Following a wild Week 9 in the NFL, it is the topic of conversation on the web, at water coolers, and between poker buddies, so we thought we’d take a look back at Doug Martin’s incredible (and historic) fantasy performance and try our hand at predicting who might be next to deliver.
The spritely rookie had already performed impressively enough to draw comparisons to the great Barry Sanders, but he now can lay claim to the 3rd best performance in fantasy football history based on standard scoring. In the Bucs’ game against the Raiders, the man they call the Muscle Hamster put up 4 TDs, with 3 of more than 45 yards for a total of 251. He would have had more, but he actually lost 14 yards on his final few touches. He tacked on 4 receptions for 21 yards – icing on the cake. Perhaps most impressive of all is that the large majority of his production, more than 200 yards and all 4 TDs, came in the second half alone.
Martin’s huge day will go down in history with these fantasy gems from the last decade:
Mike Vick's owners wish he would return to 2010 form
- Two seasons ago, Michael Vick threw for more than 300 yards and ran for more than 80 for more than six total touchdowns against the Redskins. Oh, how his owners this season long for those days…
- In a game against division foes the Chiefs, Clinton Portis racked up 254 total yards and rushed for 5 TDs in 2003 as part of a potent Denver Broncos offense that featured a number of fantasy stars.
- Seattle’s Shaun Alexander was the king of RBs in 2004 and 2005, but before that, on a Sunday night in primetime in 2002, he managed to score five touchdowns in the first half, ending up with 233 total yards in the game against the Vikings.
So who might be next to join Martin in this pantheon of legendary fantasy performances? Here are two of our best guesses:
Robert Griffin III –There is no reason to doubt that this year’s other rookie fantasy standout is capable of a performance to rival Vick’s game from 2010. The dynamic QB has already been consistently producing some big games, and it isn’t much of a stretch to envision a breakout week against a weak defense where he throws for 300+ yards and 3 TDs, runs for 100+, including 2-3 goal line scores. That kind of day would put him over the edge, and it could happen sooner than later.
The talented Foster is a reasonable bet for a legendary fantasy day
Arian Foster – We all know how good the Texans RB is, and the kind of damage he can do to vulnerable defenses. The Texans offense revolves around him, so it’s not unreasonable to think a day will come when he is able to put on a show with 5 or 6 TDs, and string together a couple 50+ yard rushes like Martin. Owners have to think that a capstone performance like this will come along before this big name’s time in the limelight is over.
