FANTASY FOOTBALL ALL-STARS

January 4, 2006 4:00 AM ET

Depending on which side of the coin you were on, you either love or hate these guys.

If you rode the arm or legs of the members of our 2005 All-Fantasy Team to a fantasy title, you love them. If you were on the receiving end of their weekly demonstrations of prowess… well, this may sting a little bit.

But the best thing about the All-Fantasy Team is that when a decision seemed too close to call, we fell back on the one constant in fantasy football, the one thing that matters most: points.

Without further ado, we present our 2005 All-Fantasy Team:

Quarterback
Carson Palmer, Bengals: Maybe if Peyton Manning hadn't started slowly or wrapped up early, he would have repeated here. Instead, Palmer's 32 touchdowns—tops in the NFL—and 3,836 passing yards propelled him to this spot. And, truth be told, looking down the road it may be difficult for Manning to reclaim the crown

Manning is obviously worth of honorable mention, as is Tom Brady, who not only led the league in passing yardage but also was one of just three quarterbacks to have thrown at least 25 touchdown passes; the other two have already been mentioned here.

Running Back
Shaun Alexander, Seahawks: NFL rushing yardage title… check. NFL record for touchdowns in a season… check. Yep, Alexander repeats as our top back thanks to 1,880 yards, 28 touchdowns, and rock-solid consistency that saw him post eight multiple-touchdown games and 11 100-yard outings and put points on the board in 14 of 16 contests—including nine straight to end the season.

Larry Johnson, Chiefs: If you had Alexander on your squad and didn't win your fantasy league title, odds are you lost to the team that had LJ, who reached triple-digit rushing yardage in each of his nine starts after taking over for the injured Priest Holmes. Project Larry's numbers as a starter over a full slate of games and you're looking at a mind-blowing 2,400 rushing yards and 30 total touchdowns. Funny, Priest was on pace for similar digits last year before getting hurt; maybe LJ ought to send a shout-out to the Kansas City offensive line, which may be one of the best run-blocking units the league has ever seen. Oh, and if you drafted Holmes but didn't snag Johnson as his handcuff… bet you learned your lesson.

If you would have told us prior to the season that LaDainian Tomlinson would play an entire season, put up better numbers than last year, and still not crack the All-Fantasy squad, we would have thought you were crazier than whomever suggested to Penn State coach Joe Paterno that he use the bronzing cream. But that's exactly what happened, as LT's 20 touchdowns and 1,834 combo yards weren't enough to match Alexander and Johnson. He gets an honorable mention here, as does Tiki Barber, who posted the second-most yards from scrimmage in NFL history (2,390) and became just the third back ever with three 200-yard efforts in a single season, yet was undone by Tom Coughlin's insistence on using Brandon Jacobs at the stripe. You know it's a tough room when Edgerrin James (1,843 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns even though he shut down early) and Clinton Portis (who posted his third 1,500-yard season in four years and scored 11 times) only get a firm handshake and an "I Tried" t-shirt for their efforts.

Wide Receiver
Steve Smith, Panthers: Maybe it's the system. Last year, with Smith out with a busted leg, Muhsin Muhammad rolled up obscene numbers as Jake Delhomme's go-to guy. This year, Muhammy was counting dollar bills in Chicago while Smith was torching the league for 1,563 yards and a dozen touchdowns. Of course, those who rode Smith into their week 16 fantasy championship were left wanting when Steve got himself ejected from the game after one catch—but hey, at least he didn't completely flip out like Terrell Owens.

Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals: The toughest call of this entire team is picking Fitz over Marvin Harrison. Not because Fitz doesn't deserve it; he tied Smith for the league lead in catches, totaled 1,409 yards and scored 10 times. Marv actually scored two more touchdowns in one less game, though he finished a good 260 yards behind Fitzgerald. The difference was that when it mattered most—the fantasy playoffs—Harrison was an end zone no-show. Fitz, meanwhile, scored in each of his last three games to nail down the No. 2 receivers spot on our All-Fantasy squad.

Joining Harrison for honorable mentions are Chad Johnson, who not only topped 1,400 yards and scored nine times but also entertained us each time he reached the end zone; Chris Chambers, who despite having some of the worst quarterbacking in history at his disposal still managed 1,118 yards and 11 touchdowns; and Santana Moss, who managed to make Mark Brunell look good by chasing down 1,483 yards worth of throws and scoring nine times. Settling for participation ribbons but still worthy of your fantasy appreciation are, among others, Joey Galloway, Torry Holt, Hines Ward, Anquan Boldin, and Joe Jurevicius.

Tight End
Antonio Gates, Chargers: Gates followed up last year's record-breaking effort with another stellar campaign, reaching both the 1,000-yard and double-digit touchdown plateaus—the only tight end to even approach either barrier. In fact, Gates' digits were so good he could almost make this team as a wide receiver; the fact that he's lapping the field at his position only solidifies his draft position in the late-first or early-second round next August.

Waaay back in Gates' dust but still worthy of honorable mention are a trio of tight ends who scored seven touchdowns each: Jeremy Shockey, who kicked in 891 yards even though he sat out the season finale; Todd Heap, who continues to produce despite having Kyle Boller and/or Anthony Wright throwing the ball his way; and Chris Cooley, who followed up his stunning 2004 effort (six touchdowns on just 37 catches) by nearly doubling his receptions, more than doubling his yardage, and exceeding last year's touchdown total as well.

Kicker
Neil Rackers, Cardinals: We're deviating from tradition here and not selecting the kicker with the most points. Rackers' run this year was the feel-good story of the fantasy season—especially if you managed to get Rackers onto your squad in time for his run of 14 field goals in three games. Neil barely let a torn calf muscle in his plant leg keep him down, missing just one game before returning to finish the season. Rackers also contributed six field goals of 50 yards or more and missed just twice on the year. For that effort, we have only one thing to say: "Nice, Rackers!"

Jay Feely, who took home the league scoring title, would have easily earned first-team honors in any other year—any other year when Neil Rackers wasn't going out of his mind, that is. Jay and his 148 points will have to settle for honorable mention here, along with Shayne Graham (131 points) and Lawrence Tynes (125 points), who both rode the coattails of stellar offenses to big point totals.

Defense
Chicago Bears: The Bears' defense drew comparisons to their 1985 counterparts, which may be a bit hasty. Nonetheless, they were unquestionably a fantasy helper as they housed four interceptions, brought one punt back for a score, and managed to create nightmares for commissioners around the globe when Nathan Vashar brought back a missed field goal 108 yards for a touchdown. Oh, and they also allowed a league-low 12.6 points per game and finished second to Tampa Bay in total defense thanks in part because most of their regulars sat out their 34-10 week 17 loss to the Vikings.

Honorable mention goes to Mike Nolan's 49ers, who matched the Bears with six return touchdowns (three picks, two fumbles, and a punt) despite finishing dead-dog last in total defense; the Titans, who housed two picks, two fumbles, and a punt despite finishing 29th in scoring defense; and the Vikings, who also had five return touchdowns—three of them in one game, the first time in league history a team had ever returned a punt, kick, and interception for scores.

 

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