As we come to the end of another fantasy football season, let us take a few moments and recognize the players who excelled in this ultimate week. Some of the names could surprise you, while one is no shock at all. To the list!
Points based on standard scoring in NFL.com fantasy football leagues
5. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints (29.84 fantasy points)
Talk about consistency. Brees ended the season with three straight games of better than 29 points -- ending with Sunday's 29.84-point performance in a 44-38 loss to the Carolina Panthers. It tied Brees' fantasy high for the season (Week 4 at Green Bay) and marked the ninth time he surpassed the 20-point plateau this season. He might have finished the year even higher in the rankings if it weren't for the Week 13 hiccup against the Falcons. Nonetheless, Brees remains one of the elite fantasy quarterbacks.
4. Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings (32.10 fantasy points)
Peterson came up nine yards short of breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record, but it was still an amazing day to cap a phenomenal year. AD carried the ball a career-high 34 times for 199 yards and a touchdown (he also caught a TD pass) to help the Vikings knock off the Packers, 37-34. He finishes the season as the top fantasy rusher and the only running back in the top 12 overall fantasy scorers -- the other 11 are all quarterbacks -- just a year removed from major knee surgery. There's little doubt that he'll be the consensus top pick in next year's fantasy drafts.
3. DeAngelo Williams, RB, Carolina Panthers (33.30 fantasy points)
For fantasy owners still playing this week, consider Williams' day the epitome of "better late than never". The Panthers' running back charged ahead for 210 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns in Sunday's win over the Saints. To say Williams was inconsistent would be an understatement. He scored double-digits just five times all season and his Week 17 performance was the only time he bested 18 fantasy points. If you had the guts to start him this week, you were certainly rewarded.
2. Tennessee Titans D/ST (38.00 fantasy points)
All season long, the Titans were one of the worst defenses in fantasy football. So it makes perfect sense that the group would rise up in the season's final week, right? The Titans posted seven sacks, three interceptions and four touchdowns -- two kick returns by Darius Reynaud and two pick sixes by Zach Brown -- in a 38-20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Today's 38-point performace matched the total posted by the Titans in their previous five games combined. Too bad they were only started in 0.6 percent of NFL.com leagues this week.
1. Alfred Morris, RB, Washington Redskins (39.20 fantasy points)
Pretty good ending for NFL.com's FantasyWaiver Wire Pickup of the Year. Alfred Morris finshed off both the Cowboys and the fantasy season by rushing for 200 yards and three touchdowns in Washington's 28-18 victory to run away with our #KABOOM player of the week. The Redskinsother rookie star finished the seaosn strong, scoring double-digit fantasy points in his final six contests -- including two 20-plus point games in the final three weeks. Count him among the running backs certain to come off the board in the first round in next season's drafts.
Follow Marcas Grant on Twitter @MarcasG
