Fantasy Football Throwback Thursday: Elvis Grbac 2K All-Stars
Muhsin Muhammad and the Muhsin Muhammad’s of fantasy football history create such nostalgic moments.
Just like that *BOOM* you're transported and remember where you were in 2000, when you drafted him and celebrated his league-high 102 receptions, nearly 1,200 yards and six touchdowns.
The Panthers’ receiver, Isaac Bruce, Derrick Mason, T.J. Houshmandzadeh take owners back to a specific place in time. The players mentioned above are among several that somehow always managed to wind up on YOUR team by the end of the draft or waiver wire roulette.
For me, it was Marion Barber III. I remember watching a Cowboys game on a 13-inch standard definition television in my newsroom and Barber promptly blowing a tire en route to what would have been a game-winning fantasy score. Barber had great hair.
To celebrate social media’s infatuation with #ThrowbackThursdays, remember fantasy stars of yesteryear and to introduce those unfamiliar with WhatIfSports’ NFL DreamTeam feature, we’ll be rewinding and reminiscing fantasy football days gone by each Thursday.
We’ll start with that 2000 campaign. I reviewed a handful of box scores from the first three weeks of the season to create my fantasy football Dream Team.
| Fantasy Football Throwback Starters: 2000 | |
| QB | Elvis Grbac (vs. Chargers - 235 Pass & 5 TD) |
| RB | Stephen Davis (vs. Panthers - 170 total yards & TD) |
| RB | Mike Anderson (vs. Raiders - 32 carries for 187 yards) |
| WR | Shawn Jefferson (vs. 49ers - 7 rec / 148 yards / TD) |
| WR | Sylvester Morris (vs. Chargers - 112 yards & 3 TD) |
| TE | Tony Gonzalez - "The Dude" |
| DST | Ravens - Ringers |
| K | Matt Stover - "Phil Dawson before Phil Dawson" |
You know how the Chiefs wide receivers can’t manage to score a touchdown via the Alex Smith delivery system? Elvis Grbac was the fantasy football antithesis for Kansas City in 2000. He posted his best fantasy stats with over 4,100 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and only 14 interceptions, but it was only good enough for a 7-9 record in the AFC West.
Stephen Davis and Mike Anderson, two of the fantasy football top tier running backs of the 2000 season, combined for 26 touchdowns that year. Fun Fact: Eddie George rushed 403 times during the 2000 season.
The wide receiver tandem of Shawn Jefferson and Sylvester Morris is one of those great moments in fantasy football history.
Morris, a first-round draft pick out of Jackson State, only played one season for the Chiefs and in the NFL. Knee surgeries took their toll on Sylvester and he could never get back on the field after the 2000 season. He finished with 48 receptions for 678 yards and those three touchdowns in one game against the Chargers.
By the time 2000 rolled around, Jefferson was 31 years old, but saw career highs in targets (104) and receptions (60) his first year with the Falcons. A few years prior, he averaged 22.7 yards per reception for Pete Carroll’s Patriots.
So, I took those guys and Tony Gonzalez, because he was "The Dude", along with the Ravens defense (see: Browns) and kicker Matt Stover to create my Fantasy Dream Team on WhatIfSports.com. I simulated my crew against the 2015 Chicago Bears with Jimmy Clausen behind center. Here’s my sample box score link.
| WhatIfSports DreamTeam Fantasy Football Sim | ||
| Score | Engage | |
| 2015 Chicago Bears | 20 | Box Score |
| Elvis Grbac All-Stars 2K | 56 | Simulate |
Now, what I do realize is that at first glance, this matchup seems very one-sided in favor of Elvis Grbac’s All-Stars 2K. But that’s the beauty of the WhatIfSports NFL Dream Team feature. You have the ability to brag to your friends “this matchup seems very one-sided in favor of Elvis Grbac’s All-Stars.” Where else can you do that?
So, give it a whirl and I’ll be back next week with another fantasy football flashback for #ThrowbackThursday as we remember those real men who won us fake leagues for real money.
