One of my favorite tweets ever comes from E.M. Hudson back on July 14, 2021:
The man is right: Naming old sports players is objectively a fun time.
This is especially true in fantasy football land, where past championship memories tend to focus on outlier late-round gems or timely waiver wire signings. The more random and obscure, the better (at least for whichever lucky manager reaped the rewards).
Today’s goal: Who are the greatest and most obscure fantasy football one-hit wonders?
This will be a mix of players who balled out for at least one game and up to a full season, but ultimately couldn’t keep up the newfound sky-high fantasy expectations during the rest of their careers for one reason or another.
We’ll be sticking to usable fantasy weeks (sorry Week 17 Matt Flynn, Blake Jarwin) and excluding randomly awesome playoff performances (apologies Jeff Janis, Chris Matthews) while using full point-per-reception (PPR) scoring. Time frame: 25 years (1997-2022).
I’ll start with my personal top-five greatest one-year wonders ranked in order of general vibes before ripping off a bunch of honorable mentions by position in chronological order of their wonder.
This is a subjective list meant to be fun and to remember the good times, not to hate on the athletes for their future struggles. Cool? Cool.
Sorry in advance, Browns fans.
5. 2014 Patriots RB Jonas Gray
- Rushing: 89 carries-412 yards-5 TD
- Receiving: 1 reception-7 yards-0 TD
- Fantasy finish: RB63
Gray is the best example of a single-game wonder, but what a b-e-a-utiful game that was.
Overall, the undrafted free agent turned 37 carries into 201 yards and scored not one, not two, not three, but four TDs against the Colts on Sunday Night Football.
The performance earned Gray a Sports Illustrated cover and was all the more incredible considering he had just 30 career touches entering the game.
What happened next? Well, Gray overslept and missed a team meeting the following Thursday, leading to him being a healthy scratch for the next game. He would go on to touch the ball just 25 more times with the Patriots and was out of the league by 2016.
4. 2010 Broncos WR Brandon Lloyd
- Receiving: 77 receptions-1,448 yards-11 TD
- Fantasy finish: WR2
Lloyd was an NFL contributor for a whopping 11 seasons and managed to clear the 700-yard mark on four separate occasions. He had already been in the league for seven years and was best known for making some absurd one-handed catches prior to his 2010 breakout.
But what a breakout it was. Lloyd’s 1,448 yards led the league and will forever keep him in rather loaded company at the position.
Overall, Lloyd joins Justin Jefferson, Cooper Kupp, Stefon Diggs, Michael Thomas, Julio Jones (x2), Antonio Brown (x2), T.Y. Hilton, Josh Gordon (more on him in a bit), Calvin Johnson (x2), and Andre Johnson (x2) as the only players to lead the NFL in receiving yards over the past 15 years.
Pretty, pretty, pretty good.
Similar to our next player, Lloyd’s late-career boom caught essentially everyone by surprise due to just how average the previous portion of his career had been to that point. Credit to the veteran for parlaying that success into two additional future starting stints with the Rams and Patriots.
3. 2015 Browns TE Gary Barnidge
- Receiving: 79 receptions-1,043 yards-9 TD
- Fantasy finish: TE4
This random explosion is especially hilarious because Barnidge wasn’t some young player who made the most out of an early opportunity before failing to keep on keeping on down the road.
Rather, Barnidge was entering his eighth year in 2015 and was 30 years old. He had caught just 44 passes for 603 yards and 3 TDs in his first 92 games before going OFF in 2015.
Things seriously got out of hand.
Only Rob Gronkowski, Delanie Walker and Jordan Reed scored more PPR points than Barnidge that season. His encore wasn’t terrible (55-612-2 in 2016), but that would surprisingly be the last year he played an NFL snap.
2. 2013 Browns WR Josh Gordon
- Receiving: 87 receptions-1,646 yards-9 TD
- Fantasy finish: WR3
This one still hurts. While Gordon rebounded later in his career to an extent with 1,007 receiving yards in 17 games with the Patriots, we never saw the same monster that was on display during that magical 2013 campaign.
The highlights are arguably more impressive than Gordon’s (still) NFL record of 1,646 yards for a 22-year-old receiver. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound talent was essentially un-guardable for 14 incredible Sundays.
The world even found out years later that Gordon was torching professional defenses with a bit of a pregame-induced buzz.
Obviously, these off-the-field battles wound up costing Gordon dearly throughout the rest of his career; that doesn’t make his 2013 accomplishments any less incredible.
Kings stay kings, and Gordon’s memorable second season was awfully royal. You can still see the artist known as Flash making plays with the Seattle Sea Dragons over in the XFL.
1. 2010 Browns RB Peyton Hillis
- Rushing: 270 carries-1,177 yards-11 TD
- Receiving: 61 receptions-477 yards-2 TD
- Fantasy finish: RB3
Who else? The poster child for one-year wonders was so damn good in 2010 that he landed the f*cking Madden cover the following season.
While preseason expectations were nonexistent for the former seventh-round pick who spent the first two seasons of his career with the Broncos, Hillis quickly took the league by storm with a wildly entertaining rushing style that featured hurdles, truck sticks, and general awesomeness.
Hillis scored more PPR points than the likes of Jamaal Charles, Adrian Peterson, and Chris Johnson by the time 2010 was all said and done. Not bad for a guy with under 100 career touches entering the season!
Hillis’s encore 2011 campaign was riddled with injuries, and short stints with the Chiefs and Giants went nowhere. Still, nobody can take away those beastly 1,654 total yards and 13 scores; shoutout to Hillis for supplying one of the most memorable single-season campaigns in the history of fantasy football.
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Honorable mention: QB
2019 Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston
- Passing: 5,109 yards-33 TD-30 INT
- Rushing: 59 carries-250 yards-1 TD
- Fantasy finish: QB5
I will forever maintain that for better and (often) for worse: The NFL is more fun with Winston as a starting QB.
2015 Jaguars QB Blake Bortles
- Passing: 4,428-35-18
- Rushing: 52-310-2
- Fantasy finish: QB4
The BOAT served as the Jaguars’ starting QB for an additional three seasons following his surprisingly productive 2015, but never again came close to putting up these sorts of gaudy numbers and played his last game in 2019.
2012 Washington QB Robert Griffin III
- Passing: 3,200-20-5
- Rushing: 120-815-7
- Fantasy finish: QB5
RG3’s exhilarating rookie campaign featured monster TD runs and an especially memorable 304-yard, 4-TD Thanksgiving performance against the Cowboys. Alas: The injury gods suck.
2011 Broncos QB Tim Tebow
- Passing: 1,729-12-6
- Rushing: 122-660-6
- Fantasy finish: QB18
While most of Tebow’s hype centered around wild late-game comebacks, his run-first style helped him work as the fantasy QB8 after taking over in Week 7. Tebow would never start another game under center after getting crushed by the Patriots in the AFC Divisional Round.
2007 Browns QB Derek Anderson
- Passing: 3,787-29-29
- Rushing: 32-70-3
- Fantasy finish: QB6
Kept first-round pick Brady Quinn on the bench and wound up only trailing Tom Brady, Tony Romo, Ben Roethlisberger, and Peyton Manning in passing TDs on the season. The success was short-lived, as Anderson would throw just 26 TDs in his final 57 games.
Honorable Mention: RB
2020 Panthers RB Mike Davis
- Rushing: 165 carries-642 yards-6 TD
- Receiving: 59 receptions-373 yards-2 TD
- Fantasy finish: RB12
Nov 29, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Mike Davis (28) runs with the ball in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Served as a rather awesome fantasy handcuff to Christian McCaffrey, breaking plenty of tackles on his way to racking up 1,015 total yards and 8 TDs. The now 30-year-old veteran didn’t manage to replicate the success in ensuing stops with the Falcons and Ravens.
2015 Seahawks RB Thomas Rawls
- Rushing: 147-830-4
- Receiving: 9-76-1
- Fantasy finish: RB36
Wound up accounting for the season’s third-most productive game in terms of total PPR points (40.5) among all RBs, with blistering 30-209-1 rushing and 3-46-1 receiving lines against the 49ers in Week 11. Injuries would limit Rawls to just 35 career games.
2013 Rams RB Zac Stacy
- Rushing: 250-973-7
- Receiving: 26-141-1
- Fantasy finish: RB20
Still one of just five rookie RBs not drafted inside the first three rounds to finish as a top-24 fantasy scorer since 2012. Injuries and off-the-field problems marred the remainder of his career.
2012 Browns RB Trent Richardson
- Rushing: 267-950-11
- Receiving: 51-367-1
- Fantasy finish: RB7
Received all sorts of volume after being selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2012 draft. At least Richardson would rebound with another 12 TD season in 2019, although it was for the AAF’s Birmingham Iron (he did wear a cool visor though!).
2012 Bills RB C.J. Spiller
- Rushing: 207-1,244-6
- Receiving: 43-459-2
- Fantasy finish: RB6
Spiller’s average of six yards per carry during the campaign is good for the fifth-highest single-season mark in the last 50 years (min. 200 carries).
He would total 1,118 total yards the following season, but was relegated to a pure backup role by 2014 and later struggled to get going with the Saints, Jets, Seahawks, and Chiefs alike.
2012 Patriots RB Stevan Ridley
- Rushing: 290-1,263-12
- Receiving: 6-51-0
- Fantasy finish: RB15
Patriots RBs, man.
Credit to Ridley for his high-scoring 2012 campaign, but he would total just 1,398 additional rushing yards and 11 TDs in his next six seasons with the Patriots, Jets, Falcons, and Steelers.
2010 Lions RB Jahvid Best
- Rushing: 171-555-4
- Receiving: 58-487-2
- Fantasy finish: RB19
Went for an absolutely incredible 50.2 PPR points in his second career game, but only wound up playing in 22 career contests due to concussions. Best was truly electric with the ball in his hands.
2009 Browns RB Jerome Harrison
- Rushing: 194-862-5
- Receiving: 34-220-2
- Fantasy finish: RB22
Harrison’s overall numbers aren’t that wild, but his fantasy managers undoubtedly appreciated his end-of-season performances:
- Week 15: 34 carries-286 yards-3 TD
- Week 16: 39-148-1
- Week 17: 33-127-1
The 286-yard performance is still the third-most rushing yards in a single game…ever, yet Harrison would go on to carry the rock just 85 more times over the next two seasons.
2008 Texans RB Steve Slaton
- Rushing: 268-1,282-9
- Receiving: 50-377-1
- Fantasy finish: RB7
The West Virginia speedster looked like the next big thing at the position after his borderline erotic rookie campaign, but injuries and the emergence of Arian Foster had Slaton out of the league by the end of 2011.
2008 Ravens FB LeRon McClain
- Rushing: 232-902-10
- Receiving: 19-123-1
- Fantasy finish: RB22
The bruiser teamed up with Willis McGahee to form a “thunder and thunder” backfield duo. McClain’s best moment was undoubtedly his 82-yard romp to the end zone against the Cowboys on what wound up being the final TD in Texas Stadium.
McClain played another five years in the league but never reached even 50 carries in a season again.
2006 Washington RB Ladell Betts
- Rushing: 245-1,154-4
- Receiving: 53-445-1
- Fantasy finish: RB10
Didn’t reach 500 total yards in any of his first four years in the league while playing a complementary role. Then Clinton Portis got hurt, leading to Betts booming as both a rusher and receiver.
Naturally, the return of Portis relegated Betts to a primary backup role for the rest of his career.
2005 Raiders RB LaMont Jordan
- Rushing: 272-1,025-9
- Receiving: 70-563-2
- Fantasy finish: RB6
Similar to our previous RB: Jordan didn’t enjoy any level of high-end production before or after his breakout campaign, but that doesn’t make his 1,588 total yards and 11 scores any less awesome.
Gotta love Norv Turner for enabling more than a few fantasy-friendly RBs over the years.
2004 Panthers RB Nick Goings
- Rushing: 217-821-6
- Receiving: 45-394-1
- Fantasy finish: RB20
Finished with fewer than 75 touches in all but one of his eight career seasons. Good for Goings for putting up some truly solid numbers on a Panthers team that needed all the help they could get with DeShaun Foster (4 games played) and Stephen Davis (2) unavailable for virtually the entire season.
2002 Vikings RB Michael Bennett
- Rushing: 255-1,296-5
- Receiving: 37-351-1
- Fantasy finish: RB18
Provided a legit rushing threat to the Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss-led Vikings, but (you guessed it) injuries and accordingly reduced effectiveness prevented Bennett from ever replicating his rather awesome year-two feats.
1999 Broncos RB Olandis Gary
- Rushing: 276-1,159-7
- Receiving: 21-159-0
- Fantasy finish: RB15
One of many unheralded RBs who turned into fantasy monsters thanks to Mike Shanahan’s run-game voodoo. The successor for Terrell Davis unfortunately suffered his own detrimental knee injury the following season and was never the same.
1998 Patriots RB Robert Edwards
- Rushing: 291-1,115-9
- Receiving: 35-331-3
- Fantasy finish: RB9
One of the more sad entries on here, Edwards’s career was ruined by a devastating knee injury suffered during a flag football game on the beach at the 1999 Pro Bowl.
The former first-round pick missed the next three years with knee, leg, and groin injuries before working his way back to the Dolphins, but he was never the same.
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Honorable Mention: WR
2020 Eagles WR Travis Fulgham
- Receiving: 38 receptions-539 yards-4 TD
- Fantasy finish: WR67
Came off the practice squad and set the league on fire for a five-week stretch in 2020:
- Week 4: 2-57-1
- Week 5: 10-152-1
- Week 6: 6-75-1
- Week 7: 5-73-0
- Week 8: 6-78-1
Eagles' Travis Fulgham (13) makes a reception against the Cowboys Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pa. Jl Eagles 11120 02
At one point, Fulgham won a jump ball against stud Ravens CBs Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey. It was wild, almost as wild as the fact that Fulgham hasn’t received a single target in two years since that rather solid year-two season.
2016 Browns WR Terrelle Pryor
- Receiving: 77-1,007-4
- Fantasy finish: WR20
Switched to WR five years into his NFL career and made some good things happen! The success was short-lived—and Pacman Jones wasn’t a fan—but surpassing the thousand-yard-mark after converting to a new position at 27 years old is pretty awesome.
2016 Steelers WR Sammie Coates
- Receiving: 21-435-2
- Fantasy finish: WR94
Coates shook up the DFS and waiver wire world with his overall WR2 (6-139-2) performance in Week 5 of the 2016 season. However, he would make very little (2-14-0) out of his remaining 18 targets the rest of the season and was out of the league by 2019.
2009 Vikings WR Sidney Rice
- Receiving: 83-1,312-8
- Fantasy finish: WR11
Formed a productive duo with Percy Harvin as Brett Favre’s top-two WRs during the Vikings’ ill-fated 2009 playoff run. A hip injury ruined Rice’s chances at an encore, and he never looked the same during three years with the Seahawks.
At least he nabbed a $41 million contract with Seattle for his 2009 efforts!
2007 Browns WR Braylon Edwards
- Receiving: 80-1,289-16
- Fantasy finish: WR4
Edwards was also solid in 2007 (61-884-6) and with the Jets in 2010 (53-904-7), but the former Michigan Wolverine and jump-ball specialist looked like the next big thing at the position following his masterclass 2007 season.
Alas, drops and general ineffectiveness prevented Edwards from ever reaching those same heights ever again.
2007 Eagles WR Kevin Curtis
- Receiving: 77-1,110-6
- Fantasy finish: WR15
Enjoyed mild success in four seasons with the Rams prior to his 2007 breakout, which featured a breathtaking 11-221-3 performance against the Lions. Like many on this list, injuries prevented Curtis from putting forward a solid encore, and he only played 14 more games the rest of his career.
2006 Lions WR Mike Furrey
- Receiving: 98-1,086-6
- Fantasy finish: WR13
Formed a surprisingly effective one-two punch alongside Roy Williams (82-1,310-7) as Jon Kitna’s top-two targets. Furrey would be phased out of the offense over the course of the next two seasons by some guy named Calvin Johnson.
2004 Titans WR Drew Bennett
- Receiving: 80-1,247-11
- Fantasy finish: WR8
2004 marked the only time in eight seasons that Bennett cleared 1.) 60 receptions, 2.) 750 receiving yards, or 3.) 4 TDs. The former undrafted free agent saved his best for the stretch run, ripping off 3-124-3, 12-233-3, and 13-160-2 performances in Weeks 13 to 15 that season.
It was awesome.
2004 Buccaneers WR Michael Clayton
- Receiving: 80-1,193-7
- Fantasy finish: WR14
Lived up to his status as the NFL Draft’s 15th overall pick as a rookie, but never again reached 40 receptions, 500 yards, or even two TDs in a single season during his next seven years in the league.
2000 Chiefs WR Sylvester Morris
- Receiving: 48-678-3
- Fantasy finish: WR52
The ceiling looked like the moon for Morris after the first-round pick peeled off a 6-112-3 performance in just his third career game. Alas, repeated knee injuries prevented him from ever playing an NFL game again following his promising rookie campaign.
1999 Bears WR Marcus Robinson
- Receiving: 84-1,400-9
- Fantasy finish: WR5
Exploded on the scene in just his second professional season; OG fantasy diehards undoubtedly appreciated Robinson’s 11-170-3 performance in Week 15 of his breakout 1999 campaign.
The NFL Europe star appeared to be keeping on keeping on with 55 receptions for 738 yards and 5 scores in 11 games the next season, but injuries largely robbed him of fully capitalizing on his potential (save for a wild 7-131-4 Week 12 performance with the Ravens in 2003).
1999 Panthers WR Patrick Jeffers
- Receiving: 63-1,082-12
- Fantasy finish: WR11
Three seasons with the Broncos and Cowboys produced just 21 receptions for 354 yards and 2 TDs. Then Jeffers landed on the Panthers, and immediately formed a fun duo with Muhsin Muhammad (96-1,253-9) for the Steve Beuerlein-led Panthers.
Jeffers undoubtedly helped win many a fantasy championship in 1999 by ripping off 7-107-1, 8-147-2, 8-138-1, 5-160-2, and 7-165-2 receiving lines during the final five weeks of the season.
Sadly, he went on to suffer a multitude of knee injuries in both legs and played just nine more games following that awesome 1999 season.
1999 Washington WR Albert Connell
- Receiving: 62-1,132-7
- Fantasy finish: WR18
The two-year backup came on in a major way in 1999, notably providing fantasy managers with helpful 4-97-1 and 5-106-0 receiving lines in Weeks 15 and 16.
Connell’s 2000 follow-up wasn’t terrible (39-762-3, but he played just 11 games for the Saints in 2001 and was out of the league by 2002, seemingly because he allegedly stole money from teammate Deuce McAllister.
Honorable Mention: TE
2013 Browns TE Jordan Cameron
- Receiving: 80-917-7
- Fantasy finish: TE4
Cameron’s time as a highly productive TE might have been short-lived, but his similar name to longtime Saints DL Cameron Jordan did make for a funny one-off bit in GOATed TV show The League when Ruxin confused them and drafted the defender.
Lack of success in future years aside: Cameron put up top-five numbers in 2013 and got featured in the greatest (only?) fantasy football-focused TV show ever. I’ll call that a win.
