As we bid farewell to one of the most interesting (not to mention challenging) fantasy football seasons of all-time, it is as good a time as any to revisit the most incredible performances of 2020, many of which either helped guide us to victory or sent us careening into the trench of defeat.

Without any further delay, here are the top 50 fantasy efforts of the year (full PPR scoring, excluding Week 17):

50. RB Myles Gaskin (MIA), Week 16 (at Raiders)

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Gaskin returned from injury and led his fantasy managers to glory by becoming the answer to the trivia question: Who was the only player during the 2020 fantasy season with 80+ rushing and 80+ receiving yards in the same game? Throw in a pair of receiving touchdowns, and Gaskin became an instant – and unexpected – league winner.

49. WR Davante Adams (GB), Week 13 (vs. Eagles)

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Imagine putting together one of the 50 best games of the fantasy football season, and still having it feel routine. Adams hauled in double-digit receptions for the fourth time in 2020 against the Eagles, while recording his fifth 100-yard game and scoring at least one touchdown for the seventh consecutive outing. Simply unbelievable.

48. WR Keenan Allen (LAC), Week 11 (vs. Jets)

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Allen was the ultimate volume play in the Chargers’ Week 11 drubbing of the visiting Jets, turning 19 targets into a season high in catches and receiving yards. His score was the fourth in a stretch of five consecutive games with at least one touchdown, solidifying Allen as one of the most consistent wide receivers in fantasy this season.

47. QB Josh Allen (BUF), Week 2 (at Dolphins)

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This was the performance that showed fantasy managers that 2020 was going to be a vastly different season for Allen and the Bills’ offense. Allen’s new career high in passing yards came with just four rush attempts, but was plenty enough to land him a primo spot on this list – and as you might have guessed, it’s not his only appearance.

46. QB Cam Newton (NE), Week 2 (at Seahawks)

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It was a truly bizarre season for Newton in New England. He finished the year with more rushing touchdowns than passing scores, which makes his entry on this list appropriate. Despite throwing for nearly 11 times more yards than he gained on the ground, it was his two end-zone rushes that ultimately provided the difference-making fantasy points.

45. RB Alvin Kamara (NO), Week 10 (vs. 49ers)

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Kamara might be the only running back in the league who could make a list like this with only eight carries for 15 yards. Kamara’s fourth multi-touchdown game of the season was bittersweet for managers who were given one more taste of fantasy glory before the Drew Brees Era gave way to the Taysom Hill Experience.

44. RB Rex Burkhead (NE), Week 3 (vs. Raiders)

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In a banner fantasy football showing that almost nobody in the fantasy community actually benefited from, Burkhead stunned the world with a 98-yard, three-touchdown showing on just 13 touches. You probably know what happens next: Millions of FAAB dollars are subsequently spent, and Burkhead goes the next four games without a TD.

43. QB Lamar Jackson (BAL), Week 14 (at Browns)

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Ravens fans and fantasy managers didn’t get anything close to an MVP repeat from Jackson in 2020, but he proved in the opening round of the fantasy playoffs that he can still single-handedly swing a matchup. Jackson did the majority of his damage with his legs, helping Baltimore prevail despite his now-famous run to the locker room.

42. WR Will Fuller (HOU), Week 12 (at Lions)

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Prior to a six-game suspension that rendered him completely valueless from a fantasy perspective, Fuller gave his managers one more reason to smile while destroying the Detroit secondary in front of a national audience. Fuller became just the fourth player in NFL history to record 170+ receiving yards and multiple touchdowns on Thanksgiving.

41. WR Corey Davis (TEN), Week 13 (vs. Browns)

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While A.J. Brown and Derrick Henry soaked up most of the adulation among fantasy managers, Davis quietly had a sensational 2020 for the Titans – and he was positively dominant in a Week 13 slugfest with the Browns. This game produced plenty of fantasy output (including seven passing TDs from the two QBs), but Davis shone brightest.

Click here for the 2020 fantasy expert accuracy rankings

40. RB Josh Jacobs (LV), Week 1 (at Panthers)

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It took no time at all for Jacobs’ fantasy managers to declare triumphant victory in 2020 after their RB1 handed the Carolina defense a big-time L. Jacobs ran in a short TD in the opening quarter and added rushing scores in the third and fourth quarters for his first career three-touchdown game (and the super-early fantasy MVP crown).

39. QB Josh Allen (BUF), Week 9 (vs. Seahawks)

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The Bills went into the matchup with Seattle knowing full well that the Seahawks had struggled mightily in pass defense – and Allen took full advantage, lightning up Pete Carroll’s crew en route to the best passing performance of his career. And because it’s Josh Allen, he also added a rushing touchdown for good measure.

38. RB Derrick Henry (TEN), Week 12 (at Jaguars)

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You draft Derrick Henry not to dominate the regular season (which you might still do with a player of his caliber), but to wreak havoc in the postseason. And that’s just what Henry did in the opening week of the fantasy playoffs, humbling the Jaguars en route to yet another late-season 200-yard performance that sent the majority of his managers into the semifinals – and, as expected, most of his opponents packing.

37. QB Patrick Mahomes (KC), Week 8 (vs. Jets)

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Who needs rushing yards when you can move … and shake … like this? (Jon Lovitz “Wedding Singer” reference alert) Mahomes took what might have been the easiest matchup of his career and turned it into a stat parade, victimizing the Jets en route to his third career game with five or more touchdowns (and his first since 2018).

36. RB Antonio Gibson (WAS), Week 12 (at Cowboys)

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When it comes to making your name on the national stage, you can’t do much better than torching the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day. That’s just what Gibson did, rumbling for three touchdowns (two of which came on impressive runs of 23 and 37 yards, respectively) while leading the Football Team to a stunningly one-sided victory.

35. QB Russell Wilson (SEA), Week 3 (vs. Cowboys)

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This was Russell Wilson in peak form (which, as we all know, lasted several weeks and moved him temporarily to the top of the MVP conversation). Wilson cooked up a buffet of touchdown passes (including three to Tyler Lockett) against a suspect Dallas defense; just imagine how much better this line would look with his usual compliment of rushes.

34. QB Tom Brady (TB), Week 7 (at Raiders)

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The old guy’s still got it – or at least, he did in this Week 7 gem in Las Vegas. Brady was at his ruthless best in this one, and added a little extra on two fronts: he had a one-yard TD scamper to give his fantasy managers a nice six-point bonus, and his four TD passes moved him past Drew Brees on the all-time list (not worth any points, but still cool).

33. WR Tyler Lockett (SEA), Week 3 (vs. Cowboys)

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Before Lockett tore the Arizona Cardinals to ribbons en route to one of the biggest fantasy performances of 2020, he had a pretty awesome showing in its own right against Dallas. Lockett had a pair of one-yard TD receptions and a 43-yard scoring catch to record the first-three touchdown game of his career. As you’ll see, he wouldn’t stay at one for long.

32. QB Ryan Tannehill (TEN), Week 15 (vs. Lions)

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Why let Derrick Henry have all the fun? Tannehill had himself a day to remember in the fantasy playoff semifinals, passing for three scores and rushing for two more en route to one of the highest quarterback tallies of the season. Henry managers still made out okay; their guy went for 152 total yards and a TD.

31. QB Kyler Murray (ARI), Week 7 (vs. Seahawks)

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It is only fitting that one of the most entertaining games of the season produced multiple entries on the list (the Lockett game appears much, much later). Murray was simply sensational in the first meeting of the season between these NFC West rivals, leading Arizona all the way back from a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit.

 

30. RB Christian McCaffrey (CAR), Week 9 (at Chiefs)

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The lack of CMC on this list just doesn’t seem right – but when the consensus No. 1 pick was actually healthy, he smashed opposing defenses. McCaffrey turned a whopping 28 touches into 151 yards and two scores in a narrow 33-31 loss to powerhouse Kansas City; that was the last time CMC saw the field in 2020.

29. QB Dak Prescott (DAL), Week 4 (vs. Browns)

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Most quarterbacks with this many fantasy points had to do at least a little running to get there. But not Dak, who dialed up an old-school-style pass-fest en route to a spot in the 500-yard plateau. Even more impressively, this showing helped him become the only quarterback in league history with 450+ passing yards in three straight games.

28. QB Josh Allen (BUF), Week 15 (at Broncos)

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Allen put a tidy cap on what might just be the most incredible Year-2-to-Year-3 jump by a quarterback in the history of football, trouncing Denver to help secure Buffalo’s first AFC East title in 25 years. His effort also won the day for most of his fantasy managers, as he had a hand in four touchdowns in a dominant 48-19 victory.

27. QB Jalen Hurts (PHI), Week 15 (at Cardinals)

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If Hurts’ impressive showing in Week 14 didn’t spell the end of the Carson Wentz era in Philadelphia, the Week 15 follow-up almost certainly did. Hurts did it all in a hard-fought loss to Arizona, shredding the Cardinals’ defense while looking an awful lot like the guys on either side of him on this list.

26. QB Kyler Murray (ARI), Week 9 (vs. Dolphins)

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Murray owns the distinction of having scored the most fantasy points of any quarterback in a losing effort, accounting for 389 total yards and four touchdowns in a loss to Miami. The 106 rushing yards ended up being a season high for Murray, while the rushing TD was his eighth in eight games; he would add two more the following week.

25. RB Alvin Kamara (NO), Week 2 (at Raiders)

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Kamara wasted no time seizing the mantel as “No. 1 fantasy running back” from the injured Christian McCaffrey, making a significant splash both on the ground and through the air against the host Raiders. He would follow it up with an even better game in Week 3 (more on that later) – yet strangely, the Saints lost both games.

24. WR Odell Beckham Jr. (CLE), Week 4 (at Cowboys)

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It hardly seems fair for a team that employs both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt to turn its No. 1 receiver into a de facto rushing threat, as well. But Odell did his best Eric Dickerson impression in that Week 4 win over Dallas, and wasn’t half-bad as a receiver, as well. It’ll be interesting to see how fantasy managers value him in 2021 drafts.

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23. QB Justin Herbert (LAC), Week 7 (vs. Jaguars)

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Herbert went from fantasy afterthought at draft time to one of the most impressive first-year players in the past several years – and this was his crowning achievement. Even though it came against a weakened Jacksonville defense, for any rookie to go for nearly 350 and 3 while adding 66 rushing yards and a score is an incredible accomplishment.

22. RB Derrick Henry (TEN), Week 12 (at Colts)

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Henry did his fantasy managers a real solid in this late-November gem, racking up the overwhelming majority of his fantasy points before the half. And that gives us a great opportunity to offer a handy tip to anyone who gets 30 first-half fantasy points from a player and clamors for more: Don’t be greedy. The fantasy gods are always watching.

21. RB Dalvin Cook (MIN), Week 9 (vs. Lions)

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Hot on the heels of a truly memorable fantasy showing (more on that game a little later), a fired-up Cook carried over all of that momentum and used it to crush the Detroit run defense like a spider. His 369 rushing yards and five touchdowns in a two-game span is one of the most impressive achievements in football history.

Check out the complete list of fantasy scoring leaders here

20. WR Justin Jefferson (MIN), Week 6 (vs. Falcons)

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Now that’s how you break onto the NFL scene. Just six games into his professional career, Jefferson capitalized on the Falcons’ lowly pass defense to put up the fourth-most receiving yards of any rookie since 2015. He actually had more yards in the other game he has on this list, but scored just one touchdown in that one.

19. QB Dak Prescott (DAL), Week 2 (vs. Falcons)

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It feels like three years ago that fantasy football managers watched Prescott humble the Falcons both through the air and on the ground. It’s one of the strangest stat lines you’ll see on this list (a whole lot of passing yards but only one TD; a paltry 18 rushing yards but THREE scores) – but points are points, and Dak’s managers certainly didn’t complain.

18. QB Patrick Mahomes (KC), Week 3 (at Ravens)

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It’s the least surprising development of 2020: Mahomes has the top single-game fantasy performance of any quarterback in the league, tearing the once-vaunted Baltimore defense to shreds though the air while adding a rushing touchdown for good measure. It’s a safe bet he’ll be back on top of the quarterback fantasy draft rankings in 2021.

17. WR D.K. Metcalf (SEA), Week 8 (vs. 49ers)

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Is Metcalf the wide receiver version of Derrick Henry? It’s hard to argue with that logic based not only on his incredible physique, but in the way he punishes opposing defenses. The undermanned 49ers found that out the hard way in Week 8, as Metcalf put up a 40-burger with ease and even earned plaudits from LeBron James after the game.

16. WR Mike Evans (TB), Week 16 (at Lions)

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When he busts, he busts big – but when Evans is on, he can win fantasy matchups by himself. And that’s just what happened during Championship Week, when Evans led an evisceration of lowly Detroit with a season-high in catches and receiving yards. He finished the fantasy season with a career-high 13 receiving scores.

15. TE George Kittle (SF), Week 4 (vs. Eagles)

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Kittle’s 2020 season was lamentably short, but it still produced its fair share of highlights – none bigger than the complete evisceration of the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4. Kittle not only hauled in 15 of his 16 targets for the highest yardage total by any tight end this season, he added an eight-yard run to push his fantasy total north of 40 points.

14. RB Derrick Henry (TEN), Week 6 (vs. Texans)

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In a season featuring plenty of end-zone filling and defender trucking, two things stand out about this Henry performance: He established a season high in rushing yards (on just 22 carries, no less), and a surprisingly stout receiving line that added seven points to his PPR total. This line won a lot of matchups in Week 6.

13. WR Stefon Diggs (BUF), Week 16 (at Patriots)

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Long-awaited smash game for one of the league’s most consistent receiver in 2020? Check. Huge performance in a game against a hated divisional rival? Check. Week 16 masterpiece to help trailing managers rally for a Monday win in their title game? Check. This stat line might have pleased more people than any other this year.

12. WR Davante Adams (GB), Week 1 (at Vikings)

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There has to be something wholly satisfying for a player who absolutely destroys a divisional rival – at least, that’s how we hope Adams responded to his Week 1 reception party vs. the Vikings. Minnesota has done well to limit Adams to 799 yards in 13 career meetings, but those 10 touchdowns he has scored against them have to hurt.

11. RB Joe Mixon (CIN), Week 4 (vs. Jaguars)

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Injuries derailed Mixon’s season, but not before he put up one of the most outstanding running back performances of the fantasy season. He showed impressive burst on both of his third-quarter touchdown runs while hauling in all six of his targets and adding a receiving score. This game alone might earn him a first-round draft slot next season.

 

10. WR Chase Claypool (PIT), Week 5 (vs. Eagles)

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In a 2020 season that was full of incredible rookie performances, Claypool’s was the capper. Not only did the towering receiver haul in a trio of touchdowns, he added a rushing score to join Dalvin Cook as the only player with four touchdowns in a game. Claypool went on to record 10 touchdowns over his first 10 NFL games.

9. WR Davante Adams (GB), Week 16 (vs. Titans)

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As one of only two players to appear in the top-10 more than once (not really a spoiler alert, since we all know he’s pretty, pretty good), Adams has proven his worthiness of the top pick at WR in next year’s drafts. And this showing was the most pivotal of all, as it likely led thousands of fantasy managers to championships.

8. WR Davante Adams (GB), Week 7 (at Texans)

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Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers made no secret of his game plan in this one, directing nearly half of his 34 total pass attempts Adams’ way. The result: a massive stat line for Green Bay’s star receiver, and the second of three 150-yard performances he enjoyed over his first six games of the season.

7. RB Alvin Kamara (NO), Week 3 (vs. Packers)

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Before and after Taysom Hill turned him into a middling RB2, Kamara was the hottest ticket in fantasy – and his best work came in Week 3 against the visiting Packers. He caught nearly everything thrown his way en route to a season-high in receiving yards. Kamara had plenty of huge weeks in the first half of the season, but this was his biggest of all.

6. TE Darren Waller (LV), Week 13 (at Jets)

It was a dismal year for the tight end position, but Waller gave his managers a wonderful present on the final week of the fantasy regular season. Facing a Jets team motivated only by the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft, Waller was a one-man wrecking crew en route to the sixth-highest receiving total in history (and the No. 6 PPR showing) by a tight end.

5. RB Aaron Jones (GB), Week 2 (vs. Lions)

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For Jones to have done this on fewer than 20 carries is rather impressive. Even more incredibly, he had just two more 100-yard games the rest of the way, while finishing the fantasy season with just two receiving scores. This was truly a lightning-in-a-bottle game for Jones, even given his status as a top-end fantasy running back.

4. RB Dalvin Cook (MIN), Week 8 (at Packers)

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Heading into the final week of the season, the best fantasy game by a running back in 2020 was courtesy of the insanely talented Cook, whose two-game stretch between Weeks 8 and 9 made life positively wonderful for his fantasy managers – and downright miserable for his opponents, many of whom lost solely because they were facing Cook those weeks.

3. WR Tyler Lockett (SEA), Week 7 (at Cardinals) 

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The hot-and-cold Lockett saved his best work for lucky Week 7, tearing the Cardinals’ secondary to ribbons en route to the No. 3 performance of the entire 2020 fantasy football season. And if you like all the round numbers in this stat line, let’s throw in the fact that he saw exactly 20 targets in the game (tied for the most of any player this season).

2. RB Alvin Kamara (NO), Week 16 (vs. MIN)

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Kamara’s Week 16 touchdown spree will go down as one of the greatest performances in fantasy playoff history. The six touchdowns tied an NFL record, and with the game having been played on a Friday, those who had Kamara in their lineups could breathe a whole lot easier the rest of the weekend.

1. WR Tyreek Hill (KC), Week 12 (at Buccaneers)

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When you rack up more than 200 receiving yards in the first quarter alone, you’re in for a special day. That is just what Hill had, posting the highest fantasy total by any player in seven years. Hill is one of the most explosive receivers in history when healthy, and should be one of the top WRs off the board in 2021.

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