With the Super Bowl one week away, I feel it’s the perfect time to look back and reflect on the fantasy football season that was. Whether it was a wide receiver that came back from the dead only to set the most impressive receiving record (Randy Moss) or whether it was a running back that climbed the ladder to the fantasy elite from outta nowhere (Ryan Grant), it was truly a strange fantasy football season.  We saw first round picks produce virtually nothing (Shaun Alexander), some due to injury (Larry Johnson) and some just stunk. We witnessed the greatest statistical season ever by a quarterback (Tom Brady) and we saw some new young stars (Adrian Peterson, Tony Romo, Andre Johnson) shine and supplant themselves among the best players in the league.

The Good            

Braylon Edwards began the year ranked in the teens at his position and will now be ranked in most people’s top 5 in 2008. He thrived with Derek Anderson at the helm posting 80 rec – 1289 yards – 16 TD. How Edwards didn’t’ make the Pro Bowl I have no clue…absolute highway robbery. Regardless, he’ll easily be one of the first WR taken in the draft next year and he’s going to be a good one for years to come. Let us not forget guys like Larry Fitzgerald, Brandon Marshal and Greg Jennings who had spectacular years  and have entrenched themselves in next year’s top fifteen, and possibly even higher.

The Bad                  

I think it’s safe to say that Shaun Alexander has officially been placed on the” do not draft me because of my awesome past performances” list. After missing time in ’06 with injuries and being dinged up this year, Alexander had his worst season ever as a pro. He ran for just 716 yards and need a whopping 200+ carries to do it. The guy couldn’t break a tackle or hit a hole all year. Don’t be surprised if he’s either traded or cut this offseason and winds up with another team in 2008. Either way, he has fallen from the fantasy ranks and will be no better than a RB2 or RB3….ever again.

The Great                                      

2007 was the “year of the wide receiver” and Randy Moss was certainly the leader of the pack. Moss arose from his 2 year hibernation/hiatus in Oakland and had an unbelievably amazing season. How amazing? He had 98 receptions for 1,493 yards to go along with his 23 TD’s that broke Jerry Rice’s all-time record of 22. I thought Moss would have a bounce back year playing with Brady and the Pats and WOW did he ever.

The Ugly

He was the NFL’s third leading rusher and the top scorer in my fantasy league through the first six weeks (tied with Brady). Can you guess who he is? It’s none other than Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown. Unfortunately for Brown and his fantasy owners, his season was cut short by an ugly knee injury in week 7 versus the New England Patriots. Had it not been for the injury, who knows what kind of gaudy stats he would’ve put up? If he had kept up the pace he was on before being hurt, his numbers at the end of the year would’ve been 90 rec – 949 yds – 2 TD & 1,402 yds rushing – 11 TD. That’s Tomlinson like. Despite Brown’s talent, temper your expectations somewhat for 2008. Running backs returning from major knee surgery usually need a full year before they return to form.