Duchess Jack Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Greatest all-time fantasy seasons: Running backs By Michael Fabiano | NFL.com Fantasy Editor From Eric Dickerson in the 1980's, Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith in the 1990's and Marshall Faulk, Priest Holmes and LaDainian Tomlinson in the current era, running backs have thrilled us on the gridiron with their elusiveness, immense speed and graceful strides. In fact, their skills and abilities have made them the most coveted athletes in the world of fantasy football. In the second of NFL.com's three-part series on the greatest statistical seasons based on fantasy points in the Super Bowl era, we take a look at the best performances at the running back position. Players were rewarded six points for all touchdowns and one point for each 10 rushing and receiving yards. 1. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego (2006): Tomlinson led the entire NFL with 1,815 rushing yards, added 508 yards as a receiver out of the backfield, scored a record 31 total touchdowns and finished with an incredible 419 fantasy points in what was a memorable season. He rushed for 100-plus yards 10 times, scored multiple touchdowns in 10 starts and led countless fantasy football owners to a title. L.T. was be the consensus No. 1 overall selection in most 2007 drafts, and he'll no doubt be a top-three choice in 2008. 2. Marshall Faulk, St. Louis (2000): Once the most coveted players in the history of fantasy football, Faulk had a number of productive seasons between Indianapolis and St. Louis in what was a Hall of Fame career. His best season came in 2000, when he had 375 fantasy points on 1,359 rushing yards, 830 receiving yards and 26 total touchdowns. The versatile running back is also one of two running backs (Roger Craig) to record 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season, so his value in fantasy land is well evident. 3. Priest Holmes, Kansas City (2002): Holmes, who was once stuck behind Errict Rhett on the depth chart in Baltimore, exploded onto the scene as a member the Kansas City Chiefs and would surpass Marshall Faulk as the top overall player in fantasy football. He thrived in the offense of head coach Dick Vermeil with a career-best 1,615 rushing yards, 672 receiving yards and 24 total touchdowns in 2002, all of which totaled 373 points. Holmes, who missed significant time with an injured neck, returned for four contests in 2007. 4. Priest Holmes, Kansas City (2003): Holmes produced one heck of an encore to his 2002 season, as he recorded 2,110 all-purpose yards and what was an NFL record 27 touchdowns for a total of 373 fantasy points. He had 100-plus all-purpose yards 13 times and scored multiple touchdowns in 10 contests, but this would be Holmes' final full season. Knee and neck injuries limited him to 15 games between 2004-2005, he missed all of 2006 and would retire this past season after a short-lived comeback in red, white and yellow. 5. Emmitt Smith, Dallas (1995): The all-time leader in career rushing yards with an incredible 18,355 yards, Smith was a true fantasy football stud throughout the 1990's. His greatest statistical season came in 1995, when he recorded 365 fantasy points on a career-best 1,773 rushing yards, 375 receiving yards and what was at one time a NFL record 25 touchdowns. Smith, who will soon be a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, is also second behind Jerry Rice in career touchdowns with a total of 175. 6. Shaun Alexander, Seattle (2005): Alexander rushed for an NFL best 1,880 yards and scored what was a record 28 total touchdowns to finish with 364 fantasy points in what was a MVP season. He rushed for 100-plus yards 11 different times and made multiple trips to the end zone in nine of his 16 starts. Alexander would become a victim of the dreaded Madden cover curse in 2006 and he faltered in 2007 as well, so it looks like his time as an elite fantasy running back are now in the rearview mirror. 7. O.J. Simpson, Buffalo (1975): The now infamous Simpson didn't need a white Ford Bronco to run from defenders in the 1975 season, as he recorded 1,817 rushing yards, 426 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns for a total of 363 fantasy points. What made his numbers even more spectacular was the fact that Simpson achieved them in just 14 contests. He had one more solid season with the Bills (1976) before his pro football career ended with a thud with two unimpressive seasons with the San Francisco 49ers from 1978-1979. 8. Terrell Davis, Denver (1998): While his career was short lived due to knee injuries, Davis did make some serious noise in his time between the white lines. His best statistical season came in 1998 when he became the fourth running back ever to reach the 2,000-yard mark. He also scored an impressive 23 total touchdowns and finished with 361 fantasy points. Davis rushed for 56 scores in his first four seasons -- that is a mark that no member of the Hall of Fame has matched -- so he could land in Canton in the future. 9. Ahman Green, Green Bay (2003): Maybe the most surprising member of our top 10 fantasy seasons at the running back position, Green scored 345 fantasy points on a career-best 1,883 rushing yards, 367 receiving yards and a total of 20 touchdowns in 2003. A versatile back who has been a solid contributor when at 100 percent, Green has seen his value waver in the past four seasons due to injuries. He missed much of the 2007 season due to knee problems, and it seems like Green's time as a viable fantasy back is over. 10. Eric Dickerson, L.A. Rams (1983): One of the greatest and most graceful runners in the history pro football, Dickerson had his best statistical season as a rookie with 341 points on 1,808 rushing yards, a career-best 404 receiving yards and a career-best 20 total touchdowns. He had an NFL-record 2,105 rushing yards the next very season and finished his Hall-of-Fame career sixth on the all-time list with a total of 13,259 rushing yards. Dickerson also scored 90 rushing touchdowns, which is tied for 12th all-time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikesVikes Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Looks like the only thing to argue about is how these stats factor into your league's scoring rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bier Meister Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 would like to see lists for decimal scoring w/ and w/out ppr... to see how the order changes and who gets bumped and added Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isleseeya Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 not a big fan of Jamal Lewis but the year he cracked 2000 yards , he was a beast and i think deserves to be in top 10 just my two cents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duchess Jack Posted March 5, 2008 Author Share Posted March 5, 2008 I agree with you all 100% - posted it as some light reading is all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easy n Dirty Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Seems maybe OJ's season could be ranked higher if you look at it on a points-per-game basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Seems maybe OJ's season could be ranked higher if you look at it on a points-per-game basis. I think OJ's season should rank higher because the #2 RB that year had 1144 yds rushing. That's quite a gap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Westy might crack top 10 in a PPR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 I think this was brought up a few days ago... and I said Faulk. Guess it depends on your league's scoring system. In my "main" league, RB receiving TDs were hugh, so Faulk was definitely top dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easy n Dirty Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 I think OJ's season should rank higher because the #2 RB that year had 1144 yds rushing. That's quite a gap. That's a great point - be interesting to see what top ten seasons were measured this way, with a VBD approach - i.e., biggest gap between top-scoring RB and second highest, or better yet gap between top scoring RB and average of the top 24 RBs that season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanofnobody Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Tomlinsons 2003 season should get some love. LT has 1500+ rushing yards, 17 RTDs, 100 receptions for 500+ yards and 4 TDs. Also nominee for Biggest Pro Bowl Snub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 That's a great point - be interesting to see what top ten seasons were measured this way, with a VBD approach - i.e., biggest gap between top-scoring RB and second highest, or better yet gap between top scoring RB and average of the top 24 RBs that season. Players were rewarded six points for all touchdowns and one point for each 10 rushing and receiving yards.1. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego (2006): Tomlinson led the entire NFL with 1,815 rushing yards, added 508 yards as a receiver out of the backfield, scored a record 31 total touchdowns and finished with an incredible 419 fantasy points in what was a memorable season. He rushed for 100-plus yards 10 times, scored multiple touchdowns in 10 starts and led countless fantasy football owners to a title. L.T. was be the consensus No. 1 overall selection in most 2007 drafts, and he'll no doubt be a top-three choice in 2008. 419 fantasy points is pretty incredible; Sjax and LJ had about 330 each; IIRC, in some PPR leagues, Sjax was right there with LT. 2. Marshall Faulk, St. Louis (2000): Once the most coveted players in the history of fantasy football, Faulk had a number of productive seasons between Indianapolis and St. Louis in what was a Hall of Fame career. His best season came in 2000, when he had 375 fantasy points on 1,359 rushing yards, 830 receiving yards and 26 total touchdowns. The versatile running back is also one of two running backs (Roger Craig) to record 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season, so his value in fantasy land is well evident. Again, Edge had a tidy 338 points himself - a little over two points a game. 3. Priest Holmes, Kansas City (2002): Holmes, who was once stuck behind Errict Rhett on the depth chart in Baltimore, exploded onto the scene as a member the Kansas City Chiefs and would surpass Marshall Faulk as the top overall player in fantasy football. He thrived in the offense of head coach Dick Vermeil with a career-best 1,615 rushing yards, 672 receiving yards and 24 total touchdowns in 2002, all of which totaled 373 points. Holmes, who missed significant time with an injured neck, returned for four contests in 2007.Ricky Williams had 323, and LT had 307. 4. Priest Holmes, Kansas City (2003): Holmes produced one heck of an encore to his 2002 season, as he recorded 2,110 all-purpose yards and what was an NFL record 27 touchdowns for a total of 373 fantasy points. He had 100-plus all-purpose yards 13 times and scored multiple touchdowns in 10 contests, but this would be Holmes' final full season. Knee and neck injuries limited him to 15 games between 2004-2005, he missed all of 2006 and would retire this past season after a short-lived comeback in red, white and yellow. 9. Ahman Green, Green Bay (2003): Maybe the most surprising member of our top 10 fantasy seasons at the running back position, Green scored 345 fantasy points on a career-best 1,883 rushing yards, 367 receiving yards and a total of 20 touchdowns in 2003. A versatile back who has been a solid contributor when at 100 percent, Green has seen his value waver in the past four seasons due to injuries. He missed much of the 2007 season due to knee problems, and it seems like Green's time as a viable fantasy back is over. Moved #9 up in the queue to demonstrate - Holmes was only 28 points better than the 2nd best back. And Green wasn't even the best back in the league, fantasy-wise, in '03. LT was right behind Green with 339 points, and Jamal Lewis had 311. Banner year for backs, but if we're going by the VBD theory, none of them really belong on this list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 5. Emmitt Smith, Dallas (1995): The all-time leader in career rushing yards with an incredible 18,355 yards, Smith was a true fantasy football stud throughout the 1990's. His greatest statistical season came in 1995, when he recorded 365 fantasy points on a career-best 1,773 rushing yards, 375 receiving yards and what was at one time a NFL record 25 touchdowns. Smith, who will soon be a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, is also second behind Jerry Rice in career touchdowns with a total of 175.NOW we're talking - #2 on the RB list in yds was Sanders (261 FP), #2 in tds was Chris Warren (256 FP), #2 in FP was Curtis Martin with 264 - to me, a 100 point gap is domination. #2 non-QB was Rice with 290 FP, in case anyone was curious. 6. Shaun Alexander, Seattle (2005): Alexander rushed for an NFL best 1,880 yards and scored what was a record 28 total touchdowns to finish with 364 fantasy points in what was a MVP season. He rushed for 100-plus yards 11 different times and made multiple trips to the end zone in nine of his 16 starts. Alexander would become a victim of the dreaded Madden cover curse in 2006 and he faltered in 2007 as well, so it looks like his time as an elite fantasy running back are now in the rearview mirror. LJ rocked the league for 335 FP that year - a gap of 29 that is all the more impressive when you recall LJ only started NINE games. TIki had a tidy 305 FP himself. I don't see the gaps needed here. 7. O.J. Simpson, Buffalo (1975): The now infamous Simpson didn't need a white Ford Bronco to run from defenders in the 1975 season, as he recorded 1,817 rushing yards, 426 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns for a total of 363 fantasy points. What made his numbers even more spectacular was the fact that Simpson achieved them in just 14 contests. He had one more solid season with the Bills (1976) before his pro football career ended with a thud with two unimpressive seasons with the San Francisco 49ers from 1978-1979.Not as impressive as I had previously thought - multi-purpose stud Chuck Foreman tallied about 500 fewer total yds but only 1 fewer td to finish with 308 pts. Lydell MItchell had a nice 263 point total, but after that, there was HUGE dropoff. 8. Terrell Davis, Denver (1998): While his career was short lived due to knee injuries, Davis did make some serious noise in his time between the white lines. His best statistical season came in 1998 when he became the fourth running back ever to reach the 2,000-yard mark. He also scored an impressive 23 total touchdowns and finished with 361 fantasy points. Davis rushed for 56 scores in his first four seasons -- that is a mark that no member of the Hall of Fame has matched -- so he could land in Canton in the future.Jamal Anderson had an MVP-caliber season that year as well, with 312 FP. 10. Eric Dickerson, L.A. Rams (1983): One of the greatest and most graceful runners in the history pro football, Dickerson had his best statistical season as a rookie with 341 points on 1,808 rushing yards, a career-best 404 receiving yards and a career-best 20 total touchdowns. He had an NFL-record 2,105 rushing yards the next very season and finished his Hall-of-Fame career sixth on the all-time list with a total of 13,259 rushing yards. Dickerson also scored 90 rushing touchdowns, which is tied for 12th all-time. #2 guys here were forgotten Falcon mini-tank WIlliam Andrews with 283 FP, Riggo with 281, and that's about it - nobody had the combination of yds + tds that Dickerson managed that year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Some to take a gander at - Walter Payton's 1977 season, JIm Brown's 1963 season, I'd tip that hat to LT's 06 season, as LJ and SJax had totals that would fall just short of the list but LT still had a significant gap over them, and definitely Emmit's 95 season. I'd also like to put an asterisk by Marcus Allen's '82 season - 1098 yds from scrimmage and 14 tds in 9 games - projects to 1952 yds and 25 tds, which would've been an impressive 345 FP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easy n Dirty Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Impressive homework. Chavez, thanks. Just one other point though - the VBD theaory would have us compare their total points not the the #2 and #3 guys, but rather to the #24 guy (in a 12-team league that starts 2 backs). Not expecting you to do that homework by any means, but based on what you said above about a huge dropoff after the #3 guy in SImson's year, I'm gonna' guess that his season would hold up very well in a true VBD ranking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeR Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I have to be the only person to have owned LT in 06 and missed the playoffs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanofnobody Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I have to be the only person to have owned LT in 06 and missed the playoffs No, no you're not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I have to be the only person to have owned LT in 06 and missed the playoffs spain in Fusion did also Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zmanzzzz Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 leroy hoard helped me win a few titles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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