Over the past two decades, I’ve played in various types of fantasy football leagues, with different levels of competition. In most formats, championships were won from Weeks 14-16 (15-17 since the NFL switched to an 18-week schedule). So I took a walk back in time over the past week to see which quarterbacks had the most significant impact during the fantasy playoff weeks. The success of these players brings back memories of each season, along with their highlight games. Here’s a look at the top five quarterbacks:
1. Jeff Garcia, San Francisco 49ers (2003)
Heading into Week 14 of the ’03 season, Garcia ranked poorly at quarterback while missing three games (205 yards per start with 12 scores in his nine games). He tossed four interceptions in Week 13 vs. the Ravens with only 112 passing yards. Over the next three games, however, Garcia rewarded any fantasy managers willing to take a chance on him with 918 combined yards and 11 touchdowns. Most of his stats came in two contests (284/6 and 395/3). His rushing stats (16/97/3) pushed him to the best fantasy playoff performance among QBs over the past 20 seasons.
2. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints (2019)
The Saints faced Tampa Bay and Jameis Winston twice in 2019, leading to elite production by both quarterbacks. Brees passed for 935 yards with 12 touchdowns and no interceptions with a score in the run game despite minimal chances (4/-2/1). His highlight game came In Week 6 (350 combined yards with six touchdowns).
3. Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019)
Winston was a fantasy cash register in 2019 when he set career-highs in passing yards (5,109) and touchdowns (34). From Weeks 14-16, Winston gained 1,274 combined yards with 12 touchdowns. On the downside over this span, he tossed eight completions to the defense, which was his theme all season (30 interceptions). His best success came in Week 14 (461/5) and Week 15 (462/4).
4. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (2020)
The Bills’ offense was in high gear over the final five weeks of 2020, leading to five wins and 202 points scored. Allen posted a mediocre showing in Week 14 (238/2 with six rushes for 28 yards), followed by a stud two-game run (747 combined yards with eight touchdowns).
5. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles (2010)
After two missed seasons (suspension) and minimal playing time in 2009, Vick entered 2010 as the backup quarterback for the Eagles. However, a Week 5 season-ending injury to Kevin Kolb led to him starting the final 12 games. Vick set a high floor with his running from Weeks 14-16 (26/209/3) while adding 775 passing yards and six touchdowns. A snowstorm in Week 16 pushed back his start on Monday night to the following day, helping his production immensely while also determining many leagues and overall championship titles.
Honorable Mentions
Billy Volek, Tennessee Titans (2004)
The Titans gave Volek four starts before the playoff weeks, leading to 1,092 passing yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions. With Tennessee out of contention, they allowed Volek to throw the ball early and often in Week 14 (426/4) and Week 15 (492/4), but he had no answers for the Broncos’ defense (111 yards and two interceptions) in Week 16 while leaving the game with an injury.
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (2021)
In the first week of the fantasy playoffs last season, Burrow posted a disaster game (182/1). Over the following two matchups, he made up for lost time by passing for 971 yards with eight touchdowns. In essence, Burrow produced almost three weeks of stats in two games.
After reviewing the history of the quarterback position over the past 20 seasons, it shows how difficult it is for a player to deliver three elite games. If a quarterback can pass for 900 yards and nine touchdowns over three weeks, your team should be ahead of the curve in fantasy stats from the quarterback position.
