Quarterback
MVP: Jalen Hurts (Eagles)
A week after Hurts showed his elite rushing ability, he reminded everybody that he can be just as deadly with his arm. The MVP candidate shredded the Titans porous secondary for 380 YDS and 3 TD's and picked up another 12 YDS and a TD in a huge blowout win for the now 11-1 Eagles. Hurts will look to stretch this hot streak to 3 games when he goes up against the Giants on Sunday.
Honorable Mentions: Joe Burrow (Bengals), Geno Smith (Seahawks), Justin Fields (Bears)
LVP: Kirk Cousins (Vikings)
The Vikings may have pulled out the win in a fun shootout with the Jets on Sunday, but Cousins didn't play a big role in the decision as he had one of his quietest games of the year (173 YDS/1 TD/9 Rushing YDS) against one of the league's best pass defenses/rushes. Cousins has an elite bounceback opportunity in Week 14 when he squares off against a Lions defense that he threw for 260 YDS and 2 TD's against back in Week 3.
Dishonorable Mentions: Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars), Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins), Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
Running Back
MVP: Christian McCaffery (49ers)
With Jimmy Garoppolo sustaining a broken foot early in the 1st quarter, the Brock Purdy-led 49ers offense fed McCaffery and he took full advantage of the heavy workload-registering 146 scrimmage YDS and a TD catch on 25 touches (17 carries, 8 receptions). If McCaffery can handle the physical toll of receiving such a large workload every week, this final stretch of the 2022 season could look a lot like his unreal 2018/19 campaigns in Carolina.
Honorable Mentions: Tony Pollard (Cowboys), D'Andre Swift (Lions), AJ Dillon (Packers)
LVP: Derrick Henry (Titans)
A combination of horrible game script and shocking ineffectiveness against a notably terrible Eagles run defense led Henry to the top of the fantasy RB dud list. He mustered just 38 YDS on 13 total touches in a 2nd consecutive demoralizing loss for the AFC South-leading Titans. If Henry flops again against the Jaguars in Week 14, the narrative about the wear and tear of the comically heavy workload he's received dating all the way back to Alabama finally catching up with him will really grow legs.
Dishonorable Mentions: Alvin Kamara (Saints), Travis Etienne (Jaguars), Raheem Mostert (Dolphins)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Davante Adams (Raiders)
The Raiders have started to turn things around over the past few weeks and Adams' return to the level of consistent dominance he showed during his time with the Packers is among the biggest reasons why. Brandon Staley could only watch in horror as his banged-up, below average secondary got repeatedly carved up by Adams-who finished the day with an absurd 177 YDS and 2 TD's on 8 catches. A downtrodden Rams secondary coming off an awful showing versus the Seahawks will be the next team tasked with trying to slow down a fully locked-in Adams.
Honorable Mentions: Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions), A.J. Brown (Eagles), Tyreek Hill (Dolphins)
LVP: Michael Pittman Jr. (Colts)
Even before things spiraled completely out of control for the Colts during that disastrous 4th quarter in which they allowed 33 points, Pittman Jr. was having a miserable evening against the Cowboys. The Colts top wideout was limited to 4 targets and ended up catching just 2 passes for 16 YDS in a game where every Colts receiver not named Alec Pierce was basically invisible to Matt Ryan. Heading into the Colts long-awaited bye week, Pittman Jr. has been underwhelming (76 REC/755 YDS/2 TD's) for a guy with a top 30-35 ADP and considering how bad the Colts offense has looked for most of the year, it would be naive to expect his final 3 games of the fantasy season to be overly noteworthy.
Dishonorable Mentions: Adam Thielen (Vikings), Jakobi Meyers (Patriots), George Pickens (Steelers)
Tight End
MVP: Evan Engram (Jaguars)
For the 2nd time this season, Trevor Lawrence flopped in the game after the NFL fan and media community had declared that the #1 pick in the 2021 draft had finally arrived as an elite quarterback. Fortunately for those bold enough to start Engram, the 6th-year tight end was on the receiving end of Lawrence's lone TD pass against the Lions and that addition to his otherwise average statline (5 REC/30 YDS) was enough to make him king of the TE's in a particularly mediocre week for the position.
Honorable Mentions: Gerald Everett (Chargers), Cole Kmet (Bears), Pat Freiermuth (Steelers)
LVP: Dawson Knox (Bills)
So much for Knox taking advantage of the Patriots recent struggles against tight ends... It was hard to tell if Knox was even on the field for most of the game as the Bills leaned heavily on the run and Stefon Diggs, and that belief is cemented by the lone target he received from Josh Allen and the big fat donut he put up on the stat sheet. Knox should be benched for the Bills crucial Week 14 contest with the Jets.
Dishonorable Mentions: George Kittle (49ers), Tyler Higbee (Rams), Dalton Schultz (Cowboys)
Defense/Special Teams:
MVP: Browns
Defense and special teams were almost exclusively the reason the Browns crushed the Texans by a score of 30-14 on Sunday. A Donovan Peoples-Jones punt return and Denzel Ward fumble recovery were the sole TD's the Browns scored on Sunday and the 3 additional takeaways (2 INT's, FUM REC) were pivotal in setting up the Cade York field goals that accounted for the rest of their scoring on a day where Deshaun Watson looked exactly like a man who hadn't played football in nearly 2 years after he was exposed as a serial sexual predator. Considering how terrible the Bengals have played against them recently, it might be worth keeping them around for Week 14.
Honorable Mentions: Cowboys, 49ers, Eagles
LVP: Chiefs
While they fortunately were able to avoid finishing with negative points thanks to their ability to hold them to field goals late in the game, the Chiefs defense had a very nondescript, if not uninspiring performance in their 27-24 loss to the Bengals. Outside of a lone sack of Joe Burrow by rookie George Karlaftis, they made zero impact plays and had a hard time containing the pass and rush outside of the redzone all game long. This up-and-down group should fare far better this week against the lifeless Broncos offense.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jets, Buccaneers, Patriots
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