The top 100 fantasy football performances since 1962

The game of fantasy football that has exploded into a cultural and financial juggernaut began with humble origins of two journalists and a partial owner of the Oakland Raiders in 1962.

Since, the advent of the internet has made the game ubiquitous, and smartphones have taken it on the go. With this being the 100th anniversary of the NFL, we decided to rank the 100 most impressive fantasy football seasons since the fake game was created.

For this ranking, we will utilize 12 games played as the minimum requirement, and the sorting is based on fantasy points per game in point-per-reception scoring. The reason for choosing PPR over standard is in the latter quarterbacks are overwhelmingly the top producers. PPR helps balance the field to a degree. Twelve games played accounts for the NFL going from 14 to 16 games in 1978 and also allows a cushion for players in the 1962-77 era to miss a couple of games and still show their dominance in relation to a modern-era player with 14 games. Additionally, including players with only 16 games also heavily infuses the rankings with quarterbacks.

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Before we dive in, several honorable mentions deserve to be recognized (no particular order): Antonio Gates (2010), Walter Payton (1979), Clinton Portis (2002), Barry Sanders (1991), Jimmy Graham (2011), Michael Vick (2006), Dan Fouts (1981), Travis Kelce (2018), Jerry Rice (1986, 1990, 1994, 2002), Rob Gronkowski (2012) and Todd Christensen (1983)

(Derick E. Hingle, USA TODAY Sports)

100-81

Rk	Year	Player	Pos	Tm	Age	G	FP/G	PPR/G	PaYds	TD	RuYds	TD	Rec	ReYds	TD
100	2008	Michael Turner	RB	ATL	26	16	17.25	17.63	0	0	1699	17	6	41	0
99	1990	Warren Moon	QB	HOU	34	15	20.61	20.60	4689	33	215	2	0	0	0
98	2008	DeAngelo Williams	RB	CAR	25	16	17.85	19.23	0	0	1515	18	22	121	2
97	1999	Edgerrin James	RB	IND	21	16	19.74	23.62	0	0	1553	13	62	586	4
96	2012	Drew Brees	QB	NOR	33	16	21.60	21.60	5177	43	5	1	0	0	0
95	2003	Torry Holt	WR	STL	27	16	15.13	22.44	0	0	5	0	117	1696	12
94	1981	Chuck Muncie	RB	SDG	28	15	17.31	20.18	3	1	1144	19	43	362	0
93	2000	Daunte Culpepper	QB	MIN	23	16	21.91	21.91	3937	33	470	7	0	0	0
92	2014	Antonio Brown	WR	PIT	26	16	16.12	24.18	20	1	13	0	129	1698	13
91	1985	Marcus Allen	RB	RAI	25	16	19.56	23.75	16	0	1759	11	67	555	3
90	1997	Terrell Davis	RB	DEN	25	15	19.98	22.78	0	0	1750	15	42	287	0
89	2011	Matthew Stafford	QB	DET	23	16	21.58	21.58	5038	41	78	0	0	0	0
88	2014	Andrew Luck	QB	IND	25	16	21.98	21.98	4761	40	273	3	0	0	0
87	2007	LaDainian Tomlinson	RB	SDG	28	16	19.23	22.97	17	1	1474	15	60	475	3
86	2013	Jimmy Graham	TE	NOR	27	16	13.59	18.97	0	0	0	0	86	1215	16
85	1993	Jerry Rice	WR	SFO	31	16	15.64	21.76	0	0	69	1	98	1503	15
84	1990	Randall Cunningham	QB	PHI	27	16	21.74	21.74	3466	30	942	5	0	0	0
83	2001	Marvin Harrison	WR	IND	29	16	15.17	21.98	0	0	3	0	109	1524	15
82	1984	Marcus Allen	RB	RAI	24	16	18.38	22.38	38	0	1168	13	64	758	5
81	1999	Marvin Harrison	WR	IND	27	16	15.04	22.23	0	0	4	0	115	1663	12

• Warren Moon arguably could be higher on the list, specifically due to his age at the time, having played 15 contests, and the era of football being dominated by the ground game. It was hard to bump him up with 13 interceptions and 18 fumbles, however.
• Matthew Stafford’s 2011 season was the 25th-best fantasy showing ever recorded by a quarterback, and it seemingly came out of nowhere.
• Jimmy Graham is the owner of the second- and third-best fantasy efforts by a tight end in fantasy history. His 2013 season still fell more than 23 points — or almost a game-and-a-half pace — behind Rob Gronkowski’s 2011 season.
• Marvin Harrison filled out two spots in this segment, and while it could be contested for higher placement, I removed similar statistical efforts by Jerry Rice (arguably better years given the era), if that tells you anything.
• Randall Cunningham’s 1990 season may have been only the 22nd-best fantasy quarterback effort of all-time, but it sure was fun to watch and, to a degree, revolutionary. Mobile quarterbacks preceded him, but the electricity wasn’t as obvious.

(Thomas J. Russo, USA TODAY Sports)

80-61

Rk	Year	Player	Pos	Tm	Age	G	FP/G	PPR/G	PaYds	TD	RuYds	TD	Rec	ReYds	TD
80	2013	Drew Brees	QB	NOR	34	16	22.36	22.36	5162	39	52	3	0	0	0
79	1994	Sterling Sharpe	WR	GNB	29	16	13.84	19.71	0	0	15	0	94	1119	18
78	1994	Steve Young	QB	SFO	33	16	22.13	22.13	3969	35	293	7	0	0	0
77	1968	Leroy Kelly	RB	CLE	26	14	19.50	21.07	34	1	1239	16	22	297	4
76	1984	Mark Clayton	WR	MIA	23	15	16.43	21.29	0	0	35	0	73	1389	18
75	2011	Calvin Johnson	WR	DET	26	16	16.58	22.58	0	0	11	0	96	1681	16
74	2011	Rob Gronkowski	TE	NWE	22	16	14.67	20.29	0	0	0	0	90	1327	17
73	1965	Lance Alworth	WR	SDG	25	14	17.21	22.14	0	0	-12	0	69	1602	14
72	2015	Julio Jones	WR	ATL	26	16	14.57	23.07	0	0	0	0	136	1871	8
71	1985	Joe Morris	RB	NYG	25	16	17.18	18.55	0	0	1336	21	22	212	0
70	1992	Emmitt Smith	RB	DAL	23	16	19.68	23.36	0	0	1713	18	59	335	1
69	2005	LaDainian Tomlinson	RB	SDG	26	16	19.82	23.01	47	3	1462	18	51	370	2
68	2005	Larry Johnson	RB	KAN	26	16	20.96	23.02	0	0	1750	20	33	343	1
67	1995	Cris Carter	WR	MIN	30	16	14.94	22.57	0	0	0	0	122	1371	17
66	1975	Chuck Foreman	RB	MIN	25	14	21.15	26.36	0	0	1070	13	73	691	9
65	2011	Tom Brady	QB	NWE	34	16	23.14	23.14	5235	39	109	3	0	0	0
64	2015	Antonio Brown	WR	PIT	27	16	15.76	24.26	0	0	28	0	136	1834	10
63	2002	Ricky Williams	RB	MIA	25	16	20.23	23.16	0	0	1853	16	47	363	1
62	2011	Cam Newton	QB	CAR	22	16	23.33	23.40	4051	21	706	14	1	27	0
61	2004	Peyton Manning	QB	IND	28	16	22.63	22.63	4557	49	38	0	0	0	0

• Gronk’s ’11 campaign was the best we’ve ever seen from the position, and I struggled greatly with this current placement. It wouldn’t take much arm twisting to see the goofy gladiator ascend the rankings.
• Lance Alworth was in a ground-focused era and managed to destroy defenses with his speed and grace. For as impressive as his 1965 stats were, Alworth actually led the NFL the following year in a five receiving categories. His contributions helped create countless downfield weapons in the years to follow.
• Julio Jones was a tough one to gauge. Landing 136 receptions is an awesome feat, but in typical Julio fashion, just eight balls found their way into the end zone. Tying for the second-most catches in a single season is worth a tip of the hat.
• Tying him that year was Antonio Brown. AB’s season resulted in more fantasy points and two additional scores from a player one year older than Jones. Perhaps they belong higher on the list; their era has a great deal to do with the placement.
• Joe Morris’ 1985 season checks in at No. 71 for one distinct reason: 21 rushing touchdowns is dominant. He would go on to rush for more yards per game in 1986 and score 15 total times, a season worthy of acknowledgement.
• In a 2005 season filled with spectacular rushing performances, Larry Johnson was an absolute fantasy beast. That year, LJ, LaDainian Tomlinson and Shaun Alexander each scored 20-plus touchdowns. Craziness. There’s a good chance that if you had him on your fantasy football roster, the season concluded with you hoisting a trophy. It would have been tough to mess it up.
• As a rookie, Cam Newton showed the world why kryptonite was the only thing able to stop him. He went over 4k in passing yardage and registered an insane 14 touchdowns on the ground. In most leagues, rushing scores for quarterbacks count 1.5 times a passing strike.
• Peyton Manning’s then-record 49 touchdown passes ought to be higher on the list one might say. Looking at those ranked ahead of him, No. 18 is in a fair spot. He had a pair of Hall of Fame receivers, and even Brandon Stokley topped the 1,000-yard mark that year. It was all fun to watch, but the beginning of the “sling it” era is working against him.
• Drew Brees and Tom Brady show that even in less than your best years, throwing 5,000 yards and 39 touchdowns get you inside of the 100-strongest fantasy seasons of all-time. Let those numbers sink in….

(Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports)

60-41

Rk	Year	Player	Pos	Tm	Age	G	FP/G	PPR/G	PaYds	TD	RuYds	TD	Rec	ReYds	TD
60	1965	Gale Sayers	RB	CHI	22	14	18.89	20.97	53	1	867	14	29	507	6
59	1983	John Riggins	RB	WAS	34	15	18.44	18.77	0	0	1347	24	5	29	0
58	1998	Jamal Anderson	RB	ATL	26	16	19.66	21.34	0	0	1846	14	27	319	2
57	1994	Emmitt Smith	RB	DAL	25	15	20.97	24.30	0	0	1484	21	50	341	1
56	1963	Jim Brown	RB	CLE	27	14	21.15	22.86	0	0	1863	12	24	268	3
55	2006	Larry Johnson	RB	KAN	27	16	20.87	23.43	0	0	1789	17	41	410	2
54	1995	Herman Moore	WR	DET	26	16	15.79	23.48	0	0	0	0	123	1686	14
53	1998	Steve Young	QB	SFO	37	15	25.08	25.08	4170	36	454	6	0	0	0
52	2018	Christian McCaffrey	RB	CAR	22	16	17.41	24.09	50	1	1098	7	107	867	6
51	1977	Walter Payton	RB	CHI	23	14	21.22	23.15	0	0	1852	14	27	269	2
50	2010	Arian Foster	RB	HOU	24	16	20.63	24.75	0	0	1616	16	66	604	2
49	1980	Earl Campbell	RB	HOU	25	15	18.56	19.29	57	1	1934	13	11	47	0
48	1995	Isaac Bruce	WR	STL	23	16	16.24	23.68	0	0	17	0	119	1781	13
47	2000	Edgerrin James	RB	IND	22	16	21.27	25.21	0	0	1709	13	63	594	5
46	2012	Calvin Johnson	WR	DET	27	16	13.78	21.40	0	0	0	0	122	1964	5
45	1985	Roger Craig	RB	SFO	25	16	18.23	23.98	0	0	1050	9	92	1016	6
44	2018	Todd Gurley	RB	LAR	24	14	22.36	26.58	0	0	1251	17	59	580	4
43	2002	LaDainian Tomlinson	RB	SDG	23	16	19.20	24.14	0	0	1683	14	79	489	1
42	2003	Randy Moss	WR	MIN	26	16	16.69	23.63	0	0	18	0	111	1632	17
41	2016	Aaron Rodgers	QB	GNB	33	16	23.75	23.75	4428	40	369	4	0	0	0

• Gale Sayers was one of the NFL’s most unique weapons, and scoring 21 touchdowns in 14 games goes down in the annals of fantasy football and NFL greatness. Even though the yardage wasn’t as impressive, his versatility deserves respect.
• John Riggins rumbled his way to 24 touchdowns in what would become a Super Bowl-winning year for the ‘Skins. Riggins held the NFL single-season rushing TD mark for 12 years.
• Herman Moore dominated the 1995 campaign and was virtually uncoverable. In an era in which rushing was the preferred means of moving the ball, Moore’s stellar effort stole the spotlight from Barry Sanders’ 1,500 yards and 12 total scores.
• In 2018, Christian McCaffrey’s versatility helped his fantasy owners crush their competition in point-per-reception formats. He’d register higher on the list with stronger stats on the ground. For comparison, Terrell Davis ran for 2,008 yards and scored 23 total times in 1998. In PPR, he and McCaffrey averaged the same 24.09 points per game. Davis averaged more than five points per game greater than McCaffrey in standard scoring, however.
• Gamers with an acute memory will easily recall how thoroughly menacing Larry Johnson was in 2005 (also 2006) in what was a limited season. Despite playing 16 games, he exploded in the second half of the season, finishing with 1,750 yards and 20 rushing scores all while seeing fewer than 10 carries in FIVE games that year. He closed out the regular season with 12 total scores in five games.
• Former Detroit Lions all-world wideout Calvin Johnson would be much higher on the list after setting the NFL single-season record with 1,964 yards in 2012 had it not been for scoring a lowly five times.
• Only twice in NFL history has a running back joined the 1,000-yard club on the ground and through the air in the same season, and it all began with Roger Craig’s historic 1985 season.
• It’s easy to overlook Todd Gurley’s 2018 season in terms of its historic relevance after it ended in such a disappointing way. In 14 games, he scored 21 total times and was an all-around threat. There’s an argument to be had he was pacing for the fantasy MVP had it not been for the arthritic knee and Patrick Mahomes.

Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)

40-21

40	2004	Daunte Culpepper	QB	MIN	27	16	23.83	23.83	4717	39	406	2	0	0	0
39	2013	Jamaal Charles	RB	KAN	27	15	20.53	25.20	0	0	1287	12	70	693	7
38	1983	Eric Dickerson	RB	RAM	23	16	20.51	23.70	0	0	1808	18	51	404	2
37	2017	Todd Gurley	RB	LAR	23	15	21.29	25.55	0	0	1305	13	64	788	6
36	1999	Kurt Warner	QB	STL	28	16	20.58	20.58	4353	41	92	1	0	0	0
35	2012	Adrian Peterson	RB	MIN	27	16	19.21	21.71	0	0	2097	12	40	217	1
34	2016	David Johnson	RB	ARI	25	16	20.49	25.49	0	0	1239	16	80	879	4
33	2003	Ahman Green	RB	GNB	26	16	21.56	24.69	0	0	1883	15	50	367	5
32	1999	Marshall Faulk	RB	STL	26	16	19.81	25.24	0	0	1381	7	87	1048	5
31	1963	Y.A. Tittle	QB	NYG	37	13	19.90	19.90	3145	36	99	2	0	0	0
30	2003	Jamal Lewis	RB	BAL	24	16	19.44	21.07	0	0	2066	14	26	205	0
29	2002	Marvin Harrison	WR	IND	30	16	15.08	24.01	0	0	10	0	143	1722	11
28	1997	Barry Sanders	RB	DET	29	16	19.99	22.05	0	0	2053	11	33	305	3
27	1984	Eric Dickerson	RB	RAM	24	16	18.28	19.59	0	0	2105	14	21	139	0
26	2015	Cam Newton	QB	CAR	26	16	24.32	24.32	3837	35	636	10	0	0	0
25	2018	Saquon Barkley	RB	NYG	21	16	18.43	24.11	0	0	1307	11	91	721	4
24	1995	Jerry Rice	WR	SFO	33	16	18.25	25.88	41	1	36	1	122	1848	15
23	2011	Aaron Rodgers	QB	GNB	28	15	26.49	26.49	4643	45	257	3	0	0	0
22	1973	O.J. Simpson	RB	BUF	26	14	19.44	19.87	-3	0	2003	12	6	70	0
21	2010	Michael Vick	QB	PHI	30	12	26.36	26.36	3018	21	676	9	0	0	0

• It’s pretty easy to forget how spectacular Daunte Culpepper was as a fantasy quarterback. His 2004 showing was the seventh-best statistical effort by a quarterback in league history. Ranking 40th may actually be a hair on the low side, but the era was turning toward the favor of passers, and quarterback scoring elevates the position in fantasy.
• Kurt Warner’s 1999 season gets a major boost because of how it all came together. No one saw that coming, and it’s even still a little difficult to wrap one’s mind around 20 years later. If this list was “the most surprising fantasy performances,” there is little doubt where Warner would rate.
• Adrian Peterson returned from a torn anterior cruciate ligament to nearly displace Eric Dickerson’s all-time, single-season rushing mark in 2012. It remains quite possibly the most impressive injury recovery in fantasy history, and the only thing preventing All Day from ranking higher is a relative lack of touchdowns. Every back with 2,000-yard claims scored more touchdowns, with the exception of The Juice in a 14-game slate.
• Quite possibly the least likely season to come up in the conversation of all-time fantasy efforts belongs to Ahman Green in twenty-o-three. He slashed his way to nearly 1,900 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, adding another five scores on his 50 grabs. A yeoman-like 405 touches illustrated his value to the offense, and Green maintained his big-play nature, highlighted by a 98-yard TD scamper. Thirteen RB performances produced more fantasy points, and just six times a running back ran for more yards than Green’s 1,883.
• Marshall Faulk was the only other man to join the 1,000/1,000 club for running backs. He was nothing short of lethal in the Rams’ masterful 1999 season, and plenty of fantasy owners ran away with their league championships thanks in large part to Faulk. This was the NFL’s 15th-best per-game showing for a PPR back, and it wasn’t even Faulk’s second-best season.
• A prime example of how era matters in context to greatness, the 1963 dismantling of the league by Y.A. Tittle in just 13 games deserves every bit of this placement and possibly more. Known as the “Bald Eagle,” Tittle authored a record so prolific (single-season TDs) it stood from ’63 until 1984. It remains the New York Giants’ record and was set by a then-37-year-old in his 16th and penultimate season.
• 2,000-yarders are in a cherished and rare club. O.J. Simpson, Barry Sanders, Jamal Lewis, the aforementioned Peterson, and Chris Johnson all look up at Eric Dickerson as the only man in the 2,100-yard club.
• Michael Vick is an obviously polarizing figure. He also piloted one of the most dangerous offenses in the modern era in 2010. In 12 games, Vick would finish with the eighth-most rushing yards by a QB a single season in league history, chipping in the ninth-most ground scores every tallied. In what was one of fantasy most impressive performances of any era, Vick’s Week 9 pummeling of the Washington Redskins resulted in an eye-popping 333-yard, four-TD passing night to go along with 80 rushing yards and two more end zone visits.

Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)

20-11

Rk	Year	Player	Pos	Tm	Age	G	FP/G	PPR/G	PaYds	TD	RuYds	TD	Rec	ReYds	TD
20	2006	Steven Jackson	RB	STL	23	16	20.59	26.21	0	0	1528	13	90	806	3
19	2009	Chris Johnson	RB	TEN	24	16	21.81	24.93	0	0	2006	14	50	503	2
18	1984	Dan Marino	QB	MIA	23	16	22.17	22.17	5084	48	-7	0	0	0	0
17	1998	Terrell Davis	RB	DEN	26	16	22.53	24.09	0	0	2008	21	25	217	2
16	2011	Drew Brees	QB	NOR	32	16	24.73	24.73	5476	46	86	1	0	0	0
15	2007	Tom Brady	QB	NWE	30	16	24.88	24.88	4806	50	98	2	0	0	0
14	1965	Jim Brown	RB	CLE	29	14	22.34	24.77	39	1	1544	17	34	328	4
13	2005	Shaun Alexander	RB	SEA	28	16	22.74	23.68	0	0	1880	27	15	78	1
12	2007	Randy Moss	WR	NWE	30	16	17.96	24.08	0	0	0	0	98	1493	23
11	2003	LaDainian Tomlinson	RB	SDG	24	16	21.49	27.74	21	1	1645	13	100	725	4

• The Rams spoiled fantasy owners with Faulk and Steven Jackson. In 2006, S-Jax went for 90 grabs on his way to a 2,334-yard showcase. He was an absolute workhorse for St. Louis and fantasy gamers alike.
• It would be impossible not to include Dan Marino’s record-setting 1984 season in the top 20. In fact, it was hard to omit his 48 touchdown passes from the 10-best seasons, especially since it came in an era where no one was even close in passing prowess.
• While Drew Brees threw for two fewer touchdowns than Marino, he added a running score (usually worth six points) and did a much better job protecting the ball. Oh, and chucking it for nearly 400 more yards never hurts!
• Tom Brady’s ’07 season reset the record books three seasons after Peyton became the league’s new aerial touchdown king. Most impressive of all, the transformation of Brady from a fantasy nobody into an absolute stud.
• Terrell Davis scored 23 times in his 2,000-yard campaign, living up to his moniker of “TD.” Denver and fans of the fake sport ran away with championships on the back of Davis in 1998.
• Arguably the most beastly running back of all time, Jim Brown’s 1965 season concluded with 22 touchdowns scored in just 14 games played. He truly was a man among boys and would have dominated in any era.
• Never much of a receiver, Shaun Alexander sure did have a nose for the end zone, however. In 2005, he found paydirt 27 times, which will go down as one of the best seasons ever recorded by the position. The entire year set a new benchmark for running back success, and no player was more impressive than the 28-year-old Seahawk.
• Just four spots after his quarterback (Brady) made the list, Randy Moss accomplished something that will be a challenge to replicate, even in today’s pass-happy NFL. He went into the end zone a record-breaking 23 times as a pass-catcher, and only seven times in the history of the game has a player scored more times in any combination.
• The do-all Tomlinson rushed for only 13 touchdowns in 2003, adding four more on his 100 receptions. He even threw a touchdown pass, which became a regular bonus from LT for a stretch. He redefined the image of a diverse fantasy football back.

(Orlando Ramirez, USA TODAY Sports)

10-1

Rk	Year	Player	Pos	Tm	Age	G	FP/G	PPR/G	PaYds	TD	RuYds	TD	Rec	ReYds	TD
10	1987	Jerry Rice	WR	SFO	25	12	20.74	26.16	0	0	51	1	65	1078	22
9	2001	Marshall Faulk	RB	STL	28	14	24.48	30.41	0	0	1382	12	83	765	9
8	1975	O.J. Simpson	RB	BUF	28	14	25.38	27.38	0	0	1817	16	28	426	7
7	2018	Patrick Mahomes	QB	KAN	23	16	26.07	26.07	5097	50	272	2	0	0	0
6	2013	Peyton Manning	QB	DEN	37	16	25.75	25.75	5477	55	-31	1	0	0	0
5	1995	Emmitt Smith	RB	DAL	26	16	22.80	26.68	0	0	1773	25	62	375	0
4	2003	Priest Holmes	RB	KAN	30	16	23.31	27.94	0	0	1420	27	74	690	0
3	2002	Priest Holmes	RB	KAN	29	14	26.62	31.62	0	0	1615	21	70	672	3
2	2000	Marshall Faulk	RB	STL	27	14	27.06	32.85	0	0	1359	18	81	830	8
1	2006	LaDainian Tomlinson	RB	SDG	27	16	26.69	30.19	20	2	1815	28	56	508	3

• So when Moss broke Rice’s record of 22 touchdown catches, it was done in 16 games. What is impossible to ignore is the greatest receiver of all time managed to score his double-deuce mark in a dozen outings. He also added a rushing score. You know the usually tired adage about some records that never will be broken … just sayin’.
• More impressive than his 2,000-yard haul, The Juice went into the end zone 23 times in 14 games in 1975 and galloped his way through defenses to the tune of 1,876 yards. The 2k figure is more catchy, but Simpson was at his best in ’75.
• This one went back and forth a number of times: Which season was more impressive, Patrick Mahomes’ 2018 or Manning’s 2013? In the end, after flip-flopping like mad, 55 touchdowns and 5,477 yards are more impressive. Mahomes came out of nowhere, sure, and he did rush for more points, giving him the slight advantage in fantasy production. However, there’s something to be said for doing it first, and there’s even more to be said for reclaiming your own touchdown record.
• The most prolific running back in league history, statistically speaking, Emmitt Smith was the best he had ever been in 1995. An absolute workhorse in a season in which several receivers emerged from the shadow of a run-oriented world, No. 22 scored his 25th touchdown to overtake Riggins as the game’s touchdown lord. Demonstrating his full array of talents, Emmitt landed 62 balls out of the backfield — arguably his least renown strength.
• If there were a Mount Rushmore of fantasy football stars, Priest Holmes would deserve to be immortalized twice. He became one of the most dangerous weapons ever known in 2002 and followed it up with a season some will argue was even better. Holmes broke the plane 27 times, or thrice more than the previous year, logging four more passes and 18 yards better through the sky. His ’02 effort wins out, though, because of 195 more rushing yards and a fantasy scoring pace unlike almost anything the sport had ever witnessed. In 14 games, Holmes would register 24 visits to the Promised Land, and only one player ever accounted for more fantasy points per game on this list.
• There is something comforting about knowing a player will be in your lineup week in and week out. Gamers often didn’t have that ease when it came to Faulk. But it didn’t even matter. When he was on the field, especially in his 14 games during the 2000 season, Faulk could single-handedly put your roster over the top. He mustered the highest per-game average of all in both prominent scoring systems, racking up 26 touchdowns in iconic style.
• Speaking of consistently showing up for fantasy owners … The league has not seen anything like Tomlinson’s 2006 season, and it never will. As if 1,815 rushing yards and another 508 through the air weren’t impressive enough, the heart and soul of San Diego went into the end zone 28 times on the turf. LT’s scoring dominance transcended into the sky, chipping in three more touchdowns as a receiver and throwing a pair of his own. This flip of the ball is for you, No. 21.

For more coverage around the NFL’s 100th season, check out all of USA TODAY Sports’ NFL 100 features.