6 Mistakes Everyone Seemed to Make in 2011 Fantasy Football

There were a number of surprises in the NFL this season, and many of them (mostly on the offensive side of the ball) had significant effects on the world of fantasy football.

From the regression of Josh Freeman to the emergence of LeSean McCoy as perhaps the best running back in the NFL, there were a number of errors in fantasy football projections that just about everyone seemed to make. Certain things, like Jamaal Charles tearing his ACL, were unforeseeable. But plenty of other events could have been anticipated.

Here are the six mistakes in judgement that we in the fantasy football world should be most embarrassed about.

Thinking Michael Vick Could Stay Healthy

Okay, maybe no one thought he would play all 16 games, but the number of injuries Michael Vick has sustained this year has been astounding. He's only completed eight full games out of the 14 the Philadelphia Eagles have played this season.

Which is disappointing, because Vick has had solid games when he's been on the field. He's put up 20+ points in five games. But he only ranks 13th in fantasy points at quarterback at this point in the season, which is a letdown considering he was projected by most everyone to be in the top three at the position in September.

Everyone knows Vick is injury-prone. But he played in at least 15 games four of the five seasons he was starting for the Atlanta Falcons. The fact that he only played in 12 games last year seemed like a rarity. Now it looks like a trend.

Drafting Chris Johnson in the Top 10

Chris Johnson hasn't had quite as bad a year as some people seem to think. With 930 rushing yards on the season and two games remaining, he will almost certainly rush for over 1,000 yards this season.

But at the same time, his production this season has been notably lower than that of his previous years with the Tennessee Titans. In his first three seasons in the NFL, Johnson averaged 97 rushing yards per game and had 34 touchdowns. This year, he's averaging 66 yards per game, and he only has four rushing touchdowns.

After being ranked in just about everyone's top 10 coming in to the season, Chris Johnson has been a huge disappointment, only putting up more than 12 points three times. He currently ranks 17th in fantasy points at running back. Johnson hasn't earned that huge contract he fought so hard for, and he certainly hasn't earned his spot on your fantasy roster.

Expecting Improvement from Josh Freeman

Josh Freeman was phenomenal last season in his first year starting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He passed for 3,451 yards and most importantly, he threw for 25 touchdowns with only six interceptions.

Subsequently, he came into this season ranked in the top 10 by just about everyone (and the top five by most) at quarterback in fantasy rankings.

Just like the Buccaneers, he has largely underachieved. He has averaged just as many passing yards per game this season, but he's only thrown for 13 touchdowns with 18 interceptions. He currently ranks 18th at quarterback, which is not surprising considering he's had five games this season where he posted less than 10 points.

Not Drafting Calvin Johnson as the Top Wide Receiver

At wide receiver, most everyone ranked Andre Johnson first in fantasy in the preseason. And at second, there were a number of candidates that you may have picked ahead of Megatron, namely Greg Jennings, Hakeem Nicks, Mike Wallace or Roddy White.

You should be kicking yourself now. Calvin Johnson has been far and away the top receiver in fantasy this season. He's averaging a staggering 14.9 points per game, and he has put up 18 or more six times.

With his performance last Sunday (214 receiving yards and two touchdowns, which equates to 33 points), Johnson showed that his production knows no limits. 

Not Seeing the Potential of Wes Welker

Wes Welker has perhaps been the biggest overachiever in fantasy football this season. He came in to the year barely ranked in the top 15 by most at wide receiver, and yet currently ranks second at the position.

Welker set the tone for his season right from the beginning, as he collected 160 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the opener against the Miami Dolphins. For the season, he has 104 receptions for 1,380 yards and nine touchdowns.

For a player who was drafted by most fantasy footballers outside the top 50 in the preseason, averaging 13.4 points per game is quite a feat.

Drafting a Running Back Other Then LeSean McCoy with Your First Pick

LeSean McCoy has been the top running back in fantasy this season, averaging 19 points per game, and posting 23 or more points five times.

With Arian Foster, Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, Ray Rice and Jamaal Charles (sorry if you got cheated by that one), you'd be hard-pressed to find a league where McCoy was the top running back taken.

However, he has been consistently productive all season long, whether Michael Vick or Vince Young was taking the snaps at quarterback. He is beginning to look more and more like Barry Sanders every game.