After starting 2-0, the Houston Texans went into a free fall that lasted all the rest of the season, culminating in a 16-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans Sunday that cemented Houston's spot atop the NFL Draft board. Meanwhile, the Titans were 4-4 at one point, but fell to 5-9 before winning their last two. Neither team played inspired football for most of the season, but there were a few fantasy performers Sunday that stood out, for better or worse:
Texans vs. Titans Week 17 fantasy football recap: Chris Johnson has big day
It was a game that only really mattered for draft position, but the running backs both performed. We break it down for fantasy.
Joe Robbins
Texans
Fantasy players who were worth it: Jonathan Grimes
Fantasy players who weren't worth it: Andre Johnson, Ryan Griffin
In the first start of his career, Grimes went for more than 100 yards from scrimmage. He ran for 50 on 16 carries (including a touchdown), and added 76 receiving yards on six catches. Though the second-year running back did lose a fumble in the game, he was easily the most productive Texan, and with Ben Tate a free agent after the season, Grimes could have put himself in position to play backup to Arian Foster in 2014.
On the flip side, Johnson had his third straight disappointing fantasy day to end the season. After averaging 16 fantasy points a game over a six-game span, Johnson had only 11 fantasy points total in Weeks 15-17, ending with six catches for only 49 yards Sunday. It’s a disappointing end to what had been a resurgent season for the veteran receiver. ... Griffin’s number dipped a bit after putting up six fantasy points in each of his first two starts. He caught three passes for 49 yards, dissatisfying numbers for a tight end some looked at as a sleeper play in Week 17.
Titans
Fantasy players who were worth it: Chris Johnson
Fantasy players who weren't worth it: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Shonn Greene, Kendall Wright, Nate Washington, Justin Hunter, Delanie Walker
It went largely under the radar, but it was a good fantasy season for Johnson after a rough start. The running back topped 100 rushing yards Sunday for the second time all season, going for 127 and a touchdown on 27 carries and adding 14 receiving yards on three catches. It was Johnson’s seventh double-digit fantasy day since Week 4, and he had one in every other game in his last nine.
Johnson, though, was the only Titan to offer much in the way of production Sunday. Fitzpatrick continued his late-season fade, putting up only four fantasy points with 166 passing yards on 15 of 24 passing with no touchdowns and an interception. It was his third single-digit fantasy day in his last four. ... Greene continued to show his unreliability, with 10 rushing yards on six carries. In his last four games, his fantasy production has gone 16-0-15-1. ... The Wright that finished the season bore almost no resemblance to the Wright that started the season. He put up 15 fantasy points in Week 15, but totaled eight in the other three down the stretch, mirroring Fitzpatrick’s fade. ... Washington, with 39 yards on two catches, and Hunter, who had no catches for the second straight week, were barely factors in Sunday’s game. ... Walker’s brief surge earlier in the season went away at the end, and with 29 yards on three catches Sunday, he totaled five fantasy points in his last two games.
