Tom Brady to Brock Purdy: Drafting 30 years of fantasy football greatness
In 1995, ESPN launched its first Fantasy Football league manager. We've come a long way since those early days, with 13 million players joining in on the fun in 2024 alone. Information is everywhere. Custom scoring has led to an almost infinite number of ways to play. We experience our scores in real time, and know exactly what we need from our Monday night players when it's the two-minute drill and the game is on the line. Can you imagine playing fantasy football without your phone?
Thirty years is a long time, and we wanted to mark the occasion in a way that was authentically fantasy football. So naturally, it would have to be a draft. But of what? We already know who did what and how many times. How do you play a fantasy league in which every touchdown has already been scored and every injury is already accounted for? How do we bring chaos to this order?
Fear not. Where there is fantasy football, there's a way.
The beauty, and sometimes the ugly side, of fantasy football is that weekly randomness. The challenge would be to build a roster that can withstand that randomness by giving each manager a chance to win, no matter the luck of the draw. The draft would be 30 rounds, representing the 300 best players of the past 30 years. Each roster would then be pitted against one another in a head-to-head format, with each week being assigned a random year's corresponding week. So in Week 1, if we drew the year 2007, you would get your best possible score from only the box scores from Week 1 of 2007. In Week 2, we draw another year, and so on, with each season being available only once.
The challenge then was to draft players whose careers spanned as much of the past 30 years as possible, balancing elite scoring ability with longevity. A retro-dynasty league, if you will. Accepting the challenge, in order of draft position, were fantasy analysts Eric Karabell, Eric Moody, Tristan H. Cockcroft, Daniel Dopp, Mike Clay, Field Yates, Liz Loza, Tyler Fulghum, Matt Bowen and NFL researcher John Parolin.
The draft played out over the month of July, with each drafter equipped with a database of players that included their weekly PPR scores from the past 30 years, total points accrued in that span and their total number of 10-plus, 20-plus and 30-plus points games, top-10 weeks and top-25 weeks. The resulting rosters are below, with each players' active years listed from the past 30 years only; so while Jerry Rice was in the NFL in 1985, you'll see him listed as 1995-2004 only. You can see the entire draft by clicking on the link below.
Every Pick in The ESPN Fantasy 30 Year Retro-Dynasty Draft
Eric KarabellMy first fantasy football league
It was 1990. Called it Hells Karabells. Enjoyed a fun, unbeaten regular season with Warren Moon dominating. Hey, this fantasy stuff is easy! And then? Nary a playoff win. Moon and his Houston Oilers WR pal Haywood Jeffires -- I had 'em both -- rocked in '90, but not in that Week 14, even though the Oilers scored 58 points. In Week 15, of course, when I'm already eliminated, Moon throws for 527 yards and three TDs, and Jeffires posts 245 receiving yards. Learned quickly that fantasy is both awesome and so cruel.
Why Tom Brady, LeSean McCoy and Antonio Brown?
I briefly considered LaDainian Tomlinson first, even ran it by a colleague in this draft who talked me out of it so he could consider him. (Thanks, Tristan.). But it was obvious. Brady is easily the highest scorer for the 30-year period and he played forever. Then I could make Brock Purdy Mr. Irrelevant (again) 29 rounds later. With McCoy, I was thinking of some career longevity. With Brown, there was no long career, but what a dominant six-year peak. I quickly realized there was ample WR depth so I went with star RBs with big peaks -- even ones with shorter careers such as Terrell Davis and Chris Johnson -- with eight of my next nine picks. Wide receiver and flex were capably covered later.
Fun fact
I had forgotten some of the underrated tight ends of the past 30 seasons, those who did not make the Hall of Fame such as Ben Coates, Alge Crumpler and Greg Olsen. Each, along with Mark Andrews, enjoyed at least a five-year run of fantasy greatness at different times, so they were perfect fits for this roster puzzle. These four tight ends were top 10 for tight end fantasy scoring a combined 23 seasons.
One takeaway
Well, it's great fun securing running backs when you know their great stats and games played in advance. Perhaps, thinking of peak years, I will be more willing to choose high-risk, high-upside options in deeper formats and dynasty (though not in Round 1).
Eric MoodyMy first fantasy football league
In 2011, a co-worker named Shawn Stone who is now one of my best friends asked me if I had ever played in a fantasy football league. I'd been a huge NFL and NBA fan since I was 5, but I'd never played fantasy sports. That conversation was my introduction to fantasy football and to "The League of Ordinary Gentlemen," which, fittingly, was hosted right here on our platform at ESPN.
Why Drew Brees, Frank Gore and Steve Smith Jr.?
My goal was to select a quarterback, running back, and wide receiver who were elite at their respective positions for most of their careers. As a diehard New Orleans Saints fan, I couldn't pass on selecting Brees in Round 1. A two-time Offensive Player of the Year, Brees led the NFL in passing yards seven times and was the architect of five of the 15 5,000-yard seasons in league history. Gore was a no-brainer in Round 2. He ranks third in career rushing yards and is known for his exceptional longevity, which is rare at his position. He also holds the NFL record for most games played by a running back. Smith in Round 3 was another easy decision. His career spanned 16 seasons, including 13 with the Carolina Panthers. He's one of only 15 players in league history with at least 1,000 receptions, and his 14,731 receiving yards rank eighth all time.
Fun fact
It was an entertaining reminder of just how dominant and long Larry Fitzgerald's career was from a fantasy football perspective. He ranks second in career receiving yards behind Jerry Rice, but the fantasy numbers are what really bring a smile to your face. Fitzgerald had 69 games with 20 or more fantasy points and 135 top-25 weeks.
One takeaway
Positional tiers are useful in any fantasy football format, including one with as broad a scope as this one. Tiers group players with similar expected fantasy production, helping managers understand where significant drop-offs occur between player groups. This insight is valuable for shaping draft strategy, which served as a compass for my decisions.
Tristan H. CockcroftMy first fantasy football league
I didn't get into fantasy football until about 10 years after I began dabbling in fantasy baseball, so my first season in my local fantasy football league -- one I'm still in today -- was in Peyton Manning's rookie season in 1998. My quarterbacks were the Johnsons (Brad and Rob), so by Week 4, I was fresh out of quarterbacks.
But my best memory of that year was the gaffe committed by the one team that was being co-managed. It was a salary cap draft, and when Manning was up for bid, one of the co-managers took another team off the hook with a last-second +$1 bid. His partner immediately blurted out, "What are you doing?!" (but now imagine it as a synonymous version of this phrase composed entirely of obscenities), and the rest of the room fell silent as their team won a $13 Manning that half its managers didn't want. Ahhhh, how little-regarded rookie quarterbacks once were in fantasy football.
Why Aaron Rodgers, Curtis Martin and Antonio Gates?
High-level production coupled with longevity, with emphasis on the latter, was my focus in the early stages of the draft. Long-range productive players were scarce in the player pool, so I wanted to get as many of them as possible across multiple positions.
Rodgers scored the third-most fantasy points and among non-kickers played the ninth-most games from 1995 to 2024. Martin scored the fourth-most points and played the 10th-most games among running backs in that time, and Gates scored the third-most points and played the fourth-most games among tight ends.
Fun fact
Mark Brunell was a much more productive fantasy quarterback in his heyday than people ever gave him credit. From 1995 to 2002, he was the second-best scoring quarterback, and fourth best overall in the league, in large part because of his modest, yet meaningful, contributions with his legs.
One takeaway
Running backs aren't remotely the valuable dynasty options that people perceive them to be. Over the past 10 seasons, only 21 running backs played at least 16 games and scored at least 300 PPR fantasy points, whereas 55 quarterbacks and 30 wide receivers did so. Looking back at the stats of running backs in the record books, they're much more volatile year over year, with more propensity for injury than even I remembered. It might therefore feel wrong to prioritize Ja'Marr Chase over Bijan Robinson as a dynasty building block, but it's something you should do without hesitation.
Daniel DoppMy first fantasy football league
It was a Dopp family league with a bunch of my older cousins. I was quite a bit younger than them and this was maybe 1998. I was right around 16 years old and they were mostly in their mid-20s. I'm pretty sure I got my butt handed to me for the first couple of years, but that's where all the passion began.
Why LaDainian Tomlinson, Davante Adams and Russell Wilson?
I very specifically wanted to grab one of the best running backs to ever play this game. LT was a fantasy GOAT and very few players will ever put up the kinds of numbers he did at the position. After that, I followed the board and decided to go with the best wide receiver that fell to me. I hesitated, knowing I was drafting a Packers player before a Lions player, but decided to go through with it given Adams' stellar career numbers and longevity. And in the third I went with the best quarterback available because the position was drying up fast.
Fun fact
Adam Thielen and Calvin Johnson both played in the league at the same time. As a Lions fan, it feels like a lifetime ago that Megatron was out there dominating on the field. I had forgotten that Thielen's career went back that far.
One takeaway
Don't wait and miss out on all the good tight ends. Even as the position gets deeper in a more pass-happy league, the top guys truly dominate their spot.
Mike ClayMy first fantasy football league
It was in the mid-90s and I was either 10 or 11. My dad came up with the draft rules -- we drafted one position at a time -- but I was immediately hooked and took over from there. I collected the USA Today throughout the week and manually scored it. The only two players I can recall from my team were Herman Moore and Carl Pickens, who, of course, led me to a title.
Why Peyton Manning, Andre Johnson and Travis Kelce?
I was eyeing an elite QB with a long career and Manning scored the fourth-most points among all players in this 30-year window. Johnson gave me an elite receiver from the same era and Kelce was easy to pounce on considering the lack of tight end depth.
Fun fact
I recognized every single player who was drafted, which I think means I'm officially old.
One takeaway
Don't overthink it when it comes to superstar talents. They can perform at a high level week in and week out for a very long time.
Field YatesMy first fantasy football league
It was 2001. Among my most vivid early memories from this league occurred in the third season, in which I felt like promising Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith (not-then-yet Sr.) had a chance to further cement his status as a star. He went on to surpass 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2003.
Why Marshall Faulk, Cam Newton and Tyreek Hill?
I was looking for longevity and maximum upside. In the case of Faulk, I felt it was the most difficult position to find value for a long time given the typical shelf life of a running back.
Fun fact
It was just a good reminder of how much the league has evolved into a passing league. The numbers of the elite quarterbacks during previous eras were exceptional for the time in which they occurred, but even solid quarterback stats in the current era would look top-of-the-line some 30 years ago.
One takeaway
The most important part of any fantasy draft is to always be nimble. That came to mind throughout this project.
Liz LozaMy first fantasy football league
It was 2007. I had watched my boyfriend manage his team the previous season and was instantly fascinated. To me, fantasy football seemed like a "choose your own adventure" game for football fans. I was hooked. The league had an opening the following season and I lobbied hard for the spot. It was granted and I crushed. In fact, I won the whole damn thing that year, as a rookie. That experience inspired the career I have today.
Why Tony Gonzalez, Larry Fitzgerald and Ben Roethlisberger.?
I wanted to fill up as many weeks as possible early, and each of those players registered a robust number of top-25 efforts.
Fun fact
I was reminded of how quickly star running backs -- particularly those who thrived before the proliferation of RBBCs -- fade into fantasy oblivion. I have Lamar Miller (such a "nose for the end zone") and David Johnson (still can't believe Arizona "settled" for Johnson after Ameer Abdullah was sniped by the Lions) on my team. Those guys were elite producers ... until they weren't.
One takeaway
High-floor players who offer longevity and consistency are easily undervalued. They might not be as flashy as big-boom options, but the stability they provide to a team's overall complexion cannot be overstated.
Tyler FulghumMy first fantasy football league
My first fantasy league was in 2004 with some fraternity brothers. I remember it mostly for scooping up QB Billy Volek off the waiver wire after he posted 426 pass yards and four touchdowns in Week 14. The first game of the playoffs he scored 46.5 fantasy points (492 passing yards, 4 passing TDs, 1 rush TD) for my lineup ... and I still lost. True fantasy football playoff heartbreak.
Why Terrell Owens, Marvin Harrison Sr. and Shannon Sharpe?
I wanted running backs with my first picks, but I was too far back in the first round, so I "settled" for two elite wide receivers who played at an elite level for more than a decade. I then opted for positional and era scarcity by getting a tight end who excelled during the first five years of this project.
Fun fact
The randomly dominant seasons we forgot about: WR Rob Moore (1997), WR Antonio Freeman (1998), RB Domanick Williams (2004) ....
One takeaway
I might be adding a new filter to my player database that shows spike week scoring (25-plus point games) and consistency (top-10 scoring weeks).
Matt BowenMy first fantasy football league
It was 2008, my second year out of the NFL -- a family league eight-teamer, I believe. Non-PPR. So, being my first time doing this, I simply drafted a lot of my former teammates. Clinton Portis. Willis McGahee. Brett Favre (he played for the Jets in '08). My brother-in-law won the league title. And I finished third. Decent start to my fantasy career.
Why Adrian Peterson, Philip Rivers and Julio Jones?
High-level production and longevity. Rivers threw for 421 touchdowns. And he did that over 17 pro seasons. AP accumulated 2,744.2 PPR points in his career. Consistent volume and home run ability there. Julio Jones? He's a PPR Hall of Famer. From 2014 to 2018, Jones averaged 302 PPR points per season.
Fun fact
Just how dominant Lions wide receiver Herman Moore was in the mid-to-late 90s. In 1995, Moore caught 123 passes for 1,686 yards and 14 TDs (371.6 PPR points). And that's when quarterbacks took seven-step drops .. from under center. Moore also averaged 281.6 PPR points per season from 1994 to 1998.
One takeaway
Follow the draft trends of your league. There was an early run on quarterbacks in this format, and then we hit a second and third wave to fill slots over a 30-year period. Adapt here. And be prepared to draft earlier than expected at a certain position.
John ParolinMy first fantasy football league
A league with college friends that started in 2005 was the first one that truly stuck year-over-year (Hello, Plymouth B Football League!). Like most leagues, the draft is the best part -- an excuse for everyone to get together for an afternoon and catch up, even though the player names have changed a bit since the days of Lendale White and Terry Glenn.
Why Brett Favre, Randy Moss and Jason Witten?
Thirty years of coverage is a long time to plan for, even though 30-man rosters seem like a lot at first. The NFL truly does stand for Not For Long. The first three rounds was very much "best player available" over their replacement options, balancing longevity and ceiling, though I knew at some point that strategy would need to shift to accommodate the 30-year window.
Fun fact
I really tried to limit my personnel investment in the non-FLEX positions (QB, TE, kicker, D/ST) and throw as many darts as I could at RB/WR. Being at the turn, I found duos to target in those other spots as often as I could, and felt fortunate to come away with two of the 10 QBs with 200-plus starts in the window. Their careers dovetailed nicely; Favre played through 2010 and Matthew Stafford started in 2009, both with durability on their résumés. That gave me the chance to grab a few more patchwork RBs or WRs instead of additional heavy QB investment.
One takeaway
Flexibility during any draft is just crucial. The lack of a road map for a 30-year league underscored how important it is to combine your own general philosophy with the ability to handle draft curveballs. A great way to help with this is to identify ranges instead of specific players; don't fall in love with one player when he's part of a group of five or six who can deliver the same results.
And the winner is ...This experiment had two goals. The first, and most important, was to revel a bit in the glorious history of fantasy football on ESPN.
The second was a little more philosophical. Fantasy football is a weekly game and no matter who or how great the player, randomness happens. The head-to-head nature of a fantasy schedule only exacerbates that. Roster construction should be about giving yourself a chance to win, and then letting the chips fall where they may every week.
The rules of this game were that each manager would get their best possible from, the corresponding week from one random season, and that season could not be used again.
A 14-week head-to-head schedule was generated to determine the four playoff teams (best records, then top score for the season). The semifinals in Week 15 and the championship game in Week 16. With that set and the rosters drafted, all that was left to do was randomly generate the years to be used in each week. And to be fair, we'd run the draw 30 times to see which roster truly held up against the test of time.
On the first iteration, Tristan Cockcroft beat Field Yates. Then on the second, Cockcroft defeated Mike Clay. Then the luck of the draw favored John Parolin three times in a row, defeating Liz Loza, Cockcroft and Eric Karabell.
And on it went. Every single roster made the finals at least once. All but one team ended up winning it all. So who did it best?
Cockcroft, our unofficial fantasy football historian, made the finals an impressive 12 times and won seven of them. Nobody else made double-digits finals. But Parolin got close with nine, winning six times. The final podium spot goes to Clay, who won four of the eight finals he made.
And if we ran it 30 more times? Well, those competitors probably still make out OK, but every season is different, every lucky win by the team who scored the second-least points or agonizing loss for the team who scored the second most ... every spiked football at the goal line and every "Monday Night Miracle" can change your fantasy fortunes.
So draft who you like. Start the players you feel best about. Everything after that is out of your hands, so hang on and enjoy the ride.
Here's to the next 30 years.
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