Fantasy Football Lightning Bolts

I am an unabashed fantasy football diehard for 37 years, having loved this great game, just like many of you now reading. Since 1989, I have anxiously awaited the fantasy season each fall, sharing that excitement with friends and competitors. During COVID, I began thinking about the stupendous players who influenced alternative-reality rosters, especially those overlooked by a new generation. I published two articles featuring quarterbacks and running backs. Sadly, life intervened, and I could not finish the series until now.

Two months ago, I began brainstorming about who would be included in the final article on wide receivers. Some of the following playmakers were easy to identify, as I have rostered many of them in the past. However, to complete the series, I looked for receivers who had scored over 275 fantasy points (FPs) in PPR-scoring formats. One player featured below dates back so far that he suited up before I was even born. Enjoy, my fellow fantasy football diehards. 

David Boston, Arizona Cardinals 

2001 Statistics

Receptions: 98

Receiving Yards: 1,598

Touchdowns: 8

Fantasy Points: 305.8

FPPG: 19.1

In 1997, I first saw David Boston play for the Buckeyes, and I will never forget his dominant performance against the Wolverines the next season when he recorded 10 catches for 227 yards and 2 touchdowns. I was so happy when he declared for the NFL Draft after three seasons in Columbus, OH, and he would no longer subjugate the Michigan secondary. In the 1999 NFL Draft, the Cardinals grabbed Boston with the 8th pick overall.

At 6’4” and 240 pounds, Boston blossomed in his third year in the league, collecting 175 targets and catching 98 passes for 1,598 yards and 8 touchdowns. In nine games, he exceeded the century mark in receiving yards, and he recorded double-digit targets 10 times. He finished third among all receivers in FPs and was named NFL All-Pro. Regretfully, he never came close to those numbers again, missed the entire 2004 season due to injury, and retired at 27 after only six healthy campaigns. His size and skill set made him a standout, and his achievements earned him respect from diehard fantasy fanatics despite his shortened career. 

Most football fans can recall Dan Marino’s record-breaking passing marks in 1984. Eric Dickerson’s magical season with over 2,100 rushing yards, and Art Monk’s single-season mark with 106 catches, which was the first time a player caught over 100 balls. Amid these offensive legends, Roy Green's standout season deserves recognition. He averaged 19.9 yards per catch, led the league with 1,555 receiving yards, scored 12 touchdowns, and caught 78 passes on 150 targets. Green's stellar performance earned him first-team All-Pro honors for the second straight year and made him a vital playmaker for the Cardinals and fantasy fans, finishing as WR2 with over 300 FPs. In franchise history, Green, who played for the Cardinals from 1979-1990, only trails Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald in every major receiving category, cementing an overlooked fantasy legacy.

Josh Gordon, Cleveland Browns 

2013 Statistics

Receptions: 87

Receiving Yards: 1,646

Touchdowns: 9

Fantasy Points: 305.6

FPPG: 21.8

Every once in a while, an athlete is so incredibly good, but they unfortunately flame out, and a sports fan asks themselves, "What if?" There might not be a better example in the past 14 years than Josh Gordon, whose career was marked by incredible talent but also significant hurdles, including suspensions and personal struggles. At 6'3" and 225 pounds, Gordon was a size-speed freak who regularly broke tackles and accumulated chunks of yards coming out of college. The Cleveland Browns selected the former Utah/Baylor playmaker with the first pick in the second round of the 2012 NFL Supplemental Draft. As a rookie, he displayed his fantasy potential with 50 catches for 805 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Yet in 2013, Gordon reached a career zenith that left an enduring mark on fantasy coaches for the next decade. A long strider, he is the only player to record back-to-back games with over 200 yards receiving, including a 237-yard game against Pittsburgh and a 261-yard game against Jacksonville in Weeks 12 and 13. Versus the Jaguars, Gordon scored a 95-yard touchdown in which he caught the ball at the Browns' 22-yard line and outraced two defenders to the end zone. Averaging 18.9 ypc, the Cleveland receiver produced over 100 yards receiving in 5 other games and collected double-digit targets in nine of fourteen games, including the final seven of the year. The numbers were absolutely mind-blowing, and Gordon carried thousands of fantasy managers to championships. Despite missing the first two games of the season due to a suspension, he still finished first in fantasy scoring among receivers. A season in the record books that will never be forgotten by diehard fantasy fanatics.

In 2010, Lloyd popped in the first game of the season versus Jacksonville with five receptions for 117 yards, averaging 23.4 ypc. His role as a primary pass-catcher in the Broncos' offense led to a high-target volume, boosting his fantasy appeal. In the first five contests, he exceeded 100 receiving yards in four outings and scored three times, becoming one of the most valuable fantasy free agent acquisitions of the year. In eight of the final 11 games, the Broncos’ receiver surpassed 70 receiving yards and scored eight times. A clutch pass catcher, he made 23 catches over 20 yards, recorded 9 receptions of 40-plus yards, and 93% of his catches produced a first down. For the entire season, he finished with 77 receptions for 1,448 yards and 11 touchdowns and was the top fantasy producer among receivers. By far, the 2010 season was Lloyd’s best of his career and deserves to be recognized as a late bloomer in fantasy football history.

Henry Ellard, Los Angeles Rams

1988 Statistics

Receptions: 86

Receiving Yards: 1,414

Touchdowns: 10

Fantasy Points: 287.4

FPPG: 18.0

A decade before the Greatest Show on Turf, the Rams of the late Eighties lit up scoreboards behind QB Jim Everett and WRs Henry Ellard and Flipper Anderson. In 1988, Ellard began a run of four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in Los Angeles. His consistent production helped shape the Rams' offensive identity and set a standard for wide receivers in that era. In Rams history, Ellard is third in receiving yards (9,761), fourth in receptions (593), and fifth in receiving touchdowns (48). He is largely consigned to the "upside down" by fantasy fans, who instead fondly remember Isaac Bruce and Tory Holt on the 1999 Super Bowl Champions.

Before 1988, Ellard had been a productive player but never recorded more than 55 catches or 850 yards during any of his first five seasons. Finally, the Rams had transitioned from John Robinson's ground-and-pound run game with Eric Dickerson to a productive aerial attack with Everett, who led the NFL with 31 touchdown passes. Ellard paced the club in targets (155), catches (86), receiving yards (1,414), and touchdowns (10), finishing the campaign as the WR1 with 287 FPs. His consistent performance, including over 100 yards receiving five times and an average of 16.4 ypc, shows his fantasy impact. In 1989, I drafted Ellard in the second round of my draft, and he concluded the campaign as the fifth-most productive fantasy receiver. The Rams’ speedster is not in the Hall of Fame, but a solid case could be made for his inclusion, which would inspire admiration for his career as a fantasy performer.

Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys 

2009 Statistics

Receptions: 81

Receiving Yards: 1,320

Touchdowns: 11

Fantasy Points: 279

FPPG: 17.4

The list of great Dallas Cowboys receivers reads like a Hall of Fame roll call, with Bob Hayes, Michael Irvin, and Drew Pearson. Many other great receivers—Tony Hill, Dez Bryant, and CeeDee Lamb—have also worn the Lone Star Helmet for America’s Team. Among the top 10 all-time receivers in Dallas history stands the often-forgotten Miles Austin, who played for Big D from 2006 to 2013. In college, Austin played at Monmouth and went undrafted in 2006 before signing with the Cowboys.

During his first three years in the league, Austin excelled on special teams, particularly as a kick returner. He returned 82 kicks for nearly 2,000 yards. As a rookie, he took a kickoff 93 yards for the Cowboys' first-ever postseason kick return touchdown against Seattle in the NFC Wild Card game. By 2009, he moved up the depth chart at receiver to No. 3 and finally got into the Cowboys’ starting lineup on October 11, 2009. It is a game that still torments me. Playing a long-time rival in a fantasy matchup, we went to our favorite bar to watch the game and enjoy a few beverages. 

I cannot believe what unfolded that afternoon. Austin torched the Kansas City Chiefs for 10 catches for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns—I got hammered. Austin had never caught more than 3 passes in a game and had only five receptions on the season before that Sunday. For the rest of the year, Austin became the top target in the Dallas passing game and eclipsed the century mark in four other games, and concluded the campaign with 1,320 yards on 81 catches with 11 scores. He finished as WR4 in fantasy football and was one of the best waiver wire pickups of the year. My opponent grabbing Austin and starting him in our matchup the week he broke out still haunts me 17 years later.

In 2011, Cruz gained widespread recognition for his iconic salsa touchdown dance, capturing the attention of the tri-state area and savvy fantasy managers who picked him up late in drafts or from the waiver wire early in the journey. By the end of the season, Cruz ranked as the fourth-most productive fantasy receiver. He recorded 9 touchdowns on 82 catches for 1,536 yards, averaging an impressive 18.7 ypc. He followed up this memorable breakout with another 1,000-yard campaign while achieving career highs of 86 receptions and 10 touchdowns. Cruz played only three more seasons in the NFL, retiring at the age of 30 in 2016. Even over a decade later, he remains the Giants’ single-season record holder for receiving yards, and he always pops into my head whenever salsa music comes on.

Jimmy Smith, Jacksonville Jaguars 

1999 Statistics

Receptions: 116

Receiving Yards: 1,636

Touchdowns: 6

Fantasy Points: 315.6

FPPG: 19.7

Jimmy Smith's impressive career stats and achievements should inspire admiration among NFL fans and the NFL media alike, making a compelling case for his Hall of Fame candidacy. In a 12-year career, he posted nine 1,000-yard seasons, was named to five Pro Bowls, and twice earned All-Pro second team honors by the AP. In 1999, he led the NFL with 116 receptions on 177 targets, and when he retired, he was seventh all-time in receptions with 862 and eleventh in receiving yards with 12,287. While Hall of Fame voters might not properly recall his greatness, hardcore fantasy fanatics will never allow Smith's contributions to slip from their memories.

In 1999, Smith finished the season as WR4 with over 300 FPs. He opened the campaign with three consecutive 100-yard outings and posted nine games over the century mark by the end of the year. Smith collected double-digit targets ten times, and in five outings, he recorded more than 10 catches. Against the Saints in Week 11, he produced 37 FPs on 8 catches for 220 yards and a touchdown. During a six-season streak, the Jaguars' playmaker finished among the top 12 WRs and surpassed the 1,000-yard mark each year. The only blemish on the resume is the lack of career touchdowns: he never scored more than 8 in a season and reached the end zone only 67 times.