Now that most Fantasy Playoffs are over, and a champion has been crowned, it’s time to look back over the season and elect the best and highest scoring players to a play in the first annual “Sports Al Dente Fantasy Pro Bowl” game.
National Football Conference
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers – 403 Points (26.9 average per game)
Yet another stellar season for A-Aron. Through 16 weeks he has thrown for 4,168 yards and 36 touchdowns. He has an impressive completion percentage of 65.5%. No matter who is playing offensive line, or who is lining up in the backfield, Rodgers continues to produce and will continue to be one of the first quarterbacks taken in fantasy drafts.
Running Back
David Johnson – 387 Points (25.8 average per game)
Whoever landed Johnson in your league this season is beyond pleased. He has been a fantasy machine. Outside of quarterbacks, he averaged the highest point output per game and probably carried most teams into the playoffs. With one game remaining, he has rushed for 1,233 yards and 16 touchdowns. His dual-threat ability is what has really made him lethal. He has 841 receiving yards and 4 receiving touchdowns. Johnson will most likely be the consensus number one overall pick next season.
Wide Receiver
Jordy Nelson – 285 Points (19 average per game)
A huge season for Jordy after missing all of last year due to injury. He has 91 receptions good for 1,191 yards and 14 touchdowns. Nelson was drafted in the 2nd or 3rd round of most leagues making him a phenomenal value pick and worthy of the number 1 receiver position in the NFC.
Tight End
Greg Olsen – 196 Points (13.1 average per game)
Olsen has been a solid consistent start all season. His 77 receptions have helped him eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark and he has added 3 touchdowns. The Carolina offense has been a huge disappointment this season, but Olsen has been the one bright spot for fantasy owners. I would expect him to be another top tight end next year.
Flex
Ezekiel Elliott – 312 Points (20.8 average per game)
The rookie phenom has been lights out and has earned him the right for his name to be tossed around in the MVP discussion. His eye-popping 1,631 rushing yards mean that with a monster week 17 he could flirt with Eric Dickerson’s rookie rushing record. Tack on 15 rushing touchdowns, 363 receiving yards, and 1 receiving touchdown, and you have a consistent first round draft pick for years to come.
Defense
Minnesota Vikings – 136 Points (9.1 average per game)
The dominant Vikings defense tapered off a bit towards the end of the season, but they were a fairly consistent start and posted 20+ points three times, which is extremely impressive for a fantasy defense.
Kicker
Matt Bryant – 168 Points (11.2 average per game)
The ageless wonder (41) continued his dominance in 2016. Through 16 weeks he has made 33 of 36 field-goal attempts. It seems like he still has plenty of gas left in the tank.
American Football Conference
Quarterback
Andrew Luck – 338 Points (22.5 average per game)
Imagine what this guy could accomplish if he had a halfway decent offensive line. Picture him behind the Dallas front 5…Wow. Even with the ineptitude of the Indy line, Luck was still able to produce video-game like numbers, great for fantasy owners. 3,919 yards passing, 29 touchdowns, and a 63.8 completion percentage. Not too shabby.
Running Back
Le’Veon Bell – 306 Points (25.5 average per game)
For the people that took Bell regardless of his 3-game suspension, I tip my cap to you. Even with the suspension, Bell has 1,268 yards rushing and 7 touchdowns. Like David Johnson, Bell is an amazing receiver out of the backfield, adding 616 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. If Le’Veon can stay out of trouble, and healthy, he will be a top-5 pick every season.
Wide Receiver
Antonio Brown – 299 Points (19.9 average per game)
No surprise here, the number 1 overall pick in most drafts did not disappoint owners who took him. His 106 receptions, 1,284 yards, and 12 touchdowns are down a bit from last year but still good enough for number one in the NFL.
Tight End
Travis Kelce – 217 Points (14.5 average per game)
Catching Kelce may have been a terrible reality TV series on the E! channel, but it is also what Travis has been doing all season for the Kansas City Chiefs. He has 84 receptions, 1,117 yards, and 4 touchdowns so far in 2016 and will probably be the Chiefs most important offensive player in the playoffs. With Gronk out for most of the season, Kelce was the dominating tight end in the AFC.
Flex
LeSean McCoy – 286 Points (19.1 average per game)
“Shady” McCoy looked like a figment of his Philly playing days this season. Fantasy owners that nabbed him have been nothing but smiles as they watch McCoy elude defenders. He has rushed for 1,257 yards and 13 touchdowns while adding 350 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. He will be the rock of the offense next season as the Bills will have a new head coach in 2017.
Defense
Denver Broncos – 132 Points (8.8 average per game)
If not for a -4-point performance in Week 16, the Denver Defense would have finished as the top fantasy defense for the 2nd straight season. Sacks and interceptions came often in the first half of the season but mellowed out as the season progressed. The D in Denver was still able to finish as the top fantasy unit in the AFC in 2016.
Kicker
Justin Tucker – 170 Points (11.3 average per game)
The model of consistency. He is 37 of 38 field goal attempts, and his only miss came on a blocked attempt. What’s more impressive is that he had double-digit fantasy performances nine times. That is unheard of for a kicker.
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Looks like the NFC just edges out the AFC this season. It would probably be a different story had Le’Veon Bell played the first three games of the season, but it has been one hell of a fantasy year.