By Michael Murillo -- The final fantasy points have been tallied and the leagues have been won. The AFL fantasy football season has come to a close. While players from 12 teams are still fighting for the ArenaBowl trophy, now a good time to hand out some fantasy awards and acknowledge this season’s impressive performances.

* Fantasy MVP—Damian Harrell, Colorado Crush. If you played AFL fantasy football, you knew Harrell (152 receptions, 1,920 receiving yards and 60 TDs)

was the man for this award. His record-setting season was good for both the Crush and all his fantasy owners.

Harrell wasn’t just capable of occasional huge weeks; he was a consistent performer week in and week out. His streak of games with at least one TD reception was extended through the entire 2006 season, and he often followed up huge games with even bigger ones. Fantasy teams without Harrell usually regretted not having him in the lineup.

* Fantasy MVP Not Named Damian Harrell -- Clint Dolezel, Dallas Desperados. Harrell’s season was so dominating that other great performances might get overlooked. Here’s to Clint Dolezel, who made his first season with Dallas a special one. His stats (4,627 passing yards, 105 TDs, 11 INTs and three rushing TDs) match up well with the team’s 13-3 record, and his consistency was appreciated by fantasy players. While Dallas had a strong rotation of receivers in OS Terrill Shaw, WR/DB Will Pettis and WR/LB Dialleo Burks, it was Dolezel who utilized the team’s weapons and anchored a nearly unstoppable offense.

* Best Fantasy FB/LB-- Nobody. Fantasy players didn’t expect a FB/LB to run for 50 yards and score two TDs every week, but a little consistency would have been nice. Unfortunately, one week’s superstar often became the next week’s disappearing act. Credit should go to league leader Dane Krager of Austin (197 rushing yards, 12 TDs and 84 receiving yards) and Marlion Jackson of Las Vegas (140 rushing yards, four rushing TDs, 232 receiving yards and four receiving TDs), who was an intriguing option when healthy. But while many fantasy positions were easy to fill, the FB/LB spot often gave fantasy players headaches and single-digit fantasy points.

* Fantasy Disappointment of the Year—Michael Bishop, Chicago Rush. Bishop was the biggest fantasy name in the AFL after his impressive 2005 season, when he broke rushing records and became the first AFL player to run for 100 yards in a game. But he remained a backup to Matt D’Orazio for most of the year and didn’t produce wins when he was given an opportunity. While he didn’t produce many fireworks in 2006, fantasy players would be wise not to write him off just yet - Bishop has proven he can change the tempo of an AFL game and should have other opportunities to make his mark on the league.

* Reliable Starter Award—Remy Hamilton, Los Angeles Avengers. It might seem like fantasy blasphemy to give an award to a kicker, but Hamilton deserves the accolades: His 173 points was a full 20 percent more than his closest competitor. Add a 75 percent field goal percentage and just six missed extra points all season, and Hamilton deserves recognition from fantasy players for his great year. Thanks to him, the kicker position was an easy one for fantasy teams to fill during the season.

* Notable Second Receiver—WR/LB Derek Lee, Georgia Force. When fantasy players think of Georgia receivers, many think of Chris Jackson first. The explosive OS registered  119 reception, 1,438 yards and 36 TDs, plus three TDs on returns and one rushing TD.

But Lee actually had more receptions (127) and just 11 fewer yards (1,427) than Jackson. His 26 TDs were pretty good, too. After registering better stats than many number one options for some teams, Lee continued to be an excellent fantasy performer and a player to watch next year.

* Fantasy Rookie of the Year—Ben Nelson, San Jose Sabercats. Nelson’s 94 receptions, 1405 yards and 26 TDs were very respectable for a 16-game season. But Nelson didn’t play a 16-game season; he didn’t even catch a pass until week 6.  In just 11 weeks, he established himself as a reliable starter and consistent scorer in both fantasy football and the real game. In fact, if you project Nelson’s stats over the course of the entire season, he’d have led the league in receiving yards with 2043 to his credit. That kind of potential will get Nelson a lot of well-deserved fantasy attention when the 2007 season starts.