Fantasy Football Midseason Awards
Yahoo Sports’ Dalton Del Don joins FFL to discuss his midseason fantasy football awards.
Video transcript
- All right, we are very pleased to be joined this morning by perhaps the hot takeiest analyst in the Fantasy Game. It's our very own Dalton Del Don. Today, we're talking midseason awards. These are fake awards, by the way, just to be clear. Nobody's receiving any actual trophies today. Dalton, get us started with the biggest surprise of the season today.
DALTON DEL DON: It's got to be Geno Smith. Entering week 10, so entering today, he leads the NFL in completion percentage, sixth in yards per attempt, third in passer rating, most importantly, a top 10 fantasy QB. Geno has averaged more fantasy points this season than Justin Herbert, Tom Brady, Dak Prescott, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, among many others, and not just for fantasy. Geno belongs in the MVP conversation. He's not going to win. But he sports a top three passer rating in the highest degree of difficulty throws, including under pressure.
He's just been fantastic, willing to wear a wristband, unlike Russell Wilson. Geno went undrafted in most fantasy leagues, a complete afterthought, a journeyman who already has a career high in touchdown passes in nine games this season. So he must be considered fantasy's biggest surprise this year.
- Yeah. That's a great call, no question about it. He's actually bringing the Seahawks back right now. Another touchdown pass today, that's two. We've got we've got several disappointments that you can choose from if you're selecting your biggest disappointment of the year. But I do think that there's one gentleman from Pittsburgh who has emerged above the rest.
DALTON DEL DON: Well, special mention to my guy Kyle Pitts, who somehow hasn't been a top 15 fantasy tight end despite it being an ugly, ugly position. But yes, you're talking about Najee Harris, who is a consensus first round fantasy pick. He has not been a top 30 fantasy back in halfpoint PPR, sandwiched in between Kenyon Drake and Jeff Wilson Jr on the ranks right now. Rookie Jaylen Warren has almost 100 fewer touches but more 10-yard gains from scrimmage this season.
Najee suffered an injury in the preseason and played the first five games with a steal plate in his foot, which helps explain his ugly 3.3 yards per carry mark. And it's certainly not all his fault. Pittsburgh's quarterback situation has remained a real issue. The Steelers are actually getting the fewest yards per play on offense this season. But Harris was boosted by volume during his rookie year. And he's dangerously close to heading down the same career path as Trent Richardson.
- Oh, man, I can't believe you dropped a Trent Richardson comp on him. That's brutal. 3.6 yards per touch so far on the season though for Najee. That's not good.
All right, give me somebody who, in the second half of the season here as we get into the most important weeks on the fantasy calendar, can perhaps be that MVP who leads people to titles.
DALTON DEL DON: Well I have two for you, Andy. My first is Travis Etienne. Since taking over his lead back in week six, he leads the NFL in rushing yards. He's averaging more than 125 yards from scrimmage over his last five games. And he absolutely has more upside as a receiver moving forward.
Trevor Lawrence has struggled mightily in the red zone this season. And Jacksonville has started to hide him there. Etienne has 10 carries inside the 10 over the last three games. He's top five in yards per touch. And he's set up to see a lot more volume over the second half with James Robinson gone.
And my second guy, Andy, you're going to be happy to hear. He's another possible fantasy league winner moving forward is your guy Justin Fields. The artwork behind me is Trey Lance. It could have easily been Fields. That's whom I wanted my 49ers to draft. But I digress.
Fields has scored the most fantasy points over the last four weeks of any player when he leads all quarterbacks in designed runs. He just ran for the most yards in the position ever in a regular season game last week, suddenly on pace to finish with more than 1,100 rushing yards. Chase Claypool is a nice addition who should make a real impact over the second half. And to put it simply, Fields just looks legit.
To top it off, he gets a matchup indoors against the Lions in the fantasy Super Bowl. So he could be your fantasy league winner. And I'm jealous, Andy.
- That is why you love Dalton Del Don, people. I love to hear it. Yeah, Fields is playing out of his mind right now. Thank you, Dalton. Please follow him on Twitter @daltondeldon because that platform is definitely sticking around. Read him every week at Yahoo Fantasy.