RFOX's Way Too Early Awards

MVP - Nick Chubb

Candidates:

Nick Chubb - 128.6 Rushing Yards Per Game - 8 touchdowns - 5.7 YPC

Chubb is clearly the MVP to me at the halfway point this season, no other player is as important to their teams success this season than Chubb. Nick Chubb has been the entire Browns offense this season. Without Chubb, I don’t think the Brown are sitting at .500 right now, let alone being 5-2 and starting out 5-0. 
 

Tua Tagovailoa - 357.9 Passing Yards Per Game - 25:7 TD:INT Ratio - 64% Comp

Tua has had a major glow up in year 3 of his career. Tua is currently 1 td away from breaking his career high for td’s thrown and we’re only 8 games into his season. Tua has also done a great job at limiting his turnovers as he has only thrown 7 through 8 games while he threw 23 all of last season. I think Tua will have a hard time keeping up with Rodgers as the season goes on but if he can, he’ll have a real shot at the MVP.
 

Aaron Rodgers - 332.9 Passing Yards Per Game - 23:8 TD:INT Ratio - 75% Comp

Aaron Rodgers was part of a huge three way trade that saw him going to Cincinnati, Burrow going to Green Bay, and Love going to Atlanta. Rodgers has been playing lights out ever since he joined the Bengals. Rodgers has thrown 3+ touchdowns in 5 of his 8 games this season and has been a big part in the Bengals being 6-2 and leading their division. 

 

Offensive Player of the Year - Tua Tagovailoa 

Candidates:

Marlon Mack - 90.5 Rushing Yards Per Game - 12 Touchdowns - 5.2 YPC

Marlon Mack has been the most productive free agent signing from this past offseason and it isn’t close. Coach Biggs has managed to plug and play any running back he wants and they produce so when you  pair a good running back with one of the best rushing schemes in the league, you’re gonna see some huge numbers. Mack has had a touchdown in 7 of the 8 games this season and has had 2+ in 4 of those, the only thing that is holding him back from being the front runner for OPOY for me is his yards. 
 

Nick Chubb - 128.6 Rushing Yards Per Game - 8 touchdowns - 5.7 YPC

Nick Chubb is averaging more rushing yards per game than 21 teams in the RZ, that is insane. Chubb has had 100+ rushing yards in 5 of the 7 games this season and all 5 games were back to back. 
 

T.J Hockenson - 49 Catches - 124 Receiving Yards Per Game - 4 Touchdowns

Hockenson has been a major bright spot in a very underwhelming Lions offense. Hockenson currently has  5 100+ yards games and is coming off of a career day against the Falcons that saw Hockenson bring in 13 catches for 219 yards and a touchdown. If Hockenson can produce some more touchdowns as the season goes on, he’ll be a front runner for OPOY.
 

Tyreek Hill - 49 Catches - 113.7 Receiving Yards Per Game - 10 Touchdowns

Tyreek Hill has been the focal point in this Chiefs offense that ranks #1 in the RFOX POWER RANKINGS and it shows in his stats. Hill has had at least 1 touchdown in 6 of his 7 games this season and leads the lead in receiving touchdowns. Hill is also tied for catches with Hockenson on the season. 
 

Aaron Rodgers - 332.9 Passing Yards Per Game - 23:8 TD:INT Ratio - 75% Comp
 

Tua Tagovailoa - 357.9 Passing Yards Per Game - 25:7 TD:INT Ratio - 64% Comp

 

Defensive Player of the Year - Danielle Hunter

Candidates:

Deion Jones - 81 Tackles - 17 TFLs - 2 Sacks - 2 INTs - 6 Deflections - 1 Forced Fumble

Jones has clearly been the best player on the Falcons defense and is playing like the best linebacker in the league. Jones has had major success in the run game as he has a TFL in 7 of the 8 games this season and has had 3+ in 4 of those. Jones has also had a big impact on the passing game with his 2 INTS, 2 sacks, and 6 deflections. The only reason Jones might not win DPOY this season is from having a low amount of turnovers.
 

Danielle Hunter - 17 TFLs - 11.5 Sacks - 1 Forced Fumble

When Hunter is playing well, he’s playing REALLY well. Week 2 against the Giants, Hunter had 4 TFLs and 3 sacks. Week 5 against the Bears, he had 5 TFLs and 4.5 sacks. If Hunter can continue to put up these kinds of stats every few weeks, he’ll have a strong case at DPOY.
 

Justin Reid - 6 INTs - 2 TFLs - 13 Deflections

Reid is the 2nd player from the dominant Vikings defense here. Reid has been picking off opposing QBs left and right this season as he is currently tied with Tre’Davious White for most picks on the season. Reid is also 2nd in the league in defelections.
 

Tre’Davious White - 6 INTs - 4 TFLs- 10 Deflections

When Tre’Davious White is playing well, he’s the closest thing we’ve seen to a lockdown corner this cycle. White is tied with Justin Reid for the most interceptions on the year and has been a major part of why this Bills defense is top 6 in PPG and 6-1 on the year. White has also been one of the best run stopping corners as his 4 TFLs are tied for 2nd amongst corners

 

Offensive Rookie of the Year - Jarred Hatchett

Candidates:

Sidney McKinley - 79.9 Rushing Yards Per Game - 3.8 YPC - 4 Touchdowns - 2 Fumbles

The Jets have been using McKinley like he’s an everydown back but he simply isn’t and it shows. While McKinley does lead all rookie running backs in yards and touchdowns, he simply hasn’t been nearly as effective as he should be. With that being said, McKinley has shown several flashes that are very promising. McKinely has had 3 100+ yards games this season but has also had 4 games under 60 rushing yards. If the Jets can find a solid power back to complement McKinley, he’ll be much more productive and will hopefully be able to lead this horrendous Jets offense.
 

LaMichael Carter - 73.1 Rushing Yards Per Game - 5.2 YPC - 4 Touchdowns

LaMichael Carter was on the Bills radar ever since Coach Fox laid his eyes on him. Carter was brought in to bring a power aspect to this Bills rushing offense and he has certainly brought that to the table as he averages 2.2 yards after contact per carry. While Carter doesn’t see enough snaps to win OROY, he certainly has been one of the better rookies. 
 

Julian Teague - 35 Catches - 89.4 Receiving Yards Per Game - 4 Touchdowns

To say thatJulian Teague has outgrown his expectations is an understatement. Teague has been the best player on this Jets team, although that isn’t saying much. Teague has consistently put up 50+ receiving yards every week and has had a few huge games that elevate him into the OROY consideration. 
 

Jarred Hatchett - 28 Catches - 82.4 Receiving Yards Per Game - 6 Touchdowns

Coach Monty had huge expectations for Jarred Hatchett as he traded up and took him at pick 4 in the RZ70 draft. Many people criticized this trade but Hatchett seems to have silenced those discussions as he has been a great WR 1 for the Giants this season. Hatchett has had 4 100+ yard games and 3 2+ touchdown games already and will look to continue this great start to his RZ career.

 

Defensive Rookie of the Year - Kordell Bayless

Candidates:

Kordell Bayless - 64 Tackles - 8 TFLs - 3.5 Sacks - 2 INTs - 4 Deflections

Kordell Bayless has certainly lived up to the hype of being a top 10 pick in RZ as he has been playing like one of the better linebackers in the league throughout this season. Bayless has had a consistent impact in the run game and has shown the ability to make plays in the passing game as well. Look for Bayless to be one of the best linebackers in the league by the end of the cycle.
 

Clyde Macklin - 64 Tackles - 10 TFLs - 2.5 Sacks - 1 INT - 3 Deflections

Nearly everything said about Kordell Bayless can be said about Macklin. Macklin has been one of Seattle's best run stoppers this season and hasn’t been bad in the passing game either. If Macklin can continue to develop, he’ll be a great replacement for Bobby Wagner.
 

Devon Russell - 4 INTs - 4 Deflections - 2 TFLs

Devon Russell has been a great asset to this elite Bengals defense this season. Russell and Bates form a great duo on the back end of this defense and consistently make plays. 
 

Zac Barton - 8 TFLs - 5.5 Sacks - 1 Forced Fumble

While most of the pass rushers from the RZ70 draft have yet to make a big impact, Barton certainly has. Barton has been a great pass rusher for the Chiefs and has also had a big impact on the run game. Barton and FA signing Von Miller have been a huge reason why the Chiefs defense ranks 2nd so far this season

AFC North
Bengals - WINNERS
 The Bengals have had the most active offseason so far of any team. On top of signing a couple of offensive linemen and a couple of playmakers to help elivate this offense, Coach Moji also went out and traded for LT Tyron Smith and QB Aaron Rodgers. Whether or not getting Rodgers was the best move for the future, it certainly helps the Bengals win now as Burrow was one of the leading factors in them not winning a playoff game this year. With Rodgers, Smith, and these other free agents coming in, the Bengals Super Bowl window is now and anthing that doesn't end with a Super Bowl win is a huge disappointment. 
These moves alone makes it seem like they morgaged their future to win now but that simply isn't the case. The Bengals currently have a 1st, 2nd, 2 3rds, a 5th, 6th, and 7th round picks this year while also having 3 1sts and and the rest of their picks next year. Coach Moji has put this team in a great spot to hopefully win multiple Super Bowls this cycle. 
Browns
Ravens
Steelers

AFC South
Colts
Jaguars
Texans
Titans

AFC East
Bills
Dolphins
Jets
Dolphins

AFC West
Broncos
Chiefs
Chargers
Raiders

NFC North
Bears
Lions
Packers
Vikings

NFC South
Buccaneers
Falcons
Panthers
Saints

NFC East
Cowboys
Eagles
Football Team
Giants

NFC West
Cardinals
49ers
Seahawks
Rams

Steelers @ Bills

Buffalo Bills

Offense

The Bills offense looked explosive yet erratic against a solid Pittsburgh defense. Josh Allen and the Bills’ passing game had plenty of success moving the ball down field but struggled to punch the ball into the endzone at times and stalled out of the 1 yard line twice and turned the ball over each time. They looked to have figured it out towards the end of the game as they scored 20 straight points but they can’t afford to play like this and win the division. 

The run game was about as pitiful as we expected. Coach Fox has had what can only be described as a pitifully disappointing run game since entering Red Zone and this doesn’t appear to change any time soon. The Bills running back room has gone through plenty of change throughout the preseason as they have brought in 4 different running backs, Frank Gore, Antonio Williams, Giovoni Benard, and Bryce Love. Antonio Williams, the 2020 udfa,  was the least disappointing in rb in practice and earned the starting role. Williams didn’t impress week one but that was to be expected against this Steelers defense. 

Defense

Coach Fox and the Bills came into this game expecting to dominate against this underwhelming Steelers offense and it looks like they did on paper. Anyone that watched the first 3 quarters of the game can tell you that this defense looked awful and if the Steelers had any other starting qb, they would’ve had at least 30+ points. They couldn’t cover, stop Najee Harris, or get after the QB until the offense started scoring and took some pressure off. Thankfully, Micah Hide and Tre White managed to make a couple of plays in the 4th quarter to help close out the game. 

Pittsburgh Steelers

Offense

The Steelers passing offense looked great week 1 if you’re only focusing on how open the receivers were. Juju and these receivers were getting wide open against a fairly talented Bills secondary but there was a problem, Cam Newton. After watching Newton play this week, it’s impossible to believe that he was a former MVP and used to be one of the best qb’s in the league. Newton missed wide open receivers down the field on several occasions and is the only reason the Steelers didn’t walk out of Buffalo 1-0. 

The 24 overall pick Najee Harris didn’t exactly impress week 1 but that’s hard to do when your starting QB has 8 completions. Harris ran well despite being behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league and has a solid chance to be in the running for Offensive Rookie of the Year if he can continue to play like this. 

Defense

Coach Theo had this defense playing great in the first half as they forced two turnovers in the red zone, a pick and a turnover on downs, and held the Bills to 3 points. Sadly, the offense couldn't do anything and the defense eventually couldn't hold out anymore. The run defense played great as they held Antonio Williams to 42 yards on 16 carries. The passing defense was played well as they got 4 sacks and forced 2 interceptions but failed to cover at times and gave up a ton of rac yards as Bills receiver had over 100 rac yards.

RZ Madden 21 Best Auto Generated Offensive Players

QBs

There haven't been many successful QBs come through the draft class but there are 2 that stand out, Kamryn Killings and D.J. Carter.

Kamryn Killings - Colts
25,207 passing yards - 265.3 YPA - 70% Comp - 188 total touchdowns - 122 interceptions - 1.5 TD/INT ratio - 39 fumbles

D.J. Carter - Falcons
23,436 passing yards - 241.6 YPA - 66% Comp - 221 total touchdowns - 164 interceptions - 1.3 TD/INT Ratio - 22 fumbles

Killings and Carter have both had a lot of success throughtout their RZ careers but only Carter has the post sesaon succes to back up his stats. Carter and Killings both came out of the 2021 draft but had very different experiences and expectations. Killings was widely regarded as the top QB of the draft and was taken at pick #1 by the Colts while Carter was generally believed to be a backup at best by many except for Coach Kelly who took Carter towards the end of the 4th round to be the heir apparent to Matt Ryan. Carter has been exceptional ever since he came into the league and has helped lead the Falcons to 2 superbowls this cycle. With all of that in mind, Carter has clearly been the better QB so far and there is little Killings can do to change that going forward this cycle. 

RBs

There have been many great running backs this cycle but the 3 standouts to me have to be Kendrick Babineaux, Courtney Fox, and Gerald Blaylock. Fox has had the shortest carreer of the 3 but has been extremely effective in the run game, Blaylock might not be the flashiest runner but is has been very consistent weapon out of the back field throught his 6 seasons, and Babineaux, while he hasn't looked the same since his first 2 seasons, has been consisten over his 7 seasons in the league.

Kendrick Babineaux - Steelers
7,053 rushing yards - 69.8 rushing YPG - 4.1 YPC - 1,458 receiving yards - 14.4 receiving YPG - 89 total touchdowns - 7 fumbles

Gerald Blaylock - 49ers
5,372 rushing yards - 68 rushing YPG - 4.4 YPC - 4,232 receiving yards - 53.6 receiving YPG - 94 total touchdowns - 8 fumbles

Courtney Fox - Ravens
5,158 rushing yards - 80.6 rushing YPG - 4.5 YPC - 683 receiving yards - 10.7 receiving YPG - 57 total touchdowns - 6 fumbles

All three running backs have had very good careers so far in RZ but there is a pretty clear winner here. Babineaux hasn't been as dominant as he needs to be to compete against the other 2 and Fox has been too 1 dimensional to compete with Blaylock. Blaylock has been a very steady runner, puts up receiving stats that can rival some WR 1s in the league, and has been a touchdown machine. Blaylock has been off to an amazing start this season and is looking to further cement himself as the best generated running back of the cycle.

WRs & TEs

While there has been many great wide receivers and tight ends this cycle such as Evan Hood, Paul Wilson, and LaMont Bowers, there is no way I can put any of them in the same conversation as Rich "Magatron" Walker. Magatron has completely taken the league by storm after he was drafted 11th overall in the 2024 draft. Magatron has put up 1500+ yards and 14+ touchdowns seasons and is on pace to break his career record for recieving yards in a season. Magatron has also been a vital part in Coach Kelly winning 2 superbowls and being the only coach to do so so far this cycle.

Rich "Magatron" Walker - Falcons
257 Receptions - 5,266 Receiving Yards - 20.5 YPC - 99.4 YPG - 59 Total Touchdowns

Magatron has been the most dominant player this cycle and will continue to dominate the league for the remainder of the cycle.

RFox’s Way Too Early Award Predictions

MVP

Stanley Fredrickson(Least Likely)

Really didn’t want to put Fredrickson up here but it’s hard not to with how well he’s played so far and him being in by far the easiest division in the league. I believe Fredrickson is unlikely to win any awards but I can’t write him off just yet. 

Lamar Jackson(Most Likely)

Lamar Jackson is my favorite for MVP this season. I any of the defensive players mentioned later on 2 keep up with Lamar Jackson throughout the year in the MVP runnings.

Kwon Alexander(Unlikely)

I don’t think Alexander will be the best defensive player at the end of the season but if I were to put a bet on a defensive player winning MVP, I would put it on Alexander simply because of his insane production so far. I need to see him continuing to put up these kinds of numbers under Coach Freaky for me to consider him the top defensive player. 

OPOY

Lamar Jackson(Most Likely)

Jackson has been in the conversation for OPOY and MVP nearly every season that he has been in San Francisco with Coach Ernest and this year hasn’t started any different. Lamar has started this season off with 2 very good games, one being a close loss to the Buccaneers and the other being a win against the Seahawks. Jackson has 686, 4 touchdowns, and only 1 interception on the year. While the touchdowns aren’t as high as others, Jackson has been very safe and efficient and is a safe bet to be a contender for this award all season. 

Stanley Fredrickson(Unlikely)

Fredrickson has led the Lions to a 2-0 start, albeit one of those wins being against the Patriots. Fredrickson has thrown for 578 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. His latest victory was a 35-31 victory over the defending NFC Champions as he led a 3 play game winning drive in the 4th quarter. The reason I ranked Fredrickson as least likely to win is because I have little faith in Coach Fox continuing this production throughout the year. 

Kyler Murray(Very Likely)

Murray has been pretty volatile the first couple of weeks as he has 424 yards, 7 touchdowns(6 passing, 1 rushing), and 4 interceptions on only 39 passing attempts. The interceptions are a little high compared to other QBs on this list but I have no reason to believe that Coach Ballard won’t get those turnovers down. 

Henry Ruggs(Likely)

Ruggs has been about as consistent as a wide receiver can be this cycle so it's not a surprise to see him start off the year as the top receiver. Ruggs has 10 catches, 258 yards, and 3 touchdowns in the first 2 weeks and he performed very well against the Rams who have one of the more talented defensive rosters in the league. Ruggs should be more than capable of building off of this start and but together a very strong case for OPOY. 

George Kittle(Unlikely)

Kittle is off to arguably his best start to the season this cycle as he has 11 catches for 220 yards and 4 touchdowns(league leader) as he helps lead the 49ers to having the 2nd best passing offense so far. The reason I’ve ranked Kittle as not likely to win is because Coach Parian generally does a great job at spreading the ball around and that will probably keep Kittle from staying towards the top of this list later in the season. 

RBs

There are too many running backs that are performing at a high level without any standing out to put someone in the conversation with these other players. Only time and consistency will tell for who will be there at the end of the season. If I were to pick one to be contending for this award at the end of the season, it would be Josh Diggs. Diggs has been the only rb to play at a high level in both games of the season so far. 

I.E. 

Josh Diggs - 266 yards, 6.0 ypc, 3 touchdowns

Kenyan Drake - 307 yards, 5.6 ypc, 1 touchdown

Broderick Talley - 207 yards, 4.2 ypc, 5 touchdowns

Leonard Fournette(Didn’t play in most of week 1) - 126 yards, 6.9 ypc, 4 touchdowns

Dark Horse QB Brandon Gardner(!?!?)

2021 4th Round Pick Brandon Gardner came waaaayyyy out of left field as he has started for the first time in his career this season and has been playing exceptionally well all things considered. Gardner has 639 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions on the year. Gardner is by no means a perfect QB but if he continues putting up these numbers, he could be a long term starter in LV. 

Honorable Mentions

D.K. Metcalf - 268 yards, 2 touchdowns

Marcus Peterson - 272 yards, 1 touchdown

T.J. Hockenson - 194 yards, 3 touchdowns

DPOY

There are a ton of defensive players playing very well this year but very few have been playing great. 

Candidates

Kwon Alexander(Unlikely)

Alexander has had insane production in his first game under his new head coach, Coach Freaky. Alexander has had 17 tackles, 3 tfls, 2 sacks, and 5 forced fumbles. It is pretty much impossible for Alexander to continue to put up anything close to those numbers but he doesn’t have to to be considered for DPOY. 

DaVonte Rainey(Likely)

Rainey has always been a beast in run defence ever since he entered the league 4 seasons ago, but the last couple of seasons he has been having a big impact in the passing game as well and this season is no different. Rainey has started out the year with 5 sacks(league leader) and _ tfls. I believe Rainey is unlikely to win due to how hard it is for defensive linemen to force turnovers compared to the top linebackers and defensive backs, Rainey will have to put up insane numbers to stay on this list. 

Marcus Minor(Most Likely)

Minor has been a force of nature in both the pass and run game ever since his rookie season in 2021 and this season is no different. Minor has 20 solo tackles, 4 tfls, 1 interception, 1 deflection, and 2 forced fumbles. Minor is probably the safest bet to win DPOY in any given season for the rest of the cycle. 

OROY

There are very very few rookies that have any sort of production so far this season. 

Dwight Miller

Miller has 242 total yards, 5.9 ypc, and no touchdowns. Those numbers aren’t extremely impressive compared to many of the other starting running backs but they are enough to keep him in OROY talks. 

Tyron Crockett

Crockette has 207 yards, 4.7 ypc, and 2 touchdowns. Again, these numbers are not anything special but he's productive and one of the only offensive rookies to stand out. 

DROY

Much like the OROY, there are very few rookies that have had any sort of production on defense and this list will most likely change drastically throughout the year.

Isaac Weston

Weston has 4 tackles, 1 tfl, and 2 sacks on the year. Nothing insane but it’s solid production for a rookie and is one of the very few defensive rookies to stand out.

Junior Malone

Malone has 4 tackles, 1 tfl, and 2 sacks and has been the exact same as Weston so far. 

James Sermon

Sermon is my favorite of these 3 for DROY. He has 5 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 forced fumbles on the year. 

Most Likely to get the 1st Pick

KFox(Requested this himself, he's a masochist)

• Trash