Every year in fantasy football, some players win managers championships and players who cost teams a shot at the playoffs. There are waiver wire pickups that change the outcome of seasons. Late-round picks that become elite producers for people’s lineups—countless rookie sensations. There are so many different pieces of the draft, and the entire team decides the outcome of the league.
With so many players shaping the outcome of fantasy leagues, it only feels right to hand out some awards to those who made the biggest difference.
Ja’Marr Chase is the newest recipient of the NFL’s triple crown. He led the league in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. Chase finished with a final stat line of 127 receptions for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns.
In PPR formats, Chase would score 41 points in week 5, 55 points in week 10, and 45 points in week 14, a playoff-deciding week for many. He didn’t quite have a game-breaking performance in the playoffs, but he was still great as he scored 18, 22, and 19 points in weeks 15-17. He was the best receiver in football this year. He finished as the WR one, and he will likely be drafted as the WR one next season.
Honorable Mentions: Saquon Barkley, Jahmyr Gibbs, Justin Jefferson
In a class loaded with rookie sensations, it was hard to make a decision here, but ultimately, the guy who broke all sorts of records and finished first overall in his position gets the nod.
Brock Bowers was arguably the best prospect in last year’s draft, but due to being labeled as a tight end, he fell to the 13th overall pick in the NFL draft. It was unclear how productive Bowers would be in terms of fantasy between the competition for targets and a below-average QB room. As it turns out, he would be the most productive tight end in fantasy football. He broke the rookie reception record with 112, had 1,194 yards, which was eight in the league, and added 5 touchdowns.
He finished as the Tight End one for fantasy in PPR leagues as a rookie, and he routinely gave fantasy managers a massive advantage due to the lack of difference-making tight ends in fantasy.
Honorable Mentions: Malik Nabers, Jayden Daniels, Brian Thomas Jr., Ladd McConkey
In most leagues, Bucky Irving was undrafted or taken as a late-round pick who could be cut if needed. He would quickly turn into a deep-league flex play after four weeks, and over time, he would turn into a must-start RB. He only saw over 50% of the snaps five times but finished as the RB 13 in PPR leagues.
He finished with playoffs with performances of 13, 18, and 23 points. He excelled as a runner and a receiver and became a focal point of the Bucs offense. Anyone who snagged Bucky off of waivers felt the benefits all season long.
Honorable Mentions: Tyrone Tracy Jr., Jauan Jennings, Baker Mayfield, Jonnu Smith
Jahmyr Gibbs was excellent all year, but he had three of his top four games in the playoffs and four of his top five games, including week 18. His playoff outputs were 28 points, 25 points, and 26 points, along with a 46-point performance in week 18. He was as good as possible in the fantasy playoffs and was the reason people advanced every round.
He also had a game-changing moment in most people’s championships as he broke free for a 30-yard touchdown with about five minutes left against the 49ers. A 9 point play that certainly changed the outcomes of people’s championships.
Honorable Mentions: Brian Thomas Jr., Mike Evans, Jayden Daniels, Tee Higgins
Brian Thomas Jr. had one of the best rookie seasons ever, which has hardly been discussed. He had 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns and finished the year as the WR 4 in PPR leagues. Following the team’s Week 12 bye, BTJ never had less than 16 points in a fantasy game.
He was fantastic for almost the entire year and showed up down the stretch when teams needed to win. Depending on how high people were on him, he was taken toward the middle of drafts, anywhere from rounds 6-10. He has cemented himself as a top-24 pick next year when drafts roll around. In the playoffs, he had games of 32 points, 28 points, and 24 points. He was a top-five receiver and the steal of drafts.
Honorable Mentions: Brock Bowers, Chubba Hubbard, Jayden Daniels, Chase Brown
Travis Etienne was drafted anywhere from the middle of the second round to the middle of the third round, and he finished the year as the RB 35. In 15 games, he had just 558 yards, two touchdowns on the ground, and just 39 catches for 254 yards through the air.
Travis failed to score 15 points in a single game this year for fantasy, and he often found himself in the single digits. Losing work to Tank Bigsby and not having many scoring opportunities crushed his year. He will be looked at much differently moving forward due to this season, and certainly will not be a second-round pick next year.
Honorable Mentions: Deebo Samuel, Jaylen Waddle, Kyle Pitts
Some picks were outright busts, and some picks never got off the ground due to injuries. Christian McCaffrey never got off the ground as he was a late scratch for the 49er’s first game of the season, and he didn’t play in a game until November.
Some fantasy seasons were lost by the time he returned, as he was often the first overall pick in drafts. He would play just four games as he suffered a season-ending injury in his fourth game back. Being a McCaffrey manager was difficult this season due to the injury.
Honorable Mentions: Isaiah Pacheco, Chris Olave, Stefon Diggs, Rashee Rice, Chris Godwin
The 2021 season that Cooper Kupp had will never be forgotten. Still, after three injury-riddled years and inconsistent production, it may be time to look at him differently for fantasy purposes. He had just 67 receptions for 710 yards in 12 games, and he became unplayable in the playoffs with fantasy finishes of 0 points, 5 points, and 4 points. He was the wide receiver 38 in PPR leagues this year, and he should viewed in that range until proven otherwise, as there are three seasons worth of stats to back this up. The player may still be elite, but the production isn’t.
Honorable Mentions: Deebo Samuel, DeAndre Hopkins, Raheem Mostert
Kyler Murray wasn’t a bust for fantasy as he finished as the QB 10, but he didn’t have the season that fantasy managers had hoped for. He was extremely inconsistent all year, and it became a challenge to figure out when to play him. He had nine games under 20 points and eight over 20 points, including week 18. It was one lousy week, followed by a good week regardless of the matchup.
It just became frustrating having Kyler in lineups, as no one ever knew when he would have a good week. The offense lacked big plays, as everything in the passing game was in the short to intermediate areas. Hopefully, the offense will become more consistent next season, and that starts with Kyler.
Honorable Mentions: Breece Hall, Marvin Harrison Jr., Amari Cooper
For a long time, George Kittle had been a premier tight end in fantasy due to his extreme upside, but he was never a consistent producer. This season was quite the opposite as he finished as the tight end three in fantasy, and he had just three games with less than 10 points, one of which was in week 18.
He was one of the most reliable players in all of fantasy, which is not something people have said about Kittle before. From a production standpoint, he had the second-best season of his career, with 78 receptions for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns.
For what felt like the first time ever, fantasy managers could count on Kittle as a weekly contributor to their teams instead of a guy who could win or lose a week for managers.
Honorable Mentions: Malik Nabers, Jakobi Meyers, Drake London
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