Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports
It isn’t too often that the number one ranked player in fantasy football is able to fall outside of the top-20 players, but that is exactly what happened with Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning this past season.
Manning was on average the 25th overall selection in fantasy drafts this summer. Most owners reached for Aaron Rodgers or Cam Newton in the early rounds, while Manning fell well outside of the top-three signal callers.
In standard ESPN leagues, though, Manning finished as the top player with an insane 406 fantasy points. The next closest player was New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees, who finished the 2013 fantasy season with 348 fantasy points, which was an astonishing 58 points behind Manning.
However, despite falling in drafts, Manning proved to be the ultimate value pick this fantasy season. The All-Pro quarterback finished the year with a NFL record 5,477 passing yards and 55 passing touchdowns. He also had an immaculate 115.1 passer rating. It was the most prolific performance in the history of fantasy.
Manning greatly exceeded any expectations put on him this off-season. Everyone expected Manning to be better following the addition of WR Wes Welker, but no one expected him to start breaking records. He was simply on top of his game week after week and led many happy owners to a fantasy title.
Manning may retire after this year, or he may come back for another go at it, but either way this was a fantasy season for the history books.
Adam McGill is the Senior Fantasy Sports Writer at Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @adammcgill83, like him on Facebook, or add him to you networks on Google here or here.
