Fantasy Sports Shack

The stuff to help you win a fantasy title

2009 Season Wrap-Up

Posted: January 16, 2009

The 2009 fantasy football season kicked off with only one certainty: Adrian Peterson would be the top pick in most drafts.  However, looking back on the year that was, were we all to journey back to the summer and redraft our teams, some things would have gone differently.

As I mentioned in the Bruno Boys’ season recap edition of Fasulo’s Forecaster, Chris Johnson, the consensus hypothetical redraft number one pick, ran away, literally, with fantasy MVP honors (2,006 rushing yards, 503 receiving yards, 16 touchdowns).  Ray Rice, in this writer’s opinion, was a solid second (2,041 yards from scrimmage, 8 touchdowns), and Aaron Rodgers was third.  Rodgers’ 4,434 yards, 30 touchdowns (to only 7 interceptions), 316 rushing yards and 5 rushing scores were nothing to scoff at, but Johnson outscored Rodgers in standard scoring leagues, and Rice’s draft value was superior to that of the All-Pro QB — chances are, Rice was a mid-round pick in your league.

All-in-all, 2009 was one hell of a season.  A couple old dogs (30+ year-old running backs) proved age to be  just a number, as Ricky Williams ran for over 1,100 yards at age 32 and Thomas Jones topped 1,400 at 31.  Both had double digit touchdowns, 11 and 14, respectively.  A couple more old dogs proved the adage that once a running back hits 30, the end comes quickly.  Despite 12 rushing touchdowns, 30 year-old LaDainian Tomlinson managed only 730 yards on the ground, with a career low average of 3.3 yard-per-carry.  30 year-old Brian Westbrook lost most of the season to concussions, but in eight games, totaled just 455 yards and 2 scores.  The Philadelphia Eagles have a 2010 in-house replacement for Westbrook in rookie running back LeSean McCoy (637 rushing yards, 308 receiving yards, 4 TD), but chances are, the San Diego Chargers will look elsewhere for tailback help, as Darren Sproles, though he totaled more than 800 yards and scored 8 touchdowns in 2009, is likely not an every-down back.

Aside from Rice, Williams and Jones, there were a few more running back surprises in 2009… for the worse.  Matt Forte, a top ten draft pick, finished the season with 929 rushing yards, 471 receiving yards and 4 scores, a respectable line for a mid-round draft pick, a horrific line for a RB1 who is supposed to carry your fantasy team.  Steve Slaton, a first/second round pick, caused even more fantasy damage, as his fumble-itus found him on the real world bench, and though he got back into the mix toward the end of the year before suffering an injury, his final stat-line left much to be desired: 437 rushing yards, 417 receiving yards, 7 TD.

While some players were disappointing this year, others were exceptional.  Dallas Cowboys‘ wide receiver Miles Austin broke out in Week 6 to the tune of 250 yards and 2 touchdowns, and he never looked back, finishing the season with 1,320 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.  His fantasy total was third best among receivers, behind only Houston Texans‘ star Andre Johnson (1,569 yards, 9 TD) and New England Patriots‘ All-Pro Randy Moss (1.264 yards, 13 TD).  In San Francisco, tight end Vernon Davis catapulted his career to new levels, leading all NFL tight ends in touchdowns (13) and leading his team in receiving yards (965).  Across the country in New York, the Steve Smith who began the season known as “the other Steve Smith” made a name for himself by setting the Giants‘ single-season record for receptions (107) and amassing 1,220 receiving yards and 7 scores.  (Side note: Though they both finished with 7 touchdowns, the Giants’ Steve Smith out-gained Carolina Panthers’ Steve Smith by 238 receiving yards.)  In Minnesota, Brett Favre revitalized his career again, and the career of third-year wideout Sidney Rice took off.  Rice, left undrafted in some leagues, finished the season with 1,312 receiving yards and 8 scores.

All across the board, 2009 was another great season in fantasy football land.  Here is a look at the Fantasy Sports Shack accolades (lists) for the 2009 fantasy football season, and the top 30 Keepers for 2010:

MVP

Player Position Team Stats
1 Chris Johnson RB Titans 2,006 rush yds, 503 rec yds, 16 TD, 3 fum
2 Ray Rice RB Ravens 1,339 rush yds, 702 rec yds, 8 TD, 3 fum
3 Aaron Rodgers QB Packers 4,434 pass yds, 30 TD, 7 INT, 316 rush yds, 5 rush TD, 4 fum
4 Drew Brees QB Saints 4,388 pass yds, 34 TD, 11 INT, 33 rush yds, 2 rush TD, 6 fum
5 Peyton Manning QB Colts 4,500 pass yds, 33 TD, 16 INT
6 Maurice Jones-Drew RB Jaguars 1,391 rush yds, 374 rec yds, 16 TD, 1 fum
7 Adrian Peterson RB Vikings 1,383 rush yds, 436 rec yds, 18 TD, 6 fum
8 Thomas Jones RB Jets 1,402 rush yds, 58 rec yds, 14 TD
9 Andre Johnson WR Texans 1,569 rec yds, 9 TD, 10 rush yds
10 Miles Austin WR Cowboys 1,320 rec yds, 11 TD

TOP ROOKIE

Player Position Team Stats
1 Knowshon Moreno RB Broncos 947 rush yds, 213 rec yds, 9 TD, 4 fum
2 Percy Harvin WR Vikings 790 rec yds, 135 rush yds, 8 TD
3 Beanie Wells RB Cardinals 793 rush yds, 143 rec yds, 7 TD, 2 fum
4 Hakeem Nicks WR Giants 790 rec yds, 8 rush yds, 6 TD
5 LeSean McCoy RB Eagles 637 rush yds, 308 rec yds, 4 TD, 1 fum
6 Mike Wallace WR Steelers 756 rec yds, 48 rush yds, 6 TD, 1 fum
7 Austin Collie WR Colts 676 rec yds, 7 TD
8 Jeremy Maclin WR Eagles 762 rec yds, 4 TD
9 Kenny Britt WR Titans 701 rec yds, 3 TD, 1 fum
10 Michael Crabtree WR 49ers 625 rec yds, 2 TD, 1 fum

TOP KEEPERS FOR 2010

Player Position Team Reason
1 Chris Johnson RB Titans As if 2,500 yards and 16 TD wasn’t enough, he’s only 24.
2 Adrian Peterson RB Vikings He’ll only be 25 in 2010, and has lots of miles left on those tires.
3 Maurice Jones-Drew RB Jaguars First year as full-time RB1 a success, look for him to do more of the same in 2010 and beyond.
4 Ray Rice RB Ravens 2009’s FSS MVP runner-up has proven he’s for real.
5 Aaron Rodgers QB Packers 2009’s top fantasy QB just turned 26 years-old.
6 Andre Johnson WR Texans The 28 year-old All-Pro is at the top of his game for a team on the rise.
7 Drew Brees QB Saints The leader of the league’s most prolific offense has a few good sesaons left in his arm.
8 Frank Gore RB 49ers This may seem like a high ranking, but he’s the centerpiece of a blossoming offense.
9 Larry Fitzgerald WR Cardinals 13 touchdowns in 2009 for arguably the best receiver in football.
10 DeSean Jackson WR Eagles The guy just makes huge plays, and he’s still getting better.
11 Steven Jackson RB Rams At 26, he is the best player on one of the worst teams in football, and he still managed 1,416 rush yards.
12 Jamaal Charles RB Chiefs A stretch? Maybe. But in the second half of ‘09, the only RB better was Chris Johnson.
13 Peyton Manning QB Colts He’ll be 34 next season, but his style of play dictates success for years to come.
14 Beanie Wells RB Cardinals Likely locked in a timeshare again in 2010, but this time, he’s the man.
15 Jonathan Stewart RB Panthers Like Wells, Stewart shares time, but coming into his third year, he’s set to take on a bigger load.
16 Vernon Davis TE 49ers Apologies to Clark, Gates and Gonzalez, but Davis is just entering his prime and could potentially put up WR1 numbers.
17 Philip Rivers QB Chargers Uncertainty at RB, Rivers may have to throw more in 2010.
18 Miles Austin WR Cowboys Can he do it again in 2010? It’s worth a gamble.
19 Knowshon Moreno RB Broncos Likely to take on a bigger workload from here on.
20 Percy Harvin WR Vikings Again, might seem like a stretch, but this guy is lightning in a bottle.
21 Vincent Jackson WR Chargers Disappeared for a bit down the stretch, but still one of the top young receivers in the game.
22 Rashard Mendenhall RB Steelers He’s taken over as the RB1, and year three should prove fruitful.
23 Matt Forte RB Bears A sophomore slump can be blamed on his team’s lack of receivers. Look for a rebound in 2010.
24 Brandon Marshall WR Broncos His talent is undeniable, but his attitude sometimes holds him back.
25 Roddy White WR Falcons Matt Ryan will be ready to go in 2010, and White will reap the benefits.
26 Greg Jennings WR Packers Donald Driver isn’t getting any younger, and despite a “down” 2009, Jennings is just hitting his stride.
27 Matt Schaub QB Texans It feels like his fantasy owners dodged a bullet with an injury-free ‘09, but his potential is worth the risk.
28 Reggie Wayne WR Colts Next year, Pierre Garcon’s name could be here instead, but for now, Wayne is still the man in Indy.
29 Calvin Johnson WR Lions As he builds a rapport with Stafford, the numbers are sure to go way up.
30 Shonn Greene RB Jets Greene has shown flashes, and will be ready to step in when Jones’ tires inevitably go flat.

Thank you, my faithful followers, for a great 2009.  Keep your eyes out for the Fantasy Sports Shack’s baseball coverage, which will start in the near future, and come back next August for more Fantasy Sports Shack football coverage!  (Though, I’m sure there will be a few topics for discussion between now and then.)

January 16, 2010 Posted by joshf28 | Uncategorized | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments Yet