Fantasy Football: Monster Performances That You Missed out on in 2013

With Week 14 of the NFL season now upon us, fantasy football playoffs have begun for 99.9 percent of leagues across the world. 

While some owners are continuing to lose hair and fingernails while nervously updating NFL Gamecast on their computers, most of us are sitting at home, quietly staring at our team's losing record and wondering what we could have done differently. 

Fantasy football is particularly painful because while there is some foresight and expertise involved, it is largely a crapshoot. Therefore, there are a lot of moments during the fantasy football season when owners punch the nearest wall after realizing that one of the week's top performers was on the waiver wire, or worse, their bench. 

"If I just started/sat," "I should have," and "(expletive) (insert player name)" become commonly heard sentence starters in the following week, yet hindsight is worthless in fantasy football, as it is in much of life.

Here are some monster performances from this great 2013 season that you wish you cashed in on.

All fantasy points based on ESPN's standard scoring system.

Week 1: Julius Thomas Is Peyton Manning's New Favorite Toy

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Denver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas was on fantasy owners' radars before this season started, but he was just a blip, if anything. 

There were murmurings that quarterback Peyton Manning thought very highly of Thomas; we now know to take Manning's word very seriously. 

Hauling in five receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns during the season's opening game versus the Baltimore Ravens, Thomas went from a bench player in Week 1 to a must-start option by Week 2. 

He's lived up to the hype nicely, still ranking as the No. 3 tight end in standard scoring leagues despite missing the last two weeks with injury.

For owners that took a flier on him late in their drafts or were lucky enough to get him off waivers after Week 1, tight end is one position on their rosters that they haven't had to fret over. 

Week 5: Alshon Jeffery Spends His Last Week on the Waiver Wire

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Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery was probably drafted in the 11th or 12th round in most leagues this year, and while word was out on his talent, he had yet to provide any consistency that made him a worthwhile fantasy player. 

Jeffery enjoyed his first big game of 2013 in Week 4, catching five balls for 107 yards and touchdown. 

This performance definitely got Jeffery off the waiver wire in most leagues, yet it was not until Week 5 that fantasy owners realized Jeffery had big plans for 2013. 

At home against the New Orleans Saints, Jeffery caught 10 balls for 218 yards and a touchdown, good for 27 fantasy points in standard scoring leagues. 

Although he disappointed many owners in Week 6 with a dud of a performance (three points), he's proved his worth since then, ranking as the No. 6 wide receiver in standard scoring formats this season. 

It's tough to stand out as a wide receiver when you're teammates with Brandon Marshall, yet Jeffery has seen that challenge and conquered it.

Week 6: Joseph Fauria Dances Thrice

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Detroit Lions rookie tight end Joseph Fauria hasn't caught a lot of balls this season, yet when he does catch passes, they tend to be for touchdowns. (Dos Equis commercial, anyone?)

The former UCLA Bruin has also made a name for himself as one of the league's most entertaining touchdown dancers. While I don't think Fauria would fare too well on stage behind Beyonce, he certainly knows how to make the crowd happy. 

Fauria has only caught 11 passes this year—six have been for touchdowns, and three touchdowns came in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns. 

The Atlanta Falcons and the Miami Dolphins were on byes in Week 6, so if you were lucky enough to pick up Fauria as a replacement for Tony Gonzalez or Charles Clay, respectively, then bravo. 

Click here to check out some of Fauria's dance moves.

Week 7: Roy Helu Comes out of Nowhere and Quickly Goes Back There

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Ever since being drafted in 2011, we've been hearing talk that Washington Redskins running back Roy Helu could make a serious impact. So far, this has only been wishful thinking, as Helu has battled injury and roster competition. 

For whatever reason, Helu decided to show up in Week 7, scoring 22 fantasy points. He found the end zone three times on only 11 carries for 41 yards in a 45-41 win over the Chicago Bears. 

Helu was, rightfully, in very few starting lineups during this week, and while he was a hot waiver-wire pickup following this big game, he has failed to do anything since. He's scored only 15 points in the last six games. 

Perhaps Helu will find his role in the offense next season; it seems that he certainly has the talent to be a significant player.

Week 8: Who the Hell Is Marvin Jones?

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Who the hell is Marvin Jones? 

This is the question that was asked by fantasy football players across the country after Week 8, when Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Marvin Jones caught eight balls for 122 yards and four touchdowns. 

Jones had actually been heating up in the previous two weeks, and Week 8 was his third consecutive game with a score. When you play wide receiver alongside A.J. Green, however, it takes FOUR scores to get noticed. 

Jones certainly did get noticed. He was picked up in nearly every league as owners thought they had found their late-season playoff answer. 

Unfortunately for them, Jones had proved to be an unanswered prayer. In the four weeks that have followed his monster performance, Jones has scored a combined seven fantasy points. 

It looks like no one will cash in on Marvin Jones this season; that train has come and gone. 

Week 9: Is That Nick Foles and Riley Cooper or Joe Montana and Jerry Rice?

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During Week 1, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning became the first player to throw seven touchdowns in one game since Minnesota Vikings QB Joe Kapp did so in 1969. 

Most thought it would be another couple years, at least, until another quarterback completed this remarkable feat, yet Philadelphia Eagles passer Nick Foles decided he wanted to join the very exclusive club. 

In Week 9 against the Oakland Raiders, he did just that, passing for 406 yards and seven touchdowns— good for a whopping 45 fantasy points. (One point came from his 13 rushing yards.) 

Ironically, Foles became the seventh member of the seven-touchdown club, and three of his touchdowns on this day went to wide receiver Riley Cooper, who recorded a five-catch, 139-yard, three-touchdown performance. 

Cooper, who was coming off a one-point week, recorded 32 points, and he, like Foles, was in very few fantasy starting lineups during this week. 

Big statements on Monday were "I would have won if I started Riley Cooper" and "I should have started Foles over (insert any other quarterback here)."

Week 10: Tavon Austin and Rishard Matthews Show Us Their Potential

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St. Louis Rams rookie wide receiver Tavon Austin was a savvy preseason pick by fantasy football owners, many of whom thought that the eighth overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft would make a big impact this year. 

They were wrong. Austin was having a dud of a 2013 season and was almost exclusively on benches and waivers when he decided to blow up in Week 10. 

Austin didn't touch the ball much, but he made his time with the ball count. In a 12-minute span against the Indianapolis Colts, Austin caught two balls for 138 yards and two touchdowns and also returned a punt 98 yards to the house. That was good for a 31-point fantasy day, and a ton of owners subsequently cursed dropping the rookie. 

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Rishard Matthews also broke out in Week 10, catching 11 balls for 120 yards and two touchdowns. The second-year receiver, who was unowned in nearly every league, came out of nowhere to score 24 fantasy points. 

Neither Austin nor Matthews have followed up their Week 10 performances with consistent play, yet both young receivers could be names we hear often in years to come. 

Week 11: Bobby Rainey Does His Best LaDainian Tomlinson Impression

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When Tampa Bay Buccaneers star running back Doug Martin went down with injury this year, the team seemed to have a suitable replacement in Mike James. When James went down with injury in Week 10, the team was left with Brian Leonard and Bobby Rainey.

Going into Week 11, no one really knew whether it would be Leonard or Rainey who would benefit from the increased workload. After the week ended, the answer was clear.

Rainey broke out with 163 rushing yards and two touchdowns while also adding two receptions for four yards and score. This was good for 34 fantasy points, and by the following Tuesday, Rainey was plugged into starting lineups in most leagues.

Unfortunately for owners who were looking to make a playoff push with Rainey, he followed up with two lackluster performances in the next two weeks.

Week 12: Julian Edelman and Tiquan Underwood Shine During an Ugly Week

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Week 12 was a dud of a fantasy week all around, as only 15 players scored 20 points or greater. 

While many stud receivers like Calvin Johnson, DeMaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant all posted weak scores, New England's Julian Edelman and Tampa Bay's Tiquan Underwood came out of nowhere to be the week's top scoring receivers besides Cleveland's Josh Gordon. 

Edelman scored 23 fantasy points on nine catches, 110 yards and two touchdowns. Underwood scored 22 on three catches, 108 yards and two scores. 

Unfortunately, both of these performances were pretty much meaningless, because if you were starting either of these receivers, you were likely out of the playoff race. 

Week 13: Eric Decker Makes or Breaks a Ton of Teams' Playoff Hopes

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Week 13 is one of the most exciting weeks for fantasy football, as it is the last week of the regular season in most leagues. Usually, this results in some "win and you're in" scenarios for a few teams in each league. 

Denver Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker would prove to be the biggest storyline during Week 13 in both reality and fantasy. He caught four touchdown passes from Peyton Manning and helped the Broncos win a huge game against their division foe, the Kansas City Chiefs. 

These four touchdowns and his 174 receiving yards resulted in 41 fantasy points, making Decker the most polarized player in fantasy football. 

He helped some teams clinch a playoff berth, but he also had many owners smashing their computers and TVs when they realized they missed the playoffs because they benched him. 

Fantasy football is a cruel, cruel game. So it goes.