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Tony Camino ranks the greatest seasons ever produced by fantasy football running backs. Do Christian McCaffrey or Saquon Barkley make the cut?
Christian McCaffrey continues to dominate and remains the best running back option in fantasy football by a wide margin. Not too long ago, running backs were the most crucial part of a fantasy roster, and building a championship team without one of the elite workhorse backs was challenging.
Recent NFL history has witnessed a shift towards committee approaches, and running backs can't attain the volume they once did 20 to 30 years ago. How do McCaffrey's recent seasons stack up against some of the retro running back seasons?
Who had the best running back season ever in fantasy? Let's take a look at the top 10 running back seasons in fantasy football.
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Honorable Mentions
Emmitt Smith (1995), Marshall Faulk (1999), Christian McCaffrey (2023)
Emmitt Smith, in 1995, had 25 rushing touchdowns, which is the fourth most ever in a single season in NFL history. However, he didn't contribute much in the passing game compared to others on this list, with 375 yards and no touchdowns.
In 1999, Marshall Faulk was dominant, but he scored just 12 total touchdowns, which limited his PPR per game average to around 25. Faulk went over 2,000 scrimmage yards and averaged 5.5 yards per carry, but the lack of touchdowns limited how dominant he could be in fantasy.
Christian McCaffrey this year gets an honorable mention for putting up big-time numbers in the era of the running back by committee. McCaffrey totaled over 2,000 scrimmage yards and scored 21 total touchdowns, but his overall volume compared to others in the past kept him out of the top 10.
#10. Chris Johnson (2009)
Stats: 392.9 PPR points, 24.6 per game in 16 games played, 2,006 rushing yards on 5.6 yards per carry with 16 total touchdowns
In 2009, Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson was dominant, becoming one of eight running backs to achieve at least 2,000 rushing yards. CJ2K averaged an impressive 5.6 yards per carry and played every game that year. Johnson earned Offensive Player of the Year honors for his remarkable performance, averaging 125 rushing yards per game.
Unfortunately, Johnson's receiving volume didn't match some of the leaders on this list, as he caught 50 passes for 503 yards. The limited number of touchdowns in the passing game wasn't sufficient to overcome his normal receiving production in comparison to others on this list, and as a result, Johnson lands at number 10 despite rushing for 2,000 yards.
#9. Todd Gurley (2017)
Stats: 383.3 PPR points, 25.6 per game in 15 games played, 2,093 scrimmage yards on 4.7 yards per carry with 19 touchdowns
In 2017, the Los Angeles Rams running back won Offensive Player of the Year, accompanied by a runner-up finish in MVP voting, thanks to his impressive 2,000 scrimmage yards on the season. Gurley caught 64 passes for 788 yards, showcasing one of the better seasons ever, especially when considering his volume compared to others on this list.
Although Gurley didn't play all 16 games, he only rested in the final game of the regular season, which typically falls after the fantasy season in most leagues. In the context of the modern running back, Gurley in 2017 proved to be very valuable to all his fantasy managers.
#8. Priest Holmes (2003)
Stats: 445 PPR points, 27.8 per game in 16 games played, 2,110 scrimmage yards on 4.4 yards per carry with 27 touchdowns
In his 2003 campaign, Kansas City Chiefs running back Priest Holmes secured the second-most rushing touchdowns in a season with an impressive 27, leading him to an average of nearly 28 PPR points per game. Holmes played all 16 games that year, also contributing with 74 catches to boost his PPR numbers.
The primary factor holding this season lower on the list is his lack of explosiveness compared to others above him. Holmes averaged 4.4 yards per carry, which is lower than almost everyone else mentioned. While his 27 touchdowns were a significant contributor to his massive numbers, the relative lack of explosiveness places this season slightly lower. Nonetheless, it remains one of the best seasons from Holmes.
#7. LaDainian Tomlinson (2003)
Stats: 443.8 PPR points, 27.7 per game in 16 games played, 2,370 scrimmage yards on 5.3 yards per carry with 17 touchdowns
San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson had a tremendous year in 2003, averaging just under 28 PPR points per game on 5.3 yards per carry. Tomlinson also caught 100 passes in that season and played every game, providing tremendous value to his fantasy managers.
Although he scored just less than Holmes in 2003, LT gets the nod due to how much more explosive Tomlinson was on the ground. Despite Holmes having 10 more touchdowns, the fact that Tomlinson only had two fewer points highlights who the better player was that year, with Tomlinson benefiting from better game scripts.
#6. O.J. Simpson (1975)
Stats: 390.3 PPR points, 27.9 per game in 14 games played, 2,243 scrimmage yards on 5.5 yards per carry with 23 touchdowns
Buffalo Bills running back O.J. Simpson dominated in 1975, putting up nearly 28 points per game and scoring 23 total touchdowns despite playing before the 16-game season was implemented. Simpson averaged 5.5 yards per carry on the ground and had one of the best fantasy seasons ever, despite catching just 28 passes.
Even though this wasn't the season Simpson won the MVP, it stands out as his best fantasy season due to the remarkable 23 total touchdowns, which was a career-high by nine.
#5. Priest Holmes (2002)
Stats: 442.7 PPR points, 31.6 per game in 14 games played, 2,287 scrimmage yards on 5.2 yards per carry with 24 touchdowns
Holmes finds his way on the list again for his 2002 season, where his 31.6 PPR points per game rank second all-time for a running back, trailing someone else on this list. The former Chiefs star won Offensive Player of the Year in 2002 thanks to another season with a ton of touchdowns but also a massive spike in efficiency on the ground.
While there's only one season by a running back with more PPR points, Holmes has to stay low on this list because he missed the final two games of the season. The Week 17 game likely doesn't matter, but missing Week 16 would've hurt any of his managers in the championship game and likely cost a lot of seasons.
#4. Christian McCaffrey (2019)
Stats: 471.2 PPR points, 29.5 per game in 16 games played, 2,392 scrimmage yards on 4.8 yards per carry with 19 touchdowns
During his Carolina Panther days, McCaffrey redefined what it meant to be a receiving back. He set the record for the most receptions in a season by a running back in 2019, catching 116 passes for 1,005 yards thanks to his unique skillset that allows him to thrive lined up wide.
The biggest reason for CMC's 2019 season being this high is because of how the running back position has changed recently. Teams don't give running backs the same volume they did back in the 90s/2000s, putting today's backs at a disadvantage from a volume standpoint. McCaffrey is dominant in the passing game and finds the endzone enough to compete with the old-school backs in the modern game.
#3. Marshall Faulk (2001)
Stats: 425.7 PPR points, 30.4 per game in 14 games played, 2,147 scrimmage yards on 5.3 yards per carry with 21 touchdowns
St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk appeared in the honorable mentions and now sits third for his tremendous 2001 season. His 30.4 points per game were the third-most by a running back ever, and his every-down usage propelled him to have one of the best seasons ever.
While he did miss two games (Weeks 6 and 7), teams who rostered Faulk were likely in the playoffs regardless. This season currently ranks as the eighth-highest total point season ever, but if he had totaled his average in the two games he missed, it would have been the highest-scoring season ever by a running back.
#2. LaDainian Tomlinson (2006)
Stats: 481.1 PPR points, 30.1 per game in 16 games played, 2,323 scrimmage yards on 5.2 yards per carry with 31 touchdowns
The 2006 MVP campaign of Tomlinson saw him set a record for the most rushing touchdowns in a season with 28, while also averaging over five yards per carry on 348 attempts. His ability to truly dominate on high volume and play every game was insanely valuable and led to the highest-scoring season ever by a running back.
There are plenty of arguments for this to be the best season ever by a running back in fantasy, but his receiving work wasn't up to the standards of the rest of the backs on this list. The back ahead of him was just too dominant in every facet and would've beaten him out with two more games.
#1. Marshall Faulk (2000)
Stats: 459.9 PPR points, 32.9 per game in 14 games played, 2,189 scrimmage yards on 5.4 yards per carry with 26 touchdowns.
Faulk is here yet again for his Offensive Player of the Year season in 2000 where he posted the most PPR points per game ever by a running back at 32.9. He averaged 5.4 yards per carry and added 81 catches for 830 yards in the air, showing a big role in both facets. Averaging over 150 total yards per game, Faulk was on another planet every time he took the field.
He did miss two games (Weeks 10 and 11), but those likely had little impact on how his managers fared during the season. In fact, his eight touchdowns over the two games that would have been the fantasy championship strengthen his case even more, as he would hold every record for the best fantasy running back season if he played two more games.
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