X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Monday Morning NFL Recap - Midseason Report & Awards

Welcome to the midseason edition of our weekly recap!  Through 8 or 9 games, the NFL has brought commercials, jubilation, commercials, exciting rookies, commercials, penalty flags, commercials, commercials, and the depths of despair and defeat to audiences all over the country, but today it's time to celebrate the individual players who have turned in significant first-half performances.  We're going to go position by position and take a look at the players who have been the MVPs of your fantasy team - the eighth-round picks playing like superstars - and we're going to take a look at the guys who've killed your desire to even login and fix your lineups.

Well, except for tight end.  That position is a goddamn wasteland.  Martellus Bennett is the number 3 overall at the position, and he's got 5 games logged where he had less than 5 points.  I hate tight ends so much.

Editor's Note: New users that sign up on FantasyAces, make a $20 deposit, and enter any game will receive our full season NFL (or NBA) Premium Pass for free, a $59.99 value. Just email [email protected] with your new FantasyAces username - and boom, that's it! We will email you with your Premium pass.

Editor's Note: Steer clear of costly draft mistakes with RotoBaller’s expert Fantasy Football Bust analysis. We break down overvalued players, potential letdowns, and risky ADPs to avoid, so you can build a smarter, safer roster.

 

It's Monday Morning... What Just Happened

QUARTERBACKS

Midseason MVP: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons sit at 6-3 and have sole position of first place in the NFC West, and the resurgent play of Matt Ryan is a big reason why.  Ryan has 5 games where he's thrown for at least 3 touchdowns, 5 games of at least 300 yards passing, with a 500-yard, 4-touchdown offering against the Panthers sitting nicely as the crown jewel of Ryan's season.  Ryan leads the NFL in yards per pass attempt, averaging 9.45 yards every time he throws.  With receiver Julio Jones fully healthy (and not fully human), Ryan is in a prime position to succeed down the stretch, and has an incredibly enticing playoff schedule, with games against divisional opponents during the last two weeks of the season - and his division has seemingly forgotten what cornerbacks are.

Honorable Mention: Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders

Carr has taken a huge step for the division-leading Raiders and sits at 3rd overall among QBs despite his rough outing against Denver this weekend.  Las Vegas is gonna love him.

 

Midseason Disappointment: Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

Although slightly unfair to Wilson, who has been fighting injury seemingly all season, Wilson was drafted in the hopes of building on his stellar play from the second half of 2015.  However, he has failed to live up to that reality.  Wilson hasn't thrown a touchdown since Week 4, and the Seahawks offense has sputtered.  He's only broken 20 points in a game once this season.  He had a Halloween costume that was somehow both super lame AND super creepy.  It's not been Wilson's year...but Wilson had a rough start last year, too.  It's too early to give up on the Seahawks, but if you've been relying on Wilson, it might be too late to save your season.

Honorable Mention: Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

These two guys were frequently drafted 1-2 at the position this year.  You do not draft the first and second quarterbacks off the board to have them be 16th and 26th at the position, behind Jameis "I threw 4 picks in a game" Winston and Case "booed at home" Keenum, respectively.

 

RUNNING BACKS

Midseason MVP: Melvin Gordon, San Diego Chargers

Gordon has had an incredible turnaround this year on a competitive Chargers squad.  The much-maligned rookie has been phenomenal for the first 9 games of his sophomore season, putting up 9 touchdowns only a year after he couldn't find the end zone at all.  He's gotten better as the season has gone on, too: he's put up 77 points over the last three games, with two 30-point showings, and he's done it against stingy fantasy defenses.  The Broncos are the Broncos, while the Titans were the second-best defense against running backs in fantasy.  Of course, the operative word in that sentence is were, because Gordon shredded them for 196 yards and a touchdown. (Cut to Nebraska fans, suddenly staring the thousand-yard stare of men who have witnessed horrors almost beyond human comprehension.)

Honorable Mention: Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

Honestly, the only reason Gordon gets the MVP nod over Elliott is that everyone expected this kind of production out of Elliott and drafted him in the first round accordingly.  Gordon, not so much.

 

Midseason Disappointment: Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams

Remember when Gurley was spearheading the crop of exciting young running backs entering the league?  Someone should check to see if he and Melvin Gordon swapped bodies sometime during the offseason.  Of course, Gordon has the benefit of playing with Philip Rivers, who not only has a functioning human arm, but who has an arm that functions well enough to keep San Diego competitive despite approximately 60% of its roster being hurt.  Gurley, on the other hand, plays with Case Keenum, who may or may not have been reanimated by a mad scientist looking to take revenge on not only the quarterback who bullied him in high school, but the entire concept of quarterbacking in general.  As a result, Gurley has to meet about 15 tacklers every time he touches the ball.  Lord God, please just let Jeff "the living embodiment of 7-9" Fisher start Jared Goff so Gurley doesn't actually die on the field.

Honorary Mention: Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints

I don't care what you did against the 49ers, Mark, it's not gonna erase the stink of the -1.5 you put up against Seattle.

 

WIDE RECEIVER

Midseason MVP: Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Evans was already one of the most productive WRs in football before his 11-reception, 150-yard, 2-TD performance against the Falcons.  Those 2 TDs put him at eight on the year, and he has emerged as QB Jameis Winston's most reliable option.  In a division that seems to regard pass defense as a suggestion and not a requirement, as well as a juicy matchup against Chicago coming up in Week 10, Evans should be poised to put up a strong second half.

Honorable Mention: Terrelle Pryor, Sr., Cleveland Browns

After switching positions to WR, the former Ohio State QB has found himself to be possibly the only bright spot on the Browns' roster, and the owners who were fortunate enough to grab him off the waiver wire (because the only people who drafted Terrelle Pryor as their Cleveland WR were people in the greater Columbus area) have been rewarded with a high-upside WR2.

 

Midseason Disappointment: DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans

Last year, DeAndre Hopkins was unquestionably one of the best young receivers in football.  Last year, he had the two headed monster of Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett throwing to him.  Last year, he still looked like he was poised to break into the Antonio Brown/Julio Jones "we're not quite sure if you were born or if you were molded from clay by the hand of the football gods" tier of wide receiver.  This year, he has just-got-paid-$72-million Brock Osweiler throwing to him.  This year, Hopkins has been a fantasy afterthought.  This year, Hopkins is being outscored by Tyrell Williams, who is San Diego's latest "oh shit literally everyone is hurt" receiver.   Now, I'm not going to say that Brock Osweiler is 500 pounds of failure stuffed into a 235-pound human suit...but I will imply it.  Brock Osweiler just had to be better than Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett, and he is demonstrably worse.  Houston, that sound you hear is Denver laughing at you 72 million times over.

Honorable Mention: Allen Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars

God the AFC South is a dumpster fire.  No division is better at squandering talent.  The Colts are wasting literally all of Andrew Luck's prime, the Texans are wasting Hopkins AND JJ Watt, the Jaguars are wasting Allen Robinson and exciting new rookie Jalen Ramsey...I guess congratulations are in order for Tennessee.  Although Tennessee has avoided wasting any young, exciting talents mostly due to not having any instead of playing good football, so I'd hold off on that particular ribbon ceremony for a while.

 

I'd like to say that there's plenty of exciting football commercials coming up over the second half of the season, but I pretty much wrote the "disappointment" sections by looking at my own roster, so I really just don't have the energy to get excited about unsportsmanlike conduct anymore.  When do the playoffs start?




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Austin Riley

Leaves Game Early on Friday With Abdominal Tightness
Kon Knueppel

Struggles in Summer League Win
Rafael Devers

Dealing With Back Inflammation
Walter Clayton Jr.

Plays Well on Friday Night
Cody Williams

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Leads the Way on Friday Night
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Returning on Friday
Sauce Gardner

Wants to be Highest-Paid Cornerback
Rhamondre Stevenson

Heading into an Important Season
Minnesota Vikings

Josh Metellus, Vikings Have Mutual Interest in Extension
Tua Tagovailoa

2025 Could be Tua Tagovailoa's Last Season in Miami
Rashawn Slater

has "Full Confidence" a Deal Will Get Done
Byron Buxton

Returns on Friday
Isaiah Jackson

Signs Three-Year Extension
Jake Meyers

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Calf Strain
Brandon Lowe

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Oblique Tightness
Kodai Senga

Reinstated to Start on Friday
Alex Bregman

Officially Activated and Starting on Friday
Marvin Bagley III

Joining the Wizards
Herbert Jones

Signing Extension with Pelicans
Jacob Toppin

Returning to Hawks
Chicago Bears

Bears Extend General Manager Ryan Poles
Dalton Knecht

Avoids Serious Injury
MarShawn Lloyd

in a "Much Better Spot" Heading Into Training Camp
Javon Small

Signs Two-Way Deal
Dustin Hopkins

Browns Still Counting on Dustin Hopkins
Demarcus Robinson

Sentenced to Three Years of Probation
Jalen Nailor

In Line for WR3 Role in Minnesota
Andrew Thomas

Could Miss Start of 2025 Season
Alex Bregman

Expected to Return on Friday
Julio Rodríguez

Julio Rodriguez Won't Suit Up for Midsummer Classic
Trey Smith

Chiefs, Trey Smith Expected to Work Out Long-Term Extension
Bernhard Raimann

a Candidate for an Extension This Summer
C.J. Stroud

Could Sign Multi-Year Deal Before 2026 Season
Kyle Juszczyk

Says Christian McCaffrey Looks Healthy, Explosive
Kyren Williams

Showing Improved Explosiveness
Christian Barmore

"Dominant" this Spring
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Pete Crow-Armstrong

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF