There is certainly no shortage of uplifting stories in fantasy football this season, from the resurrection of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick to Houston Texans running back Arian Foster leading the league in rushing and myriad others. But in most of these cases of surprising production, at least fantasy footballers had heard of these fellows. Everyone knew who Vick was. Foster was drafted in all leagues, albeit rounds after he should have. Even Brandon Lloyd, a contender to lead all wide receivers in scoring this season, had been in the league, underachieving for years.
But the 18 fantasy points that New England Patriots hybrid running back/wide receiver Danny Woodhead supplied his owners this past weekend belong in a different class, as they struck a chord with me. This wasn't a hotshot rookie (or a rookie at all; he's 27 years old). Nor was Woodhead supposed to get opportunity or do much with it. He was a New York Jet when you drafted your teams and released in real life in mid-September! The Patriots took a chance on the diminutive Division II Chadron State product after the Laurence Maroney trade. Remember how excited fantasy owners got about Maroney in Denver?
To see whose fantasy value is rising and whose is falling heading into Week 17 and why, you must be an ESPN Insider.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Eric Karabell
Eric Karabell is an ESPN.com senior writer. He has worked at ESPN since 1997 and covered fantasy sports for ESPN since 2001, specializing in baseball and football. Eric appears several times per week on SportsCenter, NFL Live and other ESPN shows, contributes to ESPN Radio and ESPN The Magazine and is the host of the Baseball Today Podcast. He has been honored twice as fantasy sports writer of the year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association, his blog was named best fantasy baseball series for 2007 and he was inducted into the inaugural FSWA Hall of Fame class in 2010.
Eric grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs, and accordingly, favors Philly teams first, his fantasy teams second. He previously served as ESPN.com's lead NBA editor, and is a former Washington Post and Philadelphia Inquirer sports writer. Eric is also the author of "The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments," published by Source Books and available in bookstores and online.
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