My USA Today Article (1 Viewer)

[ScottyFargo]

MVP: Clinton Portin. Far exceeded expectations related to his draft pick, leading the league in rushing yards.

Bust: Ryan Grant. O.k., you can say L.J., Ocho-Cinco, or Braylon Edwards, and you wouldn't necessarily be wrong, but here's why he's the biggest bust. For all the talk of Grant being the best RB over the last 8 games of last season and his great performance against the Seahawks in the playoffs last year, expectations were high. For anyone who didn't believe he would repeat they believed it would be because Favre wasn't there anymore and Rodgers would fall on his face. Well, Rodgers is doing about as well as you would expect Favre to have done in his stead, but here we are, eight weeks into the season and what's Grant done?

Most Improved: Roddy White. You can count on him weekly, last year he was an afterthought.

Best Value: Matt Forte. Six TDs, 738 yards from scrimmage. Plays for the Bears so you shouldn't have been expecting much, right?

 

[MCguidance]

MVP - Portis

Bust - LJ

Most improved - Gore

Best Value - Warner

 

[gigantor]

MVP - Portis

Bust - Braylon

Most Improved - Orton

Best Value - Forte / Santana

 

[David Yudkin]

Haven't read the others to have a fresh perspective on my end . . .

MVP: Clinton Portis

Leading the fantasy world in VBD score at 79 and should set a career best in rushing yards. Only 4 others have a VBD score over 50 (Barber 66, Brees 61, Gore 59, Rivers 58). Portis has become a key cog in the Redskins offense, but he's got a much tuogher schedule down the stretch.

Bust: Chad Ocho Cinco

Johnson has been a perennial Top 10 receiver with multiple Top 5 seasons. He's played every week but has fallen to #42 in the rankings. His shoulder hasn't helped his cause (and neither has Palmer's injury), but he's still out there every week and underwhelming many fantasy teams.

Most Improved: Kyle Orton

Orton languished in relative obscurity over the past three seasons, amassing 0 games of 20 fantasy points scored in 18 games played for the Bears. He's now scored 20 points or more in 4 of his last 5 games (and just missed the other game). Who would have thought that he would outproduce Peyton Manning up until this point?

Best Value: Steve Slaton

He's been a regular contributor for the Texans. He's produced as a RB1 in 12-team leagues, which represents exceptional value for a very late round pick or waiver wire pick up. With Houston's offense churning along as (surprisingly) a Top 5 offensive unit, there's enough production to go around for Slaton to rack up excellent production while sharing the wealth.

 

[831hoops]

I think everything should be decided using VBD pricipls. Use a 12 team league w/QB/2RB/3WR/TE line ups. MVP is obviously the guy with the highest VBD value. Biggest bust has to be a guy drafted in the first 3 rounds with the biggest difference between his ADP and present draft position. Best value would be the opposite of biggest bust. MIP, my guess would be the player who has improved the most from last year. From this....

MVP: Portis or MB3 with AJohnson close as well but it has to be Portis or MB3 depending on the scoring system you use.

Bust: I would guess Braylon. NOt really sure as I don't have the ADP's and don't want to waste my time running the numbers.

Best Value: Again, need ADP's. SCanning top scorers QB: Rodgers/Warner/Orton. RB:Forte/CJ3/Slaton.

MIP: See bust. Too much work for this thread. I'm sure someone here is better equipped to run these more efficiently than me.

I think it makes sense to use VBD to pick these.

 

[hellz_fireflies]

I know this is MVP overall and I say Brees..but if for a team no doubt its Romo as a MVP..Dallas is chit without him!

 

[hellz_fireflies]

I love this thread, as always the best threads are by the best in FF.

I hope USA Today sells 40k more in sales this Thursday..and David can be a regular reporter for USA Today reporting on FF on a weekly basic and asking us questions! Love it.

I will indeed buy USA Today this Thursday...been along time since internet started up my last buy.

 

[BigDave]

MVP Portis -Rips the team in week one and gets eaten up by the press. Guess what boys, he's a stud this year!

Biggest Bust - Addai- drafted very high and has been very disapointing.

Most Improved-Barber-Took over as starter and is on pace for record year. Stepped up BIG time!

Best Value-I have to concur with Warner. Picked him up off WW in week 1

 

[ceisenhower66]

Congrats on getting to write the article. This is tough! I'll give my picks before I see what others said.

MVP: Clinton Portis. Has equal value in PPR and non-PPR and is very consistent. (Also considered: Barber, Gore, Rivers, and Brees - all scoring well above the next tier of guys at their position; no WR really stand above the pack at this point)

Biggest Bust: Torry Holt. Probably drafted in the first three rounds and has done less than even Chad Johnson, Joseph Addai, and Larry Johnson.

Most Improved: Santana Moss. He had 100 points total last year in non-PPR leagues and 172 in PPR (55 of them in weeks 15-17, when it doesn't really matter). He has 102 points in non-PPR and 148 in PPR this year through week 8. (Also considered: Orton and Rodgers)

Best Value: Rookie RBs in general. Forte, C. Johnson, and Slaton all rank in the top 15 in non-PPR leagues and top 10 in PPR leagues. If I had to pick one, I would go with Slaton who often went much later than the other two (and was even undrafted at times). They've outscored many bigger names taken much higher in drafts. Johnathan Stewart hasn't been too shabby either.

 

[Orlando RMF]

MVP - Clinton PortisBiggest Bust - Ryan GrantMost Improved - Roddy White, Kyle Orton, Santan MossBest Value - Kurt Warner

MVP - Brees Biggest Bust (non-injury) - Randy Moss - Definitely not 1st round numbersMost Improved - Roddy WhiteBest Value - Kurt Warner - I got him with the 20th round, 18th round, 12th round - in one league he went undrafted. A top 3 QB at this point!!

 

[Oscar]

MVP - Clinton Portis (no question)

Biggest Bust - Braylon Edwards or Joseph Addai

Most Improved - Santana Moss

Best Value - Kurt Warner

 

[831hoops]

MVP - Clinton PortisBiggest Bust - Ryan GrantMost Improved - Roddy White, Kyle Orton, Santan MossBest Value - Kurt Warner

MVP - Brees Biggest Bust (non-injury) - Randy Moss - Definitely not 1st round numbersMost Improved - Roddy WhiteBest Value - Kurt Warner - I got him with the 20th round, 18th round, 12th round - in one league he went undrafted. A top 3 QB at this point!!

Brees VBD # is in the 40's at this point. There are probably a dozen guys at RB/WR over 60.

 

[H8fulHuck]

I have a nice opportunity to write a small article for the USA Today newspaper. The article will be 400-450 words and the slant they are looking for is mid-year fantasy awards. Specifically they want these four categories:

MVP

Biggest Bust (non-season-ending injury...ie don't want guys like Brady here)

Most Improved

Best Value

Obviously I could just sit down and pen this, but I thought I would probably end up with a better article if I took input from the boards. Besides naming names for the above awards, let's hear your reasons on why they deserve them.

I owe the article by 4pm ET on Wednesday and it will appear in the Thursday edition. Thanks in advance for those that help me create this.

I didn't go through all of the suggestions, but it would be a more interesting read to me if you include MVP for each major position. When I see an article or show that only picks one player, it excludes too much and doesn't fill me up. (not sure if that makes any sense)My suggestions:

MVP

Drew Brees (it may be Rivers by the numbers in many FF scoring formats, but Brees is a great player to watch and root for) who would have thought Drew could put up the numbers he has without Colston, Shockey and now he did it again without the services of Bush. How many QB's in the history of the league can do as much with a revolving door supporting him? Favre and McNabb come to mind. It's hard not to love him.

Portis Consistent. Heart of the offense. Others have posted enough about this guy.

Boldin Despite the injury, he puts up more fantasy points per week than any other. One tough SOB. Anyone who doesn't like Quan doesn't own him in any of their leagues. What he has done is unprecidented and it is a great story.

Witten Amazing talent at TE and an integral part of the offense.

Biggest Bust

DAnderson High expectations made him a costly pick in most drafts that would have been better spent elsewhere. Who would have thought his production would be this terrible despite not losing the starting gig?...I guess the organization isn't as high on Quinn as we all thought. With Braylan, Winslow and Stallworth most QBs would have done more. (Those voting for Peyton are still starting him in their leagues, so he is at least playable) Hasslebeck is another great BUST choice.

Larry Johnson just brutal. He showed some flash for a game and a half, otherwise, he's in everyone's dog house that drafted him.

Holt by a whisker over Ocho Cinco because it is harder to explain why Holt is underperforming. Other #1 receivers get double teamed and manage to overcome it. Holt has been flat out unstartable every week.

Winslow Guy doesn't have his head on straight and really hurt teams that drafted him expecting top 3 production.

Most Improved

Kyle Orton that's right Kyle freaking Orton. Give the man his props for Christ's sake! It is easy to look at Rivers and Cutler and say they are doing well, but who in the room drafted a Bears wideout as a #3 or even #4 WR? Were they even drafted in leagues with small rosters? The expectations were for failure and Orton is the #10 fantasy QB in my main league. (and No, I haven't started him in my league over Warner this season.)

White Lendale that is. Really improved his performance while sharing the load with CJ. (Rookies don't qualify imo, so Forte isn't an option)

White it must be in the name. He is a great story. Others have posted enough about him. MiniMoss is a close 2nd but he is the definition of good year/bad year WR - I'm already afraid to draft him again next season!!!

Owen Daniels especially in PPR leagues. (I'm literally kicking myself for taking him out of my lineup for the $35,000 contest on the last day.) He has exceeded expectations and proven himself as one of the best fantasy TE in the league. He won't be as cheap next year.

Best Value

Kurt Warner drafted as a #2 in most leagues (I drafted him as my #3 knowing he was actually my #1---the perfect draft article comes to fruition) You know the story for Kurt.

Forte many doubters stayed away from this guy only to see him become a true workhorse back coveted by all. Excellent value in the middle rounds.

MiniMoss (Avery may be the actual best value as an undrafted free agent but he didn't hit the fan till week 4)

Owen Daniels again as he is the best TE you could draft after round 5 (actually drafted closer to round 10) Love that value!

 

[H8fulHuck]

After reading through the other suggestions, I think MiniMoss is the better choice over White as most improved WR. It's really a no brainer. I think the improvement for White is in people's minds that he is now a legit #1 wideout.

 

[baconisgood]

MVP

Portis is pretty much a no brainer in Non PPR leagues. Brees has been great but hes still even with Rodgers in PPG since Rodgers has had his bye.

Bust

Tory Holt gets my vote. LJ has been bad but has at least had two big weeks and you knew not to start him the past few weeks. Holts been worse than CJ/COC and due to injury concerns with CJ was drafted in a similar spot.

Most improved.

Orton deserves some consideration, but since its fantasy you probably didn't start actually thinking about starting him till after week 4, and didn't actually do it until after week 5 or 6. Cheap one- Micheal Turner in terms of more pts than last year and starting every game for you, otherwise its got to be Kyle.

Best Value.

Rodgers or Warner. Whoever was drafted lower- prior to Warner (finally) being awarded the starting gig he gets it, post then Rodgers. Slaton- you could have easily missed his 18 pts in week 3, Rodgers or Warner were legit starts every week.

 

[[scooter]]

Biggest Bust (non-season-ending injury...ie don't want guys like Brady here)

Then I would also try not to include guys like Randy Moss, Chad Johnson, Torry Holt, or even Larry Johnson: all were affected by injuries to teammates (or just poor play by others).

 

[Fantasy Bum]

Many of you need to get your heads out your arses and realize Roddy White had his breakout season last year with 83 catches, 1202 yards, and 6 TD's. In no way does he qualify as most improved player. Last year....Yes! This year he qualifies more for the Best Value Award as his average ADP was between the 6th and 8th round of most drafts.

MVP: Portis/Brees

Bust: Braylon Edwards

Most improved: Santana Moss/Kyle Orton

Best Value: Roddy White/Chris Johnson/Kurt Warner

 

[Tau837]

I think some people in here are getting confused between midseason awards based on fantasy performance vs. midseason awards based on NFL performance. My understanding is this article is about fantasy performance.

MVP:

It seems that the names most often mentioned in the thread so far are Brees and Portis. I don't see how anyone could possibly vote Brees over Rivers at this point. I am in two fantasy leagues, and Rivers is the #1 fantasy scorer in one of them, leading Brees by 1.4 fantasy points... in the other, Brees is the top fantasy scorer, leading Rivers by 4 fantasy points. FBG scoring has Brees #1 and Rivers #2, 2 points behind Brees.

But here is the thing... in late August, Brees' ADP was QB4 and 20th overall, while Rivers' was QB15 and player #102 overall. So if a fantasy team drafted Brees, they probably used a second round pick. If a fantasy team drafted Rivers as a starter, it used a much later pick, enabling it to get better value elsewhere. How can Brees possibly be considered more valuable from a fantasy perspective? MVP does mean Most Valuable Player, right?

A similar argument holds for Rivers vs. Portis. In late August, he was being drafted as RB8 and the 10th overall player. OK, so Portis is performing 7-9 spots ahead of his draft position... but Rivers is performing 7-9 rounds ahead of his draft position.

 

[Chicago Hooligan]

Maroney going on IR puts him out of the running for biggest bust award, but he was worthless even before that. Granted, he wasn't a top pick, but he was ranked in the Top 20 RBs and contributed nothing for owners who drafted him.

 

[thriftyrocker]

Orton shouldn't be mentioned. He is a low end #1 not appreciably better than Pennington, Campbell, and other guys not drafted. Maybe NFL most improved, but not fantasy.

MVP: Westbrook - No one mentioned Westbrook so I figured I had to. Money almost every week he played, and his handcuff was money each time he didn't.

Bust: Edwards - Holt is worse but wasn't as costly a mistake. From top 3 to a bye week fill-in.

Most improved: Rivers - Afterthought at QB has become top 3.

Best value: Slaton and Chris Johnson - The story of the year is the rookie RBs and which ones have hit.

 

[Tau837]

Seems to me that Bust of the Year so far would have to be a player taken in the first round. In late August, the ADP list looked like this, according to FBG:

1 LaDainian Tomlinson

2 Adrian Peterson

3 Brian Westbrook

4 Joseph Addai

5 Steven Jackson

6 Tom Brady

7 Marion Barber

8 Randy Moss

9 Frank Gore

10 Clinton Portis

11 Marshawn Lynch

12 Larry Johnson

13 Terrell Owens

14 Peyton Manning

15 Reggie Wayne

16 Braylon Edwards

LJ is currently RB32, Addai is currently RB41, and Edwards is currently WR36 (FBG scoring). Given draft position, I'd probably say Addai, unless we are not considering him due to injury (since it was stated that we should not consider Brady a bust). If not Addai, I'd probably say LJ is a greater bust than Edwards for a few reasons:

1. LJ is going to miss more time going forward, while Edwards can improve his standing.

2. A team that drafted Edwards with the 16th pick probably used a second rounder in most leagues... LJ was more often probably a first rounder.

3. It has probably been easier to find a replacement WR than a replacement RB.

 

[Tau837]

Most Improved:

This one seems easy to me. Michael Turner is currently RB7 (FBG scoring), and last year he was RB73. Is there anyone with a greater improvement? Furthermore, if the draft were held today, he'd be a top 10 draft pick, so not only has he improved the most, he has elevated himself into the top group of fantasy players.

I posted my picks in 3 posts so far, so here is the summary of my choices:

MVP - Rivers

Bust - Addai unless he is disqualified for injury; LJ close second

Most Improved - Turner

 

[David Yudkin]

Most Improved:This one seems easy to me. Michael Turner is currently RB7 (FBG scoring), and last year he was RB73. Is there anyone with a greater improvement? Furthermore, if the draft were held today, he'd be a top 10 draft pick, so not only has he improved the most, he has elevated himself into the top group of fantasy players.

I personally don't count Turner as his performance level really hasn't improved that much (although his role and opportunities have). His current ypc in ATL is a whole yard per carry worse than his career average entering this season.

 

[baconisgood]

I think some people in here are getting confused between midseason awards based on fantasy performance vs. midseason awards based on NFL performance. My understanding is this article is about fantasy performance.

MVP:

It seems that the names most often mentioned in the thread so far are Brees and Portis. I don't see how anyone could possibly vote Brees over Rivers at this point. I am in two fantasy leagues, and Rivers is the #1 fantasy scorer in one of them, leading Brees by 1.4 fantasy points... in the other, Brees is the top fantasy scorer, leading Rivers by 4 fantasy points. FBG scoring has Brees #1 and Rivers #2, 2 points behind Brees.

But here is the thing... in late August, Brees' ADP was QB4 and 20th overall, while Rivers' was QB15 and player #102 overall. So if a fantasy team drafted Brees, they probably used a second round pick. If a fantasy team drafted Rivers as a starter, it used a much later pick, enabling it to get better value elsewhere. How can Brees possibly be considered more valuable from a fantasy perspective? MVP does mean Most Valuable Player, right?

A similar argument holds for Rivers vs. Portis. In late August, he was being drafted as RB8 and the 10th overall player. OK, so Portis is performing 7-9 spots ahead of his draft position... but Rivers is performing 7-9 rounds ahead of his draft position.

If you didn't end up with Rivers in your draft you could also have gotten Brees, Rodgers or Warner and gotten close (or better depending on scoring system) production and two of those are late picks (as late or later than Rivers). Portis, on the other hand, is averaging nearly 2 pts per game more than the #2 rb in standard non ppr scoring.

 

[drew726]

MVP: Clinton Portis, he's top 5 in every type of scoring league imaginable and remains consistent day in and day out.

Biggest Bust: Braylon Edwards, he was drafted way too high. Ryan Grant is also a pretty big bust but he looks like he's turning the corner. He got 30+ carries the last 2 games.

Most Improved: Philip Rivers and Roddy White. Rivers leads in QB scoring in leagues that score 6 pts for TD's. Roddy White is the only person Matt Ryan throws to and the other team knows it, yet he still averages 100+ yards and a td per week.

Best Value: Kurt Warner because in most leagues that drafted early, people thought Matt Leinart was the starting QB. In my league, the person who got Kurt Warner got him off the waivers. Two honorable mentions are Steve Slaton and Matt Forte. Forte looks like he can carry the load as the only RB in the backfield and he's only a rookie. He's been a must-start since day one. Steve Slaton was probably undrafted in most leagues. People who've been hyping him up here were right. He's basically an extra draft pick.

 

[Big 'N Tasty]

Biggest Bust (non-season-ending injury...ie don't want guys like Brady here)

Then I would also try not to include guys like Randy Moss, Chad Johnson, Torry Holt, or even Larry Johnson: all were affected by injuries to teammates (or just poor play by others).

Yeah, probably best to just shut down the whole thread then. Seriously, name one player...just one player, that hasn't had an injured teammate or teammates that have played poorly.I think it's pretty clear what he meant by a bust without being injured.MVP: Portis. However, I think some of what makes him the MVP is his value being able to draft him at the end of the first round. Bust: I'm going with Braylon Edwards. I don't know what it's like in other leagues but I know the guy who drafted him in my league still loves him and thinks he's going to break out, so he keeps starting him every week. At least with Larry Johnson you know to start someone else.MI: After four weeks I would have said Jay Cutler. Now, Santana Moss.Value: Santana Moss

 

[SuperJohn96]

LOOK AT ME, I WANT THE SHARK POOL TO DO MY ENGLISH HOMEWORK!

 

[Tau837]

Most Improved:This one seems easy to me. Michael Turner is currently RB7 (FBG scoring), and last year he was RB73. Is there anyone with a greater improvement? Furthermore, if the draft were held today, he'd be a top 10 draft pick, so not only has he improved the most, he has elevated himself into the top group of fantasy players.

I personally don't count Turner as his performance level really hasn't improved that much (although his role and opportunities have). His current ypc in ATL is a whole yard per carry worse than his career average entering this season.

But aren't we talking fantasy improvement here, as opposed to NFL? These are midseason fantasy awards. I suspect few fantasy leagues care about ypc.

 

[Wrigley]

MVP-Portis......guy is making a good team great

Biggest Bust-Addai........top 6 draft pick

Most Improved-Portis......no one expected this

Best Value-I could go Portis, but I'll go with DeSean Jackson..........late round flier turns into fantasy starter.

 

[David Yudkin]

Most Improved:This one seems easy to me. Michael Turner is currently RB7 (FBG scoring), and last year he was RB73. Is there anyone with a greater improvement? Furthermore, if the draft were held today, he'd be a top 10 draft pick, so not only has he improved the most, he has elevated himself into the top group of fantasy players.

I personally don't count Turner as his performance level really hasn't improved that much (although his role and opportunities have). His current ypc in ATL is a whole yard per carry worse than his career average entering this season.

But aren't we talking fantasy improvement here, as opposed to NFL? These are midseason fantasy awards. I suspect few fantasy leagues care about ypc.

Given that there were no definitions as what the criteria were, anything is possible. Certainly his ranking is higher than season's past so based on that he would be a good candidate. By comparison, base don where he was drafted the expectation level was still quite high on what he was projected to do. Yes, he's done better than expected but he was never in a situation where he did not do well given the opportunity and now has done well in a similar situation.

 

[Tau837]

Most Improved:This one seems easy to me. Michael Turner is currently RB7 (FBG scoring), and last year he was RB73. Is there anyone with a greater improvement? Furthermore, if the draft were held today, he'd be a top 10 draft pick, so not only has he improved the most, he has elevated himself into the top group of fantasy players.

I personally don't count Turner as his performance level really hasn't improved that much (although his role and opportunities have). His current ypc in ATL is a whole yard per carry worse than his career average entering this season.

But aren't we talking fantasy improvement here, as opposed to NFL? These are midseason fantasy awards. I suspect few fantasy leagues care about ypc.

Given that there were no definitions as what the criteria were, anything is possible. Certainly his ranking is higher than season's past so based on that he would be a good candidate. By comparison, base don where he was drafted the expectation level was still quite high on what he was projected to do. Yes, he's done better than expected but he was never in a situation where he did not do well given the opportunity and now has done well in a similar situation.

OK... seems to me like you are mixing concepts by talking about Turner's draft position. IMO value has a place in MVP, Bust, and Best Value selections, but I don't really see that in the selection of Most Improved fantasy player.Even so, in late August he was being drafted as RB18 and is currently RB7. That's greater improvement over draft position than Portis, who most in this thread are touting for MVP.

 

[3nOut]

In my opinion, the criteria for each should be:

MVP: Who would you select as #1 overall if the draft was held TODAY

Bust: There had to be a consensus high opinion on the guy before the draft. Ryan Grant, for example, was NOT being hyped by everyone so many cannot consider him a bust. He has not lived to the expectations but he's not the biggest bust. In jury should not count into it as well, it should simply be underperforming.

Most Improved: Should be in the same situation as last year but with better results. Turner shouldn't count since he was always good, but just didn't get the opportunities before. Same for Orton and Rodgers.

Best Value: Should have been drafted. Warner and Orton were most likely picked up off of waivers and undrafted pickups should not count.

That said, there are many that fit each category...

MVP: Portis

Bust: LJ

Most Improved: Schaub

Best Value: Rodgers

 

[David Dodds]

awesome input everyone. Thank you very much. I have submitted my article, but they may tweak it bfore it goes LIVE. I will post what I wrote here once I know what the final version looks like.

 

[NoCheese]

How about Torry Holt for biggest bust? Averaging 41 yds/game and .14 TDs/game (no injuries) when he routinely averages 1100-1300 yards and 7-10 TD's

 

[hellz_fireflies]

awesome input everyone. Thank you very much. I have submitted my article, but they may tweak it bfore it goes LIVE. I will post what I wrote here once I know what the final version looks like.

Your Welcome David, any time you need help always ask us FGB members for input.

 

[H8fulHuck]

Look forward to the read David! Hope they don't butcher it.

 

[r0llin_game]

Yes I know the article is submitted but this is what I'd said by position for each category

MVP

QB- Drew Brees- The best QB right now (exception of Brady) in the NFL right now.

RB- Clinton Portis- Pretty much consensus here.

WR- Larry Fitzgerald- Seems to always post huge numbers each week despite Anquan Boldin's having 7 TD's

Biggest Bust

QB- Ben Roethlisberger- Thought to be a top 5 QB, has been wretched including his last 4 INT showing against the Giants.

RB- Joseph Addai/Ryan Grant- Both expected to be top 10-15 fantasy backs, both haven't came close to any expectations.

WR- 5 people with no reasoning needed; Chad Johnson, Santonio Holmes, Roy Williams, Braylon Edwards, and Terrell Owens

Most Improved

QB- Philip Rivers- Has shown that he can put up consistent #'s on a regular basis and is showing why he was the #2 overall pick in the 2004 draft.

RB- Frank Gore- Last season he was a top 5 pick and didn't produce like a top 5 back. This season it seems he's back to 2006 form and doing so in a Mike Martz ran offense.

WR- Vincent Jackson- The past couple seasons he was suppose to be "the guy" leading the wide out core for the Chargers. Seems that he is finally proving his worth.

Best Value

QB- Kurt Warner- This is not a shock to me as I rode him to a fantasy title last year, but was not drafted in many leagues.

RB- Steve Slaton- Ahman Green won the job in the preason, then suffered his usual injury. Slaton deemed as "undersized" shows he plays as big as his heart just as MJD has shown.

WR- Vincent Jackson- Yes he also gets best value. He currently ranks among top 15 receivers and more likely than not was not drafted in the top 100.

 

[David Dodds]

Before posting my article, I would like to say these things:

1. Personally I think Portis is the MVP at the halfway point as I am a huge proponent of VBD. But in a 400 word article read by a ton of people that have no idea what VBD is, I opted for a player a little easier to defend (kind of lame I know, but the reason writing for the internet - with no space limitations - is preferred in my opinion).

2. The bust category was super hard. So many people have disappointed. A lot of these involve some sort of injuries at a minimum (nicked, hammy, groin, OL out, etc). So the original premise to exclude injuries (which I think was stated so I did not say Brady who was a top pick and is now worthless) was limiting to say the least. In the end, I ignored the request, but decided to mention Brady in the opening paragraph only.

3. This thread and all the different takes helped me immensely. Tuesday's are already a huge effort for me so I really do appreciate all the posts, etc to help point this article in the right direction. I did not change from my original selections, but your arguments helped solidify those choices as well as frame the honorable mentions. Again thanks everyone who contributed here.

Here is what I sent in:

----------------------------------------------------

Is it mid-season already? Seems like only yesterday we were arguing over whether taking Tom Brady in the first round was a viable fantasy option. Fast forward through 8 weeks of NFL games and the players to covet are a lot different than rankings in August.

Here's a list of my midseason awards:

MVP: QB Drew Brees, New Orleans

In a year that has seen Brady go down, Romo miss time, Palmer crater, and Peyton not look like himself, Brees has been nearly perfect to start the year. Despite losing his top WR (Colston), top TE (Shockey) and top RB (Bush) for multiple games, Brees leads all quarterbacks in attempts (304), completions (210), passing yards (2,563) and fantasy points (181). He has exceeded 300 passing yards in six of eight contests and has scored 3 TDs in four different games.

Honorable Mention: RB Clinton Portis (944 rush yards and 7 TDs), QB Philip Rivers (19 passing TDs)

Biggest Bust: Larry Johnson, Kansas City

Outside of a two-week span where he accumulated 319 rushing yards and 3 TDs, he has been missing in action. In his other three games he has just 98 rushing yards and no scores. He will now miss the next three weeks due to personal conduct making his trade value an all-time low. How many times do you consider cutting a 1st/2nd round pick midseason who is not hurt? But that's exactly where LJ owners sit right now.

Dishonorable Mention: Early picks that have faltered badly out of the gate: Joseph Addai (41st best RB), Ryan Grant (38th best RB), Torry Holt (55th best WR), Chad Johnson (42nd best WR).

Most Improved: QB Kyle Orton, Chicago

In 18 games over the last 3 years, Orton failed to crack 18 fantasy points in a contest. In his last five games this season, he has averaged 274 passing yards and 2 TDs and posted 18+ fantasy points in every game. Who would have thought that he would outproduce Peyton Manning up until this point?

Honorable mention: Roddy White (has four 100+ yard games in 7 weeks and is the 2nd best WR despite catching passes from a rookie QB)

Best Value: Tie RB Steve Slaton, Houston and QB Kurt Warner, Arizona

An after-thought in most drafts, Steve Slaton is currently the 13th best RB this season having amassed 476 rush yards, 125 receiving yards and 6 TDs. The Houston offense is a top 5 unit this season which bodes well for Slaton going forward.

Kurt Warner is averaging 298 passing yards and 2 TDs in his 7 games this season. For someone either undrafted or drafted extremely late, this is incredible production and likely allowed owners to solidify other spots.

 

[Andy Herron]

David,

I looked for it online but couldn't find it. Do you have a link, or did they not get it in today?

Thanks.

ETA: Or did it make print only?

 

[Chicago Hooligan]

I agree with not choosing Portis, if only because the #1 RB at any point of the season is always the popular/obvious choice. It's not wrong but it would be boring.

 

[eric rymer]

Good stuff in here.I think you should add the "toughest mo fo" award and give it to Boldin.

:X Agreed. I think you need to work that into the article some how. Congrats on the article too David.

 

[netmau5]

Most improved in my book is Reggie Bush. I hate that he is hurt now, but he has been making plays all over the field in the running, receiving, and return game. I don't know how well that has translated into a fantasy perspective, but when I think about the real NFL and where he was at last year, I think he has finally started earning that check.

edit: woops, didn't see that you had already written the article... either way, nice article, it was a good read!

 

[Saints-Man]

 

[The Big V]

Good stuff in here.I think you should add the "toughest mo fo" award and give it to Boldin.

Agreed. I think you need to work that into the article some how. Congrats on the article too David.

How about honorable mention for Toughest Mo Fo to Hines Ward? There's no offensive player that hits harder.

 

[r0llin_game]

I agree with not choosing Portis, if only because the #1 RB at any point of the season is always the popular/obvious choice. It's not wrong but it would be boring.

How could you say that choosing the #1 RB at this point would be boring. Portis has ran for 944 yds through his first 8 games, the only running back to average over 100 ypg running it this year and is tied for 2nd w/ 7 rushing touches. I think without question he's the MVP with Brees a close 2nd as Brees is on pace for a 5000 yd season.

 

[David Yudkin]

Can't say that I agree with the Brees for MVP vote. Rivers has outscored him in some of my leagues. How can you be a fantasy MVP if you are not #1 at your position? If nothing else, there are several other QBs that have scored in the vicinity of Brees. Not sure he's a dominant choice for lapping the entire field at QB.

 

[Tau837]

MVP: QB Drew Brees, New Orleans

In a year that has seen Brady go down, Romo miss time, Palmer crater, and Peyton not look like himself, Brees has been nearly perfect to start the year. Despite losing his top WR (Colston), top TE (Shockey) and top RB (Bush) for multiple games, Brees leads all quarterbacks in attempts (304), completions (210), passing yards (2,563) and fantasy points (181). He has exceeded 300 passing yards in six of eight contests and has scored 3 TDs in four different games.

Honorable Mention: RB Clinton Portis (944 rush yards and 7 TDs), QB Philip Rivers (19 passing TDs)

David, I know you are busy, but I wonder if you can explain choosing Brees over Rivers.You mention that he is leading all QBs in attempts, completions, passing yards, and fantasy points. How much did the first three of those matter? That is, since these are fantasy awards, isn't it the fantasy points that really matter most here?

You cite 181 fantasy points for Brees, but FBG scoring has Brees at 188. Were you using a different scoring system? Brees is still #1 in FBG scoring, with Rivers next at 186. Is that minimal edge enough for Brees to get the nod? I would have thought that value plays a part in the Most Valuable Award, and Rivers was obviously taken much later.

You mention that Brees has 3 TDs in four different games... Rivers has 3 TDs in 5 different games.

All that said, I think Brees has been more consistent, and he has outscored Rivers in 5 of 8 weeks so far, so perhaps that's it if you are not considering the expectations/draft position.

Biggest Bust: Larry Johnson, Kansas City

Outside of a two-week span where he accumulated 319 rushing yards and 3 TDs, he has been missing in action. In his other three games he has just 98 rushing yards and no scores. He will now miss the next three weeks due to personal conduct making his trade value an all-time low. How many times do you consider cutting a 1st/2nd round pick midseason who is not hurt? But that's exactly where LJ owners sit right now.

Dishonorable Mention: Early picks that have faltered badly out of the gate: Joseph Addai (41st best RB), Ryan Grant (38th best RB), Torry Holt (55th best WR), Chad Johnson (42nd best WR).

Good call on LJ.Surprised not to see Edwards mentioned... take Johnson as a comparative example. While Edwards has been better than Johnson (Edwards is currently the 36th best WR), he has only scored 6 more fantasy points than Johnson (FBG scoring). But Edwards' late August ADP was 16th overall, compared to 28th overall for Johnson. On top of that, if you were inclined to consider injuries as a mitigator, Johnson has been playing with a serious shoulder injury, while Edwards has been healthy as far as I know. Edwards would seem to be a bigger bust than both Johnson and Holt.

Most Improved: QB Kyle Orton, Chicago

In 18 games over the last 3 years, Orton failed to crack 18 fantasy points in a contest. In his last five games this season, he has averaged 274 passing yards and 2 TDs and posted 18+ fantasy points in every game. Who would have thought that he would outproduce Peyton Manning up until this point?

Honorable mention: Roddy White (has four 100+ yard games in 7 weeks and is the 2nd best WR despite catching passes from a rookie QB)

Out of curiosity, did you not consider players like Michael Turner, whose situations year to year were not similar? Or do you think Orton deserves this over Turner?

Best Value: Tie RB Steve Slaton, Houston and QB Kurt Warner, Arizona

An after-thought in most drafts, Steve Slaton is currently the 13th best RB this season having amassed 476 rush yards, 125 receiving yards and 6 TDs. The Houston offense is a top 5 unit this season which bodes well for Slaton going forward.

Kurt Warner is averaging 298 passing yards and 2 TDs in his 7 games this season. For someone either undrafted or drafted extremely late, this is incredible production and likely allowed owners to solidify other spots.

Excellent choices.Very good article, despite my questions/comments. <_<

 

[ceo3west]

Can't say that I agree with the Brees for MVP vote. Rivers has outscored him in some of my leagues. How can you be a fantasy MVP if you are not #1 at your position? If nothing else, there are several other QBs that have scored in the vicinity of Brees. Not sure he's a dominant choice for lapping the entire field at QB.

I think it's a toss up personally. Brees is on pace for 5,100 yards, that's MVP-worthy to me, fantasy or NFL.

 

[Chicago Hooligan]

I agree with not choosing Portis, if only because the #1 RB at any point of the season is always the popular/obvious choice. It's not wrong but it would be boring.

How could you say that choosing the #1 RB at this point would be boring.

FF players picking up the paper and seeing that someone wrote "hey guys the best player is the #1 RB" aren't going to be impressed.

 

[hellz_fireflies]

Great write up there David..well I got two of four correct from smart minds that think the same ..MVP Brees and Larry Johnson as a bust.