Michael Vick, Nick Foles and Mitchell Trubisky all have something in common - they've had a few of the greatest fantasy football single-game quarterback performances of all time. Most fantasy owners probably have fond memories of one particularly huge game by one of their players, or a monster game from that cost you a win in a given week. To look back on some of those, we've laid out the top-10 fantasy games ever, broken down by position (QB, RB, WR, TE, Kicker).
Our data comes from Football Reference's Game Finder tool. We set our parameters to date back to the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, so Otto Graham and Jim Brown won't make the list. But a few old-timers find their way on here with performances that would likely be remembered even more if fantasy football had been prominent in those decades.
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There were some tough near-misses - among the QBs in the next 10 were the legendary trio of Eric Hipple, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Joe Namath. Adrian Peterson's 296-yard rushing day missed out because he didn't quite find the end zone enough. And because this is non-PPR scoring, Terrell Owens gets ripped off from his 20-catch, 283-yard day in 2000, in part due to managing just one touchdown that day.
Note: The scoring accounts for 4-point passing touchdowns, 6-point rushing and receiving touchdowns, 0.04 points per passing yard and 0.1 points per rushing and receiving yard.
Most fantasy points in a game by a QB
| No. | Player | Fantasy Points | Passing Yards | Passing TDs | Rushing Yards | Rushing TDs |
| 1 | Michael Vick, Eagles (11/15/10) | 49.32 | 333 | 4 | 80 | 2 |
| 2 | Mark Rypien, Washington (11/10/91) | 48.08 | 442 | 6 | 4 | 1 |
| 3 | Peyton Manning, Broncos (9/5/13) | 46.28 | 462 | 7 | -2 | 0 |
| 4 | Aaron Rodgers, Packers (10/2/11) | 45.92 | 408 | 4 | 36 | 2 |
| 5 | Nick Foles, Eagles (11/3/13) | 45.24 | 406 | 7 | 10 | 0 |
| 6 | Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (10/26/14) | 44.78 | 522 | 6 | -1 | 0 |
| 7 | Drew Brees, Saints (11/1/15) | 44.3 | 505 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 8 | Randall Cunningham, Eagles (11/4/90) | 44 | 240 | 4 | 124 | 1 |
| 9 | Aaron Rodgers, Packers (10/20/19) | 43.76 | 429 | 5 | 6 | 1 |
| 10 | Mitchell Trubisky, Bears (9/30/18) | 43.46 | 354 | 6 | 53 | 0 |
Most fantasy points in a game by a RB
| No. | Player | Fantasy Points | Rushing Yards | Rushing TDs | Receiving Yards | Receiving TDs |
| 1 | Clinton Portis, Broncos (12/7/03) | 55.4 | 218 | 5 | 36 | 0 |
| 2 | Alvin Kamara, Saints (12/25/20) | 53.2 | 155 | 6 | 17 | 0 |
| 2 | Shaun Alexander, Seahawks (9/29/02) | 53.1 | 139 | 4 | 92 | 1 |
| 3 | Corey Dillon, Bengals (12/4/97) | 51.6 | 246 | 4 | 30 | 0 |
| 4 | Jamaal Charles, Chiefs (12/15/13) | 51.5 | 20 | 1 | 195 | 4 |
| 5 | Doug Martin, Buccaneers (11/4/12) | 51.2 | 251 | 4 | 21 | 0 |
| 6 | Joe Mixon (11/6/22) | 51.1 | 153 | 4 | 58 | 1 |
| 7 | Jonathan Taylor, Colts (11/21/21) | 50.4 | 185 | 4 | 19 | 1 |
| 8 | Mike Anderson, Broncos (12/3/00) | 49.6 | 251 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| 9 | Larry Brown, Washington (12/16/73) | 49.5 | 150 | 1 | 105 | 3 |
| 10 | Barry Sanders, Lions (11/24/91) | 49.1 | 220 | 4 | 31 | 0 |
Most fantasy points in a game by a WR
| No. | Player | Fantasy Points | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Receiving TDs |
| 1 | Jerry Rice, 49ers (10/14/90) | 52.5 | 13 | 225 | 5 |
| 2 | Jerry Butler, Bills (9/23/79) | 50.7 | 10 | 255 | 4 |
| 3 | Harold Jackson, Rams (10/14/73) | 47.8 | 7 | 238 | 4 |
| 4 | Jimmy Smith, Jaguars (9/10/00) | 47.1 | 15 | 291 | 3 |
| 5 | Jerry Rice, 49ers (12/18/95) | 45.9 | 14 | 289 | 3 |
| 6 | Tyreek Hill, Chiefs (11/29/20) | 44.9 | 13 | 269 | 3 |
| 7 | Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals (1/2/22) | 44.6 | 11 | 266 | 3 |
| 8 | Steve Largent, Seahawks (10/18/87) | 44.1 | 15 | 261 | 3 |
| 9 | Qadry Ismail, Ravens (12/12/99) | 43.8 | 6 | 258 | 3 |
| 10 | Wesley Walker, Jets (9/21/86) | 43.4 | 6 | 194 | 4 |
Most fantasy points in a game by a TE
| No. | Player | Fantasy Points | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Receiving TDs |
| 1 | Kellen Winslow, Chargers (11/22/81) | 44.4 | 13 | 144 | 5 |
| 2 | Rich Caster, Jets (9/24/72) | 38.4 | 6 | 204 | 3 |
| 3 | Jimmie Giles, Buccaneers (10/20/85) | 35.6 | 7 | 116 | 4 |
| 4 | Kellen Winslow, Chargers (12/11/83) | 34.2 | 14 | 162 | 3 |
| 5 | Shannon Sharpe, Broncos (10/20/02) | 33.4 | 12 | 214 | 2 |
| 6 | Shannon Sharpe, Broncos (10/6/96) | 33.3 | 13 | 153 | 3 |
| 7 | Todd Christensen, Raiders (10/16/83) | 33.2 | 11 | 152 | 3 |
| 8 | Rob Gronkowski, Patriots (10/26/14) | 32.9 | 9 | 149 | 3 |
| 9 | Johnny Mitchell, Jets (10/3/93) | 32.6 | 7 | 146 | 3 |
| 10 | Antonio Gates, Chargers (10/30/05) | 32.5 | 10 | 145 | 3 |
Most fantasy points in a game by a Kicker
Note: This list dates only back to 2002, with data compiled from fantasydata.com.
| No. | Player | Fantasy Points | Note |
| 1 | Rob Bironas, Titans (10/21/07) | 28 | Perfect 8-for-8, an NFL record |
| 2 | Jay Feely, Cardinals (12/19/10) | 27.5 | Included 5-yard rushing TD |
| 3 | Billy Cundiff, Cowboys (9/15/03) | 25 | Tied game at end of regulation and won it with seventh FG |
| T4 | Cairo Santos, Chiefs (10/4/15) | 25 | Accounted for all 21 Kansas City points |
| T4 | Stephen Gostkowski, Titans (9/27/20) | 25 | Included a 55-yard make |
| 6 | Jason Myers, Seahawks (10/14/18) | 24 | |
| 7 | Greg Zuerlein, Rams (10/1/17) | 23 | Made four FG between 40-49 yards |
| T7 | Jason Sanders, Dolphins (12/8/19) | 23 | Missed one kick that would've placed him third on this list |
| T7 | Blair Walsh, Vikings (12/27/15) | 23 | Made two kicks from beyond 50 yards |
| 10 | Five players tied (Brandon McManus '20, Kai Forbath '17, Justin Tucker '13, Blair Walsh '12, Kris Brown '07) | 22 |
Alright, buckle up! You're in for a ride through the history of some jaw-dropping fantasy football performances. I've got my data-driven helmet on, so let's dive in.
Firstly, the trio of Michael Vick, Nick Foles, and Mitchell Trubisky, although varying in their overall career performances, share a common thread—they've each delivered some of the greatest fantasy football single-game quarterback spectacles. We're talking mind-blowing numbers, and I've got the evidence to back it up.
Michael Vick's 49.32 fantasy points on November 15, 2010, takes the crown for the most fantasy points in a single game by a QB. Picture this: 333 passing yards, 4 passing touchdowns, 80 rushing yards, and 2 rushing touchdowns. That's the stuff fantasy dreams are made of!
Now, let's sprinkle in some QB magic from other legends like Mark Rypien, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Ben Roethlisberger, all gracing the top 10.
Moving on to the running backs, Clinton Portis, Alvin Kamara, and Shaun Alexander have etched their names in fantasy history. Portis' colossal 55.42 fantasy points on December 7, 2003, included 218 rushing yards, 5 rushing touchdowns, and a cheeky 36 receiving yards. Now that's what I call a fantasy feast!
The wide receivers have their own show-stopping performances. Jerry Rice's 52.5 fantasy points on October 14, 1990, is a masterpiece—13 receptions, 225 receiving yards, and 5 touchdowns. Joining the ranks are other legends like Tyreek Hill, Jerry Butler, and Harold Jackson.
For tight ends, Kellen Winslow dominates with a staggering 44.4 fantasy points on November 22, 1981. Winslow's performance was a symphony of 13 receptions, 144 receiving yards, and 5 touchdowns. Absolute fantasy gold!
Finally, kickers enter the spotlight, and Rob Bironas stands tall with a record-setting 28 fantasy points on October 21, 2007. Going a perfect 8-for-8, he etched his name in the history books.
This journey through fantasy football greatness is a testament to the incredible athleticism and skill of these players. And here we are, armed with data and anecdotes, ready to relive the fantasy glory!
