With most of the fantasy season in the rearview mirror, let’s take a moment to celebrate the players who have had the greatest influence on fantasy football in 2014.
Fantasy MVP
Toward the end of the preseason, the draft stock of Le’Veon Bell (RB, Steelers) began to plummet for reasons unrelated to his ability to play football. Bell slipped into the late second and early third rounds of fantasy drafts, and those wise enough to pick him there were rewarded when Bell demonstrated as much talent as any other RB in the league while providing consistent fantasy production. But, what really makes Bell the fantasy MVP is the fact that he’d been waiting until the fantasy playoffs to truly explode, ensuring many of those that picked him were in position to win their league’s championship.
Honorable Mentions
DeMarco Murray (RB, Cowboys), Antonio Brown (WR, Steelers)
Most Impressive Sleeper
As an injured rookie perceived to be a secondary option in the offense, Odell Beckham Jr. (WR, Giants) was likely sitting in free agency for the first four to six weeks of the season. However, once healthy, Beckham became a game breaker, making historically great catches while putting up ridiculous stat lines. He has been a true joy to watch, but the truly joyous were those who acquired him for nothing in their fantasy league.
Honorable Mentions
Justin Forsett (RB, Ravens), Jeremy Hill (RB, Bengals), Mike Evans (WR, Buccaneers)
Most Disappointing Player
Despite having a decent season on the surface, no one cost his owners quite as much as LeSean McCoy (RB, Eagles). He had sky-high expectations and would flash just enough week after week to stay in the starting lineup, but he never came close to living up to the preseason hype and completely faded during the fantasy playoffs.
Dishonorable Mentions
Adrian Peterson (RB, Vikings), Vincent Jackson (WR, Buccaneers)
Alex Case is amNY’s fantasy football columnist.
