The 2014 DFFL Awards

Here are the results of the DFFL News award winners for 2014.
 
Most Valuable Player – Andrew Luck (America’s Team) Luck becomes a first time MVP winner following a spectacular season.  Drafted with the 8th pick in round #3 (32nd overall) Luck was the most productive and most consistent player in the league, with 4011 passing yards, 34 TD passes and 2 touchdown runs - scoring 193 fantasy points overall.  Luck scored at least 11 points in all but one of the 12 weeks he played, and had 4 games where he scored 21 points or more. Luck accounted for 30.2% of the American’s total offensive production.  Finishing second was Aaron Rodgers (Cosa Nostra). The 5th overall choice in the draft had a typical Rodgers season with 3325 passing yards, and 32 TD passes - good for 170 fantasy points.  Also in the conversation was Peyton Manning (Moonshiners).  The 15th overall selection actually scored more fantasy points and had a higher points per start average than Rodgers, but since the Moonshiners failed to submit a roster in week #1 his totals for that week are not included in these tabulations

Least Valuable Player – This seems to have become the most competitive category as once again there were a multitude of candidates for the award, with no one standing out.  After much deliberation, we have decided to once again present the Ashley Lelie Award to Trent Richardson (East Side Gerbils) making Richardson the first back-to-back winner of the award since Lelie himself in 2005 and 2006. Richardson, selected 46th overall, once again made a strong case for winning with his 11 fantasy points in 9 starts.  He beat out other worthy candidates such as America’s Team RB Reggie Bush (6 points in 7 starts), while the Ministers of Hindsight broke new ground by having the first-ever Team Defense LVP nominee with their Washington Redskins (14 points in 12 starts) Others receiving consideration include Inept Orange WR Vincent Jackson (16 in 9) and East Side Gerbil RB Pierre Thomas (18 in 12)

In a stunning development, the LVP selection committee has decided to honor the East Side Gerbils with a special lifetime achievement award for their contribution to this year’s LVP class, as the Gerbils gave us these memorable player stats

• Andre Johnson      1 Point  in 5 starts - a 0.2 PPG average
• Cecil Shorts           3 Points in 5 starts – a 0.6 average
• Hakeem Nicks       6 Points in 6 starts – a 1.0 average
• Trent Richardson  11 Points in 9 starts - a 1.2 average
• Eddie Royal          12 points in 8 starts – a 1.5 average
• Pierre Thomas      18 points in 12 starts – a 1.5 average
• Detroit Defense     24 points in 12 starts – a 2.0 average  

                                                                                           
Rookie of the Year -  Kelvin Benjamin (Minister of Hindsight) – selected 90th overall, Benjamin was the best of a mediocre rookie class, and was one of the few highlights of another dismal Ministers draft.  Benjamin was credited with 27 fantasy points in his 6 starts. Others receiving votes included America’s Team WR Jordan Matthews (15 points in 3 starts) Cosa Nostra WR Odell Beckham (23 in 4), Donnola Nazione WR Brandin Cooks (26 in 9) Cheeseheads WR Mike Evans (26 in 3) and Inept Orange RB Jeremy Hill (21 points over 3 starts)

Late Round Steal – Slim pickings for this years award, as no drafted after round 11 stepped up and was a difference maker. The closest we could find was Ahmad Bradshaw (Mean Machines) selected with the final pick – 168th overall - Bradshaw filled in the Adrian Peterson void admirably with 34 fantasy points in 6 starts. The other 11 players selected in the 14th round  (Starter point total in parentheses) DeAngelo Williams (-1), LaDarius Green (0), Jarrett Boykin (0), Miles Austin (0), Graham Gano (65), Nick Novak (28) Adam Vinatieri (120), Tre Mason (21) Buffalo “D” (25) Detroit “D” (24) and Storm Johnson (0)

First Round Draft Bricks – For once the First round selections actually met expectations for the most part, with one notable exception:  Adrian Peterson (Mean Machines) – There has never been a more deserving winner of this award, as Peterson (zero points in 1 fantasy start) has set the bar for #1 selection futility to a level that will likely never be reached again.

All others picks pale in comparison, but here they are

• The 2nd overall pick LeSean McCoy (Cheeseheads from Hell / America’s Team) didn’t put up #2-type numbers – 1018 rushing yards, 4 TD’s for 41 fantasy points
• The #3 pick Calvin Johnson (East Side Gerbils) 49 catches, 724 yards, 5 TD’s = 44 points in 9 starts – with 2 of those starts where he was little more than a decoy
• #4 pick Eddie Lacy (Inept Orange) has finally started putting up top tier fantasy numbers after spending the first half on the season putting up RB2 numbers.
• #7 pick Jimmy Graham (Minister of Hindsight) his 59 points in 12 starts comes nowhere close to expectations
• #10 choice Brandon Marshall (Moonshiners) 31 fantasy points in 10 starts
• BONUS Pick #13 Montee Ball (Gamblers) – No need to elaborate

Free Agent pick up of the Year – No winner.  There were a total of 163 roster moves made during the season – no one had the impact of past winners such as Peyton Hillis in 2010 or Victor Cruz in 2011. I could not find a waiver move that stood out as award-worthy.

Sentimental Value Award –  Congratulations to Miles Austin (F T C)  the proud recipient of this year's Chuck Evans Award, 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. 

Blindfold Award – This award is given to the player who makes the most of their single start – This year’s winner: Teddy Bridgewater (Moonshiners) with 12 fantasy points in his week #4 start – from 317 passing yards, 1 TD run and one 2-point conversion pass. Runner Up: Brian Hoyer (Cosa Nostra) 300 passing yards, 2 TD’s, 2 INT’s = 11 points in his single appearance during week #9

Todd Collins award - This award, created in 2010, is to honor the player who has the worst performance in their single start.  After having no one take home this award in 2013, we’re pleased to award this year's prize to both RB Daniel Thomas (Jerk Store) and QB Drew Stanton (FTC) after each were credited with one lost fumble in their lone apperence.

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. Congratulations to the East Side Gerbils who to no one’s surprise managed to make the Bogus Move honor roll on 5 different occasions in 2014.  They became such a BMOTW mainstay that league officials were forced to dedicate a section of the Bogus Move of the Week column exclusively to the Gerbils.

Runners up include Moonshiners and Jerk Store with 4 awards each followed by Ministers of Hindsight and Cheeseheads from Hell with 3 mentions each.  F T C, Mean Machines and Inept Orange each appear twice, while Cosa Nostra had one single appearance.  Donnola Nazione, Gamblers and America’s Team all managed to avoid an appearance in BMOTW this season. Better luck next year.