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The Washington Commanders were established in 1932 as the Boston Braves. A year later, the Braves renamed their organization to the Redskins, and shortly after relocated to Washington, DC, in 1937. The franchise won NFL Championships in 1937 and 1942 before the AFL-NFL merger.
Since then, Washington has added victories in Super Bowls XVII, XXII, and XXVI to their collection. Aside from those achievements, they’ve won five NFC championships and 15 division titles. The Commanders have entered the playoffs 25 times, with just five of them occurring since the turn of the century.
With over eight decades of existence, some of the best American football players in history donned the Washington uniform for most of their careers. They are not only some of the franchise’s best but also some of the most iconic athletes in the NFL. Here are the five best fantasy seasons by a Washington football player.
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#5 Santana Moss (2005)
Stats: 84 receptions, 1,483 yards, and 9 touchdowns
Santana Moss set Washington's team record for most receiving yards in a single season in 2005. Clinton Portis and Moss were volume hogs in Washington's offense that year. Moss received 28.8% of Washington's targets that year and totaled over 700 more yards than any other receiver in the offense.
With 242.0 half-PPR points and a WR4 finish, Moss's 2005 season was the best by a Washington wide receiver in team history. The former Miami Hurricane caught multiple touchdowns three times during the season, including a five-catch, 160 yards, and three-touchdown eruption in Week 16 to carry owners to a fantasy title.
#4 Clinton Portis (2005)
Stats: 352 carries, 1,516 yards, and 11 touchdowns
Clinton Portis makes this list partially due to recency bias, and partially because he was one of the best running backs during the 2000s and deserves to receive credit here. Portis began his career sprinting out of the gates with the Denver Broncos. After racking up over 3,700 scrimmage yards and 31 touchdowns in his first two seasons in the league, Washington made a move to acquire the workhorse back.
As a Redskin, Portis had his best fantasy season in his second year with the team in 2005. The former Miami Hurricane topped 1,500 rushing yards for the third time in his career and found the end zone 11 times. His 256.9 fantasy points ranked sixth that year among running backs, overshadowed by Shaun Alexander's 27-touchdown season.
#3 Alfred Morris (2012)
Stats: 335 carries, 1,613 yards, and 13 touchdowns
Alfred Morris was 24 years old during his rookie year with Washington. Morris was a sixth-round pick and nobody beyond Washington's truest fans recognized his name heading into the 2012 season. From fringe-practice player to RB5 finish, Morris was an unheralded hero for his fantasy owners.
The former FAU product totaled 1,613 yards on the ground, second to Adrian Peterson, who totaled a historical 2,097 rushing yards that year. Arian Foster was the only player to run in more than Morris's 13 touchdowns. Averaging over 100 yards and nearly a touchdown a game, Alfred Morris was a consistently great addition to any fantasy owner who scooped him off the waivers or late in their drafts. His 246.9 half-PPR fantasy points remain the most by a Washington running back since Clinton Portis.
#2 Terry Allen (1996)
Stats: 347 carries, 1,353 yards, and 21 touchdowns
Few have accomplished a greater season from the running back position than Terry Allen did in 1996. He outscored the likes of Terrell Davis, Curtis Martin, Emmitt Smith, and Barry Sanders. Allen totaled 292.7 fantasy points to pace all running backs in scoring.
Terry Allen led the league with 21 rushing touchdowns, seven more than the next closest player. His 1,353 yards on the ground broke John Riggins' previous record. He chimed in an additional 32 receptions for 194 yards through the air. Only Vinny Testaverde and Brett Favre outscored Washington's battery ram, illustrating Allen's fantasy dominance in 1996.
#1 John Riggins (1983)
Stats: 375 carries, 1,347 yards, and 24 touchdowns
His name might be overshadowed by Clinton Portis and Terry Allen's, but before Portis and Allen, there was John Riggins. Riggins was a stout fullback for the former Redskins during the late 1970s and early 1980s. In the thirteenth year of his career at the ripe age of 34, Riggins was a first-team All-Pro selection, leading the league with 24 rushing touchdowns.
At the time, his 24 rushing touchdowns crushed the former record of 19 in a season. Riggins' 1,347 rushing yards stood as an additional program record for thirteen more years. His 279.1 fantasy points ranked third among running backs in 1983, with Eric Dickerson notably pacing the position in scoring.
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