Fantasy Sports

Fantasy Football Midseason Awards: Jonathan Taylor Tops Star-Studded Cast

Jonathan Taylor tops an elite list of Fantasy Football players earning midseason awards across multiple categories.
Thomas Carelli|
[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Nov 9, 2025; Berlin, GERMANY; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) celebrates his touchdown in overtime against the Atlanta Falcons during the Berlin Game at Olympic Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lisi Niesner/Reuters via Imagn Images
[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Nov 9, 2025; Berlin, GERMANY; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) celebrates his touchdown in overtime against the Atlanta Falcons during the Berlin Game at Olympic Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lisi Niesner/Reuters via Imagn Images | Lisi Niesner/Reuters via Imagn Images

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We are past the midway point of the NFL season and that means it is some time to have fun. We are going to checkout the Fantasy Football leaderboard and find some mid-season awards. These will highlight the MVP, Rookie of the Year, Waiver Wire Pickup, Bust of the Year, and many others. This will show proof of great team management. Maybe it will help us learn a thing or two.

Most Valuable Player: Jonathan Taylor

Taylor is the number one player in all of Fantasy Football. He has 1,399 All Purpose Yards and 17 Total Touchdowns. He has 5.4 more Points per Game than any other player (Standard Scoring). No player is in the same atmosphere as Taylor. If you own Taylor, it is very unlikely that you are out of the playoff race, especially given his favorable ADP.

Rookie of the Year: Emeka Egbuka

This race is ultra tight. It can very easily be Tetairoa McMillan or Tyler Warren. Egbuka, however, is the leading rookie in standing, excluding Quarterbacks. He was often drafted beyond the 6th round and has returned us WR1 value as the WR8 overall.

Egbuka entered the season as the WR3 on the Buccaneers and he has risen to the WR1, although with help via injuries.

Waiver Wire Pickup of the Year: Rico Dowdle

The injury of Chuba Hubbard fueled this success story. Dowdle went for 200+ Yards in back to back games and has maintained to be the RB1 in Carolina.

Dowdle is the RB10 overall and has 107.1 Yards per Game since Week 5. He also adds 2.1 Receptions per Game, especially value in PPR formats. Dowdle was drafted at an ADP of RB54, exceeding that ADP by (44) positions. If re-drafted today, Dowdle would be a 2nd round pick.

Comeback Player of the Year: Christian McCaffrey

McCaffrey was always going to be a gamble in 2025. His injury history is vast and had clouded the confidence of many fantasy managers. Luckily, McCaffrey has been fully healthy and he has owned a crazy high usage rate.

The 49ers have totaled (718) offensive plays on the season. McCaffrey has ran the ball or been targeted on (282) of those plays. That is a 39.2% rate of touches. In fact, McCaffrey has more Receiving Yards (732) than Rushing Yards (702).

Bust of the Year: Brian Thomas Jr.

This award is not necessarily a player that had gotten injured. This is a player that has been mostly healthy and has flopped outright.

Thomas Jr. finished a Top-5 Wide Receiver in 2024 and was drafted as WR8 in 2025. Many people expected Thomas Jr. to only get better with Liam Coen in town. That has been incorrect as Thomas Jr. is the WR43.

Thomas Jr. has a 50% catch rate for (30) Receptions, (420) Yards, and (1) Touchdown.

Bad Luck Injury of the Year: Malik Nabers

Seeing the current output of Jaxson Dart has to pain Fantasy Football managers. Nabers was the WR8 in 2024, despite missing two games. This year, he would be experiecing a upgrade as Quarterback. Nabers would have had WR1 overall upside given his >35% Target Share.

ADP Value Pick of the Year: George Pickens

We are not talking any undrafted players. They would qualify as Waiver Wire pickups. We are talking players drafted deeply and having performed to elite levels.

Pickens was drafted as the WR28 and 63rd player overall. Pickens is performing as the WR2 and 12th player overall. It pays to be a vital piece on the #1 passing offense in the NFL. He is a 1st round value having been drafted in the 6th round.

Quarterback Sleeper of the Year: Drake Maye

You never know how this position will pan out in Fantasy Football. Many years saw Patrick Mahomes fall below the Top-10 Quarterbacks. In his first year as a starter, Jordan Love finished as the QB5.

Drake Maye had tremendous upside, but it was always a longshot to occur. He is now a leading MVP candidate in the NFL as the QB2 overall, having been drafted as the QB16.

Handcuff of the Year: Jaylen Waddle

When we think "handcuff" we tend to think Running Backs. All injured Running Backs have lacked to have a clear beneficiary. Among Wide Receivers, many players have benefited, highlighted by Waddle.

Waddle was drafted as the WR33. Post-Tyreek Hill injury, Waddle has elevated to the WR9 overall. In that time as the WR1, Waddle is averaging 76.7 Yards per Game.

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Thomas Carelli
THOMAS CARELLI

Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.

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