Fantasy Index

Factoid

CeeDee Lamb

Lamb looking like the No. 1 wide receiver

I’m going with CeeDee Lamb has the top receiver on my board, and the decision making was easier than I expected. There are a bunch of elite-type receivers, but Lamb was way better than all of them for most of last season.

Lamb’s numbers for the bulk of last season, in fact, were better than anything that any receiver has ever done.

Using PPR scoring, I’ve got Lamb at 24 points per game last year, coming in just ahead of Tyreek Hill. But if we set aside the first month of the season, when the Cowboys had a couple of run-oriented yawners and a blowout loss at San Francisco, Lamb really ramped it up. He averaged 9 catches for 116 yards in his final 13 games, with 13 TDs. That’s including the playoff loss against Green Bay (the numbers actually go a little higher if looking at just the final 12 of the regular season).

For those final 13, Lamb averaged 27.4 PPR points per week. That’s a point more than what anybody else has ever averaged over a full season. Jerry Rice had two seasons where he averaged 26.3 (including one with 23 TDs in 12 games). Cooper Kupp finished just under 26 points a few years ago. Randy Moss had a season with 23 TDs. But nobody has ever cranked out numbers quite like Lamb did last season.

Cowboys have to figure out extensions with Lamb and Dak Prescott, which could be a distraction, but I imagine they’ll get it figured out. Lamb is the definitely going to be the No. 1 wide receiver on my board.

Below you’re seeing the list of all wide receivers since the merger who have averaged 22 fantasy points per game. I’m listing only players with at least 10 games. On this one, I took their total points and divided by games (to account for the different sizes of seasons). Active players tagged with dots.

RECEIVERS AVERAGING 22 PPR PER GAME
YearPlayerGRunRecYdsTDFPG
1987Jerry Rice, S.F.12516510782326.3
1995Jerry Rice, S.F.163612218481726.3
2021• Cooper Kupp, LAR171814519471625.9
2020• Davante Adams, G.B.14011513741825.7
2014• Odell Beckham, NYG12359113051224.8
2015Antonio Brown, Pitt.162813618341124.5
2014Antonio Brown, Pitt.161312916981424.4
2007Randy Moss, N.E.1609814932324.1
2002Marvin Harrison, Ind.161014317221124.0
2023CeeDee Lamb, Dall.1711313517491424.0
1995Isaac Bruce, St.L.161711917811323.7
2023• Tyreek Hill, Mia.161511917991323.7
2003Randy Moss, Min.161811116321723.6
2015Julio Jones, Atl.1601361871923.6
1995Herman Moore, Det.16012316861423.5
2019• Michael Thomas, N.O.16-91491725923.4
2000Terrell Owens, S.F.14119714511323.1
2002Terrell Owens, S.F.147910013001423.0
1994Jerry Rice, S.F.169311214991522.7
2011Calvin Johnson, Det.16119616811622.6
1995Cris Carter, Min.16012213711722.6
2013Josh Gordon, Cle.1488871646922.5
2003Torry Holt, St.L.16511716961222.4
1999Marvin Harrison, Ind.16411516631222.2
2017Antonio Brown, Pitt.1401011533922.2
2008Anquan Boldin, Ari.12678910381122.1
2001Marvin Harrison, Ind.16310915241522.0
2018• Davante Adams, G.B.15011113861322.0
1993Jerry Rice, S.F.16699815031622.0

—Ian Allan

19 Reader Comments:

Paul Desimone

Hayward, CA
2024-05-17T00:52:42Z
'87 was a strike year, wasn't it?

Josh Obusek

Pittsburgh, PA
2024-05-17T01:21:41Z
23 TDs in 12 games is insane.

Ian Allan

Seattle, WA
2024-05-17T01:29:13Z
87 was the strike year (also the first year of the magazine). Three games were played that involved replacement players. Rice didn't cross the picket line, with all 23 of touchdowns come in the 12 legit games. Insane that CeeDee Lamb in his final 12 games last year put up better overall numbers than Rice did in those 12 games. Rice beats him by 10 in touchdowns. That's 60 points. But Lamb made it up with more catches and yards.

Paul Desimone

Hayward, CA
2024-05-17T01:47:40Z
Wow, that must have been nuts (no, let's call it challenging) to bob and weave through a work stoppage in the very first year of your journal. The countless FI readers over all these years owe you a debt of gratitude for gutting it through from that first year forward!

Ben Hogevoll

Siletz, OR
2024-05-17T02:15:41Z
I know I know !! I go off subject and piss many off but do I care? No.i have to commit on KC Chiefs Kicker Butker's speech.It was spot on!! Class act and pissed off many as I do but every thing he said is true and many if not most know it is.Thank you Butker and keep kicking game winning extra points and Field goals.You are for sure my most MVP!!

Ben Hogevoll

Siletz, OR
2024-05-17T02:30:46Z
Back on subject.#1 WR 2024 Amon-Ra st Brown

Todd Weigel

Milwaukee, WI
2024-05-17T04:19:00Z
“…but every thing he said is true and many if not most know it is.” Ha, good one, Cranky Grandpa! By the way, you don’t really piss people off so much as encourage them to laugh at you. And I agree with CeeDee Lamb as #1 WR.

David Kennedy

Steamburg, NY
2024-05-17T06:06:03Z
Maybe Chase can have a career year.

Brack Varnon

Pearland, TX
2024-05-17T08:50:10Z
ahh, the MMVP

Andy Richardson

Port Chester, NY
2024-05-17T11:02:11Z
Butker is welcome to his opinions, but feels like maybe there was perhaps a different audience or timing he could have found to share them.

Peter Richmond

Fredericksburg, VA
2024-05-17T11:53:57Z
a graduation speech at a religious university? Certainly not at a post game presser. Probably should have followed the old rule about children, to be seen and not heard.

Ben Hogevoll

Siletz, OR
2024-05-17T14:26:22Z
Thanks Todd Weigel, I love a good laugh but for sure I am not Cranky! I am very fortunate.

Ben Hogevoll

Siletz, OR
2024-05-17T14:32:42Z
You would really take CeeDee over T Hill and Amon-?

Andy Richardson

Port Chester, NY
2024-05-17T15:54:53Z
He was better last year than Amon-Ra in every area, so him for sure. Hill would have been best last year if he didn't miss time late in the year, but with Hill being 5 years older, I think that greater risk of injury remains.

Terry Meehan

Chalfont, PA
2024-05-17T17:50:46Z
Then don't put him on the cover of the magazine this year. It's guaranteed to kill his season. just look at the last 20 years.

Chuck Anderson

Corpus Christi, TX
2024-05-18T16:30:46Z
"Butker is welcome to his opinions, but feels like maybe there was perhaps a different audience or timing he could have found to share them."

Butker made his remarks at the graduation ceremony for Benedictine College. Butker is a catholic man, making remarks about following his catholic faith to a graduating class at a catholic university. I can't think of a more appropriate place for him to make his opinions heard. Like his point of view, or hate it. Harrison Butker has a right to his opinion and free speech, as we all do in the U.S. The embarrassing folks are the ones who want him to be cut from the Chiefs for speaking his mind. That's not fair, and it's not the American way.

Chuck Anderson

Corpus Christi, TX
2024-05-18T16:32:15Z
Back to the point of the article, CeeDee Lamb's stats were incredible over the last 12 weeks of the season. I would not have realized how impressive, if not for Ian's point of view. Good work.

Andy Richardson

Port Chester, NY
2024-05-18T19:09:43Z
I guess I wasn't specific enough. He told a gathering of people *graduating from college* that they’d been told lies about the benefits of pursuing careers, and that his wife’s life "truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother.”

It seemed to me, Catholic school or no, that a speech discouraging people from pursuing careers at their graduation commencement wasn't the right timing.

todd tompkins

2024-05-18T23:25:33Z
Butker invited to speak at a catholic university, he spoke from the heart. I guess I look at it that he was encouraging those that want to be stay at home moms.
I think I will take Jamarr Chase with a healthy Joe Burrow over Lamb in my total points league. Proud to say I have been a Fantasy Index magazine buyer since 1989.
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