Super Bowl XLVII has more than its share of fantasy football superstars. From Ray Rice to Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree and Colin Kaepernick, it's an owner's paradise. That had me thinking -- if I could construct a solid fantasy lineup from just one Super Bowl, what would a lineup look like if I used all 46 title games?
In the spirit of this Sunday's championship tilt in New Orleans between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers, I went back into the archives and found the best single-game performances for each of the major fantasy positions based on NFL.com's standard scoring system (minus negative points).
So without further ado, here's the "perfect" fantasy Super Bowl lineup.
Steve Young, QB, San Francisco 49ers (Super Bowl XXIX): Young's 325-yard, six-touchdown performance in a 49-26 win over the San Diego Chargers was the greatest ever for a quarterback in the Super Bowl. The versatile field general from BYU completed 67 percent of his passes, didn't throw an interception and even led the Niners in rushing yards (49). Furthermore, Young also shattered the previous record of five touchdown passes (Joe Montana, Super Bowl XXIV) in the big game and finished with a total of 41.9 fantasy points.
Terrell Davis, RB, Denver Broncos (Super Bowl XXXII): Despite the effects of a migraine headache that hindered him in the first quarter, Davis was still able to put the Broncos on his broad shoulders and lead them to a 31-24 win over the Green Bay Packers. He rushed for 157 yards with a Super Bowl-record three touchdowns, and scored a solid 34.5 fantasy points, the most of any player at his position in the big game. Davis, whose scores all came on 1-yard runs, was awarded MVP honors for his outstanding efforts.
Timmy Smith, RB, Washington Redskins (Super Bowl XXII): Smith came out of nowhere to rush for what is still a Super Bowl-record 204 yards with two touchdowns and 33.3 fantasy points in a 42-10 win over the Broncos. Amazingly, he rushed for more yards in that game than he did in the entire 1987 season (126). Smith's Super Bowl success didn't open a window to the future, either. He would end up rushing for just 476 yards over the next two seasons combined before being out of football altogether after the 1990 campaign.
Jerry Rice, WR, San Francisco 49ers (Super Bowl XXIX): Considered the greatest wide receiver to ever put on the helmet and pads, Rice was a touchdown machine on the NFL's grandest stage during his illustrious career. He had 10 receptions for 149 yards with three touchdowns -- the second time he scored three times in the big game - and scored a ridiculous 33.9 fantasy points in a 49-26 win over the Chargers. Rice wasted little time getting into the stat sheets, scoring on a 44-yard pass from Young three plays into the contest.
Ricky Sanders, WR, Washington Redskins (Super Bowl XXII): Sanders was a machine against the Broncos, posting nine receptions for what was a record 193 yards with two touchdowns and 31.3 fantasy points. The speedster from Texas State averaged a solid 21.4 yards per reception and found the end zone on long downfield strikes of 80 and 50 yards from MVP Doug Williams. His yardage total in the game would have accounted for 31 percent of his yards during the entire 1987 season, so it was the definition of a breakout performance.
Marcus Allen, R/W, Los Angeles Raiders (Super Bowl XVIII): There were some great performances to choose from at the flex position, but it was hard not to start Allen. He led the Raiders to their third title with what was a Super Bowl-record 191 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a 38-9 win over the Redskins. The most memorable moment of the game, and one that will live in Super Bowl lore forever, was Allen's 74-yard run in the third quarter that put his team ahead 35-6. He would finish with 32.9 fantasy points.
Dan Ross, TE, Cincinnati Bengals (Super Bowl XVI): Tight end has not been a productive position in Super Bowls, so Ross' performance against the 49ers was far and away the best from a fantasy perspective. He led all receivers in the contest with 11 catches, was second to Cris Collinsworth in receiving yards with 102, and found the end zone twice in a 26-21 loss. Ross, who scored touchdowns on passes of 4 and 3 yards from Ken Anderson, would have been an elite tight end in the early '80s if fantasy football was as popular back then.
Don Chandler, K, Green Bay Packers (Super Bowl II): The oldest performance at the major fantasy positions came from Chandler, who helped kick Green Bay to a second consecutive Super Bowl championship in a 33-14 win over the Raiders. He connected on field goals of 39, 20, 43 and 31 yards, while also adding three extra points. While not as famous as the kicker he opposed in this contest, the immortal George Blanda, Chandler was a real hero in this title tilt. He retired after 12 years with the New York Giants and Packers.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense (Super Bowl XXXVII): Touchdowns are like gold in fantasy football, and the Buccaneers defense had no shortage of them in Super Bowl XXXVII. In fact, this unit found the end zone three times against the Raiders - Dwight Smith scored on interception returns of 44 and 50 yards, and Derrick Brooks found the end zone on a 44-yard interception return of his own. Tampa Bay forced five interceptions in all, recorded five sacks and posted 33 fantasy points in standard leagues.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com and NFL Network and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Have a burning question on anything fantasy related? Tweet it to _**@MichaelFabiano**_ or send a question via **Facebook**!
