There are some trends you'll notice as we're going through the best Fantasy players and seasons during our Fantasy Football Yesterday week, and the increased dominance of quarterbacks in the modern era is certainly one of them.
Of the 10 biggest seasons by a quarterback in the CBS Fantasy era (dating back to 1997), seven have come in the last decade; nine of the next 10 came between 2010 and 2019 as well. That shouldn't come as any surprise — offenses have grown more and more efficient throwing the ball, while putting the ball in the air more than ever. Add in the prevalence of spread passing attacks and the rise of mobile quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson (among many others), and we're seeing massive point totals from the QB position.,
And two of the quarterbacks who helped usher in this era are featured multiple times in the top 11: Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Manning's two best seasons came a decade apart, and he was the focal point of some of the best Fantasy offenses of all time — that 2004 Colts team just might be the best Fantasy offense ever. And, while Brady took some time to get to Manning's statistical level, his 2007 campaign has stood the test of time; I'm not sure I've ever seen an offense that looked more impossible to slow down than that one.
Here are the top 50 Fantasy seasons by a quarterback dating back to 1997:
1. Peyton Manning (2013) DEN -- 528.7 Fantasy points, 33.04 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 5,477 yards, 55 TD, 10 INT, -31 rush yards, 1 rush TD
2. Patrick Mahomes (2018) KC -- 516.4 Fantasy points, 32.27 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 5,097 yards, 50 TD, 12 INT, 272 rush yards, 2 rush TD
3. Tom Brady (2007) NE -- 496.2 Fantasy points, 31.02 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,806 yards, 50 TD, 8 INT, 98 rush yards, 2 rush TD
4. Lamar Jackson (2019) BAL -- 489.0 Fantasy points, 32.60 Fantasy points per game
15 games, 3,127 yards, 36 TD, 6 INT, 1206 rush yards, 7 rush TD
5. Aaron Rodgers (2011) GB -- 485.9 Fantasy points, 32.39 Fantasy points per game
15 games, 4,643 yards, 45 TD, 6 INT, 257 rush yards, 3 rush TD
6. Drew Brees (2011) NO -- 481.3 Fantasy points, 30.08 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 5,476 yards, 46 TD, 14 INT, 86 rush yards, 1 rush TD
7. Cam Newton (2015) CAR -- 465.6 Fantasy points, 29.10 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 3,837 yards, 35 TD, 10 INT, 636 rush yards, 10 rush TD
8. Aaron Rodgers (2016) GB -- 461.6 Fantasy points, 28.85 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,428 yards, 40 TD, 7 INT, 369 rush yards, 4 rush TD
9. Peyton Manning (2004) IND -- 458.6 Fantasy points, 28.66 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,557 yards, 49 TD, 10 INT, 38 rush yards, 0 rush TD
10. Daunte Culpepper (2004) MIN -- 450.6 Fantasy points, 28.16 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,717 yards, 39 TD, 11 INT, 406 rush yards, 2 rush TD
11. Tom Brady (2011) NE -- 446.5 Fantasy points, 27.91 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 5,235 yards, 39 TD, 12 INT, 109 rush yards, 3 rush TD
12. Andrew Luck (2014) IND -- 439.8 Fantasy points, 27.49 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,761 yards, 40 TD, 16 INT, 273 rush yards, 3 rush TD
13. Drew Brees (2013) NO -- 437.6 Fantasy points, 27.35 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 5,162 yards, 39 TD, 12 INT, 52 rush yards, 3 rush TD
14. Steve Young (1998) SF -- 437.5 Fantasy points, 29.17 Fantasy points per game
15 games, 4,170 yards, 36 TD, 12 INT, 454 rush yards, 6 rush TD
15. Drew Brees (2012) NO -- 432.1 Fantasy points, 27.01 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 5,177 yards, 43 TD, 19 INT, 5 rush yards, 1 rush TD
16. Aaron Rodgers (2014) GB -- 428.5 Fantasy points, 26.78 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,381 yards, 38 TD, 5 INT, 269 rush yards, 2 rush TD
17. Aaron Rodgers (2012) GNB -- 427.1 Fantasy points, 26.69 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,295 yards, 39 TD, 8 INT, 259 rush yards, 2 rush TD
18. Matt Ryan (2016) ATL -- 422.3 Fantasy points, 26.39 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,944 yards, 38 TD, 7 INT, 117 rush yards, 0 rush TD
19. Matt Ryan (2018) ATL -- 422.0 Fantasy points, 26.37 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,924 yards, 35 TD, 7 INT, 125 rush yards, 3 rush TD
20. Matthew Stafford (2011) DET -- 421.8 Fantasy points, 26.36 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 5,038 yards, 41 TD, 16 INT, 78 rush yards, 0 rush TD
21. Tom Brady (2015) NE -- 418.9 Fantasy points, 26.18 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,770 yards, 36 TD, 7 INT, 53 rush yards, 3 rush TD
22. Russell Wilson (2017) SEA -- 413.7 Fantasy points, 25.86 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 3,983 yards, 34 TD, 11 INT, 586 rush yards, 3 rush TD
23. Drew Brees (2016) NO -- 412.8 Fantasy points, 25.80 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 5,208 yards, 37 TD, 15 INT, 20 rush yards, 2 rush TD
24. Cam Newton (2011) CAR -- 410.8 Fantasy points, 25.68 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,051 yards, 21 TD, 17 INT, 706 rush yards, 14 rush TD
25. Daunte Culpepper (2000) MIN -- 409.2 Fantasy points, 25.57 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 3,937 yards, 33 TD, 16 INT, 470 rush yards, 7 rush TD
26. Russell Wilson (2015) SEA -- 408.2 Fantasy points, 25.51 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,024 yards, 34 TD, 8 INT, 553 rush yards, 1 rush TD
27. Tom Brady (2012) NE -- 407.7 Fantasy points, 25.48 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,827 yards, 34 TD, 8 INT, 32 rush yards, 4 rush TD
28. Kurt Warner (1999) STL -- 406.6 Fantasy points, 25.41 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,353 yards, 41 TD, 13 INT, 92 rush yards, 1 rush TD
29. Ben Roethlisberger (2018) PIT -- 403.8 Fantasy points, 25.24 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 5,129 yards, 34 TD, 16 INT, 98 rush yards, 3 rush TD
30. Andrew Luck (2018) IND -- 402.1 Fantasy points, 25.13 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,593 yards, 39 TD, 15 INT, 148 rush yards, 0 rush TD
31. Aaron Rodgers (2009) GB -- 402.0 Fantasy points, 25.12 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,434 yards, 30 TD, 7 INT, 316 rush yards, 5 rush TD
32. Jeff Garcia (2000) SF -- 400.4 Fantasy points, 25.03 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,278 yards, 31 TD, 10 INT, 414 rush yards, 4 rush TD
33. Dak Prescott (2019) DAL -- 398.0 Fantasy points, 24.87 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,902 yards, 30 TD, 11 INT, 277 rush yards, 3 rush TD
34. Russell Wilson (2019) SEA -- 390.2 Fantasy points, 24.39 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,110 yards, 31 TD, 5 INT, 342 rush yards, 3 rush TD
35. Blake Bortles (2015) JAX -- 389.9 Fantasy points, 24.37 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,428 yards, 35 TD, 18 INT, 310 rush yards, 2 rush TD
36. Peyton Manning (2014) DEN -- 388.9 Fantasy points, 24.31 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,727 yards, 39 TD, 15 INT, -24 rush yards, 0 rush TD
37. Deshaun Watson (2018) HOU -- 387.0 Fantasy points, 24.19 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,165 yards, 26 TD, 9 INT, 551 rush yards, 5 rush TD
38. Peyton Manning (2012) DEN -- 386.4 Fantasy points, 24.15 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,659 yards, 37 TD, 11 INT, 6 rush yards, 0 rush TD
39. Carson Palmer (2015) ARI -- 381.4 Fantasy points, 23.84 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,671 yards, 35 TD, 11 INT, 24 rush yards, 1 rush TD
40. Jared Goff (2018) LAR -- 374.7 Fantasy points, 23.42 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,688 yards, 32 TD, 12 INT, 108 rush yards, 2 rush TD
41. Andrew Luck (2016) IND -- 373.9 Fantasy points, 24.93 Fantasy points per game
15 games, 4,240 yards, 31 TD, 13 INT, 341 rush yards, 2 rush TD
42. Drew Brees (2014) NO -- 373.9 Fantasy points, 23.37 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,952 yards, 33 TD, 17 INT, 68 rush yards, 1 rush TD
43. Matt Ryan (2012) ATL -- 372.0 Fantasy points, 23.25 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,719 yards, 32 TD, 14 INT, 141 rush yards, 1 rush TD
44. Ben Roethlisberger (2014) PIT -- 371.5 Fantasy points, 23.22 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,952 yards, 32 TD, 9 INT, 27 rush yards, 0 rush TD
45. Peyton Manning (2006) IND -- 370.9 Fantasy points, 23.18 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 4,397 yards, 31 TD, 9 INT, 36 rush yards, 4 rush TD
46. Drew Brees (2008) NO -- 370.9 Fantasy points, 23.18 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 5,069 yards, 34 TD, 17 INT, -1 rush yards, 0 rush TD
47. Drew Brees (2015) NO -- 370.7 Fantasy points, 24.71 Fantasy points per game
15 games, 4,870 yards, 32 TD, 11 INT, 14 rush yards, 1 rush TD
48. Jameis Winston (2019) TB -- 369.8 Fantasy points, 23.11 Fantasy points per game
16 games, 5,109 yards, 33 TD, 30 INT, 250 rush yards, 1 rush TD
49. Deshaun Watson (2019) HOU -- 368.0 Fantasy points, 24.53 Fantasy points per game
15 games, 3,852 yards, 26 TD, 12 INT, 413 rush yards, 7 rush TD
50. Drew Brees (2018) NO -- 367.5 Fantasy points, 24.50 Fantasy points per game
15 games, 3,992 yards, 32 TD, 5 INT, 22 rush yards, 4 rush TD
