The end has come. If you were lucky enough to play in a fantasy football league that continued into Week 17, you are now where the rest of us are...in mourning. The 2013 fantasy football season has all but come to an end. While we will partake in playoff leagues because we are addicted to this fake game, it's now time for the majority of us to move on to the fantasy offseason.
This doesn't mean that we can't look back to what was a tremendous week of football. With playoffs on the line, some super stars stood up and showed why they are among the best in the game. Others failed to meet expectations and will now be sipping martini's in Hawaii while the real men suit up and vie for a championship. As it is, here are your top-five fantasy surprises from Week 17.
1. LeGarrette Blount, Running Back, New England Patriots
Week 17 Statistics: 24 attempts, 189 yards and two touchdowns (30.90 points)
No one in their right mind saw this one coming. Going up against a Buffalo Bills defense that ranked in the top 10 of the NFL against fantasy running backs, New England's third-stringer put up over 330 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in a ridiculous performance. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers starter came into Week 17 on the upswing, putting up 123 rushing yards and two scores over the past two games. However, he took that production to a whole new level in New England's first-round bye clinching victory on Sunday. Blount finished as the No. 2 overall fantasy running back, behind only Matt Forte.
2. Jerrel Jernigan, Wide Receiver, New York Giants
Week 17 Statistics: Six receptions, 90 yards, two attempts, 57 rushing yards and two touchdowns (26.70 points)
With Victor Cruz sidelined due to an injury and Eli Manning leaving the game with an injury of his own, the disappointing Giants had to rely on a bunch of backups to get it done against a bad Washington Redskins team. Jernigan responded by putting up 147 total yards and two scores in the No. 1 overall fantasy day for a receiver. To put this into perspective, the 147 yards that the former third-round pick put up represented 56 percent of the offensive output we saw from him in the first 16 weeks.
3. Knile Davis, Running Back, Kansas City Chiefs
Week 17 Statistics: 27 attempts, 81 yards and two touchdowns (20.60 points)
This is only classified as a surprise if you don't factor into account the fact that Jamaal Charles sat out Kansas City's meaningless Week 17 matchup with the San Diego Chargers. Most of us who scouted Davis coming out of Arkansas knew what he brought to the table. It was now all about him getting an opportunity and putting it together on the field. The rookie averaged only three yards per rush, but put the ball in the end zone two times and finished as the third-best fantasy running back on the week. If nothing else, this might give Andy Reid confidence in the youngster in 2014, which means he could be a solid bench pick up in both standard and dynasty leagues as Charles' primary backup.
4. Colin Kaepernick, Quarterback, San Francisco 49ers
Week 17 Statistics: 310 passing yards, 24 rushing yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions (22.80 points)
The Arizona Cardinals had just held Russell Wilson to 108 passing yards and 9.52 fantasy points the week prior when they hosted Kaepernick and the 49ers on Sunday. No one expected the third-year quarterback to be the primary reason that San Francisco came out on top and headed into the postseason with its sixth consecutive victory. But that's exactly what he did. In putting up his second-best passing day of the season, the Super Bowl quarterback finished behind only Drew Brees and Peyton Manning in fantasy points among quarterbacks on the week. This performance enabled Kaepernick to finish the season as the No. 9 fantasy quarterback. Not bad considering his horrendous start to the season.
5. Terrelle Pryor, Quarterback, Oakland Raiders
Week 17 Statistics: 207 passing yards, 49 rushing yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions (19.18 points)
Seeing extended playing time for the first time since Week 10, Pryor showed everyone why he has the talent to be successful in the NFL. Despite going up against a bunch of reserves from the Denver Broncos, Pryor's performance lends credence to the idea that he can be a viable starter moving forward. He put up over 250 total yards and two touchdowns, finishing as the seventh-ranked fantasy quarterback on the week. Overall, Pryor put up 16 or more fantasy points in six of his nine starts this year.