DFS Season in Review: NFC North
Here is theScore's daily fantasy season in review for the NFC North:
Minnesota Vikings
Record: 11-5 (1st in division, 3rd in conference)
Points (Rank): 365 (16th)
Total Yards (Rank): 5,139 (29th)
Though they entered the season with little fanfare, the Vikings won the NFC North for the first time since 2009. ... Most of that can be chalked up to star RB Adrian Peterson, who led the league in rushing yards for the third time in his Hall of Fame career. All-Day's 1,485 yards was the fifth-highest total for a player over 30 years old. ... The Vikings looked to run because QB Teddy Bridgewater wasn't getting it done through the air. On nine occasions, the second-year pro failed to record 200 passing yards and threw just 14 TDs against nine interceptions. He's a long way from being DFS-relevant. ... Bridgewater's deficiencies as a passer killed the value of the receiving threats around him. WR Stefon Diggs led the team with 84 targets and 720 yards receiving but, aside from a two-TD performance in Week 15, only scored two TDs in the other 12 weeks combined and rarely returned value. ... The stealthy breakout player on the Vikings was TE Kyle Rudolph. Though he was a Pro Bowler in 2012, he actually totaled more yardage this season and caught a higher percentage of passes thrown his way. Rudolph will be a player to watch in the Vikings' wild-card matchup with the visiting Seahawks.
DFS MVP: Adrian Peterson
DFS Dud: Teddy Bridgewater
Green Bay Packers
Record: 10-6 (2nd in division, 5th in conference)
Points (Rank): 368 (15th)
Total Yards (Rank): 5,353 (23rd)
The Packers' four-year run atop the NFC North came to an end but the last time they went 10-6 and entered the playoffs as a wild-card team, they won Super Bowl XLV. ... The Packers' offense was dealt a major blow when top WR Jordy Nelson tore his ACL in the preseason. Former MVP Aaron Rodgers kept the ship afloat by throwing for 3,821 yards and 31 TDs to a motley group of receivers. ... Green Bay's defense was wildly inconsistent from week-to-week which often led to Rodgers airing the ball out to keep pace with his opponents. With a better receiving corps, this could've been another MVP-caliber season for the star QB. ... WR James Jones, who had been cut by the Giants before the start of the season, was signed and instantly connected with his former teammates, leading the team with 890 yards receiving. ... Jones tied TE Richard Rodgers for the team lead in TD receptions with eight. The Rodgers-to-Rodgers connection was steady but never as potent as in Week 13, when Rodgers the TE caught eight passes for 146 yards and a TD. ... RB Eddie Lacy struggled to assert his dominance. Both he and James Starks finished with five TDs and just under 1,000 yards from scrimmage. Both were matchup-dependent.
DFS MVP: James Jones
DFS Dud: Eddie Lacy
Detroit Lions
Record: 7-9 (3rd in division, 9th in conference)
Points (Rank): 358 (18th)
Total Yards (Rank): 5,547 (20th)
WR Calvin Johnson had a merely okay statistical season by his standards, finishing with 1,214 yards receiving and nine TDs - both of which were the fifth-highest season totals of his career. He only topped 100 yards twice and had multiple TDs just once. ... WR Golden Tate saw his yardage totals drop by over 500 yards - an ugly follow-up to his Pro Bowl 2014 season. ... QB Matthew Stafford's 4,262 passing yards pale in comparison to the 2011-2012 seasons when he averaged 5,000 per season. Still, he posted the best completion rate (67.2%) of his career and could be settling into more of a game-manager role. ... Expect 22-year-old TE Eric Ebron to build on his 537-yard, 47-catch, five-TD season as Stafford's top possession receiver if Johnson leaves. ... The Lions' RB situation was a mess; rookie Ameer Abdullah ran for 597 yards and just two TDs. He could become a DFS contributor if he receives more than a paltry 8.9 touches per game in 2016.
DFS MVP: Eric Ebron
DFS Dud: Golden Tate
Chicago Bears
Record: 6-10 (4th in division, 13th in conference)
Points (Rank): 335 (23rd)
Total Yards (Rank): 5,514 (21st)
The Bears struggled to find their form due to a rash of injuries at every major position. ... RB Matt Forte has been the soul of the offense for years but the 30-year-old posted the lowest yards from scrimmage and the fourth-lowest TD total (seven) of his career. After being targeted an incredible 130 times in 2014, he only saw 58 passes thrown his way. ... Jeremy Langford proved to be a capable replacement if the Bears decide to move on from Forte in the offseason. ... QB Jay Cutler was solid but never spectacular. His 243.9 passing yards per game was the third-best rate of his career. Unfortunately, his ceiling wasn't very high; he topped 285 yards on just three occasions and only had one game with more than two TDs. ... WR Alshon Jeffery had the highest yards per game average of his four-year career but DFS players could rarely take advantage of his improved play; Jeffrey missed seven games with various injuries, depriving Cutler of his top receiving threat.
DFS MVP: Chicago-area physiotherapists
DFS Dud: Alshon Jeffery