Despite collapsing late in the Pro Bowl this year, the NFC roster was full of superstars. Many of these players are stars on the field and in NFL fantasy. In the spirit of the Pro Bowl and All-Star week, let’s take a closer look at the players who were the biggest studs in NFL fantasy this season.
Quarterbacks
Starter
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson led all players in fantasy football in 2017 with nearly 360.00 fantasy points. The Super Bowl winner quarterback throw 34 passing touchdowns, becoming the first Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback to led the NFL in passing touchdowns. He added 3983 passing yards to go with 586 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. Wilson did everything for the Seahawks on offense this season, accounting for 37 of their 38 offensive touchdowns.
Reserves
Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
Finishing as the second-ranked quarterback in fantasy this season, Cam Newton was a stud in fantasy. Although he was somewhat inconsistent, he did end the year leading all quarterbacks with 754 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.
Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles
Despite missing the last three games of the season, Carson Wentz ranked sixth overall among quarterbacks and third overall in fantasy points per game. He was arguably the favorite to win the league’s MVP award at the time of his injury. He’ll be highly sought after in NFL fantasy drafts next season.
Running Backs
Starter
Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams
No running back in fantasy football was better than Todd Gurley. Gurley averaged 21.29 fantasy points per game in standard scoring or 3.57 points better than any other running back. Gurley led the NFL with 19 touchdowns was the only player in the NFL with over 2000 yards from scrimmage. He added 64 receptions and only once failed to score double-digit fantasy points in a game.
Reserves
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
Leading all running backs with 826 receiving yards, Alvin Kamara helped form arguably the most potent running back tandem in fantasy football history.
Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
Despite missing six games due to suspension, Elliot fell just 17 yards short of a 1000-yard rushing season and ranked second among running backs in points per game.
Wide Receivers
Starters
Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons and Marvin Jones, Detroit Lions
Despite only scoring three touchdowns, Julio Jones remained one of the best wide receivers in fantasy football. Jones finished second in the NFL with 1444 receiving yards. Jones now has four straight seasons with at least 1400 yards receiving. Entering the 2018 NFL season at 29 years old, Jones is still in his prime and should once again be one of the top wide receivers in the NFL.
Arguably the biggest surprise on either the AFC or NFC roster, Marvin Jones had himself quite the fantasy season. Jones nine receiving touchdowns ranked second in the NFC, and his 1101 was good enough for sixth in the NFC among wide receivers. His 61 receptions held him back in the PPR leagues, but overall few players provided as much value in fantasy as Jones in 2017.
Reserves
Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
Michael Thomas continued to develop into one of the young wide receivers in the NFL this season. The sophomore star ranked second in the NFC with 104 receptions and third in yards with 1245.
Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
The ageless wonder, Larry Fitzgerald, continues to be one of the best fantasy wide receivers, Fitzgerald led the NFC with 109 receptions and posted his ninth career 1000-yard season.
Tight Ends
Starter
Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles
With three straight 70+ reception and 800+ receiving yard seasons, Ertz is now one of the best fantasy options at tight end. Ertz set a career high with eight receiving touchdowns and led all NFC tight ends with 824 receiving yards. At 27 years old, Ertz has a bright fantasy future ahead of him and likely will be the third tight end off the boards in 2018.
Reserves
Jimmy Graham, Seattle Seahawks
Although he only caught for 520 yards (his lowest total since 2010), he ten receiving touchdowns led all tight ends in 2017.
Evan Engram, New York Giants
Rookie Evan Engram was one of the few bright spots on the New York Giants. Engram’s 722 receiving yards were the second most of any tight end in the NFC, and six receiving touchdowns tied him for third in the Conference.
Team Defense
Starter
Los Angeles Rams
As long as yardage is not a factor in your fantasy league, no team defense in the NFC was better the Los Angeles Rams. The group finished with 172.00 fantasy points, picking up 48 sacks and scoring six touchdowns. The group scored at least 8.00 fantasy points in nine games and topped 20 points scored on three different occasions. Overall, the Rams are full of talent and should play even better in their second yard under Sean McVay.
Reserves
Philadelphia Eagles
With 31 turnovers, five blocked kicks and 38 sacks, the Eagles were one of the most balanced fantasy defenses last season. The unit scored at least 8.00 points 11 times and should be 1b alongside the Rams.
Detroit Lions
Leading the NFC with 32 turnovers, the Lions had one of the more underappreciated seasons in fantasy. If they can top 35 sacks in 2018, they could be one of the best defenses in fantasy next season.
Kicker
Starter
Greg Zuerlein, Los Angeles Rams
Had he not missed the final two games of 2017, Greg Zuerlein could have been the first kicker in fantasy to score 200.00 fantasy points in a season. Despite missing the last two games, Zuerlein still scored at least 10 points more than any other kicker in 2017, 2016 or 2015. As long as Zuerlein is healthy in 2018, he should be the top kicking option in fantasy.
Reserves
Robbie Gould, San Francisco 49ers
Finishing with the second most fantasy points in the NFC, Gould was one of the best surprises in the NFC this season. With Jimmy Garoppolo and Kyle Shanahan making the offense better, Gould should be one of the better kickers again next season.
Will Lutz, New Orleans Saints
One of the most reliable kickers in fantasy, Lutz scored at least 7.00 fantasy points in 15 of his 16 games in 2017. Expect more of the same from him next year.
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