The 2012 fantasy football campaign has come and gone, and as is usually the case there were as many players that defied expectations as those that lived up to them. That was especially true in the wacky and often unpredictable world of Individual Defensive Players. Whether it was good or bad, many IDPs left us scratching our heads and wondering where their 2012 numbers came from.

It's vitally important in IDP leagues that you don't read too much into the past (even if it just happened), but it's just as important that you glean what information you can from it before moving on to the future, so with that in mind let's try to straddle that line by looking at some of the most pleasant (and not-so-pleasant) IDP surprises of the 2012 season.

I Knew It All Along!!!

J.J. Watt -- DE, Houston Texans: After finishing the 2011 season strong many IDP experts predicted that Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt would take the mythical "next step" in his second NFL season, but no one thought that step would involve Watt jackstomping his way through the NFL.

Watt's 81-tackle, 20.5 sack explosion in 2012 not only netted him the best IDP season by a defensive lineman by a huge margin, but Watt was the top IDP overall in Default IDP Manor Scoring, and while that sort of ridiculous production may not be easy to duplicate next year Watt has gone from upside pick to bona fide stud.

Geno Atkins -- DT, Cincinnati Bengals: Defensive tackles are notoriously unpredictable for IDP purposes, but after finishing third at his position in 2011 there was room for some optimism where Geno Atkins of the Cincinnati Bengals was concerned entering this season.

Atkins lived up to that hype and then some in 2012, racking up career highs across the board, finishing sixth in the NFL with 12.5 sacks, and not only finishing the year as fantasy football's top defensive tackle but also posting top five numbers among all defensive linemen.

Luke Kuechly -- MLB, Carolina Panthers: It may not seem entirely fair to label Luke Kuechly of the Carolina Panthers a "surprise" given that he was the first rookie taken in most IDP drafts last summer, but after Kuechly opened the season as a part-time weak side linebacker many fantasy owners likely thought they'd drafted a dud.

Then middle linebacker Jon Beason got hurt, Kuechly flipped to the MIKE position where he belongs and by season's end, all the youngster had done was lead the NFL in tackles with 164 and finish as fantasy's third-ranked linebacker....

Everyone loves a Monday Morning Quarterback, so why not a Monday Morning Linebacker? If you're like me, you tend to express your consternation when a player or players on your roster don't exactly perform as expected. Many expletive laden tirades have been directed at my computer or smart-phone as I scan the scoreboards. Occasionally I'm pleasantly surprised, but more often than not it's "WTF was that?!" In this weekly article we'll take a look at those players that performed as expected and those that didn't. This won't be a complete review of every player from every game; simply the outliers that deserve recognition, one way or the other.

By the way, if you're looking for a great place to look at stats, compare players and do some research, check out www.fleaflicker.com. It's a fantastic resource and you should take advantage of it!

Studs That Were Studs

(* Notable players that lived up to or exceeded expectations )

J.J. Watt, DE, HOU vs. IND - This guy is ridiculous. If you own him, it feels kinda like you won the lottery, no? What a stud. He's been more than anyone could have expected, and yesterday he continued to build on his monstrous season. Watt had a season high 10 solo tackles, forced a fumble and had 3 more sacks, bringing his season total to 19.5. If you've made it this far, Watt is likely a large reason for that. Hopefully you can hang on to him for next year ;)

Chad Greenway, LB, MIN vs. STL - Greenway is another guy that continues to build on a fantastic season. He's had ONE off game (last week) this season and is the #2 overall IDP on the year. Yesterday he tacked on a season-high 13 solo tackles, along with 1 assist, 1 fumble recovery and 1 sack. Obviously you'll continue to plug him in throughout the playoffs.

Chris Clemons, DE, SEA vs. BUF - Unlike the two players listed ahead of him, calling Clemons a 'stud' is a borderline reach. But he's been very good over the last month, including yesterday. Clemons had 3 solo tackles, 2 assists, forced one fumble and a season-high 2.5 sacks. He's a risky start next week against the 49ers.

Greg Hardy, DE, CAR vs. SDC - Hardy has quietly been having a great 2nd half to the 2012 season. He started off slow, but he's really picked it up over the last two months. And yesterday he had a season high 5 solo tackles, along with 1 forced fumble and 2 sacks. He's definitely worth considering next week against the Raiders.

Bobby Wagner, LB, SEA vs. BUF - The rookie is currently the...

With three sacks in Thursday's game at Detroit, J.J. Watt now owns the Texans single season record with 14.5.

He trails Aldon Smith by half a sack for the NFL lead. Watt finished the game with four tackles for a loss, five QB hurries, and two passes defended. He's now up to 13 passes defensed on the season. Watt and Von Miller are the leading candidates for defensive player of the year.