The 2011 fantasy football season was without question one of the strangest and most unpredictable ever. It saw the continued rise of the quarterback position, the fall of an elite fantasy runner and an enormous impact from several rookies. Furthermore, one of the top overall scorers wasn't even drafted in most leagues. Now that this wild campaign is done, it's time to hand out the hardware for the top statistical accomplishments. So without further ado, let's hand out the annual Guru Awards.
Fantasy MVP
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers: There wasn't a better fantasy football player than Rodgers, who helped countless owners take home their league's championship. He led all players in fantasy points with 397.42, and that was despite the fact that he sat out of Week 17! Amazingly, Rodgers averaged close to 25 fantasy points per game and failed to score 20 points just once in his 15 starts. Look for him to come off the board with one of the top three picks in 2012 fantasy drafts. (Runner-up: Drew Brees, QB, Saints)
Breakout player of the year
Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions: One of the most explosive quarterbacks in the league, Stafford avoided injuries for the first time in his career and emerged into a superstar in fantasy land. The Georgia product threw for a ridiculous 5,038 yards and 41 touchdown passes -- those are awesome numbers for a player who had an average draft position (ADP) of Round 9 on NFL.com. In an offense that will continue to score a ton of points, Stafford is a lock to be a top pick in 2012. (Runner-up: Jordy Nelson, WR, Packers)
Sleeper of the year
Jimmy Graham, TE, Saints: A preseason sleeper on NFL.com, Graham more than met expectations both on the field and in fantasy football. The talented tight end caught an unbelievable 99 passes for 1,310 yards and put up 11 touchdowns, finishing with 195.00 fantasy points -- more than Larry Fitzgerald and Roddy White put up. With a tremendous quarterback like Brees under center, it's hard to see Graham coming off the board later than the third or fourth round.(Runner-up: Tim Tebow, QB, Broncos)
Super sleeper of the year
Victor Cruz, WR, Giants: Derrick Mason. Terrell Owens. Randy Moss. What do these three wideouts have in common (besides being older veterans)? All had a higher ADP than Cruz on NFL.com. The Massachusetts product came out of nowhere to finish with an impressive 82 catches, 1,536 yards, nine touchdowns and the fourth-most fantasy points at the wide receiver position. Based on those impressive totals, Cruz is destined to be a top-12 fantasy wideout in the majority of 2012 drafts. (Runner-up: Laurent Robinson, WR, Cowboys)
Rookie of the year
Cam Newton, QB, Panthers: This one was the ultimate no-brainer. Newton, who wasn't even drafted in some leagues, had the best rookie season from fantasy quarterback of all time. The No. 1 pick of the 2011 NFL Draft threw for 4,051 yards, rushed for another 706 yards and scored a combined 35 touchdowns. Newton also broke the record for rushing touchdowns from a signal-caller with an amazing 14. Based on his versatile skill set, it's tough to envision a scenario in which Newton isn't a first rounder in 2012. (Runner-up: A.J. Green, WR, Bengals)
Bust of the year
Chris Johnson, RB, Titans: Johnson's holdout had some fantasy owners worried about his potential production in 2011, but no one could have predicted that he would have been this bad. The veteran runner finished with a mere 1,047 rushing yards, scored just four touchdowns and tallied fewer fantasy points than Darren Sproles, Reggie Bush and Fred Jackson. I still see him being taken in the first two rounds in 2012, but the bloom has come off the rose.(Runner-up: DeSean Jackson, WR, Eagles)
Draft value of the year
Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seahawks: There wasn't a lot to like about Lynch entering this season, as his ADP was 106.53 (Round 11) and his slow start to 2011 caused some owners to release him. But Lynch went into "beast mode" in Week 4 and scored at least one touchdown in 11 straight games (13 overall). He finished with 1,204 rushing yards and 13 total touchdowns and was the fifth-best running back in the league based on fantasy points. Whether he can repeat those numbers remains to be seen. (Runner-up: Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions)
Waiver pickup of the year
Cam Newton, QB, Panthers: Not only was Newton the top waiver-wire pickup this season, but he might be the best waiver-wire pickup of all time. Think about it -- how many times during the course of a fantasy campaign does an undrafted player finish the season with the third-most fantasy points overall? Furthermore, how many times is that player a rookie? Newton broke down the barriers when it comes to the previous trend of first-year quarterbacks rarely making a huge impact in fantasy land. (Runner-up: Victor Cruz, WR, Giants)
Comeback player of the year
Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions: This was a tough call, but Stafford made the greatest impact after missing most of the previous season. The talented signal-caller was limited to a mere three starts in 2010 due to an injured shoulder, which made him somewhat of a risk in 2011 drafts. But Stafford avoided the trainer's room and was a stat-sheet monster both on the field and in fantasy leagues. He was a beast in the playoffs, too, throwing for a ridiculous 14 touchdowns in his last four starts. (Runner-up: Steve Smith, WR, Panthers)
Performance of the year
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers -- Week 4: If Rodgers was your quarterback this season, chances are you made it to the fantasy postseason. The superstar signal-caller had a number of huge performances, but his best came in Week 4 when he threw for 408 yards, rushed for another 36 yards and found the end zone six total times (four passing, two rushing) during a blowout win over the Broncos. Rodgers, who posted a ridiculous 134.5 passer rating, recorded 45.92 fantasy points in the contest. (Runner-up: Arian Foster, RB, Texans -- Week 7)
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com. Have a burning question on anything fantasy related? Tweet it to _**@MichaelFabiano**_ or send a question via **Facebook**!
