Let’s have some fun with numbers today. Let’s look at who the highest point scorer is for each position (QB, RB, WR, TE) and see which active player is nearest from catching that leader and who has a realistic shot to catch the top dog.
These stats do not include this season’s stats.
QUARTERBACK
LEADER…
Tom Brady – 76,678 fantasy points
Brady has basically been in this league since the beginning. His first stat line was eight fantasy points back in 2000 (we began in 1999). However, he didn’t really become a viable fantasy QB until the 2009 season when he scored 4,142 points. In total, he played 23 unbelievable seasons. He finished with seven All-Robio awards, including two 1st-team awards, three 2nd-team awards and a pair of 3rd-team awards.
NEXT UP…
Aaron Rodgers – 56,668 fantasy points
Everyone’s favorite “I read it on the Internet” uncle is 20,000 points shy, but is out for the year and 39 years old. If he comes back and averages 3,500 for five and a half years, he could catch Brady. I don’t see that happening. I don’t even think he catches Drew Brees (66,486) or Peyton Manning (64,387).
WHAT ABOUT…
Patrick Mahomes – 22,184 fantasy points
The Chiefs QB has averaged 4,437 fantasy points per season through five seasons as a starter. He’s already the 30th highest point scoring quarterback in league history. Still, he needs 54,494 points to catch Brady. If he continues at this current pace, it would take him 12 years to catch Tommy. However, assuming he averages 4,400 per year is asking a lot. So, if he plays 15 more years, he needs to average around 3,600 fantasy points per season. One advantage he’ll have…one extra game per year now.
RUNNING BACKS
LEADER…
LaDainian Tomlinson – 30,748 fantasy points
In 11 seasons, Tomlinson topped 2,000 every year but once and scored a stunning 4,492 points in the 2006 season. He earned six total All-Robio awards, including a record for a running back, five 1st-team All-Robio awards.
NEXT UP…
Ezekiel Elliot – 20,374 fantasy points
Elliot is currently the 7th highest scoring back in fantasy history, thanks to four All-Robio seasons in his first five years. However, he hasn’t broken 3,000 since 2019 and he’s now a backup in New England. Thus, him scoring another 10,000 points is very unlikely.
WHAT ABOUT…
Christian McCaffrey – 16,428 fantasy points
He suffered some injuries early on, but he’s only 28 years old and is probably going to finish 2023 with over 4,000 fantasy points, assuming his current injury doesn’t cost him a ton of time. He entered the season down a little over 14,000 to LT. If he gets 4K this year, that means he needs just 10,000 to catch Tomlinson. If he played five more years after this season, he just needs to average 2,000 per season. Barring injuries, that seems doable.
WIDE RECEIVER
LEADER…
Larry Fitzgerald – 29,496 fantasy points
The Cardinals receiver was always a good receiver, borderline great. During his 17-year campaign, he never earned a first-team All-Robio award, settling for one 2nd-team award and one 3rd-team award. However, he scored at least 1,300 for 16 straight years, until he failed to do it in his final season in 2020.
NEXT UP…
DeAndre Hopkins – 21,020 fantasy points
The former Texans, Cardinals and now Titans receiver has played for 10 seasons. Like Fitzgerald, he’s not swimming in All-Robio awards. He has three, which includes one first-team award in 2017. However, in his ten seasons, he has scored at least 1,100 in each season. He’s now 31 years old and is on pace to score 1,860 this season. If he can do that for almost five more years, then he can pass Fitzgerald.
WHAT ABOUT…
Justin Jefferson – 9,098 fantasy points
Sure, he’s 20,000 points behind Fitzgerald, but in his first three seasons in football, Jefferson has averaged over 3,000 per season. He is one of two people to have back-to-back 3,000 fantasy points seasons (Antonio Brown was the other) and was on pace to do it three years in a row before getting hurt and maybe missing out on becoming the first person to do that.
TIGHT END
LEADER…
Tony Gonzalez – 25,418
The former Chiefs/Falcons tight end was the best ever, outsourcing Antonio Gates by over 3,000 fantasy points in his 16-year fantasy career. He produced a record for any position with 10 career All-Robio awards, including five 1st-team All-Robio awards, four 2nd-team awards and a 3rd-team award.
NEXT UP…
Travis Kelce – 19,340
The current Chiefs tight end is in his 10th season and is already the fourth highest scoring tight end in league history behind Gonzalez, Gates and Witten. His five 1st-team All-Robio awards is already tied with Gonzalez for most by a TE. Despite missing week one, he’s already back to being the highest scoring tight end this season, although his 174 per game is far below his average the past few years. If we add in his 872 from this season, he’s only 5,206 points behind Gonzalez. Considering he’s on pace to average 2,000 again this year for the seventh straight season, he could break the record in under three years. The question is, at 33 years old, will he play three more seasons?
WHAT ABOUT…
Well, there really isn’t anyone next in line. Zach Ertiz is next in line among active players and he’s 13,000 points behind Gonzalez and is 94 years old. Perhaps Mark Andrews who had scored 7,862 points in his five-years prior to 2023. However, he has broken 2,000 in a season just once, so dude needs to pick up the pace.