2008 Fantasy Football Midseason Awards

Here we are, halfway through the fantasy football season, and there have been many surprises to date. In an attempt to recognize some of the fantasy football top performers through Week Eight of the NFL season, and project some second-half key players, we bring to you the 2008 Fantasy Football Midseason Awards.

First-Half Awards and Second-Half Forecasts

Best First-Half Quarterback—Drew Brees

Brees has supplemented his tremendous yardage totals (320.4 per game) with 15 passing touchdowns, trailing only Philip Rivers (19).

Best Second-Half Quarterback—Drew Brees

No need for innovation here. Brees has a few cupcakes remaining, and an up-to-speed Marques Colston should augment his first-half numbers. Donovan McNabb is also a candidate for this distinction, if he can stay upright.

Best First-Half Running Back—Clinton Portis

The league’s leading gainer with seven touchdowns in eight contests, Portis ends Week Eight as the highest-scoring running back in standard formats.

Best Second Half Running Back—Adrian Peterson

Peterson hasn’t delivered as many highlight-reel runs as we grew accustomed to last year, but a 1,500-yard campaign with 15 touchdowns is a realistic possibility with a very favorable second-half schedule.

Best First Half-Wide Receiver—Andre Johnson

Although not the high scorer at his position, Johnson leads the NFL in receptions (56) and has far outdistanced his competition in yardage (772). A daunting second half schedule awaits him, but it’s hard to imagine him hauling in just two touchdowns as he did in the first half while maintaining his 120-catch pace.

Best Second Half-Wide Receiver—Larry Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald’s continued success in the second half is obviously contingent upon Kurt Warner’s health, but four of his next eight games come against the Rams and Seahawks, the 26th and 30th-ranked pass defenses, respectively.



Best First-Half Tight End—Jason Witten

Antonio Gates surpassed Witten on Sunday as the highest-scoring tight end in standard formats, but Witten has been much more consistent to this point in the season, leading his position with 549 receiving yards (Chris Cooley is next closest with 451 yards).

Best Second-Half Tight End—Chris Cooley

Let’s go out of the box here. The easy answer is Witten, but the presence of Roy Williams and the questionable health of Tony Romo (as well as his own) may cut into his production soon enough. Cooley is one of the more underrated players in fantasy and has been consistently stronger in the second half throughout his career.

Best First-Half Kicker—Jason Elam

Elam has dipped into the fountain of youth after the Broncos discarded him in the offseason, connecting on 16 of his 17 field goal attempts, including a perfect 8-for-8 from 40 yards and beyond. He’s got plenty of leg left.

Best Second-Half Kicker—Mason Crosby

You know as well as I do that projecting kicker production is nearly a fruitless endeavor, but here goes anyway. With some stout defenses on the remaining slate (Titans, Vikings, Bears twice, Panthers), Crosby could have a big second half as the Packers’ offense settles for field goals in opponents’ territory.

Best First-Half Defense—Tennessee Titans

Both the front four and the secondary possess exceptional speed, which has helped the Titans limit their opponents to just 87 points allowed, a league-best.

Best Second Half Defense—Philadelphia Eagles

NFC East teams are reputable for getting into shootouts with each other, but the Eagles usually tally high sack totals (currently fourth in the NFL) against their divisional foes. Owners can also look forward to games against the offensively-challenged Seahawks, Bengals, Ravens, and Browns.

Best Free-Agent Pickup—Kyle Orton

Following Derek Anderson as this year’s come-from-nowhere quarterback, Orton is the 11th highest-scoring signal caller in standard formats and should be considered a legitimate QB1 play going forward.

Best Late-Round Surprise—DeSean Jackson

Jackson’s value has taken a hit recently with the return of Kevin Curtis, but he had a much bigger impact in the first eight weeks than his owners could have reasonably expected when they drafted him.

Biggest Early-Round Disappointment—Braylon Edwards

In many leagues, Edwards was the third-highest drafted wide receiver, getting more respect than Larry Fitzgerald, Reggie Wayne, Steve Smith, and Plaxico Burress on draft day. He’s reciprocated with 22 receptions for 371 yards and just two touchdowns heading into a challenging second-half schedule.

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