Holiday Gifts for Fantasy Football's Favorite and Not-So-Favorite Players

This is the time of the season not only to celebrate winning your fantasy football league and enjoy the final week of the NFL regular season, but also the time to cherish your families, drink some eggnog and trade presents with the ones you love.

Fantasy football owners would love to give some gifts to both their favorite and most despised players, too.

If I had the power to pull a Santa Claus (or a Jay Cutler) and hand out gifts to some of fantasy football’s favorite and not-so-favorite players, here's what I would give to these guys.

DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys (RB)

A multiyear, multimillion dollar deal to stay with Dallas!

Murray has been the MVP of fantasy football this season, if not the NFL. He leads the NFL with 1,745 rushing yards and has added 395 receiving yards and a dozen touchdowns. After years of battling Oakland’s Darren McFadden for the title of the most injury-riddled running back in football, Murray has turned into an iron man and a fantasy force.

The impending free agent has a wonderful situation in Dallas. He is running behind the best offensive line in the league, has Tony Romo and Dez Bryant keeping defenses from crowding the box and has no backups talented enough to steal his carries or his starting job.

Most organizations would not overpay for an injury-prone running back coming off a career season who carried the ball more than any other runner in the league, but if there is one that would it would be Dallas.

Fantasy owners in keeper leagues need Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to open up his wallet (and find a way to open up some cap space) and re-sign Murray to a long-term contract. If Murray moves on, there is no way he will run for 1,700 yards again without all the pieces he has around him in Big D.

Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles (QB)

A healthy collarbone and another chance to start for Philadelphia in 2015!

No intelligent fantasy owner imagined Foles was going to replicate the 27-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio he had in 2013 again in 2014. But Foles struggled more than many thought before he cracked his collarbone midway through the season, so plenty of people wondered if Foles would even be the Eagles’ starter heading into the 2015 campaign.

If Mark Sanchez can throw for 300 yards four times and two touchdowns five times during his two-month stint as Philly’s starting signal-caller, Foles could easily throw for 4,400 yards and 30 touchdowns if he is the No. 1 guy next season. Give him another chance, Chip Kelly!

Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs (WR)

A touchdown!

This guy has 44 career touchdowns, including 15 back in 2010. I know quarterback Alex Smith never makes his receivers look like Jerry Rice or Steve Largent, but Bowe deserves one measly touchdown for everything he has done.

Let’s hope he avoids being shut out on the season by scoring this Sunday against San Diego.

Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins (WR)

A bunch of receptions over 10 yards!

While Miami’s slot receiver has been helpful in PPR leagues thanks to his 79 catches, he is not even averaging nine yards per reception. He is the king of the seven-yard slant. Landry has become the very poor man’s Wes Welker.

It would be better if he became a poor man’s DeSean Jackson and caught a 50-yard pass once in a blue moon.

Dan Bailey, Dallas Cowboys (K)

More field-goal opportunities!

Because Dallas has been such a well-oiled machine inside the red zone, cashing in most of their scoring chances for touchdowns, Bailey has been a gunslinger without any bullets on the sidelines.

Bailey’s 22 field goals are tied for 19th in the NFL, and his low total is not because of inaccuracy. He has only 26 attempts on the season, which ranks 20th among kickers. The guy cannot make 50-yard field goals for fantasy owners if he is never given the opportunity.

Hopefully Tony Romo and the ‘Boys have more drives stall inside the 30-yard line in 2015.

Trent Richardson, Indianapolis Colts (RB)

Two faster feet!

Face it: The guy does not have the gear you need to be an NFL running back. He is the prince of all plodders! He has a career yards-per-carry average of 3.3, and in four years he has never averaged above a 3.6 in any season and has never had a carry or a reception of more than 32 yards.

This would not matter as much if Richardson were a powerful runner who could barrel over defenders to make up for his lack of foot speed, but Richardson needs to study four years at the Chris Ivory School of Violent Running before he makes that transition.

Even in an offense where Andrew Luck sets up running backs with more scoring opportunities than a premier point guard would for a basketball team’s leading scorer, Richardson has scored seven times in 28 contests as a Colt. If Richardson does not speed up soon, he may not have a job in the league next year.

Houston Texans Tight Ends

For J.J. Watt: Retirement from being a part-time tight end!

It is hard enough for Houston’s tight ends to score when wide receivers Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins are monopolizing the targets and running back Arian Foster is the main man down by the goal line.

But on top of that, to have soon-to-be Defensive Player of the Year Watt stroll in from the sidelines to line up at tight end and take touchdown tosses meant for Garrett Graham and others makes it impossible for fantasy owners to trust any Texans tight ends.

Graham and his tight end cohorts should revolt and demand that they be the ones targeted for one-yard touchdowns next season. Maybe Watt will acquiesce and allow the regular offensive players to score the touchdowns next season, while he provides the sacks.