Fantasy Football: 7 Biggest Surprises of 2011

Added on Dec 29, 2011 by Scott in

NFL

With the 2011 fantasy football season in the books, it’s time to take a look back at which players surprised us the most. Anyone who’s participated in fantasy for more than a couple of years knows the key to winning a fake title is often a result of those mid- to late-round draft picks and waiver wire pickups. This season was no different as a spate of players turned in unexpected performances that helped many an owner seize glory. Here are seven that fit the description.

Matt Stafford (Lions) – Not because he threw for over 4000 yards and 36 touchdowns but because he didn’t miss a start for the first time in three seasons. If you were shrewd enough to wait until the 8th or 9th round to take him, odds are he ended up paying huge dividends. Of course it helps that he gets to chuck it up to Calvin Johnson eight times a game.

Cam Newton (Panthers) – If anyone said they saw this coming in August, they’re lying through their teeth. 4000 yards? 20 touchdown passes? 14 rushing scores? Amazing. Cam went undrafted in many drafts, but after his Week 1 explosion he didn’t last long on the waiver wire. He’ll likely be picked too high in 2012, although if he posted these kinds of numbers as a rookie, imagine what he can do with a full offseason to prepare. Scary.

Reggie Bush (Dolphins) – How good was Bush in 2011? He’s totaled more rushing yards in 15 games than he did in the previous THREE seasons combined. His six ground scores are the most since his rookie campaign. More importantly, he stayed healthy. If he was drafted, it was late, and after three subpar September outings, he might’ve been dropped. A torrid finish (four straight 100-yard games) means he’ll be overdrafted in 2012. It’s still hard to trust a guy who looked terrible for five years in New Orleans.

Willis McGahee (Broncos) – The “old man” was considered washed-up. He hadn’t run for 1000 yards since 2007. He was injury-prone. He was stuck in a committee with Knowshon Moreno. While most fantasy owners scoffed, Broncos head coach John Fox handed him the rock again and again. 1000-plus yards and a 4.8 per carry average later, and McGahee was once again a must-start player. He’s still 30, so buyer beware in 2012.

Victor Cruz (Giants) – Remember when Giants fans were livid the front office brass allowed Steve Smith to sign with the Eagles? Well, fans don’t know squat. That’s because second-year receiver Victor Cruz was healthy and ready to make his move. And what a move he made. His 1358 yards set a franchise record for single-season receiving yards. His 76 catches and eight touchdowns leads all pass catchers. A budding star? Maybe.

Jordy Nelson (Packers) – Like Cruz, Nelson overshadowed bigger names to lead the potent Packers attack in 2011. He leads the team in reception yardage (1101) and touchdowns (12) and has become Aaron Rodgers’ favorite big play target. He totaled only six scores from 2008-2010, so temper your expectations next season. Touchdowns are very unpredictable and it’s likely defenses will pay much more attention to him in the future. That said, the guy is pretty damn good.

Rob Gronkowski (Patriots) – Okay, he did catch ten touchdown passes in 2010, so the guy clearly wasn’t a stiff entering this season. However, predicting him to catch 82 for 1219 yards and 15 touchdowns would’ve been considered slightly insane a few months ago. Not anymore. He’s a faster version of Jason Witten and twice as tough. As long as Golden Boy Brady is under center, look for Gronk to post massive numbers.

Honorable mention: Darren Sproles (Saints) – The diminutive utility back has found a home in Sean Payton’s diverse offensive attack. He averaged over seven yards per touch and scored eight times. Reggie who?