Top 10 wide receiver fantasy seasons
By Michael Fabiano
NFL.com Fantasy Expert
April 5, 2007) -- The word dominant is defined as "most important, powerful or influential." In the NFL, dominant at the wide receiver position can be defined with two words: Jerry Rice.
In the research process of the greatest statistical seasons based on fantasy points in the Super Bowl era, it became evident that Rice's name would be dominant among wideouts. In fact, the future Hall of Famer recorded an unbelievable six of the top 10 best seasonal performances at the position. As a result, we've decided to focus on his immense statistical accomplishments in a separate section and then rank the rest of the best.
Rice had the greatest fantasy football season among wide receivers in 1995, when he finished with 285 points on an NFL record 1,848 yards and 16 total touchdowns. In 1986, he posted 1,570 yards and a combined 16 touchdowns for a total of 260 points, which ranked third on our list. Rice's 253 points in 1989 and 1993 are tied with Herman Moore for the fifth most, his record 22 touchdowns and 251 points in 1987 ranked tied with Mark Clayton for eighth, and his 249 points in 1994 were the tenth-best total.
Rice also finished his illustrious career as the NFL's all-time leader in receptions (1,549), scrimmage yards (23,540), receiving yards (22,895) and touchdowns (207) and was without question the greatest wide receiver to ever grace a pro football field.
Now that we've taken a look back at Rice's incredible accomplishments, let's delve into the rest of the elite performances at the wide receiver position. Players were rewarded six points for all touchdowns and one point for each 10 rushing and receiving yards
1. Randy Moss, Minnesota (2003): One of the most talented but controversial athletes in the NFL, Moss has had several solid seasons but none more productive than 2003. He finished with a career-best 1,632 yards and tied another career-best with an impressive 17 touchdowns, all of which totaled 267 points. Moss' numbers have fallen in his time with the Oakland Raiders, however, so he is now no more than a No. 2 fantasy wideout.
2. Isaac Bruce, St. Louis (1995): In what was one of the most productive seasons ever at the wide receiver position, Bruce finished with career highs in receptions (119) and touchdowns (13), and his 1,781 yards remain the second-best total ever. The talented veteran has eight 1,000-yard seasons on his resume, ranks seventh all-time with 13,376 yards and will be one of the few wideouts to finish with 14,000-plus career yards.
3. Herman Moore, Detroit (1995): A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Moore made a real name for himself in the world of fantasy football in the mid-1990s. His best numbers came in 1995, when he finished with a total of 253 points on what was an NFL record 123 receptions for a career-best 1,686 yards and 14 touchdowns. Moore would produce two more 1,000-yard seasons before injuries caused him to fall off the fantasy radar.
4. Mark Clayton, Miami (1984): It's no shock that one of the best performances from a wide receiver in the Super Bowl era came from Clayton, who benefited from the incredible numbers of Dan Marino in the 1984 season. One half of the famed "Marks Brothers" in Miami, Clayton recorded a total of 251 points on a career-best 1,389 yards and 18 touchdowns, which ranks second all-time behind Rice's 22 scores in 1987.
5. Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis (2001): Harrison doesn't receive as much press as some of the more outspoken players at his position, but he has been one of the NFL's most productive wideouts nonetheless. In 2001, Harrison recorded his best fantasy season with 242 points on 1,524 yards and a career-best 15 touchdowns. A reliable option for owners, Harrison has posted 1,000-plus yards in eight consecutive seasons.
6. Torry Holt, St. Louis (2003): One of the most valuable wide receivers in fantasy football over the past seven seasons, Holt's combination of speed, experience and terrific hands has made him a reliable asset for owners. His best season came in 2003, when he finished with 242 points on 1,696 yards (fifth-best total all-time) and 12 touchdowns as part of an offense that became known as "The Greatest Show on Turf."
7. Terrell Owens, San Francisco (2001): An explosive athlete who is better known for the controversies that have surrounded him off the field, Owens has been an absolute stat machine for much of his career. He had his best overall numbers in 2001, when he finished with 1,412 yards and a career-best 16 touchdowns for a total of 239 points. Now in Dallas, look for Owens to be a third- or fourth-round selection in all drafts.
8. Cris Carter, Minnesota (1995): Carter's career started off slow, but the talented veteran would reel off eight consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and scored a total of 74 touchdowns from 1995-2000. The best of those seasons came in 1995, when Carter produced 239 points and had career bests in receptions (122), yards (1,371) and touchdowns (17). He is now second all-time behind Rice with 130 receiving scores.
9. Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis (2002): In one of his numerous spectacular seasons, Harrison compiled 239 points on an NFL record 143 receptions, a career-best 1,722 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2002. Harrison, who needs 72 receptions to tie Tim Brown's 1,094 catches for third all-time and eight scores to tie Carter for the second-most receiving touchdowns, will be worth a third-round choice in drafts next season.
10. Muhsin Muhammad, Carolina (2004): Muhammad had one of the more underrated seasons in fantasy football in 2004, when he led all wide receivers with 239 points on career highs in yards (1,405) and touchdowns (16). He would finish with seven 100-yard performances and at least one score in 10 contests, but Muhammad's numbers and value have fallen in Chicago. In the past two seasons, he has a combined 1,613 yards
Go Rams!!
-FTG
Linear Mode
