tough secondary in Week 11.
Honorable Mentions: George Kittle (49ers), Vance McDonald (Steelers), Hunter Henry (Chargers)

LVP: Eric Ebron (Colts) 
T.Y. Hilton's absence didn't help Ebron in the slightest. The famously erratic tight end all but completely disappeared against the Steelers, finishing the contest with only 2 catches for 16 YDS. He'll be a boom-or-bust play regardless of whose under center on Sunday afternoon when the Colts take on the Dolphins.
Dishonorable Mentions: Mark Andrews (Ravens), Jimmy Graham (Packers), Jonnu Smith (Titans)

Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Steelers 
The Steelers D were able to take advantage of the chaos that ensued following the injury to Jacoby Brissett as well as Brian Hoyer's general crappiness, picking up 5 sacks, an INT, 2 FUM REC, a blocked field goal and a TD in a 26-24 win over the Colts. While they're susceptible to allowing points, the Steelers strong pass rush and takeaway ability has made them a top 5 fantasy defense over the past month.
Honorable Mentions: Texans, Cowboys, Ravens

LVP: 49ers
The short week had a noticeable effect on the 49ers defense. They allowed chunk plays all game long, failed to create any takeaways and only got to Kyler Murray 3 times in a surprisingly close 28-25 game against the Cardinals last Thursday. This group will face another difficult test against the Seahawks on Monday night.
Dishonorable Mentions: Patriots, Bears, Jaguars  

Week 8 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2019 Edition

Quarterback

MVP: Deshaun Watson (Texans)
As expected, the Raiders horrific secondary had no answers for Watson. The rising star signalcaller threw for 279 YDS and 3 TD's while adding another 46 YDS on the ground in an ugly, but hard-fought comeback victory. Watson will look to make it 3 fantasy MVP performances in 4 weeks when the Texans travel to London to take on the Jaguars this Sunday.

Honorable Mentions: Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Drew Brees (Saints), Matthew Stafford (Lions)

LVP: Kirk Cousins (Vikings)
Cousins didn't really take advantage of his opportunity to stick it to the Redskins. He put together a clean, but very pedestrian game (285 YDS, 0 TD's, 0 giveaways) in his 1st showdown with the team that repeatedly refused to commit to him as their long-term franchise QB as the Vikings cruised to a 20-9 victory last Thursday night. The $84 million man will look to return to the level of the dominance he displayed earlier in October when the Norseman travel to Arrowhead Stadium for a showdown with the Chiefs banged-up secondary.

Dishonorable Mentions: Kyler Murray (Cardinals), Jacoby Brissett (Colts), Phillip Rivers (Chargers)

Running Back

MVP: Tevin Coleman (49ers)
What a comically dominant performance this was. It only took Coleman 13 touches to gain 118 YDS and score 4 TD's in a blowout win over the Panthers. Coleman has been a scoring machine (6 total TD's) since returning from an ankle injury at the beginning of the month and should be a high-end RB2 for a Week 9 matchup with the Cardinals.

Honorable Mentions: Aaron Jones (Packers), Latavius Murray (Saints), Christian McCaffery (Panthers)

LVP: Le'Veon Bell (Jets)
Despite facing a much more favorable matchup, Bell was every bit as ineffective this week as he was last week against the Patriots vaunted D. The Jaguars stuffed Bell every single time he touched the ball on Sunday afternoon, which resulted in him finishing the game with a depressing 35 YDS (23 rushing, 12 receiving) on 12 touches. Horrible offensive line play, game script issues and Adam Gase's questionable at best playcalling have prevented Bell from having success during his inaugural campaign with the Jets. However, there's legitimate potential for things to get rosier as they are about to enter a very favorable portion of the schedule that includes dates with the Redskins, Bengals and Dolphins (2x).

Dishonorable Mentions: Ty Johnson (Lions), LeSean McCoy (Chiefs), Derrick Henry (Titans)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Mike Evans (Buccaneers)
After a quiet couple of weeks by his standards, Evans was due for one of his patented inhuman explosions. He absolutely ruined a damn good Titans secondary, who did a great job containing Chris Godwin, amassing 198 YDS and 2 TD's on 11 catches. A matchup with a very burnable Seahawks secondary is up next for the freakishly gifted 6th year pro.  

Honorable Mentions: Cooper Kupp (Rams), Kenny Golladay (Lions), Julian Edelman (Patriots)

LVP: Corey Davis (Titans)
In a development that shouldn't shock anybody whose familiar with him, Davis followed up a terrific outing with a porous one. The Titans de facto #1 wideout was largely invisible against the Bucs wretched secondary, securing just 2 catches for 9 YDS. Unless you're absolutely desperate for a FLEX/WR3 play, Davis shouldn't be in your lineups this week against the Panthers.

Dishonorable Mentions: Marvin Jones Jr. (Lions), Kenny Stills (Texans), D.J. Moore (Panthers)

Tight End

MVP: Austin Hooper (Falcons)
It's kind of hilarious that Hooper is putting together a career year while a complete meltdown is happening around him. The 4th year tight end was once again a bright spot for the reeling 1-7 Falcons as they got their teeth kicked in by the Seahawks-securing 6 catches for 65 YDS and a TD. Hooper has been the top fantasy tight end through 8 weeks by a pretty wide margin and he appears set to remain an elite option when the Falcons return to action in Week 10 against the Saints.

Honorable Mentions: Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Evan Engram (Giants), George Kittle (49ers)

LVP: Zach Ertz (Eagles)
Where art thou Zach Ertz? The star tight end was a non-factor yet again, only managing 20 YDS on 2 catches versus a feisty Bills defense last Sunday. With a healthy Carson Wentz under center and a ton of injuries at WR, Ertz has been an inexplicable flop in 2019. He'll be a low-end TE1 against the Bears in Week 9. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Gerald Everett (Rams), Greg Olsen (Panthers), Jimmy Graham (Packers)

Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Patriots
Freddie Kitchens, Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb were the latest group of helpless souls that got to feel the wrath of the Patriots defense as their bumbling offense surrendered 5 sacks, 3 takeaways (2 FUM REC, 1 INT) and a TD to the league's scariest unit. Greg Roman and John Harbaugh are going to have to get really creative for Lamar Jackson to not get eaten alive by this group in primetime this Sunday night. 

Honorable Mentions: 49ers, Jaguars, Steelers

LVP: Bears
In an excellent all-around week for fantasy defenses, the Bears merely passable performance (17 points allowed, 1 sack, 1 INT) against the Chargers is the one that let down the highest volume of owners. Chuck Pagano's group will look to rebound against a decent-to-good Eagles offense in Week 9. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Bills, Panthers, Packers

Week 7 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2019 Edition

Quarterback
MVP: Aaron Rodgers (Packers) 
Rodgers broke out of his "funk" by putting up a truly absurd statline (429 YDS and 5 TD's through the air, 6 YDS and 1 TD on the ground) against the Raiders that resembled a college QB beating up on subpar competition. The 35-year old seems to finally be clicking in Matt LaFluer's system after an uneventful start to the season and if you had been benching him on account of his mediocre statlines, it's probably a good time to put him back in your lineup.
Honorable Mentions: Matthew Stafford (Lions), Kirk Cousins (Vikings), Jacoby Brissett (Colts)

LVP: Kyler Murray (Cardinals)
A monster game from Chase Edmonds paired with the terrible conditions at MetLife Stadium prevented Murray (132 total YDS, 0 TD's, 0 turnovers) from building off his career-best game against the Bengals in Week 5. After securing 3 straight wins over questionable competition, the sledding is about to get much tougher for the rookie QB starting this week with a trip to New Orleans to face a Saints defense that has been tremendous since Drew Brees got injured.
Dishonorable Mentions: Matt Ryan (Falcons), Carson Wentz (Eagles), Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers)

Running Back
MVP: Latavius Murray (Saints)
Alvin Kamara's absence didn't slow down the Saints rushing attack in the slightest against the Bears on Sunday afternoon. Murray shined incredibly bright in his 1st game operating as the Saints feature back, piling up 150 scrimmage YDS (119 rushing, 31 receiving) and 2 TD's on 32 touches in another dominant win for the NFC's best team. Murray should be a quality starting RB1/2 option as long as Kamara is out.

Honorable Mentions: Dalvin Cook (Vikings), Sony Michel (Patriots), Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys)

LVP: Phillip Lindsay (Broncos)
Turns out all the Chiefs needed to do to stop the run is play an offense led by Joe Flacco. A banner night of ineptitude from the league's highest-paid statue resulted in the Broncos going down big early and subsequently forced Lindsay (32 YDS on 12 touches) to get phased out of the gameplan in the 2nd half. The sophomore back isn't likely to fare much better in Week 8 against a Colts defense that has been stout against running game all season long. 

Dishonorable Mentions: David Montgomery (Bears), Devin Singletary (Bills), Carlos Hyde (Texans)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Marvin Jones Jr. (Lions)
How many people had Jones topping all wideouts in scoring this week? The Lions #2 wideout was all over the place against the Vikings on Sunday, hauling in 10 catches for 93 YDS and 4 TD's. While a regression is basically inevitable after such a huge performance, Jones should be a damn fine WR3/FLEX play against the Giants.

Honorable Mentions: Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Packers), DeAndre Hopkins (Texans), Allen Robinson (Bears)

LVP: Kenny Golladay (Lions)
Jones' running mate, on the other hand, wasn't quite as impressive. Golladay somehow caught just 1 pass for 21 YDS in another painful division loss for Detroit. The Lions top wideout should be in line for an uptick in production against the Giants awful secondary this week.

Dishonorable Mentions: Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals), Tyler Boyd (Bengals), Calvin Ridley (Falcons)

Tight End

MVP: Darren Waller (Raiders)
The rise of Waller continues!!! The Raiders tight end was one of the few bright spots in a lopsided loss to the might Packers, securing 7 catches for 126 YDS and 2 TD's. Waller has been the runaway breakout star at fantasy football's thinnest position and at this rate, it's entirely conceivable that he'll finish the year as the top scorer if he can stay healthy.

Honorable Mentions: Eric Ebron (Colts), Jimmy Graham (Packers), Gerald Everett (Rams)

LVP: Evan Engram (Giants)
Apparently it is possible for a tight end to not destroy the Cardinals. Engram was sluggish and sloppy as hell after missing the Week 6 contest with the Patriots, registering just 1 catch for 6 YDS. He'll look to return to form against a struggling Lions pass D in Week 8. 

Dishonorable Mentions: George Kittle (49ers), Mark Andrews (Ravens), Zach Ertz (Eagles)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Patriots
I might as well just re-name the Defense/Special Teams section of this piece "The 2019 Patriots Award" at this point. Sam Darnold ran into this unforgivingly cruel behemoth of a unit last night, turning the ball over 6 times (4 INT's/2 FUM REC), allowing a safety and somehow getting sacked just once during a 33-0 home loss. With a middling Browns offense helmed by the current league-leader in INT's heading up to Foxboro this Sunday, another explosion seems imminent.

Honorable Mentions: Rams, Ravens, Jaguars 

LVP: Vikings
The Vikings D were victims of a shootout this week as they surrendered 30 points versus the Lions. Things would've been even worse if they hadn't picked up a couple of sacks along the way and a late, game-sealing INT on a desperation heave from Matthew Stafford. A return to glory against the lumbering trainwreck otherwise known as the Redskins offense seems very likely. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Chargers, Titans, Seahawks 

Week 3 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2019 Edition

Quarterback
MVP: Russell Wilson (Seahawks) 
A parade of miscues from running back Chris Carson and the special teams put the Seahawks in a deep hole early against the Saints, which in turn allowed Wilson to put together an all time great garbage time explosion. The 30-year old signalcaller threw for 406 YDS and 2 TD's while adding another 51 YDS and 2 TD's on the ground. Wilson has a date with the Cardinals leaky defense in Week 4.
Honorable Mentions: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Jameis Winston (Buccaneers), Deshaun Watson (Texans)

LVP: Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers) 
The 49ers are off to a surprising 3-0 start despite Garoppolo doing everything in his power to make things difficult for them to win games. He put together yet another sloppy dud against the Steelers on Sunday afternoon, throwing for 277 YDS, 1 TD and turning the ball over 3 times (2 INT's, 1 lost fumble). We'll see if he can make some adjustments during the bye week and not continue to kill his team with ugly turnovers.
Dishonorable Mentions: Baker Mayfield (Browns), Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Kirk Cousins (Vikings)

Running Back
MVP: Mark Ingram (Ravens)
In a game where Lamar Jackson struggled to consistently get things going through the air, Ingram was able to keep the Ravens competitive. He mustered an impressive scrimmage 135 YDS (103 rushing, 32 receiving) and 3 rushing TD's in a tough road loss to the Chiefs. With 319 total YDS and 5 scores through 3 games, Ingram has provided an excellent return on his late 4th-to-early 5th round ADP.
Honorable Mentions: Alvin Kamara (Saints), Phillip Lindsay (Broncos), Christian McCaffery (Panthers)

LVP: Todd Gurley (Rams) 
After a pretty strong start, the red flags surrounding Gurley heading into 2019 finally showed up this week. Gurley looked sluggish against a banged-up Browns D on Sunday Night Football, catching no passes and managing just 43 YDS on 14 carries. He'll look to make more of his modest workload this week when the Rams return home to face a very beatable Buccaneers team.
Dishonorable Mentions: James Conner (Steelers), Chris Carson (Seahawks), Josh Jacobs (Raiders)

Wide Receiver 
MVP: Mike Evans (Buccaneers) 
Safe to say, Evans has gotten over whatever illness was holding him back the past 2 games. The Bucs top wideout spazzed on the Giants garbage secondary, mustering 190 YDS and 3 TD's on just 8 receptions. Even in a brutal matchup against the Rams, Evans will be on the WR1 radar in Week 4.
Honorable Mentions: Keenan Allen (Chargers), Cooper Kupp (Rams), Tyler Lockett (Seahawks)

LVP: Kenny Golladay (Lions) 
Golladay was practically invisible against the Eagles horrid secondary, securing just 2 of his 8 targets for 17 yards. Despite this forgettable performance, Golladay is firmly entrenched as the Lions top receiving option and should be considered a mid-tier WR2 most weeks.
Dishonorable Mentions: Stefon Diggs (Vikings), Calvin Ridley (Falcons),  Chris Godwin (Buccaneers)

Tight End
MVP: Greg Olsen (Panthers)
Look out people, we might have an unexpected resurgence on our hands. Olsen, who is coming off a pair of injury-plagued seasons, followed up his 100+ yard explosion in Week 2 with a similarly terrific outing (6 REC/75 YDS/2 TD) against the Cardinals. As long as he stays healthy and maintains a rapport with Kyle Allen, who is set to fill-in for Cam Newton the foreseeable future, Olsen has a great chance of re-establishing his status as an elite fantasy tight end on a long-term basis.
Honorable Mentions: Austin Hooper (Falcons), Evan Engram (Giants), Darren Waller (Raiders)

LVP: Mark Andrews (Ravens) 
Lamar Jackson's aforementioned struggles versus the Chiefs limited Andrews to just 15 YDS on 3 receptions. The centerpiece of the Ravens passing attack should get back on track against a wounded Browns secondary this Sunday.
Dishonorable Mentions: T.J. Hockenson (Lions), Jared Cook (Saints), Kyle Rudolph (Vikings)

Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Bears
The poor Redskins became the 1st team in 2019 to experience the full fury of the Bears defense. Chuck Pagano's crew made Case Keenum and co. uncomfortable all night by registering a knockout performance (4 sacks, 3 INT, 2 FUM and a TD) that helped power the team to a relatively easy road victory. Repeating this level of dominance in their week 4 tilt with the ultraconservative Vikings offense seems like a long shot.
Honorable Mentions: Jaguars, Patriots, Saints

LVP: Titans
Sloppy conditions and a far better than expected performance from the Jaguars o-line/QB prevented the Titans D from doing any damage (0 sacks or takeaways) in a 20-7 loss last Thursday night. While there's a lot of talent on this group, their pretty conservative approach means the fantasy numbers aren't likely to be there every week. They'll look to get back in the good graces of their owners when they square off with a Falcons squad that has turned the ball over multiple times in 2 of the first 3 games.
Dishonorable Mentions: Seahawks, Chargers, Eagles

Week 2 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2019 Edition

Quarterback
MVP: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) 
This Patrick Mahomes fella is pretty good. The reigning MVP celebrated his final visit to Oakland by carving up the Raiders for 443 YDS and 4 TD's in a pretty easy 28-10 win on Sunday afternoon. Mahomes will likely face a much stiffer test this week when the Chiefs return home to face a Ravens defense that has only surrendered 1 passing TD so far this season.
Honorable Mentions: Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Tom Brady (Patriots) 

LVP: Deshaun Watson (Texans) 
The electricity Watson displayed in New Orleans last Monday didn't make it on the plane back to Houston. Even with star corner A.J. Bouye sidelined, the Jags pass D did an excellent job containing Watson-as he finished the day with just 159 YDS and 0 TD's through the air. A 2 yard rushing TD in the 4th quarter was the only real highlight of the afternoon for the 3rd-year QB who was once again let down by porous offensive line play. A road showdown with the Chargers, who are in the middle of the pack in points allowed to quarterbacks, awaits Watson in Week 3.
Dishonorable Mentions: Cam Newton (Panthers), Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Jameis Winston (Buccaneers) 

Running Back
MVP: Dalvin Cook (Vikings)
Mike Zimmer's reported desire to commit to the running game wasn't a joke. Despite going down 14-0 early against the Packers, the Vikings continued to feed Cook and he did everything he could to get them back in the game-registering 191 scrimmage YDS (154 rushing, 37 receiving) and a rushing TD on 23 touches. Cook will look to keep his staggering hot start going against a stouter than anticipated Raiders run D on Sunday.
Honorable Mentions: Aaron Jones (Packers), Saquon Barkley (Giants), Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys)

LVP: Christian McCaffery (Panthers)
In a prime matchup against the Buccaneers, McCaffery ended up being an afterthought in the passing game (2 REC/16 YDS) and mustered next to nothing on the ground (37 YDS) despite getting close to his usual number of carries (16). If Cam Newton ends up missing Week 3 after reportedly reaggravating his foot injury in practice, his workload (and subsequent odds of putting together a bounceback) could be even higher when the Panthers square off against a vulnerable Cardinals defense.
Dishonorable Mentions: Alvin Kamara (Saints), Damien Williams (Chiefs), Joe Mixon (Bengals)

Wide Receiver 
MVP: Julio Jones (Falcons)
In an ugly primetime showdown full of bad QB decisionmaking, inexcusable drops and more injures than the Running of the Bulls, Jones brought a welcome sense of competence to this gridiron dumpster fire. The Falcons star wideout made the most out of his modest reception total (5), picking up 106 YDS and 2 TD's including a beautiful 54 YD catch-and-run that clinched the win over the Eagles. Matt Ryan hasn't been particularly sharp to open the year and their schedule is looking pretty brutal at the moment, but Jones should remain a no doubt WR1 as long as he's healthy.
Honorable Mentions: Odell Beckham Jr. (Browns), Chris Godwin (Buccaneers), Emmanuel Sanders (Broncos)

LVP: Josh Gordon (Patriots)
Believe it or not, there was a member of the Patriots that didn't dominate in South Beach last weekend. Gordon mustered just 2 receptions for 19 YDS against the lowly Dolphins D on a day where the passing game ran through Julian Edelman and Antonio Brown. He'll look to get back on track against a Jets secondary that just got torched by Odell Beckham Jr.
Dishonorable Mentions: Robert Woods (Rams), Deandre Hopkins (Texans), Dede Westbrook (Jaguars)

Tight End
MVP: Mark Andrews (Ravens)
Lamar Jackson's favorite target had himself another great game in Week 2. The sophomore tight end led the Ravens in receiving-picking up 112 YDS and a TD on 8 receptions-in a nice victory over the Cardinals. Andrews has lived up to the preseason hype thus far and should be locked in as a weekly TE1.
Honorable Mentions: Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Vance McDonald (Steelers), Greg Olsen (Panthers)

LVP: O.J. Howard (Buccaneers)
What the hell is wrong with O.J. Howard? He was regularly out of position, getting silly penalties  and worst of all, didn't even manage a TARGET in last Thursday's showdown with the Panthers. There's too much upside to give up on him after just 2 weeks, but he's going to have to make some dramatic strides in the next couple weeks in order to remain rosterable, let alone a starting option for the rest of 2019.
Dishonorable Mentions: T.J. Hockenson (Lions), Jared Cook (Saints), Jimmy Graham (Packers)

Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Patriots 
It really is shocking how much destruction can occur when a juggernaut faces off against some hapless amateurs. The Patriots defense downright embarrassed the Dolphins JV team, picking up 7 sacks, 4 INT's, 2 TD's and holding them to a shutout on Sunday. A Week 3 showdown with the Luke Falk-led Jets makes another finish atop the fantasy leaderboards seem very likely.
Honorable Mentions: Browns, Texans, Chiefs

LVP: Broncos
Despite only allowing 16 points, the Broncos mustered 0 sacks or takeaways in a home game against the Bears anemic offense. Vic Fangio's presence has not provided the expected boost to this group and they might be worth considering dropping after back-to-back below average performances to start the season.
Dishonorable Mentions: Cowboys, Ravens, Seahawks

Week 1 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2019 Edition

Quarterback
MVP: Lamar Jackson (Ravens)
The Pompano Beach native had one hell of a homecoming in South Florida, shredding the hapless Dolphins defense for 324 YDS and 5 TD's through the air. This was a head-turning performance for the sophomore quarterback who struggled immensely as a passer during his rookie campaign. He'll look to keep rolling in Week 2 against a Cardinals defense that just struggled to contain Matthew Stafford.
Honorable Mentions: Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Deshaun Watson (Texans), Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

LVP: Jameis Winston (Buccaneers) 
Cam Newton and Baker Mayfield may have had higher expectations, but their underwhelming 2019 debuts weren't nearly as inexcusable as Winston's. Winston threw 3 INT's (2 of which were returned for TD's) against a wretched 49ers D that only mustered 2 all of last season without posting the type of gaudy statline (207 total YDS and 1 passing TD) that can make up for the generosity he displayed by repeatedly sharing the ball with the other team. Despite this infuriating, vintage dud from Crab Legs, Bruce Arians' aggressive vertical scheme and an arsenal of receiving weapons that rank among the league's most dangerous will keep him on the QB1 fringe for the time being.
Dishonorable Mentions: Cam Newton (Panthers), Baker Mayfield (Browns), Jared Goff (Rams)

Running Back
MVP: Austin Ekeler (Chargers) 
Melvin Gordon's campaign for a big new deal took another massive hit on Sunday afternoon. Ekeler stepped into the Chargers starting RB role seamlessly against the Colts, putting up a very impressive 154 scrimmage YDS (58 rushing, 96 receiving)  and 3 TD's on 18 touches (12 carries, 6 receptions). With a proven dual threat skill set and near guarantee of solid weekly volume, Ekeler should be on the RB1 radar until Gordon ends his holdout in mid-to-late October.
Honorable Mentions: Christian McCaffery (Panthers), Derrick Henry (Titans), Marlon Mack (Colts)

LVP: Devonta Freeman (Falcons) 
Boy oh boy did Freeman show some rust in his first NFL game action in nearly a year. The star running back got completely bottled up by the Vikings, picking up only 31 scrimmage YDS (19 rushing, 12 receiving) and losing a fumble on 11 touches. Freeman will face the daunting task of trying to bounce back against a tough Eagles run D on Sunday night.
Dishonorable Mentions: Sony Michel (Patriots), Aaron Jones (Packers), David Montgomery (Bears)

Wide Receiver
MVP: Sammy Watkins (Chiefs) 
Even before Tyreek Hill left the game with a collarbone injury in the 2nd quarter, Watkins was torching the Jaguars secondary for huge gains and his dominance only became more prevalent once Hill was sidelined. The notoriously erratic 6th year wideout finished the afternoon with an eye-popping 198 YDS and 3 TD's on 9 receptions in a blowout road win for the Chiefs. Watkins will undoubtedly benefit from Hill's indefinite absence, but his inconsistency and questionable durability makes him nothing more than a shaky WR2.
Honorable Mentions: Desean Jackson (Eagles), Marquise Brown (Ravens), DeAndre Hopkins (Texans)

LVP: Mike Evans (Buccaneers) 
A combination of battling an illness and terrible play from Winston made Evans a complete non-factor in Week 1. He was sporadically missing from the lineup throughout the game and ended up with only 2 receptions for 28 yards against a very beatable 49ers secondary. Assuming he can return to health in time, Evans should fare much better against the Panthers on Thursday night.
Dishonorable Mentions: Brandin Cooks (Rams), Corey Davis (Titans), Robby Anderson (Jets)

Tight End
MVP: T.J. Hockenson (Lions) 
Lamar Jackson wasn't the only one throwing up double birds to a long-running narrative this week. Hockensen told everybody who believed rookie tight ends couldn't make an impact right away to go screw with a sensational performance (6 REC/131 YDS/1 TD) in his NFL debut against the Cardinals. This was a very encouraging start for the widely heralded Iowa product and given the Lions lack of receiver depth behind Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr., he has a real chance to develop into a focal point of this passing attack in the coming weeks.
Honorable Mentions: Evan Engram (Giants), Delanie Walker (Titans), Mark Andrews (Ravens)

LVP: O.J. Howard (Buccaneers) 
The Bucs shameful fantasy week continues with a staggering dud from Howard, who mustered 32 YDS and a crucial lost fumble on just 4 receptions. Howard was on fire (23 REC/343 YDS/4 TD's in his last 6 games) before he went down with foot and ankle injuries last season, so hopefully this is just a hiccup on the road to fantasy greatness instead of the start of a disturbing downward trend.
Dishonorable Mentions: Kyle Rudolph (Vikings), Eric Ebron (Colts), Jared Cook (Saints)

Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Vikings
Matt Ryan and co. were not ready for a hungry, aggressive Vikings defense. The Norseman registered 4 sacks, 3 takeaways (2 INT's and a FUM REC), a blocked FG and just 12 points allowed (all in garbage time) in a suffocating 24-12 win over the Falcons. A Packers offense with a questionable o-line and a QB that almost never turns the ball over awaits in Week 2.
Honorable Mentions: Ravens, Seahawks, Bills

LVP: Browns 
Steve Wilks' crew did a pretty good of blowing through a Taylor Lewan-less line (4 sacks) and a pretty crap job in every other area (35 points allowed, 0 takeways) during a shocking blowout home loss to the Titans. They'll look to take advantage of a weak offensive line and gunslinger quarterback when they travel to East Rutherford to take on the Jets next Monday night.
Dishonorable Mentions: Eagles, Broncos, Chargers 

Week 16 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers (2018 Edition)

Quarterback
MVP: Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
An underwhelming 2018 for the perennial MVP candidate ended on a triumphant note. Rodgers straight-up destroyed the hapless Jets defense (442 YDS, 2 TD, 32 Rushing YDS, 2 TD and a 2-PT conversion) in a come-from-behind OT win that prevented the Packers from going 0-8 on the road this season. Fantasy owners will hope the 35-year old star QB returns to dominance under a new head coach in 2019.
Honorable Mentions: Deshaun Watson (Texans), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)

LVP: Phillip Rivers (Chargers)
Rivers burned the dice-rolling souls that rolled him out against a tough Ravens D during championship week. He failed to get anything going through the air (182 YDS, 0 TD) and threw 2 costly picks in an ugly loss that possibly ruined the Chargers dream of clinching the #1 seed in the AFC. This was a truly unfortunate end to Rivers' best season as a pro in at least 4 years, if not ever.
Dishonorable Mentions: Tom Brady (Patriots), Mitch Trubisky (Bears), Josh Allen (Bills)

Running Back
MVP: Chris Carson (Seahawks) 
The Seahawks imposed their will on the Chiefs defense in an impressive primetime win on Sunday and Carson played a big part in that offensive dominance. His hard running helped control the clock and sealed his impressive bellcow performance (27 carries for 116 YDS) with a pair of TD's-including the eventual game-clincher. While his inconsistent pass-catching ability, durability concerns and constant threat of Rashaad Penny vulturing touches will likely prevent him from being selected in the first 2 rounds, Carson should end up being a 3rd-4th round pick next season.
Honorable Mentions: Alvin Kamara (Saints), C.J. Anderson (Rams), Jammal Williams (Packers)

LVP: Josh Adams (Eagles)
Prominent running backs had themselves an almost universally great week, which makes Adams the clear choice for this dreaded title. The undrafted rookie got eviscerated by the Texans tough front, managing just 21 YDS and losing a fumble on 11 carries. Despite this hiccup, Adams has been pretty decent this season and should have a role in the Eagles backfield committee next season.
Dishonorable Mentions: Tarik Cohen (Bears), LeSean McCoy (Bills), Kalen Ballage (Dolphins)

Wide Receiver 
MVP: Antonio Brown (Steelers) 
Brown saved his best for last in 2018, delivering a monstrous 14 REC/185 YD/2 TD performance against the Saints that undoubtedly swayed a lot of outcomes during championship week. While his yardage total is a bit lower than usual (1,297), AB's career-best TD total (15) and continued consistency/durability in his age 30 season justified his top 5-7 ADP.
Honorable Mentions: Robert Woods (Rams), Robby Anderson (Jets), Doug Baldwin (Seahawks)

LVP: Amari Cooper (Cowboys)
For a 2nd straight week, the Cowboys top WR all but completely disappeared, managing just 20 YDS on 4 catches against a wretched Bucs defense. Cooper is as erratic as they come and will be a risky WR2 regardless of where he ends up playing next season.
Dishonorable Mentions: Antonio Callaway (Browns), Golden Tate (Eagles), Corey Davis (Titans)

Tight End
MVP: Kyle Rudolph (Vikings)
Unexpected explosions are the greatest fantasy gift of all. Rudolph led the Vikings in receptions (9), receiving YDS (122) and doubled his season TD total with 2 scores to cap off a sensational performance against the Lions on Sunday afternoon. If Big Country returns to the field in 2019, he'll remain a boom-or-bust TE1 option.
Honorable Mentions: Zach Ertz (Eagles), Chris Herndon (Jets), David Njoku (Browns)

LVP: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
Gronkowski's disheartening 2018 ended in appropriately heartbreaking fashion with a stinker against the Bills. He failed to catch any of his 3 targets on a day where Tom Brady was as bad as he could possibly be. With lingering health problems starting to take a notable toll on his production, it's entirely conceivable that the nearly 30-year old future Hall-of-Famer steps away from football at the end of the season.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jared Cook (Raiders), Cameron Brate (Buccaneers), Blake Jarwin (Cowboys)

Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Ravens
Phillip Rivers and co. were no match for the Ravens high-flying D. They held the Chargers dynamic offense to just 10 points while also racking up 4 sacks, 2 INT's, a fumble recovery and a TD. This group has been sensational for the bulk of the season and will likely be one of the first 3-5 defenses off the board next year.
Honorable Mentions: Jaguars, Falcons, Cowboys

LVP: Colts
A week after shutting out the Cowboys, the Colts struggled to contain the Odell Beckham Jr.-less Giants in a 28-27 comeback win. If Malik Hooker didn't make a clutch INT to ice the game on the Giants final drive, the Colts would've registered 0 sacks or takeaways on the day. While they've struggled with consistency all season long, there's a lot of young promising talent here that could help this long-suffering franchise build their most legitimate defense since Bob Sanders, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis left town.
Dishonorable Mentions: Broncos, Browns, Eagles   

Week 15 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers (2018 Edition)

Quarterback
MVP: Matt Ryan (Falcons)
Ryan snapped out of a lengthy skid in empathic fashion by hanging 249 scrimmage YDS (231 passing, 18 rushing) and 3 TD's (2 passing, 1 rushing) on the Cardinals. Matty Ice finishes up the fantasy season with a pretty favorable matchup against the Panthers at home.
Honorable Mentions: Deshaun Watson (Texans), Phillip Rivers (Chargers), Mitch Trubisky (Bears)

LVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
The Saints signalcaller's December to Forget continued in Week 15. Despite an extremely favorable matchup against a poor Panthers defense that has particularly struggled to contain the pass this season, Brees was frustratingly average at best, finishing the night with just 203 YDS, 0 TD and an INT. Even with these recent struggles, it will be hard to bench him for this week's tantalizing home  matchup versus a wretched Steelers secondary.  
Dishonorable Mentions: Cam Newton (Panthers), Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Andrew Luck (Colts)

Running Back
MVP: Derrick Henry (Titans)
Unicorns apparently do exist. Henry stunned the fantasy world by putting together his 2nd consecutive monster performance, torching the Giants for 177 YDS and 2 TD's on 33 carries.. He'll look to make it 3 straight dominant games against a respectable, but definitely beatable Redskins front this Saturday.
Honorable Mentions: Dalvin Cook (Vikings), Joe Mixon (Bengals), Marlon Mack (Colts)

LVP: Phillip Lindsay (Broncos)
Lindsay couldn't muster much of anything on 18 touches (44 scrimmage YDS) against the Browns last Saturday, which is a large reason why the Broncos came out on the wrong end of a 17-16 rock fight. These back-to-back poor performances have been an unfortunate late misstep in an otherwise exceptional rookie season where the undrafted rookie has been one of the most explosive backs in the league and arguably this year's most valuable waiver wire pickup in all of fantasy football. Expect him to be an early-to-mid 2nd round pick in next year's drafts.
Dishonorable Mentions: Saquon Barkley (Giants), Sony Michel (Patriots), James White (Patriots)

Wide Receiver 
MVP: Mike Williams (Chargers) 
Keenan Allen exited the game with a hip pointer at the start of the 2nd quarter, which opened up a lot more opportunities for Williams and boy oh boy did he make the most of them. The Chargers sophomore wideout was the hero in last Thursday's magical comeback win over the Chiefs, managing 95 scrimmage YDS, 3 TD's and the game-clinching 2-PT conversion. He's been up-and-down all year long, but his status as a frequent redzone target on a good offense should put him firmly on the WR3 radar for 2019.
Honorable Mentions: DeAndre Hopkins (Texans), Doug Baldwin (Seahawks), Alshon Jeffrey (Eagles)

LVP: Adam Thielen (Vikings)
A rare dud from Thielen came at a really puzzling time. The Vikings offense was humming along for most of the day in a blowout win over the Dolphins, but Thielen somehow managed to only secure 2 catches for 19 YDS. Kirk Cousins' favorite target will look to rebound against a mediocre Lions secondary in Week 16.
Dishonorable Mentions: Tyreek Hill (Chiefs), Josh Gordon (Patriots), D.J. Moore (Panthers)

Tight End
MVP: Trey Burton (Bears) 
In a week that was largely devoid of huge fantasy performances across the board, the futile tight end position ended up being especially underwhelming. As a result, Burton's pretty pedestrian 4 REC/36/1 TD day ended up being the best line of any TE that was started in a sizable number of leagues. Burton has a date with the banged-up 49ers secondary for fantasy championship week.
Honorable Mentions: Evan Engram (Giants), Vance McDonald (Steelers), Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

LVP: Eric Ebron (Colts)
TD-scoring machine Ebron was real quiet against the Cowboys, reeling in just 1 catch for 8 YDS, on a day where Marlon Mack was the focal point of the Colts offense as well as the only guy on the roster to hit paydirt. He has a decent chance of returning to the endzone against the Giants this Sunday.
Dishonorable Mentions: Cameron Brate (Buccaneers), Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), Jared Cook (Raiders)

Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Falcons
A bad defense with a good matchup streaming success story? It's a holiday miracle! The Falcons feasted on the horrible, Josh Rosen-led Cardinals offense, getting 7 sacks, 2 INT's, a FUM REC and a TD in an easy 40-14 victory. They'll likely be on the streaming radar again in Week 16 when they go up against a Taylor Henicike-led Panthers squad.
Honorable Mentions: Colts, Titans, Vikings

LVP: Rams
Remember when the return of Aqib Talib was going to solidify the Rams defense? Welp, that miracle fix for this perpetually underachieving defense hasn't happened yet. Wade Phillips' group got torched by the Nick Foles-led Eagles for 30 points in a 2nd consecutive disheartening primetime loss last Sunday night. That long-awaited bounceback might finally occur this week against the aforementioned abysmal, turnover-happy Cardinals offense.
Dishonorable Mentions: Bills, Texans, Seahawks

Week 14 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers (2018 Edition)

Quarterback
MVP: Tom Brady (Patriots)
If you set aside the hilarious miracle lateral play that only further confirmed that Hard Rock Stadium is a loopy, inexplicable house of horrors for the Patriots, Brady had himself a nice afternoon in Miami. He made several highlight-worthy throws and was able to get both his long-time safety nets (Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski) to snap out of lengthy cold streaks during a season-best performance (358 YDS/3 TD) that still wasn't enough to sink those pesky Dolphins. While he hasn't been as sharp as usual this season, especially on the road, Brady is still an uncontested QB1 and I expect him to be out for blood this Sunday when the Pats travel to Pittsburgh to take on a reeling Steelers squad.
Honorable Mentions: Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Andrew Luck (Colts), Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

LVP: Jared Goff (Rams)
Goff followed up a shaky performance in Detroit with his worst game since Jeff Fisher left town. The 3rd-year rising star got punched in the face by the Chicago cold and a ferocious Bears defense, throwing for 180 YDS, 0 TD and 4 INT's in a stunning primetime loss. A return to the LA sunshine for a showdown with the Eagles makeshift secondary should be just what the doctor ordered to cure whatever has ailed him over the past couple weeks.
Dishonorable Mentions: Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Kirk Cousins (Vikings), Cam Newton (Panthers)

Running Back
MVP: Derrick Henry (Titans)
We should've known that Week 14 was going to be a wild one after Derrick Effin' Henry put forth one of the most dominant rushing performances in recent memory. The 3rd-year back didn't look like a guy who had failed to clear 500 YDS on the ground in the first 12 games of the year as he barreled through an increasingly lackadaisical Jaguars D for 238 YDS and 4 TD's last Thursday night. Henry will look to recreate this piece of pure rushing magic this week against a Giants defense that has surrendered the 7th most fantasy points to running backs this season, but has looked a lot better in recent weeks.
Honorable Mentions: Saquon Barkley (Giants), Joe Mixon (Bengals), Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys)

LVP: James White (Patriots)
With the aforementioned heavy involvement of Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman, someone was bound to get their workload reduced and White ended up being that poor soul. The Patriots swiss-army knife out of the backfield only logged 6 touches (4 carries, 2 receptions) for 28 YDS in their befuddling 34-33 last-second loss to the Dolphins. Regardless of how he performs over the next couple of weeks, White was arguably the biggest steal at the RB position this season, managing double-digit TD's and over 1,000 scrimmage YDS with an ADP that was in the 80-100 range on every major site. His continued heavy involvement on this reliably strong albeit aging offense should make him an intriguing mid-round pick next year.
Dishonorable Mentions: Todd Gurley (Rams), Leonard Fournette (Jaguars), Adrian Peterson (Redskins)

Wide Receiver 
MVP: Amari Cooper (Cowboys)
Cooper's domination in Dallas continued on Sunday against the porous Eagles, hauling in 10 receptions for 217 YDS and 3 TD to help America's Team earn a huge OT victory that all but officially clinched them their 3rd NFC East crown in the last 5 years. The notoriously erratic 4th-year wideout has made the naysayers like myself look like complete jackasses since he joined the Cowboys in mid-October and given his heavy target share in this otherwise underwhelming passing attack, he should be a borderline WR1 for the rest of the fantasy playoffs.
Honorable Mentions: JuJu Smith-Schuster (Steelers), Julio Jones (Falcons), Jarvis Landry (Browns)

LVP: Kenny Golladay (Lions)
Sure Golladay drew a tough assignment from Cardinals lockdown corner Patrick Peterson on Sunday afternoon that was likely to going to limit his production, but his putrid performance (2 REC for 5 YDS) was downright unacceptable for an uncontested top receiver on a team that currently has no other viable offensive options at their disposal. The sophomore breakout isn't a safe bet to get back on track against a tough Bills secondary that has held the likes of DeAndre Hopkins, T.Y. Hilton and Josh Gordon to under 65 YDS this season.  
Dishonorable Mentions: Cortland Sutton (Broncos), Chris Godwin (Buccaneers), Brandin Cooks (Rams)

Tight End
MVP: George Kittle (49ers)
While Kittle squandered a chance to make it into the history books by failing to secure a reception after halftime, his monster 1st half against an unsuspecting Broncos team was enough to turn a lot of heads (7 REC, 210 YDS, 1 TD) and clinch a lot of W's for his owners. Kittle has been the only real breakout star to emerge out of this dreadful position group this year and with Jimmy Garoppolo back in the fold next year, he appears to be on track to join Zach Ertz and Travis Kelce as the only TE's to be top 40 overall fantasy picks in 2019.
Honorable Mentions: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Cameron Brate (Buccaneers)

LVP: Jimmy Graham (Packers)
Mike McCarthy's long overdue dismissal led to an offensive explosion for the Packers in a 34-20 victory over the Falcons. Unfortunately, Graham was left out of the fun, finishing the day with just 2 catches for 13 YDS. With only 549 YDS and 2 TD's on the year so far, Graham hasn't even come close to delivering on his top 60 ADP.
Dishonorable Mentions: Kyle Rudolph (Vikings), Chris Herndon (Jets), Trey Burton (Bears)

Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Bears 
Anyone that had the stones to start the Bears D against the Rams this week was handsomely rewarded for their bravery. Vic Fangio's group absolutely stifled one of the league's most lethal offenses,  securing 4 INT's, 3 sacks, a safety and only allowing 6 points in a huge win for the NFC North leaders. The Bears welcome a Packers team that walked all over them back in Week 1 to Solider Field this Sunday.
Honorable Mentions: Giants, Seahawks, Packers

LVP: Chargers
While they were far from disastrous, Chargers D owners definitely expected better than 3 sacks, 0 takeaways and 21 points allowed to the Jeff Driskel-led Bengals. The Chargers have been up-and-down from a fantasy perspective all year long and I highly doubt they'll be able to shed that frustrating label over the final 2 weeks of the season.
Dishonorable Mentions: Bills, Texans, Broncos 

Week 12 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers (2018 Edition)

Quarterback 
MVP: Deshaun Watson (Texans) 
The dual threat capabilities of the Texans signalcaller were on full display last night as he gashed the Titans overrated defense for 210 YDS and a TD through the air and 70 YDS and a TD on the ground. Watson will look to keep rolling in a favorable matchup against the Browns this Sunday.
Honorable Mentions: Kirk Cousins (Vikings), Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Baker Mayfield (Browns)

LVP: Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
Rodgers hasn't looked like himself recently and that troubling trend continued with a very poor performance in a must-win game against the Vikings on Sunday night. The star QB threw for just 198 YDS and 1 TD in a crushing 24-17 loss that dropped the Packers to 4-6-1 on the year. As disheartening as the last few weeks have been, a return to Lambeau Field to square off against a sad Cardinals defense could very well prove to be the cure for what ails #12.
Dishonorable Mentions: Carson Wentz (Eagles), Matthew Stafford (Lions), Eli Manning (Giants)

Running Back
MVP: Christian McCaffery (Panthers)
It's kind of insane that the Panthers managed to lose a game where McCaffery was borderline unstoppable. The sophomore running back picked up a ridiculous 237 scrimmage YDS (125 rushing, 112 receiving) and 2 scores on 28 touches against the Seahawks feisty albeit not overly talented defense. McCaffery has been a beacon of light during the Panthers current 3-game losing streak and it would be a huge shock if the current warpath he's on came to a halt against the Bucs league-worst D in Week 13.
Honorable Mentions: Saquon Barkley (Giants), Nick Chubb (Browns), Leonard Fournette (Jaguars)

LVP: Jordan Howard (Bears)
With starting quarterback Mitch Trubisky out with a shoulder injury and a prime matchup against a Lions defense that has consistently struggled to stop the run, this seemed like the perfect game for Howard to break out of his nearly season-long funk. In a not-so-surprising twist, he squandered the opportunity by only gaining 15 YDS on 8 touches. Howard has been a massive letdown after rushing for over 1,000 YDS in each of the past 2 seasons and if it wasn't for the trash depth at the position, he wouldn't even be a rosterable player in 10 team leagues.
Dishonorable Mentions: Dion Lewis (Titans), Duke Johnson Jr. (Browns), LeSean McCoy (Bills)

Wide Receiver 
MVP: Amari Cooper (Cowboys)
Cooper had one of his semi-annual explosions against the Redskins reeling secondary on Thanksgiving, registering 180 YDS and 2 TD's on 8 receptions. His owners can probably expect a nice 2 catch/30 YD line on Thursday night when the Cowboys take on the Saints.
Honorable Mentions: JuJu Smith-Schuster (Steelers), Corey Davis (Titans), Adam Thielen (Vikings)

LVP: Michael Thomas (Saints)
A combination of multiple Falcons turnovers, stronger-than-usual dedication to running the ball and rando receivers getting into the endzone on 4 separate occasions resulted in Thomas getting just 4 catches for 38 YDS on Thanksgiving. While the Cowboys have a sneaky good secondary, I believe Thomas has solid odds of putting up better numbers this week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Allen Robinson (Bears), Jarvis Landry (Browns), Alshon Jeffrey (Eagles)

Tight End
MVP: Eric Ebron (Colts)
Divine redzone entity Ebron returned to his home in Week 12 after a mysterious disappearing act last week against the Titans, hauling in a pair of scores that propped up his otherwise unexceptional statline (5 REC for 45 YDS) versus the Dolphins. The co-league leader in receiving TD's will look to find paydirt once again when the scorching hot Colts square off against a Jags D that seems to be getting more and more deflated by the week.
Honorable Mentions: Zach Ertz (Eagles), David Njoku (Browns), Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)

LVP: Trey Burton (Bears)
Going into last Thursday's game with the Lions, Burton looked like he was going to be the focal point of the passing attack due to his familiarity with Chase Daniel from their time together with the Eagles. Instead, Taylor Gabriel led the team in receiving and Burton had himself an ugly afternoon that included a couple of inexcusable drops and a brutal fumble that derailed a potential scoring drive in the 2nd quarter helped turn an underwhelming fantasy day (4 REC/28 YDS) into a truly disastrous one. He'll remain a boom-or-bust TE1 when the Bears travel to MetLife Stadium to take on the Giants in Week 13.
Dishonorable Mentions: Greg Olsen (Panthers), Vance McDonald (Steelers), Austin Hooper (Falcons)

Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Ravens
Scores on a punt return and their lone takeaway against (a fumble recovery by Terrell Suggs) catapulted the Ravens, who also got 3 sacks and allowed 17 points in a victory over the Raiders, to the top of the D/ST leaderboard. They'll be a low-upside start for this Sunday's road tilt versus the Falcons.
Honorable Mentions: Saints, Bears, Broncos

LVP: Jaguars
Reason #12,014,953 why the Jags D have lost their mojo: They failed to show up against the F'n Bills. That's right, the unit formerly known as Sacksonville got 0 sacks or takeaways and surrendered 24 points to the most generous offense in all of fantasy football. If you've been blindly holding onto this band of stiffs with the hope that they were going to get their swag from a year ago back at some point this season, it's time to sever the god damn ties.
Dishonorable Mentions: Colts, Steelers, Packers

Week 11 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers (2018 Edition)

Quarterback
MVP: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)
You know you've had yourself a night in fantasy when you turn the ball over 5 times and still end up as the top scoring QB of the week. While his team came up short in an insane, exhilarating shootout with the Rams, Mahomes won the stat battle versus Jared Goff, finishing the night with 506 total YDS (478 passing, 28 rushing) and 6 TD's through the air. The Chiefs budding star QB has a date with the Raiders horrendous defense following a Week 12 bye.
Honorable Mentions: Jared Goff (Rams), Drew Brees (Saints), Cam Newton (Panthers)

LVP: Carson Wentz (Eagles) 
Wentz probably doesn't want to go back to the Superdome anytime soon after what transpired there on Sunday afternoon. The 3rd-year pro's nightmare outing was the catalyst for a truly pitiful  performance for the defending Super Bowl Champs in a 45-7 loss to the 9-1 Saints. He'll look to bounce back against a Giants defense he shredded for 278 YDS and 3 TD's back in Week 6.
Dishonorable Mentions: Deshaun Watson (Texans), Matt Ryan (Falcons) Matthew Stafford (Lions)

Running Back
MVP: Saquon Barkley (Giants) 
Tampa's hapless defense predictably got dominated by another talented back. The electric rookie was the top offensive option for the G-Men, turning his 29 touches into 152 scrimmage YDS (142 rushing, 10 receiving) and 3 TD's, in a 38-35 victory that brought them to 3-7 on the year. Barkley has been a hope-instilling bright spot for a Giants team that's headed towards a major rebuild and unless he completely flames out down the stretch, should finish the year as at least a top 10 fantasy RB.
Honorable Mentions: Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys), Phillip Lindsay (Broncos), Mark Ingram (Saints) 

LVP: Dalvin Cook (Vikings)
Cook had an undeniably brutal matchup against a Bears defense that has surrendered the least amount of fantasy points to running backs this season, but that can't be used an excuse for his epically putrid performance. He posted managed just 11 scrimmage YDS (12 rushing, -2 receiving) on 12 touches and lost a fumble in the redzone that pretty much derailed the Vikings offense until the last 12 minutes of the game. Outside of the occasional splash play, Cook has been abysmal when he's been healthy enough to play this season, and should be left out of starting lineups until he shows some semblance of consistency.
Dishonorable Mentions: Dion Lewis (Titans), James Conner (Steelers), Tarik Cohen (Bears) 

Wide Receiver 
MVP: Tyreek Hill (Chiefs)
The league's most lethal speedster at the receiver position proved why his game is built for modern NFL shootouts by torching the Rams D for 215 YDS and 2 TD's on 10 receptions. Cheetah is enjoying his best year as a pro with Mahomes at the helm and will remain on the WR1 radar with the fantasy playoffs right around the corner.
Honorable Mentions: T.Y. Hilton (Colts), Mike Evans (Buccaneers), D.J. Moore (Panthers)

LVP: Corey Davis (Titans)
A week after dismantling the Patriots, Davis reverted back to his usual unspectacular self. The Titans #1 wideout reeled in just 2 catches for 30 YDS and lost a yard on 1 carry during a seemingly inevitable blowout road loss to the Colts. If you exclude his pair of 100+ YD/1 TD explosions, he only has 29 receptions for 320 YDS and 0 TD's on the year. He's nothing but a shaky WR3 play at this point.
Dishonorable Mentions: Alshon Jeffrey (Eagles), Sterling Shepard (Giants), Amari Cooper (Cowboys)

Tight End
MVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
Look who topped the TE rankings again..... Kelce had himself a night against the Rams, securing 10 catches for 127 YDS and a TD. With the Raiders next up on the schedule, yet another MVP performance is well within the realm of possibility.
Honorable Mentions: Jordan Reed (Redskins), Jared Cook (Raiders), Vance McDonald (Steelers)

LVP: Eric Ebron (Colts)
Andrew Luck was rolling in Week 12 (297 YDS, 3 TD's), but Ebron got left out of the fun entirely. In fact, he wasn't even targeted in this 38-10 win over the comically erratic Titans. While his value is pretty much entirely dependent on TD's, Ebron should continue to be rolled out as a starter in deep leagues.
Dishonorable Mentions: Zach Ertz (Eagles), Trey Burton (Bears), Ricky Seals-Jones (Cardinals)


Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Rams
Yet another sign of the sheer absurdity that took place in Los Angeles last night is the fact that the Rams D was a fantasy monster while surrendering 45 points (the Chiefs defensive score doesn't count against their points allowed total). Hell, the 3 sacks, 3 INT's, 2 FUM REC's and 2 TD's they managed against the Chiefs lethal offense pretty much secured them the win. Despite this bizzaro explosion, they've been pretty terrible for the bulk of the season and aren't likely to be a consistent quality fantasy option the rest of the way.
Honorable Mentions: Bears, Texans, Colts

LVP: Chargers 
It makes zero sense that a defense that had been rolling for the past month suddenly cools off during the week where edge-rushing phenom Joey Bosa made his season debut. The Bolts mustered 0 sacks or takeaways in a surprising 23-22 home loss to the Broncos. A Week 12 tilt against a Cardinals offense that liberally turns the ball over (11 over the last 4 weeks) and struggles to keep their quarterback upright (15 sacks allowed in their last 4 games) should be enough to get them back on the right track.
Dishonorable Mentions: Ravens, Panthers Cardinals

Week 10 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers (2018 Edition)

Quarterback
MVP: Mitch Trubisky (Bears)
Trubisky turned in his best performance of 2018 so far against a depleted Lions D (355 passing YDS/4 total TD/1 2-PT CNV) in a pretty easy 34-22 victory for the NFC North-leading Bears. While his real life play has been very sloppy at times, Trubisky has been a fantasy monster this season, currently ranking 7th in scoring at the position, ahead of juggernauts including Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Andrew Luck. He'll look to keep rolling against a tough Vikings D on Sunday night.

Honorable Mentions: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers), Drew Brees (Saints), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)

LVP: Andy Dalton (Bengals)
Shocking development: Dalton put together a steaming turd of a performance in a creampuff matchup. While A.J. Green's absence had an undeniably detrimental effect on the overall flow of offense, finishing a home matchup against the Saints sieve of a secondary with just 153 YDS, 1 TD and 2 INT is simply baffling and appalling. The Bengals have a road tilt with the Ravens coming up in Week 11, so you can definitely keep the Red Rifle locked up in a safe where he belongs.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Tom Brady (Patriots), Phillip Rivers (Chargers) Alex Smith (Redskins)

Running Back

MVP: Nick Chubb (Browns)
It's miraculous what happens when you give your promising rookie running back more than 3 touches per game. The guy who former head coach Hue Jackson mostly forgot was on the depth chart until Carlos Hyde got traded to the Jaguars in mid-October posted an impressive 209 YDS from scrimmage and 2 TD's on 23 touches in interim coach Gregg Williams' 2nd game at the helm. Chubb will flirt with weekly RB1 status when the Browns return to action against the Bengals a week from Sunday. 

Honorable Mentions: Christian McCaffery (Panthers), Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys), David Johnson (Cardinals)

LVP: James White (Patriots)
Even beacons of consistency like White fail to deliver from time to time. The Patriots best offensive player by a mile so far this season was a complete non-factor against the Titans, registering just 26 YDS (31 receiving, -5 rushing) on 6 touches in an uncharacteristically ugly, non-September loss for Bill Belichick's squad. I'd be very surprised if White didn't have his mojo back by the time the Pats kick off their favorable late season schedule against the Jets in Week 12.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Jordan Howard (Bears), Sony Michel (Patriots), Austin Ekeler (Chargers)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Tyreek Hill (Chiefs)
After a couple of relatively quiet games in a row, Hill was back to embarrassing defenses in Week 11. The Chiefs speedster finished Sunday afternoon's contest against the lowly Cardinals with 7 REC/117 YDS/2 TD's and a 20-YD run on a jet sweep. Hill has a good chance of eating good this Monday night against the Rams poor secondary.  

Honorable Mentions: Allen Robinson (Bears), Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants), Michael Thomas (Saints)

LVP: Jarvis Landry (Browns)
The Browns offense was rolling on Sunday afternoon versus the Falcons with rookies Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb turning in huge performances. Jarvis Landry, however, was left out of the party, finishing the day with just 2 catches for 22 YDS. Juice has been thoroughly disappointing for most of 2018 and should be considered nothing more than a volume-dependent WR3 the rest of the way.

Dishonorable Mentions: Golden Tate (Eagles), Devin Funchess (Panthers), Christian Kirk (Cardinals) 

Tight End

MVP: Zach Ertz (Eagles)
Sunday night was very ugly for the Eagles as they lost at home to a Cowboys team that had been abysmal on the road prior to this game (0-4 with a -25 point differential). The lone bright spot for the defending Super Bowl Champs was Ertz, who posted a monstrous 14 catches for 145 YDS and 2 TD's, in the crushing defeat. With a matchup against the Saints on the horizon, look for Ertz to easily top the Week 11 TE projections. 

Honorable Mentions: Eric Ebron (Colts), Austin Hooper (Falcons), Vance McDonald (Steelers)

LVP: Jimmy Graham (Packers)
In a truly shocking development for this powerhouse position, a lot of tight end's underwhelmed with single catch, 5-20 YD performances this week. Of that stellar bunch, Graham's 1 REC/14 YD line was the most disappointing because it came against a poor Dolphins defense that allowed 5 TD's to TE's in their previous 4 games.   

Dishonorable Mentions: Benjamin Watson (Saints), O.J. Howard (Buccaneers), David Njoku (Browns)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Redskins
The Redskins ability to slow down a Bucs offense that was moving the ball freely (they finished the afternoon with 503 YDS of total offense) and force takeaways in the redzone turned a potentially ugly fantasy performance into a terrific one. Greg Manusky's troops mustered 2 INT's, 2 FUM REC's and 2 sacks in a 16-3 victory over a Tampa Bay team that makes less and less sense by the week. They'll face a much stiffer test against a redhot Texans squad this Sunday.

Honorable Mentions: Steelers, Packers, Chargers

LVP: Jets 
Leave it to the Jets to be the jabronis that get dominated by the bumbling turnover machine that is the Bills offense. Matt Barkley, who hadn't appeared in a regular season NFL game since 2016, led Buffalo to a hilarious 41-10 victory at the Medowlands on Sunday in which the Jets failed to take the ball away and only registered 1 sack. While there's definitely some promising talent on this group (particularly sophomore safety Jamal Adams), this colossal flop proved that they're not a viable fantasy option at the moment.

Dishonorable Mentions: Patriots, 49ers, Jaguars

Week 9 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers (2018 Edition)

Quarterback
MVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
Saints/Rams ended being the riveting shootout for the ages it was billed to be before a single down was played, so naturally the quarterback of the winning team had the best fantasy day. Brees was absolutely brilliant, throwing for 346 YDS and 4 TD while adding 16 rushing yards, on an afternoon where his team knocked off the league's last undefeated team . The league's all time passing leader will look to keep rolling against a very beatable Bengals secondary in Week 10.
Honorable Mentions: Jared Goff (Rams), Matt Ryan (Falcons), Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

LVP: Matthew Stafford (Lions)
A truly awful performance from the Lions o-line (10 sacks allowed) against the Vikings resulted in Stafford being under siege all game long. That non-stop pressure and regular trips to the turf were reflected in his thoroughly underwhelming statline (199 YDS, 0 TD and a lost fumble) in this disheartening loss. Matt Patricia's presence in Detroit hasn't been kind to Stafford (he's currently the 20th ranked QB in standard scoring leagues) and with a series of largely unfavorable matchups down the stretch, his owners should consider other options at the position if they haven't already.
Dishonorable Mentions: Kirk Cousins (Vikings), Mitch Trubisky (Bears), Derek Carr (Raiders)

Running Back
MVP: Kareem Hunt (Chiefs)
Hunt continued his recent tear on Sunday against the Browns, posting 141 scrimmage YDS (91 rushing, 50 receiving) and 3 total TD's on only 18 touches. Anyone who benefited from his last-minute slide out of the 1st round of fantasy drafts should be elated by his elite production thus far.
Honorable Mentions: Alvin Kamara (Saints), Christian McCaffery (Panthers), Tevin Coleman (Falcons)

LVP: Tarik Cohen (Bears)
A 28-0 halftime lead against the bumbling Bills had a negative effect on the workload of the Bears pass-catching back. Cohen ended up with just 13 YDS on 7 touches (6 carries, 1 reception) at New Era filed on Sunday afternoon. The gamescript should be much more favorable for The Human Joystick, who still leads the team in targets, this week in a divisional bout against the Lions.
Dishonorable Mentions: Mark Ingram (Saints), Kenyan Drake (Dolphins), Adrian Peterson (Redskins)

Wide Receiver 
MVP: Michael Thomas (Saints)
Alvin Kamara got the ball rolling early with 3 1st half TD's, but Thomas stole the show with an homage to Joe Horn's iconic 2003 "pull a flip phone from the goalpost" endzone celebration after the game-sealing score that capped off his 12 REC/211 YD performance in the best way possible. The 3rd year wideout has been a top 5-10 WR option all season long and has an excellent chance of having another huge day against a Bengals secondary that gets burned almost every week.
Honorable Mentions: Josh Gordon (Patriots), Julio Jones (Falcons), Brandin Cooks (Rams)

LVP: Mike Evans (Buccaneers)
Despite getting bombarded with targets (10), Evans was pretty much invisible against the Panthers, finishing with just 1 reception for 16 YDS. Tampa's top wideout will look to rebound versus a so-so Redskins secondary in Week 10.
Dishonorable Mentions: John Brown (Ravens), Tyler Lockett (Seahawks), Michael Crabtree (Ravens)

Tight End
MVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
Like Hunt, Kelce was once again a focal point of the Chiefs offense on Sunday against the Browns, hauling in 7 receptions for 99 YDS and 2 TD's. With Rob Gronkowski making far less of impact than usual, Kelce has been the clear top dog at the TE position this season and barring injury, there's no reason to believe he's going to lose that title in the final 7 weeks of the fantasy season. 
Honorable Mentions: O.J. Howard (Buccaneers), George Kittle (49ers), Greg Olsen (Panthers)

LVP: Jared Cook (Raiders)
This really isn't fair to Cook as Derek Carr's putrid play against the 49ers last Thursday night killed the chances of anyone on this offense having a productive game. Regardless of circumstances, Cook's 2 REC/20 YD performance in a highly favorable matchup still undoubtedly left his fantasy owners with a very bad taste in their mouths.  
Dishonorable Mentions: Kyle Rudolph (Vikings), Vance McDonald (Steelers), Jordan Reed (Redskins)

Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Bears
The endlessly generous fantasy defense charity otherwise known as the Bills offense was at again this week. With all-time bad QB Nathan Peterman forced to start in place of the injured Derek Anderson, the Khalil Mack-less Bears defense had themselves a grand old time, putting up 4 sacks, 3 INT, a fumble recovery and 2 TD's in a comically lopsided 41-9 victory. This group hasn't been great on the whole since Mack hurt his ankle early in their Week 6 loss to the Dolphins, so they'll be a somewhat risky start against the Lions this Sunday.  
Honorable Mentions: Dolphins, Vikings, Chargers

LVP: Redskins 
Washington's seemingly excellent defense got flat-out embarrassed by the Falcons on their home field. While they did manage a pair of sacks and pick off Matt Ryan once, the 38 points they allowed made them a terrible fantasy play. Look for them to put up better numbers against a Buccaneers offense that is about as good as anyone in the league at turning the ball over in spades.
Dishonorable Mentions: Ravens, Texans, Broncos 

Week 8 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers (2018 Edition)

Quarterback
MVP: Deshaun Watson (Texans)
Watson finally delivered an outing worthy of his high ADP. While his yardage total wasn't overly impressive (253), his 5 TD passes made his outing against the Dolphins a gift for his fantasy owners. The sophomore signalcaller has been a bit better of late, but will receive a serious test when the Texans travel to Denver this week.  
Honorable Mentions: Cam Newton (Panthers), Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Jared Goff (Rams)

LVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
Brees took a back seat (120 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT) on a night where the Vikings sloppy play (a fumble an INT and turnover on downs deep in their own territory) took them out of the game early in the 2nd half. The 39-year old should have much better numbers this Sunday when the Rams' undisciplined secondary come to the Superdome.
Dishonorabe Mentions: Jameis Winston (Buccaneers), Tom Brady (Patriots), Aaron Rodgers (Packers)

Running Back
MVP: James Conner (Steelers)
Move over Jimmy Haslam because the Browns have a new owner and his name is James Conner. The Steelers running back lit up the league's 30th ranked defense for 212 scrimmage YDS (146 rushing, 66 receiving) and a pair of rushing TD's on 29 touches. Conner finished the season series against Cleveland with 404 total YDS and 4 TD's, which goes a long way in showing why the Steelers haven't really missed Le'Veon Bell this season.
Honorable Mentions: Todd Gurley (Rams), Marlon Mack (Colts), Joe Mixon (Bengals)

LVP: Chris Thompson (Redskins)
The Redskins pass-catching back's return to the field after a multi-week absence was pretty uneventful. Thompson only managed 22 YDS (13 rushing, 9 receiving) on 5 touches in a blowout win over the Giants on Sunday afternoon. With Adrian Peterson handling early down work and yet another rib injury potentially limiting his upside, Thompson will be a very shaky start if he's healthy enough to play against the Falcons.
Dishonorable Mentions: Isaiah Crowell (Jets), Corey Clement (Eagles), Carlos Hyde (Jaguars)

Wide Receiver 
MVP: Mike Evans (Buccaneers)
Evans record his 2nd straight huge game by registering 179 YDS and a TD against the Bengals poor secondary. There will continue to be weeks where Evans underwhelms regardless of who is under center, but his role on a team that relies on a vertical passing attack to make plays and has a defense that can't slow anyone down is enough to make him a weekly WR2.
Honorable Mentions: Marvin Jones Jr. (Lions), Sammy Watkins (Chiefs), DeAndre Hopkins (Texans)

LVP: T.Y Hilton (Colts)
This is one of the more head-scratching failures of the season so far. On a day where Andrew Luck was sharp and just about every other healthy body in the Colts receiving corps was feasting against the Raiders laughably bad defense, Hilton reeled in just 1 catch for 34 YDS. The Colts undisputed top WR has a date with a banged-up Jaguars secondary in Week 10.
Dishonorable Mentions: JuJu Smith-Schuster (Steelers), Doug Baldwin (Seahawks), Kenny Golladay (Lions)

Tight End
MVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
Sammy Watkins was the king of the Chiefs offense this week, but Kelce still put together a nice performance against the Broncos on Sunday, finishing the day with 79 YDS and a TD on 6 receptions. 2018's top fantasy TE so far will be in the running for this honor yet again in Week 9 when the Chiefs square off against the Browns porous secondary.
Honorable Mentions: Jared Cook (Raiders), O.J. Howard (Buccaneers), Greg Olsen (Panthers)

LVP: David Njoku 
It was a very sad week for the tight end position with 3 notable starters putting up goose eggs, but no one had to wipe away more tears than Njoku. His only target against the Steelers was nullified by an offensive pass interference call, which helped make his donut the most disheartening of the bunch. Njoku, who has been notably better since Baker Mayfield became the starting QB, will look for redemption against the Chiefs horrific defense this Sunday.
Dishonorable Mentions: C.J. Uzomah (Bengals), Benjamin Watson (Saints), Jimmy Graham (Packers)

Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Patriots 
The Bills talent-barren offense continue to provide opposing defenses with golden opportunities to murder them. The Patriots slow, generally untalented defense looked like the '85 Bears against Derek Anderson and co., posting 3 sacks, an INT, a fumble recovery and a TD in a 25-6 victory on Monday Night Football. This dominance will likely become a distant memory when they square off against the Packers this Sunday night.
Honorable Mentions: Bengals, Redskins, Saints

LVP: Ravens
The league's top scoring defense got absolutely destroyed by the Panthers, registering 0 sacks or takeaways in an ugly 36-21 loss on Sunday. They won't be a strong play for their Week 9 home tilt against the Steelers.
Dishonorable Mentions: Colts, Vikings, Texans