Fantasy Mastermind Moment

The 2001 Fantasy Awards

Marvin Harrison set a career high with 15 TDs this season. AP

By Michael Nazarek, Special to CNNSI.com

The NFL regular season came to a close last week, so it's time to review some of the highs and lows, as I offer my 2001 Fantasy Awards. CNNSI.com's James Quintong has covered some of the individual awards along with his top two Fantasy Teams, but I like to break the team awards into four distinct units. Two of them are good, while the other two were just plain ugly. Without further adieu, I give you my take on the 2001 fantasy season…

The 2001 All-Fantasy Team

QB Kurt Warner, SL: With his thumb injury costing him several games in 2000, many fantasy owners underestimated how good this guy can be over the course of an entire season when healthy. After 4,830 passing yards and 36 TD passes, there is no doubt who the real fantasy QB king really is.

RB Marshall Faulk, SL: He generated nearly 2,200 total yards and 26 total scores in 2000. He followed that season with more than 2,100 total yards and another 21 scores in 2001. Most importantly, he was golden in the fantasy playoffs, scoring six total times in Weeks 15 and 16. If you drafted Faulk and made it to your league playoffs, you had a great shot at winning it all.

RB Shaun Alexander, SEA: Alexander wasn't ready to take Ricky Watters' starting job, according to Mike Holmgren. Guess what? Watters goes down. Alexander scores 16 times. Bye, bye, Ricky!

WR Terrell Owens, SF: Owens makes this list for the second consecutive season, totaling nearly 1,500 yards and 16 scores. No one dominated like Owens did in 2001, as he produced several multiple-TD games.

WR Marvin Harrison, IND: Despite the Colts injuries and infighting, Harrison still managed more than 1,500 yards and 15 scores. Simply amazing!

TE Tony Gonzalez, KC: If it wasn't for that two-TD game in Week 16, Gonzo might not be listed here. Although he led the league with 926 yards, scoring only six times was a disappointment for a player taken as high as the end of the first round in many fantasy drafts last summer.

PK Jason Elam, DEN: Elam edges out Kris Brown and Mike Vanderjagt due to his consistent fantasy production along with his solid accuracy.

It's interesting to note that with the exception of Shaun Alexander, all of the above players listed were likely drafted at or near the top of their position last summer. In other words, not many fantasy teams had the chance to own more than one of them (excluding Elam).

The 2001 All-Bust Team

The team listed below is one very ugly unit. You have my sincerest sympathy if you owned any of the players listed. These guys were true BUSTS. Injured players are one thing, but these guys were healthy (or at least played) most of the season and still failed to live up to their hype, and I mean in a big way!

QB Rob Johnson, BUF: Last year it was Brad, this year it is Rob. Take it from me, don't draft a QB named Johnson in 2002. You'll live to regret it.

RB Eddie George, TEN: The guy was consistently beat up all year long, breaking the 100-yard barrier only once, while scoring only five times. I still like Eddie, but he really hurt fantasy owners who drafted him in the first round.

RB Lamar Smith, MIA: That 158-yard, one-TD effort last week doesn't make up for all those 40-yard, ZERO-score weeks. Smith was in a contract year and he didn't even break the 1,000-yard mark for the season. Great timing, Lamar.

WR Albert Connell, NO: Look who made this list for the second consecutive season? 191 yards, two scores, and several thefts later, Connell finds himself without an NFL team behind him, as he faces serious criminal charges. Talk about a bad penny.

WR Derrick Alexander, KC: Dude! You let Eddie Kennison take your job. Yes, the same Kennison who quit on the Broncos when they needed him the most. That's not just bad, that's unforgivable.

TE Stephen Alexander, WAS: Did you even play in 2001?

PK Gary Anderson, MIN: It's not that you were such a poor kicker, but making only 15 FGs all season is simply ridiculous! That's not even an average of one per game.

The 2001 All-Surprise Team

There were stars and there were busts. But what about fantasy surprises? Look out! Here they come.

QB Steve McNair, TEN: With Eddie George hurting, the Titans turned to "Air" McNair. He came through by tossing 21 TDs and generating another five on the ground. If you were lucky enough to latch on to McNair at midseason, you got some serious second-half production.

RB Priest Holmes, KC: Yes, he was my bust of the year last summer. So, I'm not perfect. Yes, he won the rushing title, but scoring 10 times doesn't exactly make him Marshall Faulk. Can you tell I'm bitter?

RB Anthony Thomas, CHI: He was riding the bench at the start of the season, an unproven rookie. By season's end, he was leading the Bears to their first division title since 1990.

WR Troy Brown, NE: Who needs Terry Glenn when you have a guy who can catch 101 passes in a season and return punts for scores?

WR Jerry Rice, OAK: 1,139 yards and nine scores. Yeah, this guy is finished. Wake up! This is Jerry Friggin' Rice!!!

TE Marcus Pollard, IND: He finally broke out of Ken Dilger's shadow to become a serious fantasy threat, scoring eight times.

PK Jay Feely, ATL: He kicked 29 FGs and 28 PATs and is living proof why you should never draft kickers early.

The 2001 All-Injury Team

The 2001 season was just like any other season. It had many injuries to key fantasy producers. If any of the following players were on your roster, you must be scratching your head wondering why you had such poor luck…

QB Drew Bledsoe, NE: This guy went from being a $100 million QB to being a high-priced backup after one hit by Mo Lewis. Whoa!

RB Fred Taylor, JAX: A little more than one game and a cloud of dust. Never again, fragile Freddie, never again.

RB Ricky Watters, SEA: Coming into 2001, Watters had never missed any significant time due to injury. Heck, he hadn't missed a start since the dark ages. A cracked shoulder and broken ankle later, it's Houston, here I come.

WR Marcus Robinson, CHI: A torn ACL ended his season after only a few games. And people said his back was the problem.

WR Germane Crowell, DET: A torn patella tendon did Crowell in. Hey, at least he didn't suffer through most of that awful 2-14 season.

TE Rickey Dudley, CLE: Once a bust, always a bust.

PK Bill Gramatica, ARZ: You didn't think I'd let the most ridiculous injury of all time go unmentioned, did you? Anyone who can tear an ACL jumping for joy over a made FG in the first quarter of the game deserves special recognition!

Final Thoughts

Well, that's a wrap on the 2001 Fantasy season! I'd just like to say I've enjoyed sharing my "moments" here at CNNSI.com for the second consecutive season and hope that some of my insight helped you in your quest to win your league championship. Whether you liked what I had to say or didn't, you are more than welcome to contact me directly through my site linked below. I'm always up for some good fantasy discussion. Good luck to everyone playing in Fantasy Playoff Challenges and I'll be seeing you in 2002!

Michael Nazarek is the Fantasy Football Mastermind, and has more than a dozen years of fantasy related experience. His company offers an NFL draft kit, preseason draft guide, a weekly newsletter, and free fantasy news (updated daily) at its web site. For more information go to http://www.ffmastermind.com or call 256-851-1749.

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