Fantasy Sports Update! posed a simple question back in August, before we knew Reggie Bush would spontaneously combust or Randy Moss would stage the greatest comeback this side of Nintendo. To the casual fan, the answer was a no brainer.
Simply put: Peyton or L.T.? That's short for Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson.
But fantasy insiders knew the argument wasn't so much about players (substitute Manning with Drew Brees or Tomlinson with Gore and you get the point) as positions. Do you go with a gun-slinging quarterback or end zone-dancing running back?
Honestly, the answer depended on the format and point structure of your league. Since I had the third overall pick in a head-to-head league in which quarterbacks were awarded six points for each touchdown pass, I opted to stray from convention.
While L.T. and St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson came off the board first — in fact, 12 of the first 15 selections were running backs — I took New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Plenty of snickers came my way.
But I was convinced the revamped Patriots receiving corps was something special and that Brady was the kind of guy who could milk 40 touchdowns from the likes of Wes Welker, Donte' Stallworth, Ben Watson and Moss. Hey, every wannabe GM has his moments and this one was mine — for most of the season.
So back to the central question.
It was a prolific year for the quarterback. From Dallas Cowboys signal caller Tony Romo to Cleveland Browns wunderkund Derek Anderson, fantasy players enjoyed big seasons from the position. No one did more than the record-breaking Brady. He threw for 4,806 yards and tossed 50 touchdowns for the 16-0 Pats. NFL MVP? No one else is close.
Fantasy MVP? Not so fast. As someone who rode Brady into the fantasy playoffs, I can attest to his monster production. Until the playoffs. And that's the mark of a fantasy MVP.
Any sensible league concludes with a Week 16 championship. Tom Brady was a fantasy force for 13 of the first 14 weeks (gotta count the bye) of the NFL season. Then he all but disappeared, a vanishing act worthy of Big Foot.
In my league, Brady averaged a remarkable 33 points an outing heading into a Week 15 showdown with the lowly New York Jets. Yes, he played through a Noreaster. But that's not the point. Brady managed three points that day. My team went down in the semifinals as a result.
Anyone who survived the Brady flop received another lukewarm performance Week 16. Brady totaled 21 points in a win over another bad team, the Miami Dolphins. That what made his swoon all the more painful. Savvy fantasy owners looking ahead saw the potential for big days facing the likes of the Jets and Fins.
Didn't happen. He wasn't even average. Instead, Brady put together his worst two games of the season.
Brady wasn't alone. Romo also turned in two stinkers Weeks 15-16.
The point? Plenty of people bailed on Tomlinson when he and the Chargers got off to a slow start. The reigning fantasy football MVP looked very much like a bust. But the numbers were there. And he only got better.
L.T. set the NFL single season touchdown record a year ago with 31 combined scores. Anyone with half a brain knew he couldn't replicate those numbers. But in rushing for 1,474 yards and 15 scores and adding 475 receiving yards and three touchdowns, L.T. put together another memorable season.
And he got it done in the fantasy playoffs, which is why he's my pick for fantasy MVP once again. L.T. was a force down the stretch, scoring touchdowns in seven of eight games heading into Week 17. He totaled 10 scores during that span and cracked 100 yards rushing during the prime fantasy playoff weeks.
There's no doubt the weather turns nasty in December. That's generally running back weather. So while stars like Brady and Romo shined through most of the season, they disappeared when the weather turned harsh and when fantasy owners needed them most.
If you landed one of them on draft day, that's great. They likely helped deliver you to the playoffs. But next season, I'm making sure I have a franchise running back on my team. I don't want to be left out in the cold come the playoffs.
Simply put: Peyton or L.T.? That's short for Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson.
But fantasy insiders knew the argument wasn't so much about players (substitute Manning with Drew Brees or Tomlinson with Gore and you get the point) as positions. Do you go with a gun-slinging quarterback or end zone-dancing running back?
Honestly, the answer depended on the format and point structure of your league. Since I had the third overall pick in a head-to-head league in which quarterbacks were awarded six points for each touchdown pass, I opted to stray from convention.
While L.T. and St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson came off the board first — in fact, 12 of the first 15 selections were running backs — I took New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Plenty of snickers came my way.
But I was convinced the revamped Patriots receiving corps was something special and that Brady was the kind of guy who could milk 40 touchdowns from the likes of Wes Welker, Donte' Stallworth, Ben Watson and Moss. Hey, every wannabe GM has his moments and this one was mine — for most of the season.
So back to the central question.
It was a prolific year for the quarterback. From Dallas Cowboys signal caller Tony Romo to Cleveland Browns wunderkund Derek Anderson, fantasy players enjoyed big seasons from the position. No one did more than the record-breaking Brady. He threw for 4,806 yards and tossed 50 touchdowns for the 16-0 Pats. NFL MVP? No one else is close.
Fantasy MVP? Not so fast. As someone who rode Brady into the fantasy playoffs, I can attest to his monster production. Until the playoffs. And that's the mark of a fantasy MVP.
Any sensible league concludes with a Week 16 championship. Tom Brady was a fantasy force for 13 of the first 14 weeks (gotta count the bye) of the NFL season. Then he all but disappeared, a vanishing act worthy of Big Foot.
In my league, Brady averaged a remarkable 33 points an outing heading into a Week 15 showdown with the lowly New York Jets. Yes, he played through a Noreaster. But that's not the point. Brady managed three points that day. My team went down in the semifinals as a result.
Anyone who survived the Brady flop received another lukewarm performance Week 16. Brady totaled 21 points in a win over another bad team, the Miami Dolphins. That what made his swoon all the more painful. Savvy fantasy owners looking ahead saw the potential for big days facing the likes of the Jets and Fins.
Didn't happen. He wasn't even average. Instead, Brady put together his worst two games of the season.
Brady wasn't alone. Romo also turned in two stinkers Weeks 15-16.
The point? Plenty of people bailed on Tomlinson when he and the Chargers got off to a slow start. The reigning fantasy football MVP looked very much like a bust. But the numbers were there. And he only got better.
L.T. set the NFL single season touchdown record a year ago with 31 combined scores. Anyone with half a brain knew he couldn't replicate those numbers. But in rushing for 1,474 yards and 15 scores and adding 475 receiving yards and three touchdowns, L.T. put together another memorable season.
And he got it done in the fantasy playoffs, which is why he's my pick for fantasy MVP once again. L.T. was a force down the stretch, scoring touchdowns in seven of eight games heading into Week 17. He totaled 10 scores during that span and cracked 100 yards rushing during the prime fantasy playoff weeks.
There's no doubt the weather turns nasty in December. That's generally running back weather. So while stars like Brady and Romo shined through most of the season, they disappeared when the weather turned harsh and when fantasy owners needed them most.
If you landed one of them on draft day, that's great. They likely helped deliver you to the playoffs. But next season, I'm making sure I have a franchise running back on my team. I don't want to be left out in the cold come the playoffs.
