When we look back on the 2008 season, there are going to be many breakout performances. It was a year where several unexpected players had outstanding Fantasy seasons.
There were late-round steals in the draft with DeAngelo Williams, Isaac Bruce and Philip Rivers, rookie sensations with Matt Forte, Steve Slaton and Chris Johnson and stellar free agent pickups like Pierre Thomas, Tashard Choice and Antonio Bryant. But one player might be the biggest surprise -- Matt Cassel.
Cassel had arguably the toughest job in sports in replacing last year's MVP, Tom Brady, who was lost for the year in Week 1 with a knee injury. Cassel started slow and struggled to find his way, but since November, Cassel has helped many owners win a Fantasy title. And he was near-perfect in Week 16 against Arizona.
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Kurt Warner threw for a whopping 30 yards before getting pulled.
(US Presswire)
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Fighting a snow storm, Cassel passed for 345 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions against the Cardinals. He also had two carries for 19 yards. By comparison,
Kurt Warner was held to 30 passing yards and no touchdowns before leaving in the third quarter.
In his past six games, Cassel has passed for 1,815 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions. He has also added 128 rushing yards and a touchdown. That puts him among the best quarterbacks in the league over that span.
If you've been starting Cassel, he's come through and could have led you to a Fantasy championship. He's also kept Randy Moss and Wes Welker happy, with both scoring touchdowns again Sunday against the Cardinals.
The Patriots have returned as an offensive juggernaut against weaker opponents in Oakland and Arizona the past two weeks. Along with Cassel and the passing game, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk and even LaMont Jordan have played well.
Morris ended his three-game scoring streak against the Cardinals but still had over 100 total yards, and Faulk and Jordan scored for the second week in a row. They should all do well again in Week 17 against Buffalo and are worth starting.
But Cassel is the story for the Patriots. He was snubbed for the Pro Bowl despite having a better year than Brett Favre under much tougher circumstances. You could even make a case that Cassel is the NFL's MVP because he has the Patriots on the verge of 11 wins and a playoff spot despite having to replace Brady.
We don't know where Cassel will end up next season as a free agent, but some team -- likely Detroit, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Seattle, St. Louis or the Jets -- will give him a big contract and an opportunity. His Fantasy value will definitely change, but we can get into that this offseason.
This year, Cassel has turned into a great story. And if you've been lucky enough to start him, you're probably celebrating a Fantasy championship.
First down
We already know Drew Brees is a great Fantasy option, and he had another standout game Sunday at Detroit with 351 passing yards and two touchdowns. But Brees can still help owners playing into Week 17 against Carolina, as will all of his receivers.
Brees is chasing Dan Marino's single-season record for passing yards, which is why he was in the game Sunday with a 35-point lead late in the fourth quarter. Brees now needs 402 yards passing at home against the Panthers to break Marino's record of 5,084 set in 1984.
So in Week 17, Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Devery Henderson and the running backs, mostly Pierre Thomas, are worth starting in some capacity. We know Brees is going to be throwing even though the Panthers are a tough defense.
As for Thomas, this week's Start of the Week, he played well with 77 rushing yards and a touchdown and three catches for 26 yards against the Lions, but he could have done more. The Saints had four rushing touchdowns, so Thomas lost some opportunities for Fantasy production.
Second down
It's always interesting to watch players at the end of the year audition for jobs. Antonio Bryant is a good example with his recent stretch of 26 catches for 498 yards and five touchdowns in his past four games. He had six catches for 127 yards and a touchdown Sunday against San Diego and has earned himself a nice raise this offseason. Look for another good game next week against Oakland.
Cedric Benson could be another player in that role. After gaining 161 total yards last week against Washington, Benson had a career-high 171 rushing yards against the Browns on Sunday. And he should run well again next week against Kansas City.
Benson is worth using as a No. 2 Fantasy running back against the Chiefs, which is something we never expected when this season started. But here we are, and Benson could help you in Week 17.
Don't be afraid of players like Benson or even Maurice Morris, who had 116 rushing yards against the Jets. Morris could also be worth starting in Week 17 against the Cardinals.
When you're looking at matchups for Week 17, take into account teams who could be resting players. Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Arizona and the Colts have nothing to play for next week and could be resting their starters.
That's why these second-tier players like Benson and Morris will be useful in the final week of the season.
Third down
Who is the No. 1 wide receiver in Fantasy Football in 2009? In my latest column, we addressed a mock draft for next year's first round, which ended up as all running backs since they will have the most value next season.
But who will be the No. 1 wide receiver among a group of Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Randy Moss, Reggie Wayne, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall, Marques Colston, Roddy White, Terrell Owens and Greg Jennings. Those are arguably the 12 best options.
My order would be: Andre Johnson, Fitzgerald, Moss, Marshall, Boldin, Calvin Johnson, Wayne, Smith, Colston, White, Owens and Jennings.
Let me know your order by sending an e-mail to dmfantasyfootball@cbs.com and put "Wide Receivers" in the subject line. It will be interesting to see the different rankings for 2009.
Fourth down
For those of you following the Major League Baseball Fantasy Football League on CBSSports.com, Cleveland Indians designated hitter Travis Hafner has won the title. Hafner beat CBSSports.com representative Alex Riethmiller, who organizes the league and was the only non-baseball player of the 14 owners in the competition.
For Hafner, he was in his first season in the league. He had to overcome a 1-6 start to win the championship, and he made a shrewd move by trading Matt Forte and Jonathan Stewart for Brian Westbrook in the middle of the season. It paid off when he paired Westbrook with Adrian Peterson to win the title.
In the second-annual All-Female Fantasy Football League on CBSSports.com, Ashley Phagan is the champion over Kim Broder. This league featured 12 women from different parts of the country in various careers competing in a Fantasy league. Our own Lesley Visser and Lauren Shehadi took part in the league but failed to make the playoffs.
Some other observations: Congratulations to the Chargers for forcing an important game against Denver in Week 17 for the AFC West title. That game should be high-scoring and produce good Fantasy stats. ... Congratulations to Isaac Bruce, who went back to St. Louis and became the fifth player to reach 1,000 catches on a three-yard touchdown grab, which helped the 49ers win. Bruce has remained a quality Fantasy receiver this year. ... The Dolphins will win the AFC East if they can beat the Jets in New York next week. We'll find out if that's the last game of Favre's career. ... Tyler Thigpen and Shaun Hill will enter 2009 as great sleeper options at quarterback.
What are your thoughts from this week? See anything that jumped off the screen? Let us know -- e-mail us at dmfantasyfootball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Four Downs in the subject field. Include your full name, hometown and state.
