FANTASY MVP

1. DeAngelo Williams- 1639 Total Yards / 20 TDs
This man was easily the best fantasy player of 2008.  Williams was the only RB to hit 20 TDs and he scored 15 of them in the final eight games. He tied Jim Brown's record for touchdowns of 30 yards or more with seven.  The record had stood for 50 years, putting into perspective Williams' explosive year.  This was amongst the best fantasy seasons ever considering how DeAnge came up huge down the stretch, when it mattered most.  As for the question of who came up with "Smash and Dash" first, watch this… www.NamesWeCanBelieveIn.com

2. Drew Brees- 5069 Pass Yards / 34 TDs / 17 INTs
There is no question who was the best QB in the NFL and fantasy this season.  Brees did not distance himself from the pack at his position quite like Deangelo but he was the leader in QB fantasy points for the majority of the season.  Of the early round QBs, Brees was the only one to come through; Tom Brady got injured Week 1, Tony Romo had his injury and struggled at times, Peyton Manning took a while to get going, and Carson Palmer was abysmal. 

3. Michael Turner- 1740 Total Yards / 17 TDs
For the first half of the season Turner was thought of as a back that could only produce against bad defenses, despite his huge fantasy numbers.  Well, the weak defenses kept coming and Turner kept crushing expectations.  Burner faced tougher defenses in the fantasy playoffs and blew their doors off.  Truly a fantasy gem in 08'.  

BIGGEST BUST

1. Joseph Addai- 740 Total Yards / 7 TDs
Addai was a consensus Top-6 draft pick but didn’t crack the Top-25 in RB fantasy points in any league format.  He was oft-injured and did not perform as a RB1 at any point while he was playing. He rarely even produced as a flex to be honest.  Even as the Colts offense regained its swagger, Addai dragged behind.

2. Braylon Edwards- 877 Rec Yards / 3 TDs
For someone who wasn't injured and ran the same offense with the same players as last year, this season was utterly pathetic.  He scored one fifth the number of touchdowns he did last season and finished 26th in the league in receiving yards.  Drops were again a huge problem for Edwards.  His drive and commitment to improve his game are in question.

3. Chad Ocho Cinco- 540 Rec Yards / 4 TDs
You can partially blame these numbers on poor QB play and an aggravated shoulder, but these problems should not have equaled a decrease in Cinco's receiving yards by nearly two-thirds from last year. The days of league-wide respect for Chad's skills are long gone.   

ALL-FANTASY: FIRST TEAM

QB       Drew Brees- 5069 Pass Yards / 34 TDs / 17 INTs
RB        DeAngelo Williams- 1639 Total Yards / 20 TDs
RB        Michael Turner- 1740 Total Yards / 17 TDs
WR       Larry Fitzgerald- 1431 Rec Yards / 12 TDs
WR       Andre Johnson- 1575 Rec Yards / 8 TDs
TE        Tony Gonzalez- 1058 Rec Yards / 10 TDs
DEF      Pittsburgh Steelers
K          Stephen Gostkowski

ALL-FANTASY: SECOND TEAM

QB       Philip Rivers- 4009 Pass Yards / 34 TDs / 11 INTs
RB        Thomas Jones- 1519 Total Yards / 15 TDs
RB        Matt Forte- 1715 Total Yards / 12 TDs
WR       Calvin Johnson- 1331 Rec Yards / 12 TDs
WR       Greg Jennings- 1292 Rec Yards / 9 TDs
TE        Antonio Gates- 704 Rec Yards / 8 TDs
DEF      Baltimore Ravens
K          David Akers

BEST DRAFT VALUE

1. DeAngelo Williams- ADP: Rd 6 pick 6
Getting the No. 1 running back in the sixth round is the heist of the century.  The only other RB in fantasy history to be picked in the sixth round or later, and score 20 TDs or more, was Larry Johnson in 2005.

2. Philip Rivers- ADP: Rd 12 pick 2
We cannot remember the last time there were so many late round QBs that became fantasy starters.  Rivers started off hot and never slowed down.  An amazing and improbable year when you consider Rivers had off-season surgery to repair a torn ACL.

3. Aaron Rodgers- ADP: Rd 12 pick 8
It was risky to pull the trigger on Rodgers because, although there was great news about his abilities in camp and practice, he had not played a full regular season game before this season.  You got the feeling the Packers new they had something by letting go of Favre and they were right.  Four rushing TDs helped push Rodgers into the Top-5 in fantasy points. 

WORST DRAFT VALUE

1. Chad Johnson- ADP: Rd 3 pick 10
Ocho Cinco was absolutely the Dulk of the Year and a waste of a third round pick.  He averaged a paltry 41.5 yards per game, failing to top 57 yards until Week 14 (79 yards).  He scored only four TDs with two of them coming in one game.  This production is simply not acceptable from an early round pick, whether his quarterback was hurt or not.  And the worst part is, dude still thinks he’s God’s gift.  Chad needs shoulder surgery, a healthy Palmer and/or a change of scenery to succeed in 09’.

2. Plaxico Burress- ADP: Rd 3 pick 4
What a buckin fozo! (bozo)  Unbelievable how stupid the Plaxes, Pacmans and Chris Henries are of this league.  Cheddar Bob, I mean Plaxico, did very little after his HUGE and promising opening night, in which he owned Washington for 10 catches, 133 yards.  It’s always nice to see the NFC’s top squad hulk up without this moron.

3. Darren McFadden- ADP: Rd 4 pick 9 / Laurence Maroney- ADP: Rd 3 pick 1
If you wanted one of these guys, you had to spend a third or fourth round pick.  I’m sure glad I didn’t draft either one, because the return on the investment was non-existent.  A few things to remember here: McFadden is not Adrian Peterson and Maroney is just a softy talent teaser.  With that said, I’ll still take McFadden next year at the right price, but Maroney simply can’t be trusted as anything more than a late-round flier.

4. Jeremy Shockey- ADP: Rd 6 pick 7
I couldn’t resist listing this bitch hulk’s name on here, after scoring zero TDs.  He was supposed to put up monster numbers reuniting with Sean Payton and catching passes from Drew Brees.  Instead, he was banged up all year and did nothing but complain along the way.  Also it’s worth noting that Billy Miller trumped this dulk.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

1. Matt Forte- 1715 Total Yards / 12 TDs
I regret drafting upside guys like Ronnie Brown and Jonathan Stewart over Forte, while my colleague Kerry Dolan scooped the Bears rookie in multiple leagues. Forte was the model of consistency at his position, averaging 107 total yards per game and scoring 12 total touchdowns. His 1,715 total yards equaled 36 percent of the Bears total offense. One of my favorite stats is his 63 catches, which led the team. He finished No. 3 overall running back in standard scoring leagues and No. 1 in PPR, which leads us to believe he’ll be a top-5 pick in 2009.

2. Steve Slaton- 1659 Total Yards / 10 TDs
The rook is an undersized Westbrook-like hulk with a nose for the endzone.  After all, he did score 50-somethin’ touchdowns in three years at West Virginia, in case you didn’t know.  Slaton also led the NFL in 4th quarter rushing yards this year, which is impressive given his size and heavy workload.  Sky is the limit for he and the Texans offense next season, plain and simple.

3. Chris “Silky” Johnson- 1488 Total Yards / 10 TDs
Anyone who grabbed this dread-locked speedster in the 7-8 round range was rewarded mightily, as the matchup-proof rookie posted nearly 1500 total yards and 10 tds (in only 15 games). Shame on those who hated on the Titans selecting him over a wide receiver in the first round of April's NFL draft. Where would Tennessee be without him? Its also worth asking, where would LenDale White's TD total be without Johnson? If you ask us, White wouldn't have more than half of his 15 touchdowns if not for Johnson, who makes this offense go. Silky J does all the work, while White just vultures scores at the stripe, which is the only thing holding Johnson back from ruling the world.

WAIVER WONDER OF THE YEAR

1. Steve Slaton- 1659 Total Yards / 10 TDs
We realize Slaton was a late-round draft pick in at least half of fantasy leagues, but he was a big time waiver pickup in the rest.  Houston Hulk… 

2. Matt Cassel- 3693 Pass Yards / 21 TDs / 11 INTs / 270 Rushing Yards / 2 TDs
The Medieval Cassel finished as the No. 6 overall quarterback, ahead of guys like Romo, Favre, and Roethlisberger.  He managed to keep Randy Moss and Wes Welker’s numbers alive and well, while producing a few career days of his own.  Cassel came up big in the fantasy playoffs, going for 831 yards and eight touchdowns in Weeks 14-16.

3. Antonio Bryant- 1248 Rec Yards / 7 TDs … Lance Moore- 928 Rec Yards / 10 TDs
These two were the ultimate waiver wideout hulks, both out-producing top dog Reggie Wayne (standard scoring).  In addition to Wayne, Bryant also outscored the likes of T.O., Randy Moss, and Brandon Marshall.  Bryant killed it when it mattered most – in the fantasy playoffs.  Meanwhile, Moore was Drew Brees’ favorite target all season long, to the tune of 10 touchdowns.