Cooper Kupp not only won the league’s Triple Crown of receiving – catches, yards, touchdowns – he also put up the best per-game receiving numbers of the 32-team era.
The league went to the eight-division format in 2002 – that’s 20 seasons. In the most recent year, teams had the advantage of playing an extra game, but Kupp’s per-game numbers also come in ahead of anything that’s been done recently.
Using PPR scoring, Kupp last year averaged 25.9 points per game. That finishes just ahead of what Davante Adams did in 2020, and only a half-dozen receivers in the last 20 years have started at least half the time and come within 2 points per week of Kupp.
Randy Moss caught 23 TDs back in 2007; he averaged almost 2 fewer points per game. Antonio Brown has had a bunch of great seasons but has never come within a point per game of Kupp.
Since 2002, 50 wide receivers have started over half the season and averaged at least 20 points per game. Again, that’s using PPR scoring.
The following list involves some judgement decisions. For a few of the players (2014 Odell Beckham, 2009 Miles Austin) they initially played as reserves, but those stats aren’t included – the stats show only how they performed after being elevated into a full-time, starter or starter-type role.
Three players from 2021 make the list: Kupp, Adams and Deebo Samuel.
WIDE RECEIVERS AVERAGING 20 POINTS PER GAME | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | St | No | Rec | Run | TD | PPR |
2021 | Cooper Kupp, LAR | 17 | 8.5 | 114.5 | 1.1 | .96 | 25.9 |
2020 | Davante Adams, G.B. | 14 | 8.2 | 98.1 | .0 | 1.29 | 25.7 |
2014 | Odell Beckham, NYG | 11 | 7.9 | 114.6 | 3.2 | 1.00 | 25.7 |
2015 | Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 16 | 8.5 | 114.6 | 1.8 | .73 | 24.5 |
2014 | Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 16 | 8.1 | 106.1 | .8 | .94 | 24.4 |
2007 | Randy Moss, N.E. | 16 | 6.1 | 93.3 | .0 | 1.44 | 24.1 |
2002 | Marvin Harrison, Ind. | 16 | 8.9 | 107.6 | .6 | .71 | 24.0 |
2003 | Randy Moss, Minn. | 16 | 6.9 | 102.0 | 1.1 | 1.06 | 23.6 |
2015 | Julio Jones, Atl. | 16 | 8.5 | 116.9 | .0 | .56 | 23.6 |
2019 | Michael Thomas, N.O. | 16 | 9.3 | 107.8 | -.6 | .56 | 23.4 |
2002 | Terrell Owens, S.F. | 14 | 7.1 | 92.9 | 5.6 | 1.00 | 23.0 |
2011 | Calvin Johnson, Det. | 16 | 6.0 | 105.1 | .7 | 1.00 | 22.6 |
2013 | Josh Gordon, Clev. | 14 | 6.2 | 117.6 | 6.3 | .64 | 22.5 |
2003 | Torry Holt, St.L. | 16 | 7.3 | 106.0 | .3 | .75 | 22.4 |
2017 | Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 14 | 7.2 | 109.5 | .0 | .67 | 22.2 |
2008 | Anquan Boldin, Ariz. | 12 | 7.4 | 86.5 | 5.6 | .92 | 22.1 |
2018 | Davante Adams, G.B. | 15 | 7.4 | 92.4 | .0 | .89 | 22.0 |
2020 | Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 15 | 5.8 | 85.1 | 8.2 | 1.13 | 21.9 |
2013 | Calvin Johnson, Det. | 14 | 6.0 | 106.6 | .0 | .86 | 21.8 |
2012 | Calvin Johnson, Det. | 16 | 7.6 | 122.8 | .0 | .31 | 21.8 |
2009 | Miles Austin, Dall. | 12 | 6.3 | 103.3 | -.2 | .83 | 21.6 |
2018 | Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 15 | 6.9 | 86.5 | .0 | 1.00 | 21.6 |
2021 | Davante Adams, G.B. | 16 | 7.7 | 97.1 | .0 | .69 | 21.5 |
2007 | Andre Johnson, Hou. | 9 | 6.7 | 94.6 | .0 | .89 | 21.5 |
2015 | Brandon Marshall, NYJ | 16 | 6.8 | 93.9 | .0 | .88 | 21.5 |
2014 | Demaryius Thomas, Den. | 16 | 6.9 | 101.2 | .0 | .71 | 21.3 |
2015 | Odell Beckham, NYG | 15 | 6.4 | 96.7 | .2 | .87 | 21.3 |
2005 | Steve Smith, Car. | 16 | 6.4 | 97.7 | 1.6 | .81 | 21.2 |
2021 | Deebo Samuel, S.F. | 16 | 4.8 | 87.8 | 22.8 | .88 | 21.1 |
2018 | DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 16 | 7.2 | 98.3 | -.4 | .69 | 21.1 |
2002 | Hines Ward, Pitt. | 16 | 7.0 | 83.1 | 8.9 | .81 | 21.1 |
2011 | Wes Welker, N.E. | 16 | 7.6 | 98.1 | 1.9 | .56 | 21.0 |
2012 | Brandon Marshall, Chi. | 16 | 7.4 | 94.3 | -.1 | .69 | 20.9 |
2018 | Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 16 | 5.4 | 92.4 | 9.4 | .88 | 20.9 |
2017 | DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 15 | 6.4 | 91.9 | .0 | .87 | 20.8 |
2005 | Anquan Boldin, Ariz. | 14 | 7.3 | 100.1 | 3.2 | .52 | 20.8 |
2004 | Muhsin Muhammad, Car. | 16 | 5.8 | 87.8 | .9 | 1.00 | 20.7 |
2015 | DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 16 | 6.9 | 95.1 | .0 | .71 | 20.7 |
2005 | Torry Holt, St.L. | 14 | 7.3 | 95.1 | .1 | .64 | 20.7 |
2018 | Julio Jones, Atl. | 16 | 7.1 | 104.8 | .8 | .50 | 20.6 |
2020 | Stefon Diggs, Buff. | 16 | 7.9 | 95.9 | .1 | .50 | 20.5 |
2014 | Jordy Nelson, G.B. | 16 | 6.1 | 94.9 | .0 | .81 | 20.5 |
2016 | Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 15 | 7.1 | 85.6 | .6 | .80 | 20.5 |
2007 | Terrell Owens, Dall. | 15 | 5.4 | 90.3 | .3 | 1.00 | 20.5 |
2011 | Victor Cruz, NYG | 14 | 5.7 | 108.5 | .2 | .64 | 20.4 |
2009 | Wes Welker, N.E. | 14 | 8.8 | 96.3 | 2.6 | .29 | 20.4 |
2007 | Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 15 | 6.7 | 93.9 | .0 | .67 | 20.1 |
2004 | Terrell Owens, Phil. | 14 | 5.5 | 85.7 | -.4 | 1.00 | 20.0 |
2008 | Andre Johnson, Hou. | 16 | 7.2 | 98.4 | .0 | .50 | 20.0 |
2018 | Michael Thomas, N.O. | 16 | 7.8 | 87.8 | .0 | .56 | 20.0 |
—Ian Allan