NINERS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY
1. Jerry Rice, 49ers
Stats: 33 points, 10-149-3 receiving, 1-10-0 rushing
Super Bowl XXIX, Jan. 29, 1995: 49ers 49, Chargers 26
Get ready to see a lot of this name on the list. Rice, only once in his career a Super Bowl MVP, actually had two better fantasy efforts than his Super Bowl XXIII MVP day, including this one. He's the only man to have multiple three-touchdown games in the Super Bowl, and this one earned him the top fantasy performance in a Super Bowl -- of any position -- that didn't earn the player an MVP award. Surely Steve Young, who did earn those honors in this game, appreciated Rice's value, in real life or for fantasy.
2. Jerry Rice, 49ers
Stats: 32 points, 7-148-3 receiving
Super Bowl XXIV, Jan. 28, 1990: 49ers 55, Broncos 10
The other three-touchdown Super Bowl on Rice's résumé, this one trailed only the one ahead of it because he didn't run for 10 yards, as he did in Super Bowl XXIX. Everyone on the 49ers got in the action in this one; besides Rice at No. 2 among receivers, Joe Montana notched the No. 3 fantasy performance by a quarterback in a Super Bowl, while Roger Craig managed 15 points and Tom Rathman had 19 in the 55-10 blowout.
3. Ricky Sanders, Redskins
Stats: 31 points, 9-193-2 receiving, 1-(-4)-0 rushing
Super Bowl XXII, Jan. 31, 1988: Redskins 42, Broncos 10
Only two men in Super Bowl history had more total yards than Sanders' 235 in this contest: Andre Coleman in Super Bowl XXIX and Desmond Howard in Super Bowl XXXI, who tied with 244. That demonstrates how much of a force Sanders was on this day, even if he didn't land MVP honors for it. He managed the second-most receiving yards in a Super Bowl, the third-longest reception in a Super Bowl (an 80-yard touchdown catch), and added three kick returns for 46 yards. It'd be the start of an impressive run for Sanders; he'd follow this up with back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns in 1988 and '89.
4. Jerry Rice, 49ers
Stats: 27 points, 11-215-1 receiving, 1-5-0 rushing
Super Bowl XXIII, Jan. 22, 1989: 49ers 20, Bengals 16
Incredibly, Rice's lone MVP award didn't coincide with his best fantasy performance, which, in a way, demonstrates how much he dominated the big game even when others stole the spotlight from him. He scored a touchdown in each of his four Super Bowl appearances, totaled 105 fantasy points in those contests, and finished with eight 100-yard receiving efforts and 22 scores in 28 career playoff games. Rice's 11 receptions tie him for the most ever in a Super Bowl, and his 215 yards to this day stand as the record.
5. Max McGee, Packers
Stats: 25 points, 7-138-2 receiving
Super Bowl I, Jan. 15, 1967: Packers 35, Chiefs 10
Even in the early days of the Super Bowl -- then called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game -- there were dominant fantasy efforts to be found, like this one, from perhaps one of the least likely candidates in the game's history. Not that McGee had endured a poor career in the NFL, by any means, but by 1966, he was a 34-year-old receiver who had managed a paltry four catches for 91 yards and a score. That's for the season, folks. McGee would have one last big day left in him, though, and of all places, he saved it for Super Bowl I. Incredibly, his quarterback, Bart Starr, would pick up MVP honors despite 16 fantasy points, a noticeably lower score, but we'll give McGee the credit he deserves.
1. Jerry Rice, 49ers
Stats: 33 points, 10-149-3 receiving, 1-10-0 rushing
Super Bowl XXIX, Jan. 29, 1995: 49ers 49, Chargers 26
Get ready to see a lot of this name on the list. Rice, only once in his career a Super Bowl MVP, actually had two better fantasy efforts than his Super Bowl XXIII MVP day, including this one. He's the only man to have multiple three-touchdown games in the Super Bowl, and this one earned him the top fantasy performance in a Super Bowl -- of any position -- that didn't earn the player an MVP award. Surely Steve Young, who did earn those honors in this game, appreciated Rice's value, in real life or for fantasy.
2. Jerry Rice, 49ers
Stats: 32 points, 7-148-3 receiving
Super Bowl XXIV, Jan. 28, 1990: 49ers 55, Broncos 10
The other three-touchdown Super Bowl on Rice's résumé, this one trailed only the one ahead of it because he didn't run for 10 yards, as he did in Super Bowl XXIX. Everyone on the 49ers got in the action in this one; besides Rice at No. 2 among receivers, Joe Montana notched the No. 3 fantasy performance by a quarterback in a Super Bowl, while Roger Craig managed 15 points and Tom Rathman had 19 in the 55-10 blowout.
3. Ricky Sanders, Redskins
Stats: 31 points, 9-193-2 receiving, 1-(-4)-0 rushing
Super Bowl XXII, Jan. 31, 1988: Redskins 42, Broncos 10
Only two men in Super Bowl history had more total yards than Sanders' 235 in this contest: Andre Coleman in Super Bowl XXIX and Desmond Howard in Super Bowl XXXI, who tied with 244. That demonstrates how much of a force Sanders was on this day, even if he didn't land MVP honors for it. He managed the second-most receiving yards in a Super Bowl, the third-longest reception in a Super Bowl (an 80-yard touchdown catch), and added three kick returns for 46 yards. It'd be the start of an impressive run for Sanders; he'd follow this up with back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns in 1988 and '89.
4. Jerry Rice, 49ers
Stats: 27 points, 11-215-1 receiving, 1-5-0 rushing
Super Bowl XXIII, Jan. 22, 1989: 49ers 20, Bengals 16
Incredibly, Rice's lone MVP award didn't coincide with his best fantasy performance, which, in a way, demonstrates how much he dominated the big game even when others stole the spotlight from him. He scored a touchdown in each of his four Super Bowl appearances, totaled 105 fantasy points in those contests, and finished with eight 100-yard receiving efforts and 22 scores in 28 career playoff games. Rice's 11 receptions tie him for the most ever in a Super Bowl, and his 215 yards to this day stand as the record.
5. Max McGee, Packers
Stats: 25 points, 7-138-2 receiving
Super Bowl I, Jan. 15, 1967: Packers 35, Chiefs 10
Even in the early days of the Super Bowl -- then called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game -- there were dominant fantasy efforts to be found, like this one, from perhaps one of the least likely candidates in the game's history. Not that McGee had endured a poor career in the NFL, by any means, but by 1966, he was a 34-year-old receiver who had managed a paltry four catches for 91 yards and a score. That's for the season, folks. McGee would have one last big day left in him, though, and of all places, he saved it for Super Bowl I. Incredibly, his quarterback, Bart Starr, would pick up MVP honors despite 16 fantasy points, a noticeably lower score, but we'll give McGee the credit he deserves.
