Kheron Alston
Image: NFL.com
*Note: This is the second article in a series about Fantasy Football
*Articles reflect the views of the author and or those quoted and do not necessarily represent the views of CCBC or the CCBC Connection.
The beginning half of the 2018-2019 NFL season has been wild to say the least from the viewpoint of people who only care about football as well as people who solely watch the NFL with no fantasy implications. In this article I will be talking about the biggest performers at each position and the possibilities of the second half of the season.
We can start by saying the biggest surprise of the first half of this season has been the play of the Kansas City Chiefs Rookie QB Patrick Mahomes.
Who truly expected Mahomes to have 26 touchdowns to 6 interceptions and be the highest scoring QB at 216.9, averaging 27.1 points per game in PPR standard leagues through eight weeks? Most would agree that this has been the biggest fantasy surprise so far this season.
There are many people who could win the NFL MVP through eight weeks starting with Todd Gurley who has been nothing less than phenomenal this year having 240.1 points and averaging 30 points in PPR standard leagues.
Whether it be catching the ball or rushing, Gurley has scored in every contest through week eight and doesn’t seem that he will be looking to slow down with the high-powered offense led by Jared Goff and Sean McVay. Gurley has even exceeded fantasy expectations that were set extremely high for him.
Another person who has exceeded expectations in the category of WR is Adam Thielen of the Minnesota Vikings. Thielen has racked up a least 100 yards in every one of his games breaking the record formerly held at seven.
Thielen has as more yards through eight weeks at 925 than some expected him to have all year. From the fantasy point of view Thielen is leading the position with 202 points and averaging 25.3 in PPR standard leagues.
The biggest expectation that I had coming into this year was Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans who has been rather disappointing only scoring 44.5 points and averaging 5.6 per game. Luckily for me the four leagues I drafted in I got him in zero.
Coming into the year my Super Bowl favorites were the Minnesota Vikings and I am sticking by it. They started off slow starting 1-2-1 but they reeled off three straight and are now 4-3-1 and second behind the Chicago Bears in the NFC North. Their offense can be one of the best in the league behind the duo of Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen and when Dalvin Cook comes back healthy watch out for this team in the second half of the season.
The remaining weeks of this season will be very interesting to say the least. Lots of scoring, lots of close games, and important matchups with playoff implications.
Going into the playoffs I believe that the NFC championship will come down to The Rams vs. The Vikings and the AFC championship will be The Chiefs vs. The Patriots. The winners of these games will be advancing to the Super Bowl and it is my belief that game will be the Vikings vs. the Chiefs in Atlanta.
Patrick Mahomes has definitely been a surprise this season. I think he is a talented quarterback but I also think he’s a product of the tools that Andy Reid has place around him. When you have so many offensive weapons that you can give the ball to in space it’s going to inflate your numbers. Don’t get me wrong, I think he is talented, but I don’t think he is as good as people give him credit for.
The Patriots consistently put out quality football teams, but after the walloping the Titans gave them recently I have to question how far they could make it in the post-season. I’m curious what your thoughts on the Chargers are. They’ve won 6 straight and their only losses are from KC in week 1 and the Rams in week 3. They’re rolling right now, and they will only get stronger with marque players returning from injury such as DE Joey Bosa and potentially TE Hunter Henry. If the Chiefs drop one game then Chargers/Chiefs rematch in week 15 will be the difference between holding the number 1 or 2 seed versus a wildcard spot.
I’m not even that into Football but I always get excited seeing an interception. Good stuff to Mahomes
Mahomes has surpassed my expectations. I have Elliot and Watson as my main players.