End-of-season fantasy awards: the best (and worst) of 2016

Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.

After Week 8 of the NFL season, we surveyed the first-half fantasy landscape and handed out some awards. With some time to kill before Super Bowl LI on Sunday, Feb. 5, we decided to revisit the concept to look at 2016 as a whole.

Second-half breakout: WR Tyreek Hill, Chiefs

Hill managed four receiving touchdowns in the season's first half, so he didn't exactly come out of nowhere, but the rookie fifth-rounder became a far more heavily-featured (and thus fantasy-relevant) part of the Chiefs' offense as the season went on.

Fifty-five of Hill's 85 touches came in 2016's final eight games, including a Week 12 win over Denver in which he recorded a hat trick of touchdowns (rushing, receiving and special teams). Altogether, Hill crossed the goal line 12 times; six as a receiver, three times as a runner, twice via punt return and once from a kick return.

It's hard to think of a player whose fantasy stock has improved more heading into 2017, as Hill seems likely to be at least a mid-round selection after being a complete afterthought at the start of this season.

Fantasy MVP: RB David Johnson, Cardinals

Johnson was the choice for mid-season MVP and nothing about his second half did anything to jeopardize a wire-to-wire victory. The sophomore runner finished with 2,118 yards from scrimmage and 20 total touchdowns. Johnson led all backs with 80 catches and 879 yards receiving, making him especially valuable in PPR formats.

He was extremely consistent, racking up at least 100 all-purpose yards in every game of the season except for the Week 17 finale, in which he suffered a knee injury which, thankfully, won't require surgery. As long as there are no lingering concerns, Johnson is a shoo-in as a top-3 selection in 2017 fantasy drafts.

Best security blanket: RB Frank Gore, Colts

Death, taxes, and Frank Gore running for 1,000 yards: the 33-year-old may not be the most exciting player to own, but there's something to be said for his sheer consistency at the most volatile position in fantasy football.

2016 marked the sixth straight year Gore suited up for all 16 games; in his 12 seasons, the ex-49er has played in 180 of a possible 192 contests. In only his 2005 rookie campaign did he fail to record at least 1,200 yards from scrimmage, and with 72 catches over his two seasons in Indianapolis, he's re-emerged as a solid receiving threat, after seeing that part of his game drop off toward the end of his days in San Francisco.

"Blame the coach?": QB Blake Bortles, Jaguars

Following a 2015 season in which he threw for 35 touchdowns and 4,428 yards while finishing as the fourth-ranked quarterback in standard-scoring fantasy formats, Jacksonville's Blake Bortles fell on his face in 2016, finishing with 3,905 yards passing and a 23:16 TD-to-INT ratio.

After Bortles went 12-for-28 for 92 yards passing in a Week 15 loss to the Texans, Jaguars coach Gus Bradley was fired. Of course, Bortles then finished the season in strong form, throwing for 626 yards with two touchdowns (and no interceptions) over Weeks 16 and 17 with interim boss Doug Marrone in charge.

With the new Marrone-Tom Coughlin braintrust in place for the 2017 season, perhaps Bortles can live up to his potential, fantasy and otherwise. Despite his disappointing season, he still finished as the ninth-ranked QB in standard-scoring formats, with his underrated rushing prowess (58-359-2) a big reason why.

Most puzzling decline: QB Cam Newton, Panthers

Perhaps he was gun-shy after a Week 1 pummeling by the Broncos and a Week 4 concussion, but Carolina QB Cam Newton never came close to matching the 45 combined passing and rushing touchdowns he recorded in his MVP-winning 2015 season.

Over the 15 contests Newton played in, he threw for 19 touchdowns and ran for five more. He completed a career-low 52.9 percent of his passes and averaged six rush attempts per game, down from 8.25 the season before. Carolina dipped to 15th in points per game (23.1) after leading the league in scoring in 2015.

Fantasy LVP: RB Todd Gurley, Rams

Gurley was featured as part of our mid-season All-Bust team, and his prospects failed to improve the rest of the way. The second-year runner was essentially the anti-David Johnson, only once recording 100 yards from scrimmage and scoring just six touchdowns.

Though he struggled through 16 games for the NFL's lowest-scoring team, Gurley's status as a first-round pick likely made him unbenchable for most fantasy owners. Maybe this will be the week he breaks out! Far more often than not, Gurley underwhelmed, making him an easy choice as least valuable.