With the regular season coming to a close, these players deserve praise as our 2023 Fantasy Football Awards Show gets underway.
Most fantasy leagues approach the end of the regular season and head into the playoffs at the end of Week 14. This allows us to look back over the years and see the progress that players have made and the domination that has ensued. For these awards, we will grade on a point-per-reception format with six-point quarterback touchdowns. We will look at several awards that are given out in the actual NFL and some fantasy-specific awards. Here is your 2023 Fantasy Football Awards Show.
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Defensive Team of the Year – Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are not the highest-scoring fantasy defense this season. However, they are the most consistent. The Dallas Cowboys have scored 153 fantasy points, but that includes two weeks where they had 68 total points which is more than 1/3 of their total points because of six total defensive touchdowns. The Ravens have scored over 10 points in seven of the 12 weeks that they have played. They are averaging 10.83 points per game with 47 sacks, 10 forced fumbles, and 11 interceptions giving up just 179 total points in 12 weeks.
Offensive Rookie of the Year – Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
This is easy to pick CJ Stroud. He is the QB5 overall ahead of guys like Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes, and Tua Tagovailoa. However, the depth at the position of quarterback allows for other players with a smaller gap than this guy. Sam LaPorta plays as a tight end in a depleted position with few superstar-talented options. In reality, this year, if you don’t roster T.J. Hockenson, Travis Kelce, George Kittle, or LaPorta, you aren’t winning. He has put up 171.9 points with 64 receptions for 679 yards and six touchdowns, Lions rookie records.
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FLEX Player of the Year – Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers
To figure out who is a “FLEX” player and deserves to be in this consideration, I took the top 24 RBs (two per starting roster) and top 36 WRs (three per starting roster) and eliminated them from contention. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ backup running back is the RB25 on the season with a total of 138.4 points. He is not only the first RB eligible, he is a great option. He has 613 rushing yards with 173 receiving yards on 17 receptions with seven total touchdowns. That is coming after he was a sub-round 12 drafted player in normal drafts this season.
Offensive Player of the Year – Christian McCaffrey, SF 49ers
Christian McCaffrey was an injury-riddled player with the Carolina Panthers for years before being traded in the middle of the season last year. With this being the first year he has a full season as a 49er under his belt, he is the No. 1 ranked running back and No. 3 total player overall scoring more than most quarterbacks. He is averaging 24.59 points per game running for 1,032 yards and 12 touchdowns with 51 receptions for 429 yards and five touchdowns. He is on pace to run past last year’s mark.
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Most Improved Player of the Year – Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins
With the San Francisco 49ers, Raheem Moster was never better than RB25 on the season. He has also finished as low as RB580 in his rookie season. He has only surpassed 100 fantasy points in a season twice and only once before joining the Miami Dolphins. Last year, in 16 games, Mostert was the RB25 on the year tying his season high for his career. He has 891 yards and three touchdowns with 31 receptions for 202 yards. This season, he is the RB2. He has 214.40 points on the season with 828 yards on the ground and 14 touchdowns in a career-high year.
Most Valuable Player – Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
The most valuable player in fantasy football this season is Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill. He is the No. 1 overall wide receiver and the No. 1 overall player in the league. He is averaging 26.05 points per game and has already scored 312 points this year. He has 93 receptions for 1,481 yards and 12 touchdowns. With five games left in the actual NFL regular season, he could easily surpass 2,000 receiving yards. Hill has been more valuable to a fantasy team than any quarterback could be. For that reason, Hill is the best player this fantasy season.
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