Believe it or not, fantasy football actually pre-dates the internet, with origins that go all the way back to the 1960s.
For the purposes of this list, we will not be tracking points into the 1960s.
The internet brought fantasy football to the masses in the late 90s. So, for a nice round number, this list will track the greatest fantasy seasons since 2000. And because quarterbacks have dominated this list since 2011, we’ll use points per reception scoring to get some other positions in here (I’ll save the ranking of best quarterback seasons for another time).
These are the top 15 PPR fantasy football seasons of all time, via Pro Football Reference.
15
402 points: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (2021)
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Allen actually had more passing yards, passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns the season before, but what set 2021 apart was his 763 rushing yards.
14
407 points: David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals (2016)
AP Photo/John Froschauer
This was the peak of David Johnson mania, his lone 1,000-yard rushing season where he nearly eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards too.
13
410 points: Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos (2013)
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Manning set single-season records with 5,477 passing yards and 55 touchdowns.
12
415.4 points: Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams (2006)
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Jackson racked up more than 1,500 yards on the ground and 800 yards through the air.
11
415.7 points: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (2019)
AP Photo/Nick Wass
The unanimous MVP, Jackson threw 36 touchdowns and rushed for over 1,200 yards.
10
417.1 points: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (2018)
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His first year as a starter, Mahomes went for over 5,000 yards passing and 50 touchdowns.
9
417.4 points: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (2022)
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Mahomes eclipsed 5,000 yards and 40 touchdowns through the air for the second time in his career.
8
419 points: Marshall Faulk, St. Louis Rams (2001)
AP Photo/Gerry Broome
Faulk went for more than 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns from scrimmage.
7
439 points: Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams (2021)
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With 145 catches, the eventual Super Bowl MVP came up just four short of tying the single-season receptions record. He came close to the receiving yards record too.
6
440 points: Priest Holmes, Kansas City Chiefs (2002)
AP Photo/Dick Whipple
Holmes had over 1,600 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground in just 14 games.
5
443 points: LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers (2003)
AP Photo/Ron Schwane
In 2003, Tomlinson’s receiving numbers took a major leap, as he caught 100 passes for over 700 yards.
4
445 points: Priest Holmes, Kansas City Chiefs (2003)
AP Photo/Ed Zurga
Holmes followed his monster 2002 season with a whopping 27 rushing touchdowns to go with career-best receiving numbers.
3
459 points: Marshall Faulk, St. Louis Rams (2000)
AP Photo/Steve Nesius
Faulk rushed for a career-best 18 touchdowns in 2000, while still doing his usual damage in the passing attack with an additional eight touchdowns.
2
471 points: Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers (2019)
AP Photo/Tim Ireland
McCaffrey eclipsed 1,000 yards in both rushing and receiving, including 116 receptions and 19 total touchdowns.
1
481 points: LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers (2006)
AP Photo/Denis Poroy
Tomlinson set the single-season record with 28 rushing touchdowns, while going for over 2,300 yards from scrimmage.
