Fantasy Football: NFL MVP Week Eight

This article was originally published at FantasyPros911.com

Each week, Dan Parzych will take a look at the top performers in the NFL with Parzych's 2009 NFL MVP, whether they are at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, or tight end. 

Along with the best performers each week, be sure to check out Parzych's 2009 NFL LVP, in which he covers the Least Valuable Players each week in the NFL.

Here are the results for Week Eight of the 2009 NFL regular season:

Quarterback: Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings

In case you've been living under a rock the last couple of months, Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre made his return to Lambeau field last week, the place he built his legacy in his 17 seasons playing with the Green Bay Packers.

As he ran onto the field, he received a mixed reaction of boos and cheers from the beloved fans who had cheered him on throughout his career. If Favre was nervous about going against his former team on their own turf, it sure didn't show with the type of performance he had.

To make Packers fans feel even worse about their beloved quarterback playing for their division rivals, Favre finished 17-of-28 for 244 yards and four touchdowns against his former team in a 38-26 win for the Vikings.

Not only was the win a major relief for Favre, but the Vikings improved to 7-1 and remain atop the NFC North standings. Congratulations Brett, we all know how much this win means to you.

Running Back: Ryan Moats, Houston Texans

For the record, Tennessee Titans RB Chris Johnson was close to earning this spot with his performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars in which he ran for 228 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. However, Houston Texans RB Ryan Moats had a career day against the Buffalo Bills, earning him the award this week.

In Sunday's 31-10 win against the Bills, Texans RB Steve Slaton was benched early on after recording his fifth fumble of the season. As his replacement, Moats finished with 126 yards on the ground and three touchdowns—all of which came in the fourth quarter.

Whether or not Moats will start for the Texans next week against the Indianapolis Colts is still up in the air. However, he showed head coach Gary Kubiak he has what it takes to be the No. 1 starter if needed.

Wide Receiver: Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts remain as one of two undefeated teams left in the NFL, and WR Reggie Wayne is a major reason why the Colts have been successful.

Wayne's 22-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter from RB Joseph Addai ended up as the game winner for the Colts in their 18-14 win over the San Francisco 49ers. Overall, he finished with 12 receptions for 147 yards to go along with his touchdown. 

Once again, Wayne stepped it up for the Colts offense while WR Anthony Gonzalez continues to nurse his injured right knee. In seven games, he's hauled in 51 receptions for 689 yards and six touchdowns. This isn't the first time he's made the MVP list, and there's a chance we'll see him on it again before the season ends.

Tight End: Kevin Boss, New York Giants

The New York Giants may have been blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles in their 40-17 loss. However, Giants TE Kevin Boss still managed to have a solid game for his team in the losing effort.

While the Giants offense struggled to get anything going against the Eagles defense, Boss lead all wide receivers, hauling in three receptions for 70 yards—including an 18-yard touchdown from QB Eli Manning.

While Boss has yet to record a 100-yard game in 2009, the Giants have to be pleased with the fact he recorded his first touchdown of the season against the Eagles. Hopefully, he can continue to find the end zone over the next couple of weeks for the Giants.

Kicker: Matt Stover, Indianapolis Colts

While the Indianapolis Colts struggled to find the end zone against the San Francisco 49ers, K Matt Stover played a major role in the team's 18-14 win.

Other than Wayne's touchdown in the fourth quarter, the Colts relied on Stover's four field goals to continue the team's unbeaten streak in 2009. He managed to hit field goals from 38, 33, 31, and 41 yards for the Colts.

It's hard to find a place kicker that stands out from the rest each week. However, it's safe to say the Colts may be sitting at 6-1 without Stover, which is the reason why he earns the MVP award this week.

Defense: Baltimore Ravens

Everyone knew the matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos would be intense. However, the question on everyone's mind was which Ravens team would show up.

The Ravens defense could not have put on a more impressive performance as they handed the Broncos their first loss of the 2009 season in a 30-7 win. They held the Broncos to a total of 218 yards on offense while recording two turnovers and two sacks.

With the win, the Ravens increased their record to 4-3 and won for the first time in three games. Next week, they look for revenge against the Cincinnati Bengals, who pulled away with a 17-14 victory in Week Five thanks to a late 20-yard touchdown reception from WR Andre Caldwell.

If their defense continues to shut down opposing offenses like they did against the Broncos, the Ravens could climb back to the top of the AFC North in no time.

Dan Parzych is an analyst at FantasyPros911.com