Best Fantasy RB Seasons Since 2016
The best fantasy football running back season since 2016 belongs to Christian McCaffrey, who scored 469 fantasy points in 16 games for the Carolina Panthers in 2019, the highest total on the record at 29 points per game. McCaffrey owns four of the top five seasons since 2016, with his 2025 and 2023 San Francisco 49ers campaigns and his 2018 Panthers season joining the list. Only David Johnson's 406-point 2016 season for the Arizona Cardinals breaks his grip on the top five.
Which Running Back Seasons Rank Highest Since 2016?
Christian McCaffrey's 2019 season with the Carolina Panthers stands alone at the top of the running back record since 2016. His 469 fantasy points came in 16 games, and his 29 points per game outpaces every other season on the list by a clear margin. He also posted a best week of 48 that year.
| Rank | Player | Team | Games | Points | Points Per Game | Best Week | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | Christian McCaffrey | Carolina Panthers | 16 | 469 | 29 | 48 | | 2 | Christian McCaffrey | San Francisco 49ers | 17 | 417 | 25 | 39 | | 3 | David Johnson | Arizona Cardinals | 16 | 406 | 25 | 38 | | 4 | Christian McCaffrey | San Francisco 49ers | 17 | 391 | 23 | 49 | | 5 | Christian McCaffrey | Carolina Panthers | 16 | 386 | 24 | 47 | | 6 | Saquon Barkley | New York Giants | 16 | 384 | 24 | 38 | | 7 | Todd Gurley | Los Angeles Rams | 16 | 383 | 24 | 50 | | 8 | Alvin Kamara | New Orleans Saints | 16 | 378 | 24 | 56 | | 9 | Jonathan Taylor | Indianapolis Colts | 17 | 373 | 22 | 53 | | 10 | Austin Ekeler | Los Angeles Chargers | 17 | 373 | 22 | 37 |
The distance from first to everything else is the defining feature of this list. McCaffrey's 469 points sit far above his own second-best total of 417, and no other running back since 2016 has crossed 406. The gap between the number one season and the tenth is visible in every column: McCaffrey averaged 29 points per game in 2019, while the two seasons sharing ninth place averaged 22.
How Dominant Is McCaffrey's Grip on the List?
Four of the five highest scoring running back seasons since 2016 belong to Christian McCaffrey: 2019, 2025, 2023 and 2018. His totals of 469, 417, 391 and 386 points were recorded across two teams, with the Carolina Panthers seasons bookending his San Francisco 49ers entries. His 2023 season included the best single week of any McCaffrey entry, a 49-point game, while his 2018 season featured a 47-point week.
The one interruption is David Johnson's 2016 season for the Arizona Cardinals, which sits third at 406 points with a matching 25 points per game and a best week of 38. That places Johnson ahead of every running back season since 2016 except McCaffrey's own, a distinction no other player on the list can claim.
What Do the Single-Week Explosions Show?
Alvin Kamara's 2020 season for the New Orleans Saints holds the highest single week on the entire list: a 56-point explosion that towers over his 378-point season total. Todd Gurley's 2017 season for the Los Angeles Rams produced a 50-point week, and Jonathan Taylor's 2021 season with the Indianapolis Colts included a 53-point game.
The best-week column separates the seasons in ways the totals do not. Austin Ekeler's 2022 season for the Los Angeles Chargers reached the top ten on consistency rather than a spike, since his best week of 37 is the lowest single-game peak on the list. Kamara, by contrast, carried the highest peak while ranking eighth in total points.
Where Do the Per-Game Numbers Diverge From the Totals?
Christian McCaffrey's 2019 season leads both columns, but beneath him the ordering shifts. His 2018 season shows 386 points and 24 points per game, while his 2023 season delivered 391 points at 23 per game. Saquon Barkley's 2018 entry for the New York Giants, Todd Gurley's 2017 Los Angeles Rams season and Alvin Kamara's 2020 New Orleans Saints season all tie at 24 points per game despite occupying three separate spots on the points ladder.
The 16-game seasons hold their own against the 17-game ones. Five of the top seven entries, including the number one season, came in 16 games, and the two ninth-place seasons at 373 points needed 17 games apiece to get there. On a per-game basis, McCaffrey's 2019 stands as the standard by which every running back season since 2016 is measured.
Common questions
What is the highest scoring fantasy RB season since 2016?
- Christian McCaffrey's 2019 season with the Carolina Panthers, when he scored 469 fantasy points in 16 games at 29 points per game. No other running back season since 2016 has come close to that total.
Which running back besides McCaffrey cracked the top three?
- David Johnson of the Arizona Cardinals, whose 2016 season produced 406 fantasy points in 16 games with 25 per game and a best week of 38. He is the only non-McCaffrey season inside the top five.
Who had the biggest single fantasy week among these seasons?
- Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints, with a 56-point week during his 2020 season. It is the highest single-game total on the entire list, ahead of Todd Gurley's 50-point week in 2017 and Jonathan Taylor's 53-point week in 2021.
Did Saquon Barkley ever post a top-10 RB season?
- Yes. Saquon Barkley's 2018 season with the New York Giants ranks sixth since 2016, with 384 fantasy points in 16 games, 24 points per game and a best week of 38.
How many McCaffrey seasons appear in the top 10?
- Four: 2019 with the Carolina Panthers at 469 points, 2025 with the San Francisco 49ers at 417, 2023 with the 49ers at 391, and 2018 with the Panthers at 386. No other running back appears more than once.