Peyton Manning: The Most Dominant QB in Fantasy Football History

For 16 years with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos, quarterback Peyton Manning helped millions of people win their fantasy football championships.

Quarterback Peyton Manning’s legendary career is defined by jaw-dropping record numbers — five NFL MVPs, 14 Pro Bowl honors, 14 seasons with 4,000 passing yards, single-season marks for passing yards (5,477) and TDs (55).

What fantasy owners remember is how he could be counted upon for points on a weekly basis. Manning retired after 2015 as the highest-scoring fantasy quarterback in NFL history at 4,689.1 points (standard scoring).

It's Day 1 of Peyton Manning week at SI 🙌

Before Tom Brady left New England, Peyton's NFL free agency was one of the most discussed in decades. @Peter_King had the scoop in 2012 and came on 'The Record' to share how Manning to the Broncos came to be: https://t.co/rZ0x9JrXNB pic.twitter.com/NnCMr5bRM7

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) May 18, 2020

Looking back at his career with the Indianapolis Colts from 1998 to 2011 and the Denver Browns from 2012 to 2015, two seasons jump off the stat sheet.

In 2004, Manning threw a league-record 49 touchdown passes. Not only did he deliver each week, he helped fantasy owners have a particularly enjoyable Thanksgiving day when he threw six touchdown passes in a road rout of Detroit. That tied a franchise record he set the previous year in New Orleans.

He had more touchdown passes than incompletions (five) against the Lions. And it was his fifth consecutive game with four or more TD passes.

His 49-TD pass record would be surpassed, but in 2013 with the Broncos, Manning reclaimed the mark with 55. That’s also the year he passed for a record 5,477 yards. His 412 fantasy points that season also set a record.

"It was actually the first 400-point season for a quarterback in fantasy history," said Sports Illustrated Gambling and Fantasy expert Jaime Eisner. "Considering that Peyton Manning isn't exactly known for his rushing ability, his 2013 season was just absolutely remarkable.

"Overall for his fantasy career, when he retired he had two of the 10 best seasons of any quarterback in NFL history. And he was the No. 1 scoring quarterback in fantasy history of all time when he retired." 

(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)