So, did you end the season on a high note and take home the league title? Or, did you fight all season long to make it to the final game and hit the brakes instead of the gas? The important thing is that you played and hopefully had some fun along the way. This season was full of ups and downs, but that is the lifeblood of fantasy sports and lucky for you I am here to guide you through the mess that is the weekly grind. On the bright side, the 49ers finally fired Coach Mike Singletary and that means the offense should find some consistency in 2011. Maybe they can even start a QB more than one week in a row!
And as you will notice there is still one more game this week, so the Eagles and Vikings will be absent from the winners and losers list. Anyway, let's get to who helped you win the titles in week 16 and who sealed your fate with their poor performances.
- I will still answer start/sit questions for those who play in week 17 leagues.
Winners
Josh Freeman: Freeman got me a win this week as he threw a mind-blowing five touchdown passes against the Seahawks helpless defense. He chipped in 237 passing yards and 23 rushing yards for his owners and he was only beat out this week by Aaron Rodgers for top QB honors.
Carson Palmer: If there was any doubt that Palmer can still play like an elite QB, this week should lay those doubts to rest. Palmer was without Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens, but still put up 269 passing yards and four TDs, without throwing a single INT. I will admit that I didn't see this one coming, but sure am glad it did to shut the haters up.
John Kuhn: Kuhn is owned in just two percent of all leagues, which means he is probably started in a decimal point of those leagues and thus was no help to you this week. However, Kuhn turned in 21 fantasy points this week with his three TDs (two rushing and one receiving) with just 22 rushing yards and seven receiving yards. His numbers remind me of Jerome Bettis in the final year of his career.
Correll Buckhalter: Another example of a player largely unowned that put up good fantasy numbers. Bucky finished with 92 total yards (42 rushing and 50 receiving) and found his way into the endzone twice. He is owned in just four percent of leagues, which means I will need screenshot proof before I give you credit for playing him.
Jerome Simpson: If you are not a Bengals fan, you might be wondering who Simpson even is. There is one thing for sure; his QB knows who he is! Palmer hooked up with Simpson six times for 124 yards and two TDs, good enough to take the top WR honors in week 16. Simpson is owned in zero… yes, 0 percent of all leagues, meaning not a single one of you got his 28 fantasy points.
Johnny Knox: The one week when someone asked me if they should start Knox, I tell them no. What did he do? Not much if you don't count 92 receiving yards and two TDs on four receptions. Knox is too inconsistent to count on and the smart money was on sitting him this weekend.
Kellen Winslow: Winslow was a big juicy target for Freeman this weekend and he finished the game with seven receptions for 98 yards and two TDs, good enough for top fantasy TE honors. TE is an all or nothing position and Winslow hauled in all of it this week!
Arizona Cardinals defense: Even though the Cardinals defense allowed 26 points to the Cowboys, they still racked up five sacks, two INTs, one fumble recovered and two defensive touchdowns. The defense ended on a high note for the 41 percent of owners who owned them.
Losers
John Kitna: If you own Kitna and started him, I am willing to bet you lost this week. He finished the fantasy super bowl with 115 yards passing, one TD and two INTs, numbers indicative of the Cowboys season. There is always next year for Cowboys fans, but this should be the last time we hear the name John Kitna when talking about fantasy football.
Matt Ryan: Ryan has had a pretty good fantasy season, but it all came down to week 16 and he sure didn't do much to help his owners. Ryan finished the game with 148 passing yards, 26 rushing yards and one INT. He didn't throw an INT, but that doesn't make up for the lack of the other stats.
Peyton Hillis: I had some high hopes for Hillis this weekend as he finished the fantasy season out. Instead of helping me win, he finished the game with 35 yards rushing and no endzone visits, good enough for four fantasy points.
Michael Turner: Michael "The Burner" Turned did some burning in week 16, but it was fantasy owners with the wounds… not the Saints defense. Turned finished the game with a modest 48 yards on the ground and no touchdowns, stats not worth playing in fantasy football.
Andre Johnson: Hard to get fantasy points when you are not even in the game! It sure would have been nice for Matt Schaub to let someone… anyone know that Johnson was going to be out this week BEFORE the game. But, I also could read between the lines and told all those who emailed me to sit him.
Reggie Wayne: If there was a picture next to "boom or bust" in the dictionary, Wayne would be pictured next to it. This weekend he finished the game with three catches for 40 yards and no TDs, not much help to the 96 percent of people who started him.
Tony Gonzalez: Gonzalez is owned in 97 percent of leagues and started in 82 percent of those leagues, but I am glad to say I am not one of the people in either of those two numbers. I don't own him in a single league and the two catches for 12 yards this weekend are why. He is far from the glory days in Kansas City and he should be passed over in 2011 if at all possible.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense: I owned the Buccs defense in a few leagues for this weekend's game against a struggling Seahawks offense. Hindsight shows that it wasn't the right move to make as they allowed 15 points on defense and only managed three sacks on the day. Matt Hasselbeck had thrown 10 INTs in his previous four games and the Buccs were unable to find a single errant throw to intercept… really?
