Fantasy Football 2017 Season Recap
As fantasy football comes to a close, we’ll look back at some of the best overall performing players, many of this year’s disappointments, as well a few individuals who were able to make a name for themselves this year. Right off the bat, we’ll turn our attention towards this year’s fantasy MVP, Todd Gurley. The Los Angeles Rams running back averaged an even 20.0 points per game, which was a league best in that position. Gurley’s historic season was highlighted by back to back games of 42 and 39.6, both of which came during the final two rounds of this year’s fantasy football playoffs. If you got the opportunity to acquire Gurley, especially late in the season, it’s a likely assumption that you were able to win your league championship.
My fantasy quarterback of the year undoubtedly goes to Seattle Seahawks quarterback, Russell Wilson. Wilson averaged a whopping 21.7 points per game, even while playing behind a well below-average offensive line. Wilson came into this season struggling, scoring only 23 points over the first two weeks of the year, but almost immediately turned his quality of play around by throwing for 33.5 points the very next game. Wilson has been notorious for being one of the more mobile players in his position. He further proved this by adding a generous amount of rushing yards every game, while occasionally getting into the endzone himself. Wilson even accounted for his team’s meager run game, as he led the Seahawks in total rushing. Wilson’s dazzling versatility would certainly have been a key factor in awarding your team with a high seed in this year’s playoff bracket.
I had trouble deciding on a fantasy wide receiver of the year. Both DeAndre Hopkins and Antonio Brown had incredible seasons, with Brown leading the league in receiving yards, while Hopkins did the same with touchdowns. In the end, I give my vote to Hopkins, not only because he averaged 0.3 points more than Brown, but also because he remained the top wide receiver in the league despite his having to catch passes from two different backup quarterbacks for the majority of the season. Hopkin’s season was highlighted by a 200+ yard game against a stout Seattle defense which resulted in nearly a 30 point game. Even though he may have helped give your team a spot in your league’s championship, you may have been prevented from winning as he was ruled out week 17 due to an injury. Nevertheless, DeAndre has solidified his role as the best in the game, at least for this year.
In my opinion, and according to the opinion of several other fantasy football analysts, the fantasy let down of the year should most certainly be awarded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver, Mike Evans. The former Texas A&M superstar endured a slump like no other during the 2017 season, averaging a depressing 8.3 points per game. Just one season ago, Evans produced outstanding numbers, which resulted in him being the top fantasy wideout in the league, furthermore leading to him being a mid first round pick prior to this season’s draft. As the season progressed, fantasy football contestants slowly began to realize that investing a first rounder, the former top receiver in the league was a dire mistake, as Evans ended up as the 20th overall player in his position, meaning that he was barely even worth a third rounder.
On a more positive a more positive note, the 2017 season welcomed one of the greatest fantasy sleepers we’ve seen in years. At the very start of the year, the former running back out of Tennessee, Alvin Kamara, was worth nothing more than a late 6th round pick. In your typical league, it was common to find Kamara in waivers during the first four weeks of the year. But following the Saint’s trading of Adrian Peterson, Kamara was gifted with the opportunity of the lifetime. The very thought of bringing down Kamara struck fear in the hearts of opposing linebackers. New Orleans used Kamara as much as they could, running the ball with him, splitting him out and throwing to him, and even utilizing him as a special teams weapon. Even with subpar opportunities during the first four weeks of the year, Kamara was able to average 15.0 points per game, topping off his season with 24.8 points in week 17, awarding many of his owners with a 2017 fantasy football championship.