The 2016 fantasy football season has come and gone. It is such a bitter period of time we currently reside in, as we watch great football games on television but no longer have our fantasy teams to constantly monitor and tinker with.

Allow yourself to mourn, for it is natural and quite healthy. But before we move on with our lives, let us first look back on this memorable year and reflect on five Quarterbacks who either rose well above expectations, or failed to even come close enough to smell them. We owe it to our teams, our leagues, the sport, and ourselves. Let us begin our journey.

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Top QB Risers from 2016

1. Matt Ryan, ATL (12th Round ADP)

After leading the Falcons to an 8-8 record, with a mediocre 21:16 TD:INT ratio, fantasy owners were ready to write off the 31 year old. He was selected as the 19th Quarterback off the fantasy draft boards this season, behind the likes of Andy Dalton and Eli Manning... just flat out disrespectful. But they don't call the man "Matty Ice" for nothing, and he wasted no time making the doubters hide in shame. The first two weeks of the season Ryan totaled 730 yards, five TD, and only one INT. Two weeks later against the defending NFC champion Panthers, he just brought all sorts of rain, dropping 503 yards and four TD. The doubt was instantly erased. Matt Ryan was back in elite form, and the Falcons offense was a legit threat. 13 weeks later, Matt Ryan finished the regular season with a career high 4,944 Yds, 38 TD, and only seven INT, and has just defeated the Seattle Seahawks to advance to the NFC Championship game.

MORE: Matt Ryan looked very much like an MVP, and the Atlanta Falcons are headed to the NFC championship game. https://t.co/kvDmQyrriI pic.twitter.com/O1f9MlfCQk

— AP NFL (@AP_NFL) January 15, 2017

I think it is safe to say Matty Ice is the top Quarterback riser of 2016, but to no surprise since....well, Falcons rise up.

 

2. Dak Prescott, DAL (13th Round ADP)

Man, oh man, what a surprise this was. Technically, Prescott is the biggest riser of the season in terms of total distance risen, but considering there really were no expectations for him in fantasy leagues, it made it a fairly easy ascension. Nevertheless, the rookie balled-out this season. The fourth round draft pick and eighth QB selected in the 2016 NFL Draft, finished a Pro-Bowl rookie season with 3,667 Pass Yds, 23 Pass TD, and only four INT. Only FOUR INT, by a rookie. Oh, and don't forget the dude can run. He added 282 yards on the ground along with six more TD...I mean why not. What is even more important than his stellar fantasy stats that ranked him as the sixth best fantasy QB, was the fact that Dak led the Cowboys to a 13-3 record and the top seed in the NFC. "The Fortress" is a special talent, and will be a staple in fantasy football for years to come.

Dak Prescott is the 2nd player (1st rookie) in NFL history to have 3,500+ pass yards & fewer than 5 INT in a season (Tom Brady, 2010 & 2016) pic.twitter.com/xjuzuc13xJ

— Randall Liu (@RLiuNFL) January 2, 2017

 

3. Kirk Cousins, WAS (10th Round ADP)

Unlike Matt Ryan, Kirk Cousins actually had plenty of positive hype heading into 2016 fantasy season. It just wasn't enough hype. He was the 13th QB taken off the board in drafts, and finished the year ranked in the top five. Cousins played six games against NFC playoff teams this season; four versus Dallas and New York, and one apiece against Detroit and Green Bay. In those six games he threw for 2,072 Yds, 11 TD, and 3 INT. All three of those INT came versus the NFC East opponents. Had Cousins played in the NFC North or South this year, he might have just been the NFL MVP. Regardless, Cousins finished with 4,917 Yds and a slightly disappointing 25 TD, and were knocked out of playoff contention in the last week of the season. But thankfully, there are no extra fantasy points for taking your team to the playoffs. Yes we do, Kirk, yes we do. Now go clean the dishes or something.

Honorable Mentions: Marcus Mariota, TEN; Derek Carr, OAK

 

Top QB Fallers from 2016

1. Cam Newton, CAR (Second Round ADP)

Well you had to see this one coming. The 2015 Fantasy Football MVP was seen as a cornerstone of fantasy success heading into this season. Cam was the first QB taken in 2016 drafts with enormous expectations aided by a healthy Kelvin Benjamin, but it was all downhill from there. Newton finished the season as the 17th ranked fantasy QB, saw his already-low completion percentage drop seven points to 52.9, threw for 16 less TD, threw four more INT, and cut his rushing TD in half. Not to mention the reigning NFC champs went 6-8 and missed the playoffs. All-in-all, it was ugly, ugly enough to make you want to lay on the floor and not get up. Help me illustrate, Cam.

 

2. Carson Palmer, ARI (Fifth Round ADP)

Here is another Quarterback who led one of the highest scoring offenses in 2015, only to fade into fantasy irrelevance in 2016. Carson Palmer was the seventh QB selected in fantasy drafts this year, and finished the season ranked 19th. One of the more troubling splits you'll see, Palmer's performance on the road absolutely killed his fantasy value.

That road TD:INT ratio will give fantasy owners nightmares, and is highlighted by his week three performance in Buffalo in which he layed up a goose egg on 26/50 passing with four INT and five sacks. There was eventually a glimmer of hope for fantasy owners and the Arizona Cardinals, as Palmer had his best month in December (1,047 yds, 8 TD, 2 INT, 97.7 rate), with one of those games being a victory in Seattle.

Dishonorable Mentions: Russell Wilson, SEA; Blake Bortles, JAX; Eli Manning, NYG

Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!