Super Bowl 2015 Score, MVP, Fantasy Stats Predictions for Patriots vs. Seahawks

For fantasy owners, Sunday's Super Bowl is the end of the road.

It is one last chance to scribble some notes on some of the game's greatest players in order to obtain a head start when it comes to next year's draft process.

In that sense, it is also a beginning. The appreciation that stems from watching Rob Gronkowski terrorize smaller players, Tom Brady hit near-impossible throws, Russell Wilson display his sixth sense in the pocket and Marshawn Lynch bulldoze anyone in his path is worthwhile.

Sunday, fantasy football takes a breather. The send-off, though, features plenty of names who are sure to finish things in style.

Fantasy Stars to Watch

Marshawn Lynch

Lynch is just fun.

At 5'11" and 215 pounds, the California product steamrolls most players who step in his way. There is something downright entertaining about his ability to make a grown man and professional player realize the error in his ways once Lynch lowers a shoulder.

Perhaps the most telling quote of all about Lynch as of late comes from Philadelphia safety Nate Allen, as captured by Pro Football on ESPN:

Those owners who were brave enough to invest a draft pick in Lynch over the course of the past four seasons have had plenty of fun too: 

SEASON	GP	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
2011	15	285	1,204	4.2	12
2012	16	315	1,590	5.0	11
2013	16	301	1,257	4.2	12
2014	16	280	1,306	4.7	13

Lynch is in rare form at the moment. Against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game, he ran for 157 yards and a score on 25 totes.

Some owners will point out that he struggled a bit in last year's Super Bowl victory, but New England's run defense is not a major threat. Baltimore's Justin Forsett ran for 129 yards on 24 attempts against the Patriots, and then Indianapolis' Daniel Herron went for 51 on 10 carries.

Lynch will carry the Seahawks with big numbers. But experienced owners knew that already.

Prediction: 27 carries, 165 yards, 1 touchdown

Rob Gronkowski

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Feel free to Google the perceived biggest risks of 2014 fantasy drafts. 

Rob Gronkowski is the headline act in most of them.

Finally healthy, though, he appeared in 15 games this year and caught 82 passes for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns, solidifying himself as the most reliable fantasy tight end in the league.

For what it's worth, the Seahawks fully expect to shut down Gronkowski, who has two touchdowns in as many games this postseason.

"Our best against their best," K.J. Wright said, per NFL.com's Chris Wesseling. "Of course I've got my money on Kam. He's an All-Pro, he's the captain of our defense. I expect him to win every battle."

With all due respect to elite Seattle safety Kam Chancellor, there is no stopping Gronkowski.

The Seahawks may not be able to commit more than one player to Gronkowski at a time as they also focus on LeGarrette Blount, as well as Brady and his host of other weapons.

Even if they do, Gronkowski coming up with a big play or two when it matters is not that hard to believe. He's guaranteed to lead the team in targets, and chances are he will come down with the majority of them for a hefty stat line.

Prediction: 8 receptions, 110 yards, 1 TD

Name	Pos.	Team	Projection
Russell Wilson	QB	SEA	200 pass. yds., 1 TD
Tom Brady	QB	NE	250 pass. yds., 1 TD
LeGarrette Blount	RB	NE	105 rush yds., 1 TD
Shane Vereen	RB	NE	5 rec., 25 yds.
Julian Edelman	WR	NE	8 rec., 75 yds.
Doug Baldwin	WR	SEA	4 rec., 65 yds

Score and MVP Prediction

	1	2	3	4	T
NE	7	7	7	3	24
SEA	7	0	7	13	27

These go hand in hand.

Lynch ensures the Patriots cannot run away with this contest. The whole "get a lead and neutralize a star running back" does not really work against the Seahawks. 

The credit and clutch performance, though, will once again fall on the shoulders of Wilson—the same Wilson who played the worst game of his career against the Packers before pulling off an upset for the ages. ESPN's Andrew Brandt put it best:

This Super Bowl is different. The Patriots are not a team that will choke away the game early on and place Wilson in a relaxed environment, allowing him to throw a pair of touchdowns in the second half with the game already decided.

These Patriots are game, but so is Wilson. Last year's experience helps, as does the momentum and experience of the NFC title game.

A surprisingly ground- and defensive-dictated matchup needs someone to break through and decide the contest at some point.

That someone will be Wilson, as the legend only continues to grow.

Prediction: Seahawks 27, Patriots 24

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. Advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.