That's a Wrap

Not convinced we take anything of value away from the NFL's regular season-finale with important players resting and scrubeenies posting career games? Consider two of last year's Week 17 breakout brigade. An afterthought all season in 2009, Brandon Lloyd posted 95 yards on 13 targets in a Week 17 game against the Chiefs. He went on to finish as the top fantasy receiver in 2010. Arian Foster, on the practice squad just a month before, gashed the Patriots for 145 yards and two touchdowns in the finale. As we all know, he went on to emerge as the 2010 season's breakout star. Let's take a look at this year's Week 17 wonders:

Joe McKnight, Jets - What can we say? The planets were aligned in Week 17. Jets coaches promised that the "Vomit Comet" (head-nod to @RumfordJohnny for the excellent nickname) would play "a ton" with LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene being rested for the playoffs. Better yet, McKnight's first start came against the league's worst run defense. He responded with the first 100-yard performance by a Jets back since Week 4 while also rushing for the most yards by a Jets rookie since Matt Snell's 180 back in 1964.

Jerome Simpson, Bengals - Fantasy's top receiver over the final two weeks, Simpson showed that his 6/124/2 play-making performance in Week 16 was no fluke. For an encore, he proved his mettle as a move-the-chains receiver, hauling in 12 catches for 123 yards and the Bengals' lone score. Thought to be a second-round bust just three weeks ago, Simpson has earned a starting job for 2011.

Ryan Mathews, Chargers - If only he had stayed healthy all season. With Mike Tolbert sidelined, Mathews churned out 120 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. The rookie showed his home-run ability with scores of 27 and 31 yards while also proving he could handle a heavy workload. With Tolbert and Darren Sproles due to hit free agency in 2011, Mathews is line for a major role next season.

Tim Tebow, Broncos - Opinions may still be divided on Tebow's NFL future, but there's no question that he has demonstrated the potential to emerge as a fantasy monster oin Denver. Tebow's 33.7 points were 8.7 more than the second-best fantasy quarterback's Week 17 total, and he's averaged 28.8 points in his first three NFL starts. For perspective, only Michael Vick averaged more per week over the course of the season.

Michael Bush, Raiders - Behind Bush's 171 yards and a touchdown on 29 touches, the Raiders became the first team since the 1970 merger to sweep their division and still miss the playoffs. It's another important game-tape for Bush's portfolio as he heads into free agent waters this offseason.

Brian Westbrook, 49ers - Behind 93 yards and two TDs on 14 touches, Westbrook enjoyed the fourth-best game of any running back in Week 17. The 31-year-old also became the only active player with 40 rushing touchdowns and 30 receiving touchdowns.

Editor's Note: Pick a new fantasy team just for today and win real cash with Snapdraft!

Fantasy MVP of 2010: Michael Vick, Eagles - Without making a judgment call on Week 17 Super Bowls, it is worth noting that the great majority of all leagues still use Week 16 as the championship bout. If yours is one of the leagues that uses the regular-season finale, see the player below for your most valuable player. For the rest of the fantasy world, a player that went undrafted in 99 percent of redraft leagues walked away as the trophy holder with an average of 33.9 fantasy points from Weeks 13-16. Vick finished with 29.7 points per week on the season, almost a full touchdown more than Aaron Rodgers' second-place of 24.5.

Fantasy Breakout Player of 2010: Arian Foster, Texans - It was widely reported Sunday evening that Foster's 1,616 rushing yards broke Priest Holmes' (1,615 yards) record for the most ever by an undrafted player, going back to the advent of the common draft in 1967. That wasn't even Foster's most impressive accomplishment, however. He also joined Holmes (1,615 / 672 in 2002) and LaDainian Tomlinson (1,645 / 725 in 2003) as the only three players in NFL history to top 1,600 rushing yards and 600 receiving yards in the same season. Darren McFadden (17.4 in 13 games) was the only back to come within 4.5 of Foster's 20.1 fantasy points per week. His 329.8 fantasy points lapped the field with Peyton Hillis and Adrian Peterson both falling more than 80 yards shy.

Fantasy Rookie of 2010: Mike Williams, Buccaneers - Williams (964 receiving yards) and LeGarrette Blount (1,007 rushing yards) became the first rookie teammates to lead all NFL rookies in their respective categories since Pat Harder (545 rushing yards) and Mal Kutner (634 receiving yards) of the Chicago Cardinals in 1946. Williams' 11 receiving TDs are the third-most by a rookie since the 1970 NFL merger. He finished as the No. 11 fantasy receiver with 161.5 points, bypassing Marques Colston (151.8) and Michael Clayton (161.3) for the second-best fantasy season by a rookie receiver in the past decade. Anquan Boldin's 101/1,377/8 line remains the top rookie season since Randy Moss' 69/1,313/17 line in 1998. Speaking of which . . .

Fantasy Disappointment of 2010: Randy Moss, Patriots / Vikings / Titans - The summer was filled with stories praising Moss for his grueling offseason regimen heading into his contract year. Dreams of 20+ touchdowns danced in fantasy owners' heads as he went off the board with an ADP of 1.09. Perhaps he could have at least sniffed those lofty expectations had he kept his mouth shut and enjoyed his stay in New England. As it was, though, his season nosedived after three TDs in his first three games. Not long after ranting his way out of Minnesota and landing Tennessee, Moss was discarded from fantasy rosters. He closed out the season as the No. 65 fantasy receiver with a 28/393/5 line.

Fantasy Fraud of 2010: Shonn Greene, Jets - The Jets' presumed backfield star, Greene went off draft boards as high as the late first round last summer. It wasn't just that LaDainian Tomlinson beat out Greene for the starting job. It was also that Greene stayed healthy all year and still never once reached valid RB2 status in standard leagues. In essence, he was a roster albatross for 17 weeks.

Fantasy Fluke of 2010: Brandon Lloyd, Broncos - It's not that Lloyd isn't talented. No player in the NFL makes more spectacular catches. Lloyd's leaping ability and body control are off the charts. At age 29, though, his 77/1,448/11 line doubled his previous best season. The perfect storm that created Lloyd's career-year won't resurface in 2011. It will likely be Tim Tebow, not Kyle Orton, throwing to him next season, and the passing attempts will plummet from Orton's record pace early in 2010.

Not convinced we take anything of value away from the NFL's regular season-finale with important players resting and scrubeenies posting career games? Consider two of last year's Week 17 breakout brigade. An afterthought all season in 2009, Brandon Lloyd posted 95 yards on 13 targets in a Week 17 game against the Chiefs. He went on to finish as the top fantasy receiver in 2010. Arian Foster, on the practice squad just a month before, gashed the Patriots for 145 yards and two touchdowns in the finale. As we all know, he went on to emerge as the 2010 season's breakout star. Let's take a look at this year's Week 17 wonders:

Joe McKnight, Jets - What can we say? The planets were aligned in Week 17. Jets coaches promised that the "Vomit Comet" (head-nod to @RumfordJohnny for the excellent nickname) would play "a ton" with LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene being rested for the playoffs. Better yet, McKnight's first start came against the league's worst run defense. He responded with the first 100-yard performance by a Jets back since Week 4 while also rushing for the most yards by a Jets rookie since Matt Snell's 180 back in 1964.

Jerome Simpson, Bengals - Fantasy's top receiver over the final two weeks, Simpson showed that his 6/124/2 play-making performance in Week 16 was no fluke. For an encore, he proved his mettle as a move-the-chains receiver, hauling in 12 catches for 123 yards and the Bengals' lone score. Thought to be a second-round bust just three weeks ago, Simpson has earned a starting job for 2011.

Ryan Mathews, Chargers - If only he had stayed healthy all season. With Mike Tolbert sidelined, Mathews churned out 120 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. The rookie showed his home-run ability with scores of 27 and 31 yards while also proving he could handle a heavy workload. With Tolbert and Darren Sproles due to hit free agency in 2011, Mathews is line for a major role next season.

Tim Tebow, Broncos - Opinions may still be divided on Tebow's NFL future, but there's no question that he has demonstrated the potential to emerge as a fantasy monster oin Denver. Tebow's 33.7 points were 8.7 more than the second-best fantasy quarterback's Week 17 total, and he's averaged 28.8 points in his first three NFL starts. For perspective, only Michael Vick averaged more per week over the course of the season.

Michael Bush, Raiders - Behind Bush's 171 yards and a touchdown on 29 touches, the Raiders became the first team since the 1970 merger to sweep their division and still miss the playoffs. It's another important game-tape for Bush's portfolio as he heads into free agent waters this offseason.

Brian Westbrook, 49ers - Behind 93 yards and two TDs on 14 touches, Westbrook enjoyed the fourth-best game of any running back in Week 17. The 31-year-old also became the only active player with 40 rushing touchdowns and 30 receiving touchdowns.

Editor's Note: Pick a new fantasy team just for today and win real cash with Snapdraft!

Fantasy MVP of 2010: Michael Vick, Eagles - Without making a judgment call on Week 17 Super Bowls, it is worth noting that the great majority of all leagues still use Week 16 as the championship bout. If yours is one of the leagues that uses the regular-season finale, see the player below for your most valuable player. For the rest of the fantasy world, a player that went undrafted in 99 percent of redraft leagues walked away as the trophy holder with an average of 33.9 fantasy points from Weeks 13-16. Vick finished with 29.7 points per week on the season, almost a full touchdown more than Aaron Rodgers' second-place of 24.5.

Fantasy Breakout Player of 2010: Arian Foster, Texans - It was widely reported Sunday evening that Foster's 1,616 rushing yards broke Priest Holmes' (1,615 yards) record for the most ever by an undrafted player, going back to the advent of the common draft in 1967. That wasn't even Foster's most impressive accomplishment, however. He also joined Holmes (1,615 / 672 in 2002) and LaDainian Tomlinson (1,645 / 725 in 2003) as the only three players in NFL history to top 1,600 rushing yards and 600 receiving yards in the same season. Darren McFadden (17.4 in 13 games) was the only back to come within 4.5 of Foster's 20.1 fantasy points per week. His 329.8 fantasy points lapped the field with Peyton Hillis and Adrian Peterson both falling more than 80 yards shy.

Fantasy Rookie of 2010: Mike Williams, Buccaneers - Williams (964 receiving yards) and LeGarrette Blount (1,007 rushing yards) became the first rookie teammates to lead all NFL rookies in their respective categories since Pat Harder (545 rushing yards) and Mal Kutner (634 receiving yards) of the Chicago Cardinals in 1946. Williams' 11 receiving TDs are the third-most by a rookie since the 1970 NFL merger. He finished as the No. 11 fantasy receiver with 161.5 points, bypassing Marques Colston (151.8) and Michael Clayton (161.3) for the second-best fantasy season by a rookie receiver in the past decade. Anquan Boldin's 101/1,377/8 line remains the top rookie season since Randy Moss' 69/1,313/17 line in 1998. Speaking of which . . .

Fantasy Disappointment of 2010: Randy Moss, Patriots / Vikings / Titans - The summer was filled with stories praising Moss for his grueling offseason regimen heading into his contract year. Dreams of 20+ touchdowns danced in fantasy owners' heads as he went off the board with an ADP of 1.09. Perhaps he could have at least sniffed those lofty expectations had he kept his mouth shut and enjoyed his stay in New England. As it was, though, his season nosedived after three TDs in his first three games. Not long after ranting his way out of Minnesota and landing Tennessee, Moss was discarded from fantasy rosters. He closed out the season as the No. 65 fantasy receiver with a 28/393/5 line.

Fantasy Fraud of 2010: Shonn Greene, Jets - The Jets' presumed backfield star, Greene went off draft boards as high as the late first round last summer. It wasn't just that LaDainian Tomlinson beat out Greene for the starting job. It was also that Greene stayed healthy all year and still never once reached valid RB2 status in standard leagues. In essence, he was a roster albatross for 17 weeks.

Fantasy Fluke of 2010: Brandon Lloyd, Broncos - It's not that Lloyd isn't talented. No player in the NFL makes more spectacular catches. Lloyd's leaping ability and body control are off the charts. At age 29, though, his 77/1,448/11 line doubled his previous best season. The perfect storm that created Lloyd's career-year won't resurface in 2011. It will likely be Tim Tebow, not Kyle Orton, throwing to him next season, and the passing attempts will plummet from Orton's record pace early in 2010.



Bounce-Back Bets

Tony Romo / Miles Austin, Cowboys - Austin bolted out of the gates with three out of four games over nine catches and 140 yards with Romo at quarterback. His numbers nose-dived with Jon Kitna concentrating on short passes to tight ends and running backs over the final 10 games. With Austin, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, and Felix Jones at his disposal, Romo will rival Michael Vick for the most explosive arsenal in 2011.

Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals - One of the most impressive stats of the 2010 season is that Fitz exceeded last year's yardage total despite starting the season with a knee injury and suffering through what was arguably the worst quarterback situation in the NFL. Fitzgerald finished with a 90/1,137/6 line, good for 14th in fantasy points, while catching passes from the unholy law firm of Anderson, Hall, Skelton and Bartel.

Jahvid Best, Lions - NFL running backs, with a need for cutbacks and explosive change-of-gears, simply cannot succeed while playing through turf toe. An explosive talent with 4.35 speed and quick maneuvers morphs into a mediocre talent with 4.6 speed and molasses movement. As Best, Darren McFadden, and LaDainian Tomlinson have all shown the past few seasons, that's no match for NFL defenses. Best is next year's McFadden.

Jermichael Finley, Packers - Finley is unguardable. He was on an early-season pace to shatter the record for tight-end receiving yards before going down with a season-ending injury. When healthy, it's Finley -- not Greg Jennings -- who is Aaron Rodgers' No. 1 receiver.

Awards Section

Stat of the Week: Jamaal Charles joins Hall of Famer Jim Brown as the only players in NFL history to rush for at least 1,400 yards while averaging more than 6.30 yards per carry in a single season. Charles' 6.38 average is the third-highest since 1960. Had the Chiefs pulled him in the third quarter, Charles would have finished with a 6.50 average, highest in NFL history. He would have joined Bears legend Beattie Feathers (1934) as the only NFL running backs in the 1,000/6.5 club.

Runner-Up: Tom Brady extended three NFL records Sunday: 28 consecutive home wins as starter, 335 consecutive pass attempts without an interception and nine straight games with two or more passing TDs and no interceptions. He also became just the sixth player in NFL history to throw a touchdown pass in every game of a 16-game season. Brady's 111.0 passer rating in 2010 was the fifth-highest in NFL history.

Second Runner-Up: With Sunday's win over the Panthers, Matt Ryan tied Dan Marino for most wins by a starting quarterback (33) in his first three seasons since the 1970 merger.

Third Runner-Up: The 2010 Minnesota Vikings closed out the season with a 6-10 record. It's just the second time in Brett Favre's 20-year career (2005 Packers) that his team finished with a losing record.

Quote of the Week: Former Ravens coach Brian Billick on NFL Network breaking down the upcoming Rams at Seahawks showdown: "The 12th Man in Seattle is real. It's the first 11 I worry about."

Runner-Up: Asked if he wanted to tell former employers with the Bears, Redskins, and 49ers "I told you so," Brandon Lloyd replied: "No, I want to say, '(Bleep) you.' And I mean that in the most professional way."

Tweet of the Week: From @EricStangel, head writer of the Late Show with David Letterman: "Jets playing all kinds of backups today. In fact I think I just saw the guy who was sniffing Rex Ryan's wife's feet."

Runner-Up: From Sports Illustrated's @SI_Jim Trotter, while watching the Rams-Seahawks game Sunday night: "Sean Payton is home trying to figure out whether to rest his starters next week."

Second Runner-Up: From @sportspickle on Brian Hoyer replacing Tom Brady and immediately throwing two incompletions: "Brian Hoyer is no Tom Brady. He's probably married to a plus-size supermodel."

Fantasy MVP of Week 17: Arian Foster, Texans
Fantasy Breakout Player of Week 17: Jerome Simpson, Bengals
Fantasy Rookie of Week 17: Ryan Mathews, Chargers / Tim Tebow, Broncos
Fantasy Disappointment of Week 17: Calvin Johnson, Lions
Fantasy Fraud of Week 17: Kevin Kolb, Eagles
Fantasy Fluke of Week 17: Joe McKnight, Jets

Fine Fifteen Fantasy Offenses of 2010

1. Eagles - In points per game: the No. 1 QB, No. 6 RB, two Top-20 WRs.
2. Texans - No. 8 QB, No. 1 RB, No. 3 WR (in PPG), TEs combined to finish in Top-5.
3. Colts - No. 1 QB in total points, No. 7 WR, TEs combined to finish No. 2.
4. Giants - No. 7 QB, No. 13 RB, No. 2 WR (in PPG) + No. 20 WR.
5. Falcons - No. 9 QB, No. 9 RB, No. 3 WR, No. 8 TE
6. Chiefs - No. 15 QB, No. 4 RB, No. 2 WR, No. 20 TE
7. Patriots - Fantasy's No. 6 QB, No. 15 RB, No. 5 TE, two Top-40 WRs
8. Steelers - No. 7 QB (in PPG), No. 7 RB, No. 5 WR, No. 38 WR
9. Packers - No. 2 QB, No. 4 WR
10. Buccaneers - No. 10 QB, No. 24 RB, No. 11 WR, No. 6 TE
11. Chargers - No. 4 QB, No. 19 RB, No. 2 TE
12. Broncos - QBs combined to finish No. 5, No. 17 RB, No. 1 WR
13. Saints - No. 3 QB, No. 18 WR
14. Jaguars - In points per game: No. 12 QB, No. 7 RB, No. 5 TE
15. Ravens - No. 12 QB, No. 11 RB, two Top-26 WRs, No. 8 TE (in PPG)

Just Missed: Lions, Cowboys, Vikings

Early Playoff Ranks

1. Tom Brady, Patriots
2. Drew Brees, Saints
3. Ray Rice, Ravens
4. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers
5. Peyton Manning, Colts
6. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers
7. Mike Wallace, Steelers
8. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Patriots
9. Wes Welker, Patriots
10. Reggie Wayne, Colts

For an in-depth look at Rotoworld's Playoff Ranks, my column will be up Tuesday afternoon.

Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter.