Broncos come up big for fantasy owners in title games

• Denver QB Peyton Manning threw for 339 yards in Week 16 and his three TDs gave him 34 on the season
• A midseason waiver pickup, RB Knowshon Moreno posted 127 total yards on 22 carries and five catches
• Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas hauled in nine passes for 102 yards and a touchdown vs. Cleveland

After 16 weeks of starting decisions, waiver-wire scrounging and constantly rethinking the 2012 NFL season, almost all fantasy championships wrapped up last Sunday.

In that "one and done" world of the fantasy football playoffs, we watched some players end with a whimper and others with a bang.

When it all came down to the final 60 minutes Sunday, here are the guys who decided more than a few fantasy football league titles.

Quarterbacks

Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos

For a guy who was drafted as the ninth-best quarterback last summer, the returns were stellar. Manning's year off because of neck surgery meant plenty of risk, but he led many fantasy owners to their league championship games. His 34 touchdown throws are his second most, and his 339 passing yards and three scores Sunday capped off a fantastic fantasy season.

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

The cost of drafting Brees was high, but he's been a top-scoring quarterback each week. Brees threw for 753 yards and seven touchdowns the past two weeks — right when fantasy owners needed him most. He posted 10 games with three or more touchdowns and nine games of 300-plus yards, including each of the past four weeks.

Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

Romo came cheaply — he was the 10th quarterback drafted on average. Although he had a few games with less-than-stellar stat lines, Romo got better as the season progressed. He passed for more than 300 yards in five of his last six games and saved his best game of the season for fantasy championship week — throwing for 416 yards and four touchdowns.

Running backs

Reggie Bush, Miami Dolphins

After rushing for 172 yards and two scores in the season opener, Bush calmed down significantly as the Dolphins turned to a heavier committee backfield. But Bush was back in heavy rotation down the stretch. He gained 104 yards on 21 runs in Week15 and followed it up with one of the best games of his career. Sunday,

Bush had 65 yards and a touchdown rushing plus four catches for 42 yards and two more touchdowns receiving.

Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks

Lynch was consistently productive with more than 90 total yards in 13 games and 12 total touchdowns. Better yet, he racked up a combined six scores his last three games and had more than 110 rushing yards in each — including 130 yards and two scores on championship weekend. Lynch was one of the rare players at the top of his position every week and was even better in the playoffs.

Knowshon Moreno, Broncos

Moreno is a classic example of why successful fantasy owners need to work the waiver wire. He was inactive from Week3 to Week11 while Willis McGahee was having a great season and Ronnie Hillman was providing change-of-pace carries. But when McGahee suffered a season-ending injury, Moreno got his chance. In five starts, he never dipped below 80 total yards, and Sunday, Moreno rushed for 78 yards on 22 carries and had five receptions for 49 yards. Not too shabby for a waiver wire shot in the dark.

Wide receivers

Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys

His first three weeks of the season were busts with no scores and marginal yardage. Since then he has put up 10 difference-making efforts for his fantasy owners. Bryant has been golden for the last seven weeks with at least a touchdown in each and a total of 10 scores over that span. When he suffered a broken left index finger, he opted to play instead of having what would have been season-ending surgery. Bryant's scoring streak continued in Week16, when he had the best game of his career with nine catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns.

Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions

As the top wideout on most every draft board, the price Johnson commanded was usually high last August. . But no one is complaining about that now. All Johnson has done is break the single-season receiving yardage record (set by Jerry Rice in 1995), and he's 108 yards away from being the first 2,000-yard receiver. Megatron has topped 100 yards in his last eight games, and the last four all featured at least 10 receptions. His 225 yards against the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday night was the second-highest total of his six-year career — just in time to put his fantasy owners in position for a title.

Demaryius Thomas, Broncos

After being drafted in the fifth round or later, Thomas exceeded expectations — with a little help from a change in quarterbacks from Tim Tebow to Peyton Manning. He scored nine times and consistently posted decent yardage and/or a touchdown almost every week. He made up for a painful Week 15 (four catches, 13 yards) with nine receptions for 102 yards and one score on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. Mixing a first-round talent at receiver with a Hall of Fame quarterback can produce excellent results.

Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears

It seemed risky to expect Marshall, the 10th drafted wideout in most leagues, to immediately re-establish his chemistry with quarterback Jay Cutler. But even when the rest of the team has struggled, Marshall has provided high-powered consistency. He has produced either 100 yards or a touchdown in all but a couple of games and he scored in each of the last three games.

David Dorey writes for TheHuddle.com, a USA TODAY Sports Media Group property