We may have a little thing called the playoffs going on, but for most of us the fantasy football season has come to an end. We will still play DFS contests. That's what this "addiction" is all about.
Most of us will also start looking forward to the 2016 season with preparation and the utilization of recency bias. While that can be a dangerous thing, all we really have to go off of right now is sample series and previous production.
In this, one of the most-important things to look at is how an individual player performed the previous season.
In what will be the third of a series of articles over the next couple weeks, here is your look at the five-most surprising fantasy running backs from the 2015 season.
1. DeAngelo Williams, Pittsburgh Steelers
Statistics: 907 rushing yards, 40 receptions, 367 receiving yards, 11 total touchdowns (191.40 points)
Considering Williams saw regular action in only 10 games this season, it's absolutely stunning that he finished fourth among running backs in fantasy points (standard scoring). In the 10 games that Williams was the primary ball carrier for Pittsburgh with Le'Veon Bell out, he averaged nearly 19 fantasy points per game.
Overall, Williams put up an average of 121 total yards and 1.1 touchdowns per. That would have made him the top fantasy running back in the NFL had he seen regular carries in all 16 games.
2. David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
Statistics: 581 rushing yards, 36 receptions, 457 receiving yards, 12 total touchdowns (173.80 points)
Johnson put up 27 attempts in the first 12 weeks of the season. He finished as the seventh-best fantasy running back (standard scoring. How in the world does this happen? Well, the rookie tallied 658 total yards and five touchdowns over the final five games of the regular season.
Over the course of the final quarter of the regular year, Johnson finished as the best overall fantasy running back in the NFL, averaging a ridiculous 19.5 fantasy points per outing. Overall, Johnson put up 1,038 total yards on 161 touches for an average of 6.5 yards per touch.
3. Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons
Statistics: 1,056 rushing yards, 73 receptions, 578 receiving yards, 14 total touchdowns (243.40 points)
While Freeman found himself as the top fantasy running back throughout the 2015 season, there's a reason he doesn't sit atop the list. The 24-year-old running back tallied an average of 23.3 fantasy points over the course of the first six games. In his final nine games, Freeman averaged just 11.9 fantasy points per outing.
Unfortunately for those of you who bought stock in this young running back, he simply didn't provide you with that bang you needed during the crunch time. That's the biggest red flag here.
4. Danny Woodhead, San Diego Chargers
Statistics: 336 rushing yards, 80 receptions, 755 receiving yards, nine total touchdowns (163.10 points)
Even in leagues where there is no PPR format (eDraft's standard scoring system), Woodhead found himself as the 11th-best fantasy running back. When taking into PPR formats (FanDuel), Woodhead was the sixth-best fantasy running back.
This is absolutely crazy considering he averaged 21 rushing yards per game. Just think about that for a second, ladies and gents.
The only issue here is that 44 percent of Woodhead's fantasy points (standard scoring) came on three games, meaning he put up below-average fantasy performances in 38 percent of his contests with him hitting the average 18 percent of the time.
5. Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Statistics: 1,402 rushing yards, 33 receptions, 271 receiving yards, seven total touchdowns (199.30 points)
Second to only Adrian Peterson in rushing yards this season, Martin returned to 2012 form after two consecutive less-than-stellar campaigns. He finished third in standard scoring and fourth in PPR-heavy formats, showing us that consistency across formats wasn't an issue.
In terms of overall fantasy consistency, Martin did tally 39 percent of his points (standard leagues) in three of his 16 games — an indication that he was hit and miss throughout the season.