With six weeks of football behind us we have seen Ohio State fall flat on their faces while teams like Wake Forest have surprised. There have been the fantasy regulars like Case Keenum and Landry Jones performing but there has been an influx of new talent in the form of freshmen as well as guys who have broken out.
As we head into the tail end of the season, let's take a look at how the first half of the season has stacked up and hand out a few awards along the way.
Midseason All-Fantasy Team
QB: Robert Griffin, Baylor
We all knew Griffin was good but he showed the nation just how amazing he truly is. Griffin threw for 18 touchdowns before ever throwing his first pick. And let us not forget that he is not just a passer as he rushed for over 100 yards against Iowa State. Griffin is an unstoppable offensive force and should never be benched.
RB: Bernard Pierce, Temple
Many of us shied away from drafting Pierce considering his injury history, the presence of Matt Brown in the backfield, (and the arrival of a new head coach) but Pierce put any doubts to rest after rushing for 147 yards and three touchdowns in the Owls' season opener. Just to show that he doesn't just put up gaudy numbers against cream puffs, Pierce reached the end zone five times along with 149 yards against Maryland. Pierce is a goal line battering ram who can also break the long run which makes him an All-Fantasy first teamer.
RB: Ray Graham, Pittsburgh
When a guy runs for nearly 1,000 yards while playing alongside Dion Lewis, you have to wonder what he could do in a higher-octane offense as the main rusher, right? Well Graham has become a dream come true to many fantasy owners as he is currently leading the nation in rushing with a staggering 899 yards at the halfway mark. Graham has rushed for over 200 yards twice this season despite having less-than-ideal quarterback play from Tino Sunseri. As the season progresses, Graham will have some tough matchups but should always get his points.
WR: Kendall Wright, Baylor
When your quarterback has thrown for 19 touchdowns in just five games, you have to be one of the top receivers, right? Baylor's Mr. Wright has always been the top target for his quarterback, but this year he is being used as more of a field stretcher with the dismissal of Josh Gordon before the start of the season. Wright is averaging just under 10 catches a game with a 14 yard average per grab. Wright has eight scores through the air and has even thrown for a touchdown. As long as Griffin continues to perform you can bet that his sidekick will as well.
WR: Jordan White, Western Michigan
White was granted another year of eligibility and he is certainly making the most of it. After six games he has 68 catches for 823 yards and seven scores. Led by super sophomore Alex Carder, the Bronco offense is one of the MAC's elite.
WR: Robert Woods, USC
Woods had a stellar freshman season and as many expected, he has been incendiary in this first half of the season. Woods has not caught less than eight passes in a game this season with his high being 17 in the season opener. Woods has paired with Matt Barkley to become one of the country's top duos, and they should continue to roll throughout their Pac-12 slate.
TE: Dwayne Allen, Clemson
Now some will argue that this spot should go to Notre Dame's Tyler Eifert, and while he will likely be the top tight end at the end of the season, it has been Allen who has been the most productive and consistent among his position. While Tajh Boyd got accustomed to the full-time starting gig and youngsters like Sammy Watkins were cutting their teeth, Allen was the biggest playmaker for the Tigers while also being a safety valve for Boyd. On the season Allen has 22 catches for 340 yards and four scores.
K: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State
Due to the nature of the offense, Sharp has been putting up really good point totals for a kicker, reaching double-digit scores four out of five games this season. Sharp is obviously going to put up several extra points but is also a very effective field goal kicker.
DST: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
I know, I couldn't believe it either. I would have sworn that it was going to be LSU or Alabama that would take the top spot. Now LSU is hands down the best defense in the nation, but it is the Rutgers 'D' that has put up the most fantasy points. The lowest point total that the Scarlet Knights have reached this season was 10, while they have gone over 15 points three times. The Fighting Schianos are getting sacks at a premium clip, averaging almost 2.5 interceptions per game, and have four defensive touchdowns.
Biggest Surprise
QB Tyler Tettleton, Ohio
If I would have told you that an unknown quarterback who had only thrown 20 passes prior to this season would be a top-10 fantasy quarterback by this time, would you believe me? Ok what if I told you he plays for Ohio. Not the Buckeyes. Not Bowling Green or Toledo. Ohio University. The Bobcats. Tettleton has taken the fantasy world by storm with 1,395 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and just two picks in six games. He is also the team's third best rusher with 205 yards and four more scores. Against the top fantasy defense in Rutgers, Tettleton threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns, so he is the real deal.
Honorable Mention: SMU QB J.J. McDermott, Utah State QB Chuckie Keeton, Washington QB Keith Price, Georgia Tech QB Tevin Washington, Buffalo RB Branden Oliver, Temple RB Bernard Pierce, Utah State RB Robert Turbin, North Carolina RB Giovani Bernard, Clemson WR Sammy Watkins, Louisiana Tech WR Quinton Patton, West Virginia WR Stedman Bailey, Wisconsin TE Jacob Pedersen, San Jose State TE Ryan Otten
Biggest Bust
QB Dayne Crist, Notre Dame
Crist was a top-20 quarterback on most boards and thus big things were expected of the junior signal caller. Crist played miserably against South Florida in the season opener and was eventually benched in favor of Tommy Rees. Crist was overthrowing receivers and generally did not look comfortable, despite having some pretty good weapons to distribute the ball to. Crist's benching left a lot of owners (myself included) looking for a replacement for their second quarterback after just about two quarters of play.
Dishonorable Mention: UCF QB Jeff Godfrey, Mississippi State RB Vick Ballard, Arkansas RB Ronnie Wingo, Cincinnati WR D.J. Woods, Central Michigan WR Cody Wilson, Missouri TE Michael Egnew, Indiana TE Ted Bolser
Diaper Dandy Award
RB Giovani Bernard, North Carolina
Heading into last season, the little brother of former Oregon State tailback Yvenson Bernard was expected to come in and make an impact right away, but unfortunately he was lost before the season began to a torn ACL. One redshirt year later and Bernard is the top fantasy producer among all freshmen. Many expected Ryan Houston to carry the rushing load for the Tar Heels, but it has been Bernard who leads the team with 657 yards and eight touchdowns. Bernard is on a roll as of late with four straight 100-yard rushing games.
Honorable Mention: Utah State QB Chuckie Keeton, Wyoming QB Brett Smith, Clemson WR Sammy Watkins, UConn RB Lyle McCombs, Georgia RB Isaiah Crowell, Oregon RB/WR De'Anthony Thomas, Florida State WR Rashad Greene
Performance of the Year
Denard Robinson vs. Notre Dame Week 2
So far this season we have seen some amazing statistical productions and gritty performances, but there was no better example of both when Michigan's quarterback led the Wolverines to victory over the Fightin' Irish in the first night game at the Big House. Notre Dame was really locking down D-Rob for three quarters but it was the fourth quarter when Brady Hoke took the reigns off his quarterback and let him take off. Robinson finished the game with 338 passing yards and four aerial scores while also rushing for over 100 yards and another touchdown.
Honorable Mention: QB Dominique Davis vs. SC, QB Darron Thomas vs. Nevada, WR Paul Richardson vs. Cal, RB Marcus Lattimore vs. Navy, QB Bryant Moniz vs. UC-Davis, RB Bernard Pierce vs. Maryland, QB Matt Christian vs. New Mexico, RB Christine Michael vs. Arkansas, WR Jarius Wright vs. Texas A&M, QB Brandon Weeden vs. Kansas