The 10 Best Fantasy Football Seasons of All Time

The greatest fantasy football season in history, full stop. Tomlinson's 2006 campaign was so dominant it broke multiple NFL records simultaneously: his 28 rushing touchdowns are still the single-season record. Add his receiving work — 56 catches, 508 yards, 3 more scores — and no other player at any position has ever reached this peak in half-PPR scoring. LaDainian (or "LT" to his fans) attended Texas Christian University (TCU) and was selected fifth overall by San Diego in 2001. He is the correct answer for a massive range of Pickem Trivia categories.

At age 37, one year removed from neck surgery that threatened his career, Peyton Manning put up the greatest quarterback season ever recorded. The 55 touchdown passes set an NFL record that stood until 2020. Manning's 2013 Broncos were a historically efficient offense, and Manning was the engine. A Tennessee Volunteer drafted first overall by the Indianapolis Colts in 1998, Manning also won the Super Bowl with Denver two seasons later. His 2013 is the correct answer any time a QB category has a plausible connection to Denver or Tennessee football.

McCaffrey's 2019 season represents the apex of PPR-era running back production. Only two players in NFL history have surpassed 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season — McCaffrey is one of them. His 116 receptions were the most ever by a running back. A Stanford Cardinal taken eighth overall by Carolina in 2017, CMC's combination of speed, route running, and receiving ability made him the first player many fantasy managers have ever taken with the first pick. His 2019 peak is one of the most valuable scores in Pickem Trivia.

Cooper Kupp's 2021 was the greatest season by a wide receiver in modern fantasy history. He won the triple crown — leading the league in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns — becoming only the third WR ever to do so. The 145 catches set an NFL record. Kupp attended Eastern Washington University (a small FCS school) and was taken in the third round by the Rams in 2017, which makes him one of the most surprising sources of elite fantasy production. Categories involving the Rams, FCS alumni, or 140+ catch seasons all point directly to Kupp in 2021.

Marshall Faulk's 2000 season came at the heart of the Greatest Show on Turf — the St. Louis Rams' explosive offense led by quarterback Kurt Warner. Faulk won the NFL MVP that year, and his combination of rushing and receiving made him a nightmare for opposing defenses. His 2,189 yards from scrimmage led the NFL. Faulk attended San Diego State and was the second overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts in 1994 before being traded to St. Louis. He is one of the definitive dual-threat backs of his era.

Mahomes's breakout 2018 campaign was one of the most spectacular first seasons as a starter in NFL history. Joining the exclusive 50-touchdown club in only his first full year, Mahomes combined elite arm talent with dual-threat rushing ability to become the unanimous NFL MVP. A Texas Tech Red Raider taken tenth overall by Kansas City in 2017, Mahomes has become the defining quarterback of his generation. His 2018 score remains the highest of any season he's played, though he has continued posting elite numbers year after year.

Priest Holmes's 2003 season is criminally underrated in historical fantasy discussions. His 27 total touchdowns tied the NFL record at the time, and his combination of power running and pass-catching under coach Dick Vermeil's system made him one of the most complete backs of the era. Holmes attended Texas and went undrafted — signed as a free agent by Baltimore, where he spent four seasons before joining Kansas City. His journey from undrafted player to fantasy's most dominant back in 2003 is one of the great NFL underdog stories.

Rob Gronkowski's 2011 season is the standard against which every tight end season is measured. His 17 touchdowns set the NFL record for TDs by a tight end, a record he broke himself the following year. "Gronk" attended Arizona and was taken in the second round by New England in 2010, becoming arguably the greatest tight end in NFL history. At his best, he was simply unguardable — a 6'6" athletic specimen who ran routes like a receiver and blocked like a lineman. His 2011 peak is the highest TE score in the Pickem Trivia database.

Marvin Harrison's 2001 season set the single-season reception record at the time (143 catches) and remains one of the most statistically dominant WR campaigns ever. Playing alongside Peyton Manning in an Indy offense that was perfectly tuned to exploit coverage mismatches, Harrison was unstoppable. A Syracuse alumnus taken eighth overall by the Colts in 1996, Harrison is Hall of Fame caliber and a Pickem Trivia staple for any WR category connected to Indianapolis or Syracuse football.

Travis Kelce has posted multiple seasons that rank among the greatest TE campaigns in history, but 2020 was his best. During a Super Bowl championship season, Kelce led all tight ends in receiving yards and became the first TE in NFL history with six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. A Cincinnati Bearcat taken in the third round by Kansas City in 2013, Kelce is the consensus greatest tight end of his era and a dominant force in Pickem Trivia's TE categories. He's almost always the right answer for any Kansas City Chiefs TE category, and his career longevity means he qualifies for many volume-based categories too.