Top 5 Super Bowl Fantasy Performances Ever
The Super Bowl is the obviously the biggest stage in football, with the league’s top two teams battling for the Lombardi Trophy. Even though the popularity of fantasy football is recent, it is interesting to analyze the best individual fantasy performances in Super Bowl history. One might think that a top 5 list would consist solely of quarterbacks, but that isn’t the case. Four of the five players on the list are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, setting NFL records during dominant Super Bowl performances. Without further ado, here are the top 5 Super Bowl fantasy performances of all time.
5. Timmy Smith, RB, Washington Redskins
Super Bowl XXII
Statistics: 22 rushes, 204 yards (rushing), 2 TD
1 reception, 9 yards (receiving)
Fantasy (standard): 33.3 points
The only running back on this list, Timmy Smith, was called upon for his first career start in Super Bowl XXII against the Denver Broncos. He turned in the best performance of his career, with over 200 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, leading the Redskins to their second Super Bowl ring in a 42-10 win. Smith’s appearance on this list as the top fantasy running back in Super Bowl history is surprising considering that he averaged 3.38 YPC for the rest of his career and only recorded 3 other touchdowns. Due to off-the-field issues, this game was his only significant achievement in professional football. He finished the game with 33.3 fantasy points and to this day holds the rushing yard record for the Super Bowl.
4. Joe Montana, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XXIV
Statistics: 22/29 (passing), 297 yards (passing), 5 TD
15 yards (rushing)
Fantasy: 33.4 points
Montana is viewed as one of the best quarterbacks of all time, in large part due to his clutch Super Bowl performances. In the Superdome in 1990, he set the single-game Super Bowl record for passing touchdowns en route to a 55-10 victory over the Denver Broncos. His record would be broken five years later by Steve Young, but the performance was still memorable, as not many quarterbacks today would be able to throw for five touchdowns on only 29 attempts. For comparison, it took Ben Roethlisberger 58 attempts to throw five touchdowns against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2017 divisional round. Montana’s 75.86% completion percentage in this game currently stacks up as the 3rd best super bowl completion percentage of all time.
3. Jerry Rice, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XXIX
Statistics: 10 receptions, 149 yards (receiving), 3 TD
10 yards (rushing)
Fantasy: 33.9 points
Jerry Rice is the only wide receiver on this list, which is no surprise for the G.O.A.T. who displayed unparalleled skill and athleticism every time he took the field. Super Bowl XXIX was no exception as he caught three touchdowns in a Super Bowl for the second time in his career, and Rice remains the only wide receiver to catch three touchdowns in a single Super Bowl game. Jerry Rice consistently performed at the highest level on the NFL’s biggest stage, holding 3 of the 4 best fantasy performances by a WR in history. In a high-scoring affair against the San Diego Chargers, Rice hauled in 10 passes from Steve Young on the duo’s way to a 49-26 win. In PPR leagues, this performance stands as the best fantasy performance by any position in the Super Bowl.
2. Joe Montana, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XIX
Statistics: 24/35 (passing), 331 yards (passing), 3 TD
59 yards (rushing), 1 TD
Fantasy: 37.1 points
As the only player to show up multiple times on this list, Joe Montana’s Super Bowl dominance both statistically (3x Super Bowl MVP) and in the results (4 wins, 0 losses) provides legitimacy to the argument that he was the best quarterback of all time. His dominance in the Super Bowl is further shown by the fact that he owns the best career passer rating (127.8) in the Super Bowl out of all QBs in history. In the first Super Bowl in which both quarterbacks threw for over 300 yards (Montana and Dan Marino), the 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins handedly 38-16. Montana also broke off some solid runs in this game, padding his fantasy stats with 11.9 points from rushing alone.
1. Steve Young, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XXIX
Statistics: 24/36 (passing), 325 yards (passing), 6 TD
49 yards (rushing)
Fantasy: 41.9 points
Steve Young ran away with first place by turning in 41.9 fantasy points in Super Bowl XXIX in the aforementioned matchup against the Chargers. The 49ers were 18.5 point favorites in the game, so it was no surprise that Young torched the San Diego defense for a Super Bowl record six passing touchdowns. While Young will always be seen as the apprentice to Montana, Young beat Montana at what Montana was best at: performing in the Super Bowl, breaking Montana’s previous record of 5 passing touchdowns in the game. Even though the NFL is currently more of a pass-heavy league than it was in the 1990s, it would be surprising to see a quarterback in the near future to break Young’s record.
Edited by Eric Olaya and Ben Schragger