Here are the results of the annual DFFL News Award Winners for 2019.

 

Most Valuable Player – Christian McCaffrey (Sacks in the City) the 5th player selected in the draft becomes just the seventh non-quarterback in the 28 year history of the award and the first RB to win MVP honors since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006. The Panthers RB helped carry the Sacks to a 9-4 record with 134 fantasy points in 12 starts - from 1203 rushing yards, 670 receiving yards and 16 total touchdowns. McCaffrey scored at least one fantasy point in 11 games, and scored at least double-digit fantasy points on 7 occasions. 
Finishing second in the voting was Mean Machines QB Lamar Jackson with 118 points in 11 starts off of 3465 passing yards, 978 rushing yards and a combined 27 passing and  rushing TD’s.  Jackson, selected with the 87th overall pick actually would have been MVP based on starter points but did not start in week #1 for the Machines. 2018 DFFL MVP Patrick Mahomes (Cosa Nostra) was a distant third in the voting after putting up 101 points in 10 starts.  McCaffrey becomes the 18th different individual to win this Award

 

Least Valuable Player –  Tough call, but after much deliberation it’s been decided that TE O.J. Howard (Spartans) is the winner of the 2019 Ashley Lelie Award. Howard, the 7th round pick of the Spartans, started 6 games for the team in 2019 and put up the following: 18 total targets,  12 receptions, 176 yards, 0 Touchdowns and 1 lost fumble – good for a total of  -1 fantasy points. Howard becomes the first Receiver of any kind to win the Least Valuable Award since Greg Lewis in 2009 and the first Tight End to win since Eric Bjornson in 1997. 
Also receiving consideration was Jerk Store WR Sammy Watkins – Who after going bonkers with 9 catches for 198 yards and 3 TD’s = 24 points in week #1 while on the Jerk Store bench, made it into the line-up the next week and responded going forward with a grand total of 21 catches, 232 receiving yards, 0 TD’s and a lost fumble for a total -1 point in his 5 starts.
 
It should also be noted that F T C WR D.K. Metcalf also made a strong run at the award with a negative 2 fantasy points in 3 starts, but Metcalf did not have enough starts to qualify. 

 

A special pseudo-lifetime achievement LVP award is being given to the Jerk Store Running Backs As J.D. McKissic, Rashaad Penny, Miles Sanders, Chris Thompson, Darrell Williams and Dan Vitale in their 26 combined starts amassed a grand total of 182 rushing attempts for 809 yards, and 5 touchdowns for a total of 29 fantasy points, or roughly the same fantasy production as a group as Carlos Hyde had individually.

 

Rookie of the Year – Kyler Murray (Sacks in the City). Murray was the best from a down year for rookies with 46 fantasy points from 6 starts.  David Montgomery (Cosa Nostra) with 39 points over 10 starts and Josh Jacobs (Cheeseheads from Hell) 27 points in 9 starts were the only other rookies who made any fantasy impact 

 

Late Round Steal – No Winner – No one selected in the later rounds had anything close to a significant impact 

 

First Round Draft Bricks – As has become the norm with this award, it’s become easier to let you know who didn’t suck during the year. 
 1.01 'merica's Team        RB  KAMARA,ALVIN             17 points in 10 starts
 1.02 Lucky 7's             RB  ELLIOTT,EZEKIEL          65 points in 12 starts
 1.03 F T C                 RB  BARKLEY,SAQUON           28 points in 9 starts
 1.04 Jerk Store            WR  ADAMS,DAVANTE            32 points in 8 starts
 1.05 Sacks in the City     RB  MCCAFFREY,CHRISTIAN      134 points in 12 starts
 1.06 Cosa Nostra           TE  KELCE,TRAVIS             32 points in 12 starts
 1.07 Spartans              RB  BELL,LE'VEON             15 points in 9 starts
 1.08 Atrocious Orange      WR  HOPKINS,DEANDRE          49 points in 11 starts
 1.09 Cheeseheads from Hell WR  THOMAS,MICHAEL           66 points in 12 starts
 1.10 Mean Machines         WR  HILL,TYREEK              17 points in 6 starts
 1.11 Gamblers              RB  COOK,DALVIN              96 points in 12 starts
 1.12 Heinekins             RB  GURLEY,TODD              56 points in 11 starts

Free Agent pick up of the Year – Mark Andrews (Gamblers) The Ravens TE was the best of a mostly pedestrian group of Waiver Wire pick-ups this year. Andrews produced 48 fantasy points in his 13 starts after being acquired on the Wednesday after the draft, as the team suddenly had an open roster spot following the sudden retirement of Andrew Luck.  The only other player I could find that had even a modest impact was probably Gamblers WR De’Vante Parker with 34 points over his 7 starts after being picked up in week #7

Sentimental Value Award – The Chuck Evans Award  is given annually to the player(s) who are drafted by a DFFL team, spend the entire year on the roster, but never make it into the starting lineup. This year’s prize will be shared between A. J Green (Gamblers), Alexander Mattison (Cheeseheads from Hell), Corey Davis (Spartans) and Mike Williams (Sacks in the City) 

 

Blindfold Award – This award is given to the player who makes the most of their single fantasy start. This year’s winner: Christian Kirk (Atrocious Orange) Kirk had originally been selected at pick #48 by ‘merica’s Team but never appeared in an AT starting lineup. In his single start for the Orange in week #10 Kirk went off for a Blindfold Award record of 22 Points from 10 targets, 6 catches, 138 yards and 3 TD’s.  Runner-Up was Cheeseheads from Hell QB Daniel Jones –after a 40 attempts, 26 completions, 308 yards, 4 TD’s = 17 point performance in his single start - also during week #10.

 

Todd Collins Award - This award was created in 2010 to honor the player who has the worst performance in their single start. Mike Gesicki (Atrocious Orange) Gesicki’s only appearance was in week #10 and the Dolphins TE came through with 6 targets, 3 catches, 28 yards, 0 TD’s, 1 lost fumble – good for negative 1 fantasy points

 

Award for the Most Awards Award - This award is given annually to the teams who appear most often in the "Bogus Move of the Week" column.
There were a total of 27 occasions this season in which a team was referenced in the BMOTW column during the DFFL's regular season. Congratulation go to the Mean Machines – who are this year’s winners by appearing in Bogus Move a total of 4 times.
Second place was a four-way tie between Jerk Store, Lucky 7’s, ‘merica’s Team and Heinekins all with 3 mentions each.  The Spartans, Atrocious Orange, Sacks in the City, F T C and Cosa Nostra each received 2 Bogus Move acknowledgements, meaning that both the Cheeseheads from Hell and the Gamblers managed to make it through the year without having any Bogus Moves.