WIDE RECEIVERS
The "Waiver Wired MVP" Award
Goes to … Miles Austin! Thanks to Evan Silva's tireless efforts to promote him throughout the offseason, we chose Austin over Jeremy Maclin as our top waiver option in Week 6. With both receivers coming off breakout performances and Austin entering a bye-week, it wasn't necessarily the most popular choice. The Austin faithful were rewarded to the tune of a Top-3 finish at wide receiver despite being held to just five catches in the first four weeks of the season. Totaling 1,230 yards and 11 touchdowns, Austin battled Andre Johnson neck-and-neck for the most valuable fantasy receiver once he finally hit the starting lineup after dropping 250 yards and two touchdowns on the Chiefs in Week 5.
The "I Can Hyphenate My Name, Too" Award
Goes to … Mike Sims-Walker! The Jaguars became the league's leaders in hyphenated names when the heretofore oft-injured Walker followed Maurice Jones-Drew's lead and changed his name as a tribute to his late father. Though Sims-Walker stumbled to the finish line, he averaged six catches for 84 yards and a touchdown over a two-month period after he was first recommended as a waiver addition in Week 3.
The "Better Late Than Never" Award
Goes to … Robert Meachem! On fantasy radars since the Saints drafted him in the first round back in 2007, Meachem was a poster child for unrealized potential until he first appeared on Waiver Wired in Week 10. A mainstay in this space for three straight weeks, Meachem finally emerged as the downfield playmaker the Saints had drafted him to be. With seven touchdowns over the final seven games, Meachem was a Top-10 option at wide receiver for the final month a half of the fantasy season.
The "Anthony Gonzalez, We Hardly Knew Ye" Award
Goes to … Pierre Garcon! While our favorite French waiter deserves the award for his contributions since being mentioned as a waiver addition in Week 4, he really ought to share it with rookie Austin Collie. It looked bleak at receiver in Indy when Gonzalez went down in a heap in Week 1, but Garcon and Collie rotated hot streaks as the Colts offensive juggernaut continued to roll without a hitch.
The "Rookies Can Catch, Too" Award
Goes to … the 2008 first-round class! Rotoworld favorite Percy Harvin was ineligible for the award as a mid-round selection in many August drafts, though the rest of the first-rounders appeared on this list multiple times throughout the season. No. 30 overall pick Kenny Britt was the Titans' top receiver all season, No. 19 pick Jeremy Maclin emerged as a viable playmaking partner for DeSean Jackson, No. 29 pick Hakeem Nicks flashed homerun ability before finally ousting Mario Manningham for the starting job, and No. 10 pick Michael Crabtree helped turn the Niners' offense into a pass-heavy attack.
TIGHT ENDS
The "Successful Hype Train" Award
Goes to … Brent Celek! Our favorite August sleeper stayed on Waiver Wired for the first three weeks of the season until fantasy owners finally caught on to the athletic University of Cincinnati product. Celek dropped identical 8-catch, 104-yard lines on the Saints and Chiefs in back-to-back games early in the season, and he never looked back. Undrafted in many leagues, he finished as the No. 4 fantasy receiver sandwiched between legends Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez.
The "It's About Friggin' Time" Award
Goes to … Vernon Davis! For all of Mike Martz's offensive genius, Vernon Davis stands as a black mark on his resume. The freakishly gifted tight end showed flashes of brilliance in his first two seasons before Martz turned his most explosive pass-catcher into a blocking specialist afterthought in 2008. New coordinator Jimmy Raye went out of his way to lavish praise on Davis all offseason, making it clear that the tight end would be the focal point of the Niners' passing attack. Undrafted in approximately 50 percent of fantasy leagues, Davis started slowly before blowing up for a 7-96-2 line in Week 3. Finally realizing his vast potential, he finished as the No. 2 fantasy tight end behind Dallas Clark.
The "Just Pick Him Up Already" Award
Goes to … Jermichael Finley! Thanks to a mid-season MCL injury, Finley broke the record for most waiver nominations this season. In addition to being mentioned on watch lists as a long-term flier in multiple weeks, Finley was nominated as a top waiver addition in Weeks 1, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14. Establishing himself as a Top-10 option in a high-scoring offense, the athletic second-year player was the league's fifth-highest scoring tight end over the final five weeks while coming in at No. 8 in points per game for the entire season. Finley is a sure-fire TE1 in 2010 drafts.
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