A lot of weird things have been happening this season in fantasy football. Just a quick sample…

  • A defense is in the top 10 overall points.
  • Andy Dalton wrecks good defenses regularly and the leader in points wasn’t slated to be the starter.
  • Andrew Luck still and will always play a big part in who succeeds and doesn’t in fantasy.

But the biggest surprise? Devonta Freeman

That’s right — Devonta Freeman leads the NFL in fantasy football points and he is the biggest of this year’s fantasy football surprises.

Coming into the season he went un drafted or super later because Tevin Coleman was suppose to start and they would split carries. Coleman was hurt to start the year. The first two weeks he was quiet but the last four weeks Freeman hasn’t scored less than 25, while topping 30 twice. It helps that Atlanta was hot as they were during the start of the year but they look too be cooling off a little and he still is putting up a lot. Has someone as low as he was in the rankings to start the year ever finished with the most points?

Andy Dalton is the second overall leader in points. He’s had his moments throughout the seasons but nothing like this hot streak he’s been on. Dalton hasn’t put up less than 18 and had 26 and 21 against the stout defenses of Seattle and Buffalo. He went in the late rounds of most drafts so now our top two fantasy players were completely under the radar in August. With Dalton there’s going to be a lot of questions if he can keep this up into December.

Carson Palmer is fifth for quarterbacks and sixth overall. Coming off of an ACL tear last year noone though of him as a top quarterback. Blake Bortles is right behind him at sixth for quarterbacks and seventh overall. People thought he would improve but no one expected him to account for every Jaguars touchdown.

The Broncos defense was drafted and was supposed to be a top defense, which it is. But already having 10 points and four touchdowns is crazy. They’re eighth overall! One week they had nine points, but besides that they haven’t had less than 17. This could be one of the best fantasy defenses in history.

Josh McCown is the 15th ranked quarterback, even though he missed the first two weeks. Drew Brees is 17th and Peyton Manning is 28th. Chris Ivory and Doug Martin have been very good, but Chris Johnson is the biggest surprise with running backs. He wasn’t even on a team until August and has had three decent starts with Ellington out. Jeremy Hill hasn’t lived up to his early pick and Danny Woodhead has been taking carries from Melvin Gordon.

Travis Benjamin, another likely undrafted players, is fourth among receivers. How about James Jones? The Packers pick him last minute and he doesn’t need any time at all to regain his chemistry with Aaron Rodgers. Gary Barnidge is the easy pick for tight end. He’s scored at least once over the last four weeks.

The waiver wirer is one of the biggest parts of keeping your fantasy team up to speed. Every year this happens, it just feels like this year it’s even more than usual.