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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
David Dorey

Tunnel Vision Final with Huddle Awards

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
 Davis Mills 298-6 3
 Russell Wilson 283-18 3
 Josh Allen 254-16 3
 Deshaun Watson 230-44 2
 Mac Jones 243-5 3
Running Backs Rush
Receive
TD
Nick Chubb 12-77
5-45
1
Zack Moss 18-114
3-7
1
Jamaal Williams 16-72 2
Alexander Mattison 10-54
1-6
2
Latavius Murray  15-103
1-15
1
Wide Receivers Yards TD
Keenan Allen 8-102 2
DeVante Parker 6-79 2
Jerry Jeudy 5-157
3-39
0
Stefon Diggs 7-104 1
Ja’Marr Chase 8-86 1
Tight Ends Yards TD
Jordan Akins 4-70 2
George Kittle 4-29 2
Isaiah Likely 8-103 0
Cole Kmet 4-57 1
Lawrence Cager 8-69 0
Placekickers XP FG
Jake Elliott 1 5
Jason Meyers 1 4
Younghoe Koo 3 3
Greg Joseph 2 3
Mason Crosby 1 3
Defense Sack – TO TD
Bills 0 0
Bengals 0 0
Commanders 0 0
Texans 0 0
Jaguars 0 0

2022 IR/Major injuries

5+ games missed

QUARTERBACK

Trey Lance
Jimmy Garoppolo
Dak Prescott
Carson Wentz
Matthew Stafford

RUNNING BACK

Elijah Mitchell
Javonte Williams
Rashaad Penny
Mark Ingram
Gus Edwards
J.D. McKissic
J.K. Dobbins
Damien Harris
Melvin Gordon
Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Khalil Herbert
Breece Hall
Cordarrelle Patterson

TIGHT END

Dallas Goedert
Zach Ertz
Hayden Hurst
Greg Dulcich
Darren Waller
Kyle Pitts
Donald Parham

WIDE RECEIVER

Michael Thomas
Jarvis Landry
Hunter Renfrow
Van Jefferson
Julio Jones
Allen Robinson
Rondale Moore
Treylon Burks
Mecole Hardman
DJ Chark
Corey Davis
Nico Collins
Darnell Mooney
Chase Claypool
Michael Gallup
Jahan Dotson
Keenan Allen
DeAndre Hopkins
Marquise Brown
Deebo Samuel
Mike Williams
Cooper Kupp
Ja’Marr Chase

The Huddle Awards

Draft slots were taken from the Average Draft at MyFantasyLeague. Standard performance scoring with reception points were considered.

QUARTERBACK

Best Player –   Patrick Mahomes

The Chiefs franchise player was the only quarterback that passed 5,000 yards when he threw for 5,250 yards and a league-best 41 touchdowns. He added 358 rushing yards and four more scores.

Runner-up:  Josh Allen

Best Fantasy Draft Pick –    Trevor Lawrence (ADP No. 18)

The second-year quarterback was a 1.01 NFL draft pick that flopped with the rest of the imploding Jaguars last season, but he pulled up and became the No. 7 fantasy quarterback  with most of his stats in the second half of the season. Lawrence threw for 4,113 yards and 25 touchdowns, plus ran for 291 yards and five more scores.

Runner-up: Justin Fields

Best Rookie –   Kenny Pickett

This wasn’t a great year for fantasy rookie quarterbacks and they’ll no doubt improve next year. Pickett was only the No. 28 fantasy quarterback with 2,404 pass yards and seven touchdowns and 237 yards and three more scores as a rusher. He never quite offered any fantasy starts.

Runner-up:  Brock Purdy

Worst Fantasy Draft Pick –   Lamar Jackson (ADP No. 4)

He was drafted in the fourth to fifth rounds in most drafts by players looking for a top quarterback that didn’t cost them too much. Ends up he cost a lot since he not only ended as the No. 17 quarterback, but he missed the final five games when you needed him most.

Runner-up:    Kyler Murray

Best Free Agent –   Geno Smith

No one expected the 32-year-old itinerant quarterback on his fourth NFL to offer the Seahawks more than a “bridge quarterback” to whatever happens in 2023. What is going to happen is that the Seahawks will resign Smith who ended as the No. 5 fantasy quarterback with 4,681 passing yards and 32 touchdowns and 366 rushing yards.

 Runner-up:  Daniel Jones

Best Game – Tua Tagovailoa, Week 2 at BAL

47.55 FF Pts. – Rush: 1-19, Pass: 36-50-469, 6 TD

Runner-up: 45.8 FF Pts. – Lamar Jackson, Week 2 vs. MIA

RUNNING BACK

Best Player –   Austin Ekeler

He was the No. 2 back last year. Ekeler maintained the top spot most all year, and ended with 915 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, plus 107 catches for 722 yards and five more scores.

Runner-up: Christian McCaffrey

Best Fantasy Draft Pick –  Tony Pollard No. 35  RB Drafted

The Cowboys backfield was the top fantasy scorer between Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, but this was the year that Pollard took a clear lead on fantasy teams by ending as the No. 9 fantasy running backs with 1,007 rushing yards and nine scores, plus 39 catches for 371 yards and three more scores.

Runner-up:  D’Onta Foreman, No. 62 RB Drafted

Best Rookie –  Kenneth Walker 

He was the 2.09 pick by the Seahawks who had to wait five weeks for the annual injury to Rashaad Penny to clear the way for Walker to become a workhorse. He finished as the No. 18 fantasy back but had an ADP as the No. 40 running back taken. He wasn’t a starter until Week 6 but still ended with 1,050 rushing yards and nine touchdowns with 27 catches for 165 yards added.

Runner-up:  Breece Hall

Worst Fantasy Draft Pick –  Jonathan Taylor, No. 1  RB Drafted  

He finished as the No. 31 fantasy back but the first pick in about 99% of all fantasy drafts went from the King of 2021 to shockingly bad, then he got a little better, and then he was gone after Week 11. Catastrophic top fantasy owners who often waited a long time on running backs thinking they already had the equivalent of two.

Runner-up:  Javonte Williams

Best Free Agent –  Jerick McKinnon

He not only was undrafted in many leagues, he might have changed hands a few times before he started scoring touchdowns every week as of Week 13. He is still scoring and has nine scores over the final  six games right when fantasy leaguers were making and winning playoff games. McKinnon ended with 803 total yards, 56 catches and ten touchdowns as the No. 20 running back –  but more like Top-5 for the last six weeks.

Runner-up:  Jeff Wilson

Best Game – Joe Mixon, Week 9 vs. CAR

55.1 FF Pts. – Rush 22-153 4 TD, Receive 4-58 TD

Runner-up: 48.3 FF Pts.  – Josh Jacobs, Week 12 at SEA

WIDE RECEIVER

Best Player – Justin Jefferson

He had the rare down game, but Jefferson ended with 128 catches for 1,809 yards and eight touchdowns. That included ten 100-yard games and even a 223-yard effort.

Runner-up:  Tyreek Hill

Best Fantasy Draft Pick – DeVonta Smith, No. 43 WR Drafted

He was the No. 29 fantasy wideout as a rookie and the assumption was that add Tyreek Hill would redirect a lot of passes from Smith to Hill. Didn’t happen – it only gave Smith single coverage. He ended as the No. 9 fantasy wideout with 95 catches for 1,196 yards and seven touchdowns.

Runner-up:   Jaylen Waddle, No. 30 WR Drafted

Best Rookie –  Garrett Wilson 

The Jets quarterback situation scared off most drafters, but the rookie still managed to post 83 catches for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns as the No. 21 fantasy wideout.

Runner-up:  Chris Olave

Worst Fantasy Draft Pick – Cooper Kupp, No. 1  WR Drafted

He was great right up until he wasn’t. The Rams imploded around him and yet he remained a fantasy gold mine. But then he was gone by Week 10 as he succumbed to the injury whirlpool that sucked down all starting Rams skill players.

Runner-up: Deebo Samuel

Best Free Agent – Zay Jones

It is hard to find a starter at wideout when most leagues scrape off 50 to 70 players from the position. Jones was a surprise free agent though that benefitted from landing with the Jaguars and the improve Trevor Lawrence. Jones ended as the No. 26 fantasy wideout with 82 catches for 823 yards and five touchdowns.

Runner-up: Donovan Peoples-Jones

Best Game – Mike Evans, Week 17, vs. CAR
48.7  FF Pts. – 10-207, 3 TD

Runner-up: 44.8 FF Pts., Stefon Digs, Week 2, vs. TEN

TIGHT END

Best Player –  Travis Kelce

He’s getting older. He became the sole weapon once Tyreek Hill left. And Kelce has never been better, catching 110 passes for 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns.  He had 33% more fantasy points than No. 2 T.J. Hockenson. He had his second best yardage but it was his career-high touchdowns.

Runner-up:  T.J. Hockenson

Best Fantasy Draft Pick – Evan Engram, No. 18 TE drafted

He spent five years at the Giants and then signed a one-year contract with the Jaguars this year. He ends as the No. 5 fantasy tight end with 73 catches for 766 yards and four touchdowns. He turned it up in the final month with two 100-yard games.

Runner Up: Pat Freiermuth

Best Rookie – Chigoziem Okonkwo

The Broncos fourth-round pick was just the No. 25 fantasy tight end which means he’s not worth owning, but he came around later in the year and finished with 32 catches for 450 yards and three scores. It’s something to remember since most tight ends improve in their second season.

Runner-up: Cade Otton

Worst Fantasy Draft Pick – Kyle Pitts , No. 2 TE drafted

The highest-drafted tight end in NFL history had a promising rookie year and the expectation that he would improve in HC Arthur Smith’s second season with Marcus Mariota proved very flawed. Pitts became unplayable as he was ignored by Mariota and then was lost for the season after Week 10 which just made it easier for fantasy owners to not start him and get killed every week.

Runner-up: Darren Waller

Best Free Agent – Taysom Hill

The Saints quarterback, or tight end, or running back, wasn’t drafted in most leagues but eventually was picked up and even started if only occasionally. How he was tabbed as a tight end is still a mystery, because he ended up with 96 runs for 575 yards and seven touchdowns, and caught just two scores on his nine catches for 77 yards.

Runner-up: Tyler Higbee

Best Game – Evan Engram, Week 14, at TEN
39.2 FF Pts, 11-162, 2 TD

Runner-up: T.J. Hockenson, Week 4 vs. SEA 37.9  FF Pts.

Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Huddle player of the year

Travis Kelce – There were plenty of great players in every position – except tight end. Kelce ended with 110 catches and 1,338 yards with 12 scores in a position that was otherwise  in decline all year. Every position has a three or four player knot at the top but not in tight end. Kelce offered an advantage that you could not hope to match with any other tight end. He’s 33-years-old and has to decline at some point, but he’ll be a first rounder next summer after his dominating performance.

Salute!

2022-2023 NFL PLAYOFFS

On bye: Chiefs and Eagles

Saturday, January 14
Seahawks at 49ers, 3:30 PM
Chargers at Jaguars, 7:15 PM

Sunday, January 15
Dolphins at Bills, 12:00 PM
Giants at Vikings, 3:30 PM
Ravens at Bengals, 7:15 PM

Monday, January 16
Cowboys at Buccaneers, 7:15 PM

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Davis Mills 298 3 QB Jalen Hurts 242 0
RB Zack Moss 121 1 RB Austin Ekeler 70 0
RB A. Mattison 60 2 RB Josh Jacobs 50 0
WR DeVante Parker 79 2 WR Tee Higgins 7 0
WR A.J. Green 91 1 WR Tyreek Hill 23 0
WR Velus Jones 70 1 WR Justin Jefferson 38 0
TE Jordan Akins 70 2 TE T.J. Hockerson 16 0
PK Jake Elliott   1 XP   5 FG PK Brett Maher   0
Huddle Fantasy Points = 148 Huddle Fantasy Points = 30

Thanks for being a part of The Huddle!

And for the 444th time since Week 1 of 1997…

Get back to work!

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