Unfortunately, simply going back in time and see who scored the most is not how we figure out which running back had the greatest seasons ever. Fact is, we’ve made changes over the year. Until 2005, we played 14 regular season games. In 2014, we adjusted our scoring system to bring down quarterback and DST points and raise up RB-WR-TE. Thus, I have to do one of my fancy math spreadsheets. Well, I did that. And here is what I came up with.
All totals are adjusted to today’s scoring system and 13-game regular season. Below are the actual rankings…
BY YEAR PlayerYearTeamRushesRush YardsRush TDsRecRec YardsRec TDsTouchesTotal YardsAll TDsPointsPPG Marshall Faulk1999Rick20410896616653265175493,950329 Edgerrin James1999Robio278121084743933251650113,816318 Edgerrin James2000Robio279125494642743251681123,990333 Priest Holmes2001Robio23411707424592277162893,681307 Priest Holmes2002Robio2721342196260033351942225,176431 Ricky Williams2002Justin A2581185113427812921463124,008334 Priest Holmes2003Rob M2441127185754703011674184,363364 Ahman Green2003Rich C242127794231242831589134,002334 LaDainian Tomlinson2003Rich B19810828613770259145883,962330 Clinton Portis2003David2331340113428402671625113,895325 Jamal Lewis2003Matt26213317201580282148973,735311 Tiki Barber2004Colby22110928374581258155093,753313 Edgerrin James2004Matt26712888423870308167483,718310 Shaun Alexander2004Griff2381175111511532531290143,620302 Shaun Alexander2005Griff282138822105202921440224,200350 LaDainian Tomlinson2005Rich B2611172174233923031511194,122344 Edgerrin James2005Matt3041347123024213341589133,918327 Larry Johnson2005Griff2211108112222902431337113,620302 LaDainian Tomlinson2006Rich B2571324235147033081794265,108425 Larry Johnson2006Griff3101312133237523421687154,124350 Brian Westbrook2007Robio21699476960442851598113,856321 LaDainian Tomlinson2007Matt2391049115042712891476123,672306 Chris Johnson2009Bob244150993932212831831104,242354 Arian Foster2010Griff2461230135047922961708154,238353 Adrian Peterson2010Robio2331123113333212661455123,630303 LeSean McCoy2011Matt2151134124227732571411153,722310 Adrian Peterson2012Molly23414468361950270164183,702309 DeMarco Murray2014Colby28714278443430331177083,870323 Le'Veon Bell2014Bob24212315716933313192483,678307 David Johnson2016Griff2281005116470442921709154,288357 Ezekiel Elliot2016Don2631285122832212911607133,964330 Todd Gurley2017Matt22393984856332711502113,604300 Todd Gurley2018Marc2331175154647442791649194,468372 Saquon Barkley2018Matt19595487460242691556123,852321 Christian McCaffrey2018Rob M16386358066362431526113,682307
#36 Todd Gurley (Matt) 2017
Points: 3,604 | 300 PPG Matt snagged a struggling Gurley in a 2016 trade with Bob and boy did that decision payoff the following season. Along with the top overall pick, Le’Veon Bell, Matt became the first person to have both 1st-team All-Robio backs in one season. Of the two, Gurley was the better. Through the 12 games he played in our regular season, he nearly had 1,000 yards rushing and thanks to his 563 yards receiving, had hit 1,500 total through 13 weeks. His 11 touchdowns help put him at the 300 points per game mark. Gurley, along with Bell, would help lead Matt to his third career title.
#35 Larry Johnson (Griff) 2005
Points: 3,620 | 302 PPG What’s most amazing about the 2005 season’s performance by Johnson was the fact he wasn’t the starter to begin the year. That would be Priest Holmes. However, Holmes’s season ended in week five and Johnson finally got his first start in week six. Despite being the lead back for just seven games, Johnson finished the year as the fourth best back, earning second-team All-Robio. He had 1,508 total yards and 14 scores in limited playing time. With the league’s top back also in the backfield (Shaun Alexander), Griff easily cruised to first ever Robioland title, after losing in the title game in four of the previous six seasons.
#34 Shaun Alexander (Griff) 2004
Points: 3,620 | 302 PPG One of two appearances that Alexander and Griff make together on this list. Like Tomlinson for Burrier, Alexander was a long-term keeper for Griff, until we passed new laws forbidding such a thing. In 2004, the Seahawks running back was not a pass catching threat, but adjusted to today’s dollars, he rushed for over 1,300 yards and had 16 touchdowns during our regular season. He help lead Griff to 10 wins and the top seed (fourth in scoring). His 428 fantasy points in the semifinals put Griff in the title game for the fourth time in six seasons, although he once again lost, this time to Bob.
#33 Adrian Peterson (Robio) 2010
Points: 3,630 | 303 PPG Surprisingly, despite being the 3rd highest scoring back in league history behind Tomlinson and Frank Gore and earning seven All-Robio awards, Peterson only appears on this list twice. In 2010, Purple Jesus was the first overall pick in the draft (after three seasons with Neatock) and he didn’t disappoint. He finished our regular season with 1,123 yards rushing and 1,455 total yards, scoring 12 times in 12 games played. After suffering through a two-win season in 2009, Peterson led me back onto the path of success. After losing in week one, I would win 14 straight, becoming the first person to finish a regular season 12-1 and first person to win 14-straight. Yet, despite earning the top seed and finishing third in scoring, I couldn’t overcome Bob in the finals, despite Peterson’s solid 272 scored in the title game. Sadly, Peterson in 2010 was the last 300-point back I’ve had on my roster.
#32 Ezekiel Elliot (Bob) 2018
Points: 3,656 | 305 PPG Rebounding a year after serving a six-game suspension, Elliot would end up leading the NFL in rushing for a second time in his career. Bob, who landed Elliot in a trade-deadline deal with Don the previous season, enjoyed his combined 1,572 yards and nine scores. The first-round keeper would finish as a second-team All-Robio back, as 2018 proved to be the rebirth of the 300-point running back. With Elliot leading the way, Bob won another ten games (finishing second) and made his 15th straight trip to the playoffs, although was upset in the quarterfinals by just 21 points (against Neatock).
#31 LaDainian Tomlinson (Matt) 2007
Points: 3,672 | 306 PPG Tomlinson is one of just two players (Edgerrin James) to end up on this list four times. This season was the only one that officially doesn’t fall under the Burrier umbrella. After capping the keepers, Rich decided to trade Tomlinson to me. I, in turn, traded him to Matt, thus Neatock gets the credit. Now before you think, “holy shit, Murray traded another great player away,” realize the player I got in return that year is higher up on this list. Anyhow, this would prove to be Tomlinson’s final season to appear on this list. He rushed for 1,049 yards and caught 50 balls for 427, giving him a total of 1,476 yards. He scored 12 times in his 12 games played, earning a first-team All-Robio award. Of course, most importantly, along side Adrian Peterson, Tomlinson led Neatock to his first ever title. In three postseason games, he rushed for a total of 369 yards and four scores.
#30 Le’Veon Bell (Bob) 2014
Points: 3,678 | 307 PPG One of the most important backs in fantasy since he arrived in Pittsburgh, this is surprisingly Bell’s only appearance on the list. He was one of the first duel-threat running backs, as he dominated in touches. In just 12 games played, Bell got the ball 281 times (thanks to 65 receptions). He finished our regular season with 1,046 yards rushing, 643 yards receiving for a total of 1,689 yards. Yet, he struggled to score, producing only five touchdowns (3 on the ground, 2 through the air). Anyhow, he became Bob’s second career 1st-team All-Robio back, leading what is considered the greatest team in league history. 2014 Bob won 10 games, earning both the top seed and scoring crown and won the championship by a single point over Neatock. His team totaled 25,509 points, which is the most in league history (through 2018). In the quarterfinals, Bell had one of the best playoff games ever, scoring 650 fantasy points (185 rushing, 50 receiving, three touchdowns).
#29 Priest Holmes (Robio) 2001
Points: 3,681| 307 PPG Priest Holmes had been playing since 1997, but was sort of an afterthought…at least until he broke out in 2001, producing one of the greatest three-year runs in league history. In the 14-game regular season we ran back then, Holmes combined 1,764 total yards. Adjusted to our current scoring and season length, Holmes would have produced 1,170 yards rushing, 459 yards receiving for a total of 1,628 yards. He ended up scoring nine touchdowns. With his help, he turned a 0-4 team into a nine-win division winner that lost in the semifinals, despite Holmes producing 144 yards and a touchdown. He finished as the league’s top back, earning his first 1st-team All-Robio award.
#28 Christian McCaffrey (Rob M) 2018
Points: 3,682 | 307 PPG Nobody better represents the new era of running backs like McCaffrey. His production comes nearly equally from the air as it comes from the ground. In fact, of his 3,682 fantasy points on the season, 55% came via rushing, while 45% came via receptions. He ran for 863 yards and caught 80 balls for 663 yards. He scored more passing touchdowns (6) than rushing (5), finishing with 1,526 yards and 11 scores. He earned a second-team All-Robio award, giving Masterson his sixth 1st or 2nd team back in eight seasons. He helped propel Rob to a 8th straight playoff trip, but couldn’t help him over his quarterfinals hiccup, despite the fact the Panthers running back finished with 322 fantasy points.
#27 Adrian Peterson (Molly) 2012
Points: 3,702 | 309 PPG Again, it’s a bit surprising that Peterson is only on this list twice, but it’s even more of a shock knowing this is the best season he produced. Yards-wise, Peterson dominated. In 12 games, he rushed for 1,446 yards, breaking 100 yards in his six final regular season contests. The only knock was his lack of production in the passing game. He caught just 36 balls for 195, finishing with 1,641 yards. He also didn’t score much, finishing with only eight scores. He would led Molly to seven wins and a trip to the playoffs, where she fell in the quarterfinals.
#26 Edgerrin James (Matt) 2004
Points: 3,718 | 310 PPG Mr. James, whose career began the same year Robioland Football got rolling, is tied with Tomlinson for the most appearances on this list. This was version number three. In the offseason, Matt made the daring move to trade away Jamal Lewis for the Edge, despite the fact Lewis was coming off a 2,000-yard rushing season where he averaged what would be 310 points per game for season. The move paid off, as James outscored Lewis by nearly 1,900 points that season, while James earned first-team All-Robio, second best back behind Tiki Barber. Think about that for a moment, Matt had the two best backs in football to begin the 2004 season. Of course, he traded away Tiki after week one and the rest was history. Anyhow, he did not trade James, who delivered 1,395 yards rushing and 1,814 total, although his eight scores were below par. Using today’s math, James combined for 1,674. Unfortunately for Matt, the Barber trade proved to be too much to overcome. Despite having a 1st-team running back, Matt won five games, becoming the first person in league history to have a 300-point back and not make the playoffs.
#25 LeSean McCoy (Matt) 2011
Points: 3,722 | 310 PPPG Just six years after Matt was able to trade for a 300-point back with Calderon, he did it again in 2010 (sort of). That season, Matt shipped off a stud, Aaron Rodgers (a player he couldn’t keep anymore) for McCoy (who could be kept in the 9th round). The previous season, McCoy earned a 3rd-team All-Robio, but in 2011, he turned into the league’s best back, thanks to 1,134 yards rushing and 277 yards receiving, to go along with a league high 15 scores. The 1st-team All-Robio running back was one of four All-Robio players littered on Neatock’s roster and helped him produce the third highest scoring team. Yet, his opponents scored the 3rd most points and Matt could only muster a six-win season and a quarterfinals exit.
#24 Jamal Lewis (Matt) 2003
Points: 3,735 | 311 PPG Trough three seasons of football, Lewis had produced a pair of 1,300 yards rushing seasons, sandwiched around an ACL injury, yet it was still surprising to see Lewis fall to near the bottom of the second round. Good for Matt, bad for everyone else. On route to a 2,000 yard rushing season, the Ravens running back had 1,442 through 14 regular fantasy games, for total of 1,613 yards. He also added up eight scores. Using today’s digits, Lewis would have had 1,489 total yards and seven touchdowns. Oddly enough, 2003 was the “year of the 300-point running back” and despite average 311 per game, that was just good enough to be the 5th best back that year (3rd team All-Robio). With Lewis leading the way, Matt went 7-7 in his first season in Robioland, however, he dropped his last three, including his final game in the quarterfinals, despite Lewis scoring 125 yards rushing. The following season, with keepers finally on board, Matt would trade the 2,000-yard wonder for Edgerrin James
#23 Tiki Barber (Colby) 2004
Points: 3,753 | 313 PPG We all know the history. Matt was negotiating a trade with Colby early in the 2004 season. Matt asked me for my opinion. Instead, I made him an offer and he accepted. Colby whined. I felt bad. I traded him Tiki. The guy I got in return tore his ACL the following week. Both Matt and I missed the playoffs. Colby won the scoring crown and got a running back who would earn an All-Robio the next three seasons. Of course, 2004 was the best of the bunch. In our final 14-game regular season, Tiki rushed for 1,183 yards and totaled 1,679 and 10 scores. In today’s dollar, that was 1,550 total yards and eight scores. With Tiki and Warrick Dunn in his backfield, Colby earned the league scoring title, although won just six games and barely made the playoffs. Unfortunately, despite Tiki’s 114 total yards and touchdown, Colby failed to escape the quarterfinals, becoming the second straight scoring champ with a 300-point per game rusher to not win at least one playoff game. Colby would go on to keep Barber for two more seasons, where he would earn back-to-back 3rd-team All-Robio awards.
#22 Edgerrin James (Robio) 1999
Points: 3,816 | 318 PPG The rookie back out of the University of Miami was ignored in the early part of our draft. In fact, I didn’t draft the local kid gone good until the fifth round (my third running back taken). The pick paid off, as James had nine 100-yard games that year. He finished with 1,311 rushing and 1,787 total, plus 12 scores. With today’s numbers, he would be at 1,650 total yards and 11 scores. James was part of a stacked 1999 team. He became the first rookie to earn a first-team All-Robio award and first rookie to average over 300 points per game. With James and others, I would shake off a 3-3 start to my career and win my final 11, including the championship game against Griff.
#21 Saquon Barkley (Matt) 2018
Points: 3,852 | 321 PPG Because the rule states, whichever team the player ends the season on, shall get whatever rewards that player offers, Matt gets credit for Barkley, even though he didn’t get him until a week 11 dump trade. This is how Matt leads the league with seven of these 300-point backs. If we count any team a player was on, I would dominate with ten on my roster at some point during their great year. Six I finished with, three I traded away and one I cut. Anyhow, enough about me. Barkley had one of the best rookie years ever in Robioland. Through our regular season, he had 954 yards rushing and 602 receiving (on 74 receptions), plus 12 scores. Best yet, after getting swapped to Neatock, Barkley was the best back in football. In his final three games of the regular season, all needed Matt wins, he produced 440 total yards and five scores. The rookie back would become the third rookie back to earn 1st-team All-Robio, helping Matt to become the league’s third back-to-back champion that year.
#20 Brian Westbrook (Robio) 2007
Points: 3,856 | 321 PPG Landing Westbrook was a weird situation. I actually got Burrier to trade me Tomlinson in week nine, then before L.T. even played a game for me, I swapped him for Westbrook and a receiver (who did nothing). In the end, it was a wash, as both Tomlinson and Westbrook earned first-team All-Robio awards. In the end, nothing made any difference. I would lose four of my last five and miss the playoffs, while Matt would go to win the championship. In total, despite missing a game earlier that year, McCoy finished with 1,598 total yards in our regular season (994 rushing, 604 receiving). He scored 11 touchdowns.
#19 DeMarco Murray (Colby) 2014
Points: 3,870 | 323 PPG The previous season, DeMarco had his breakout season, totaling over 1,400 yards in 14 games played. Despite that kind of production, Murray slipped to the 8th overall pick, which so happened to be Colby’s lap. Good for Colby. Murray proved to be the best back in 2014 and by the end of our regular season, he had 1,427 yards rushing and 343 receiving for a total of 1,770 (5th most). He scored eight touchdowns. In total, he would rush for over 100 yards in all but two games. His worst outing was a 180-point effort in week nine. With 1st-team All-Robio Murray leading the way, Colby had his most productive season ever, winning nine games, finishing second in both the standings and scoring. Unfortunately, despite a 516-point day by DeMarco, the rest of Colby’s squad managed only 692 points and he was upset by Griff in the quarterfinals.
#18 Clinton Portis (David) 2003
Points: 3,895 | 325 PPG A second-year back out of Miami, running in the Broncos offense spelled fantasy gold and 2003 was no different. David made Portis the third overall pick and rode him and his 1,452 rushing yards, 1,760 total yards and 12 scores. Adjusted for inflation, he finished with 1,625 yards in today’s stats. Of course, this was 2003, where everyone and their mother was averaging 300 fantasy points per game, so Portis had to settle for a 2nd-team All-Robio award. David would go on to win 8 games that year, but despite Portis scoring 332, Dave’s entire team scored a playoff record low, 568 in a quarterfinals defeat to Griff.
#17 Edgerrin James (Matt) 2005
Points: 3,918 | 327 PPG A year after James average over 300 points per game, Matt decided to bring him back in 2005 and he somehow improved. He would go on to rush for 100 yards in nine of his 12 played games, finishing with 1,347 rushing yards and 242 passing for a total of 1,589 yards. He also bumped his touchdown total from 8 to 12. Despite a 15-point bump in points per game from the previous season where he earn a 1st-team All-Robio, James slipped to 2nd-team in 2005. However, Neatock went from a 5-win team to a division winning 8-win team, that was upset in the quarterfinals, despite James producing 154 total yards in week 14.
#16 Marshall Faulk (Rick) 1999
Points: 3,950 | 329 PPG If this league began back in the early 1990’s, there is little doubt Marshall Faulk would be listed among the elite all-time Robioland Football players. Unfortunately for him, we got the ball rolling in 1999, the last year Faulk was truly a healthy and great back. That season, he was a yards master. Averaging out what he accomplished in a 14-game season to a modern day 13-game regular season, he would have had 1,089 rushing, 664 yards receiving for a total of 1,754. The only thing that held him back a little that season were the lack of touchdowns. He scored just nine that season.
#15 Ezekiel Elliot (Don) 2016
Points: 3,964 | 330 PPG With the first overall pick in the 2016 draft, Don rolled the furry dice and grabbed a rookie back. The decision paid off, as Elliot became the highest scoring rookie back of all-time. After a slow first two, weeks, Elliot would rushed for at least 130 yards in four straight games. For our regular season, he would rush for 1,285, finish with 1,607 yards and 13 scores. He would end the NFL regular season as the league’s top rusher, earning Don just his second career 1st-team All-Robio award at running back. More importantly, Elliot got Don back to the postseason, after a four-year disappearance. He won nine games, before being upset in the quarterfinals.
#14 LaDainian Tomlinson (Rich B) 2003
Points: 3,962 | 330 PPG The 2003 draft proved to be one of the most important in league history, as the following season would be the first year we’d allow keepers. Fortunately for Rich, he had the first overall pick and he picked correctly, landing the Chargers running back. Rich would have him for the next four and a half years, earning a handful of All-Robio awards in the process. However, this 2003 campaign proved to be the most fruitful of the bunch. Based on today’s dollars, Tomlinson would have rushed for 1,163 yards and caught 513 worth of balls for a total of 1,676. He ended up scoring 11 touchdowns in our regular season. He would earn his second career 1st-team All-Robio award, second only to Priest Holmes. More importantly, along with 1st-team quarterback, Peyton Manning, he would lead the way for Burrier to win eight games and win the toughest division ever in fantasy, plus the championship. In that title game win over Griff, Tomlinson would score a team high 562 (640 in today’s points), as Rich became the only person to break 2,000 in a championship game.
#13 Edgerrin James (Robio) 2000
Points: 3,990 | 333 PPG James 1999 rookie campaign was good. His 2000 showing was even better. With no keepers yet in the league, I drafted James with my first pick and never looked back. He rushed for 1,358 yards and totaled 1,821, scoring 14 touchdowns. He only had six 100-yard games, but he did have one magical one in week seven, when he scored what would be 636 in today’s points (thanks to 219 yards rushing and three scores). Overall, in today’s stats, he would have had 1,681 and 13 scores. He earned a second straight 1st-team All-Robio award and once again led me to a divisional crown, 10 wins and a championship victory over Griff. In that title game, James would finish with 207 yards and a score.
#12 Ahman Green (Rich C) 2003
Points: 4,002| 334 PPG In 2003, rookie Rich Calderon rallied from a 1-5 start and became the first 8-seed to pull off the dramatic 8 vs 1 quarterfinals upset. It helped that he had one of the best backs in football. Oddly enough, Green actually finished 2nd-team All-Robio that year, but if we did scoring like we do now (without subtracting for touches), he would have finished ahead of Tomlinson on the 1st-team. Anyhow, Green rushed for an astonishingly solid 113 yards per game, while also catching nearly 50 balls for 27 yards per game. He also scored 15 touchdowns on the year, earning his second career All-Robio award.
#11 Ricky Williams (Justin A) 2002
Points: 4,008 | 334 PPG After abandoning the Saints, Williams dominated in Miami during the 2002 season. He rushed for 1,284 yards in our 14-game regular season, scoring a total of 15 touchdowns. If we adjust his stats to today’s standards, he rushed for 1,394, caught 277 yards worth of balls and finished with 1,661 yards. In Justin Acerno’s only season in the league, Ricky led him to 8 wins and he personally stole the scoring title from me in the season’s final week. Williams scored 490 fantasy points, giving Acerno 1,990 in a week 14 win, passing me in total points by just 134. The following week, Williams would again rush for 100 yards (a fifth straight game), but Justin would fall to Griff in the quarterfinals.
#10 LaDainian Tomlinson (Rich B) 2005
Points: 4,122 | 344 PPG After a down year in 2004, Tomlinson rebounded nicely in 2005, breaking the 4,000-point mark for the first time. While his yard stats were typical Tomlinson, 1,172 rushing, 339 receiving, 1,511 total, he exploded for 19 scores in 12 contests played, which put him at another level. He earned a third career 1st-team All-Robio award, finishing second in running back points only to League MVP, Shaun Alexander. He led Rich to another 8-win season, a third straight division title, although in the quarterfinals, L.T. was held to just 106 fantasy points and for the second straight season, Rich’s playoff run ended after one game.
#9 Larry Johnson (Griff) 2006
Points: 4,194 | 350 PPG With Priest Holmes retired, the Chiefs backfield belong to Johnson and the coaching staff was sure to use him. In just 12 games through our 13-week regular season, Johnson was given 366 touches, which he turned into 1,811 yards and 15 scores. He earned his first and only 1st-team All-Robio award, finishing behind only Tomlinson in running back points. Unfortunately for Griff, a great back didn’t secure success. The defending champ won only seven games and lost in the quarterfinals to me.
#8 Shaun Alexander (Griff) 2005
Points: 4,200 | 350 PPG While Neatock may have the most 300 PPG rushers in league history, no one has more at the top than Griff. Beginning with Alexander here, Coomer has three of the top eight on this list. He is also the only person to have two 300-point running backs in the same season (Larry Johnson was the other). Anyhow, Alexander makes his second appearance, after averaging 302 PPG the season before. The Seahawks back rushed for 1,388 yards in his 12 games, scoring a stunning 22 touchdowns. He would help finally bring that elusive title to Griff, rushing for 419 yards and four scores in the 2005 postseason.
#7 Arian Foster (Griff) 2010
Points: 4,238 | 353 PPG After a forgotten rookie campaign, Griff used a 10th round pick to grab what was believed to be the Texans backup running back. Well, thanks to injuries to others, Foster was thrusted into the starting role and never looked back. He dominate that season with 1,230 yards rushing in 12 games, adding another 479 receiving for a total of 1,709 yards in our regular season. He scored 15 touchdowns as well, as he earned a 1st-team All-Robio award as the league’s top back in 2010, leading Griff to a 9-win season. In the quarterfinals, Foster showed up with 125 total yards (202 fantasy points), but he was the only one. His 202 points accounted for 29% of Griff’s record low 690 points score in a quarterfinals defeat to Bob.
#6 Chris Johnson (Bob) 2009
Points: 4242 | 354 PPG In 2008, Bob drafted the speedy rookie in the 7th round and it eventually paid off, as he finished 10th among all backs. However, his sophomore campaign proved to be unlike any other. In just 12 games played through our 13-game regular season, Johnson broke the record for most rushing yards (1,509) and finished third in total yards (1,831). His yards alone accounted for 3,662 fantasy points. The only thing keeping him from the top of the list was the lack of scores. He finished with just ten. Johnson would end up finishing the season as the top back and 1st-team All-Robio winner, leading Bob to 8 wins and a divisional crown, finishing second to Neatock in scoring. However, despite 179 yards and a touchdown in week 15 of the NFL season, Bob failed to get by Griff in the semifinals.
#5 David Johnson (Griff) 2016
Points: 4,288 | 357 PPG The fourth of four players that at one point belong to me, but ended up in the hands of someone else. However, unlike the previous three that were the result of trades, Griff got Johnson after I cut him in week eight the previous season. The next week, he was declared the starter, Griff got him off the wire and won the 2015 championship. In 2016, Johnson continued what he started the year before. In our regular season, D.J. rushed for over 1,000 yards and combined for 1,830 yards in just 12 games played. His 704 yards receiving is the most ever by a back on this list. He added 15 touchdowns as well. He finished the 2016 as the best back in football, but thanks to an injury to Adrian Peterson, Griff was never able to ride Johnson’s stats to a repeat title. In fact, he managed to win just four games and missed the playoffs.
#4 Priest Holmes (Rob M) 2003
Points: 4,363 | 364 PPG Despite coming off a season where he finished as the top back in fantasy, Holmes was traded to the Chiefs and slipped to the fourth overall pick in our league draft. Winner: Masterson. Holmes dominated, producing 1,221 yards rushing and 1,813 total yards in 13 games played. He also scored 19 touchdowns (all on the ground). Adjusted to today’s totals, he would have had 1,127 yards rushing, 546 receiving for a total of 1,674 and 18 scores. With his production, Masterson was able to win seven and get back to the postseason. In the quarterfinals, Holmes scored three touchdowns and finished with 406 fantasy points, helping Rob break a scoring record (2,501) that would stand for over a decade and a half.
#3 Todd Gurley (Marc) 2018
Points: 4,468 | 372 PPG 2018’s first overall pick was the most important reason Pattini went from a three-win team to a 10-win team. The Rams star running back rushed for 100 yards six times, totaling 1,175 in our regular season. Add in his receiving yards and he finished with 1,649, plus 19 touchdowns. He led Marc to his first and only top-seed. Unfortunately, Gurley’s knee turned to jello and he would be unavailable in the semifinals, where Marc lost to eventual champ, Neatock.
#2 LaDainian Tomlinson (Rich B) 2006
Points: 5,108 | 425 PPG Between 2002-2007, no running back was better than Tomlinson and it was Burrier who got to enjoy most of that success. He drafted and kept him in 2003 and didn’t let him go until a trade in 2007 (after passing a three-year limit on keepers). In that time, he wrapped up four more 1st-team All-Robio awards (five in total is a record for a RB). The best of that bunch was his 2006 season. In 13 games, Tomlinson finished with 1,794 total yards and was the last running back to rush for 30 touchdowns in our fantasy regular season. Those scores accounted for 35% of Tomlinson’s 5,108 fantasy points (in today’s dollars). With L.T. leading the way, Burrier would have his best regular season ever. He won 10 games, earning the two-seed and finishing 5th in scoring. Tomlinson would account for 27% of all of Rich’s points that year. Unfortunately, despite rushing for 103 yards and three touchdowns, scoring 346 fantasy points in the quarterfinals, Burrier managed only 917 points and was upset by Masterson.
#1 Priest Holmes (Robio) 2002
Points: 5,176 | 431 PPG
During one three-year period, there was nothing better than having a Priest on your roster and 2002 was the best of the bunch. That season for the Browns, he averaged 115 yards rushing per contest, caught another 48 and scored 24 touchdowns in his first 13 games. Adjusted for today’s stats, he would have 1,342 yards rushing, 600 receiving for a stunning total of 1,942 yards and a tick over 22 touchdowns. Unfortunately for Holmes, he got hurt in the quarterfinals and failed to play in a championship game for me. Luckily, I had his handcuff and William Green dominated, leading me to my third career title.
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