Mid-season is upon us, and with that we are going to do a full positional breakdown how each position is doing this year. Most fantasy playoffs start Week 14 meaning that our regular season ends Week 13 and if you’re team isn’t up to par, you won’t be in playoff contention. Whether you are in a free league or you and your friends have some friendly betting taking place, winning the championship is all we care about.

Quarterback: 

Best: Tom Brady is averaging the most fantasy points per week at his position, and in all of fantasy (Standard Scoring Leagues) according to ESPN Stats and Info. He has been an unstoppable force this year, and shows no signs of slowing down. Currently averaging 30.3 points per game, he is averaging more than five points higher than any other quarterback, ESPN Stats and Info. Chances are if you have Brady, you are winning your league and probably got him for a steal in the draft, considering he was supposed to be suspended.

Biggest Disappointment: For the biggest disappointment, I am going to select a player who was a top-10 fantasy draft pick and also hasn’t lost his production due to injury. For quarterback the biggest disappointment has been Peyton Manning. Sure his team is undefeated, but that is not because of Manning. He is averaging 14 points per game and is the 21st ranked quarterback according to ESPN Stats and Info. Ranked as a top-5 draft choice, Manning has been a huge disappointment this year; hopefully you didn’t draft him too high.

Biggest Surprise: For the biggest surprise, I am going to pick a player drafted outside the top-10 and has had top-10 production. The 29th ranked quarterback in this year’s pre-draft rankings, he is currently ranked as the fifth best quarterback in fantasy, Blake Bortles. He has amazing talent around him, and the sophomore quarterback is showing why he was the third overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft.

Running Back:

Best: A man among boys, Devonta Freeman. Freeman could be the biggest surprise as well, but considering the second-highest scoring running back is almost 60 points less than Freeman, he is clearly the best. Freeman was a draft steal and is paying major dividends to his owners.

Biggest Disappointment: This one should be obvious, considering I told you to drop him a few weeks ago. C.J. Anderson is perhaps the biggest fantasy bust in recent years. He is currently the 57th ranked running back and the fantasy steal of last year is a huge disappointment. If you still have him, you should seriously consider dropping him and maybe just quitting fantasy football altogether.

Biggest Surprise: Ranked as the 27th running back going into this year’s draft, Chris Ivory has been playing at an extremely high level. Currently ranked as the fifth-best running back in Standard Scoring Leagues (ESPN Stats and Info), Ivory is the true definition of a workhorse. The Jets had a great plan going into the season, protect the ball, play defense, and pound the rock. Ivory is not going to slow down and he is about as safe as it gets when it comes to a consistent fantasy running back.

 

Wide Receiver:

Best: DeAndre Hopkins and Julio Jones. Technically Hopkins is the number one, but only by half a point. Most thought that Antonio Brown would separate himself from the rest in fantasy, but since Roethlisberger has been injured, Brown has not been effective. Hopkins and Jones both dominate opposing secondaries, and are especially effective in Point-Per-Reception leagues. I have to give Hopkins major props; he has been extremely productive with very shaky quarterback play, while Jones has been incredibly productive with a high-quality quarterback.

Biggest Disappointment: Demaryius Thomas has been consistently underwhelming this year. Ranked as the number two receiver going into this year’s fantasy season, he is currently ranked as the 26th receiver and is averaging only nine and a half points per game, according to ESPN Stats and Info. It is safe to credit some of his lack of production to shaky play by Peyton Manning, but still he has only found the end zone once this year.

Biggest Surprise: With Blake Bortles producing at a high level, it is no surprise to see his young pass catcher, Allen Robinson, also have high production. Robinson was the 29th ranked receiver going into the draft, and is currently the fourth-best receiver in fantasy this year, according to ESPN Stats and Info. He is averaging almost 14 points a game and has six touchdowns through seven games. He is a very good young receiver and we will be seeing a lot of him in years to come.

Tight End:

Best: This one is pretty obvious, Rob Gronkowski. The clear favorite in the draft, and the clear-cut best tight end in the league. “The Gronk” is one of the most dominant players in the league, and will be the number one tight end for years to come.

Biggest Disappointment: The nice thing with tight ends is even the disappointing ones, aren’t that bad. Martellus Bennett was a top-5 draft prospect at the position, and is currently ranked as the 13th-best among tight ends in fantasy. Bennett has not digressed too much; his drop in production can be credited to a poor quarterback, and poor overall offense.

Biggest Surprise: This one was even a shock to me; this player was the 47th ranked tight end going into the draft and is currently the second best tight end in fantasy, according to ESPN Stats and Info. Gary Barnidge has become one of the most dominant tight ends in the league. He has averaged over 15 points per game over the past five games. If he is in your lineup, you are probably having a good year. Honorable mention to Tyler Eifert for being a fantasy monster this year.

 

It has been an exciting year in fantasy, and I am certainly looking forward to the rest of the season.

Good luck and remember to follow me on Twitter @GoodFntsyAdvice.