10 of the Most Surprising Stat-Sheet Stuffers in Sports
Everyone loves a stat-sheet stuffer. Athletes who put their heads down, climb into a groove and before you know it, they're close to leading their respective sports in a major category.
Stat-sheet stuffers aren't always superstars. Come to think of it, a lot of them don't come close to qualifying for that label. The ones who remain are athletes built on production and production only.
Diving into baseball, basketball, football and hockey, these 10 examples of prime-time stat-sheet stuffers came to fruition.
D'Qwell Jackson
1 of 10
Indianapolis Colts linebacker D'Qwell Jackson has remained the NFL's definition of a stat-sheet stuffer. He's a constant force in the tackling category, and even if you don't consider that statistic a defining characteristic, the fact remains: Jackson is always poking near the top of the leaderboard.
Last season, he finished No. 2 in tackles behind the San Francisco 49ers' NaVorro Bowman, according to ESPN.com. It wasn't a statistical anomaly, either. Jackson spent the 2014 season as the No. 6 leader in tackles, found himself in seventh place the season before and No. 23 in 2012.
To cut closer to the point, you can't break out the tackles list without finding Jackson's name near the top. He continues to embody the stat-sheet-stuffer mentality one week at a time, and the Colts should benefit from his veteran presence on the field.
Paul Millsap
2 of 10
The NBA loves stat-sheet stuffers, and few do it better than Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap.
Millsap is a guy you can draft in fantasy and immediately pencil him in for a quality year. Last season, he quietly—like always—went about his business, posting 17.1 points, nine rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Those totals led to a 21.33 player efficient rating—the sixth-best among power forwards, per ESPN's Hollinger statistics.
Campaigns like the 2015-16 one represent the story of Millsap's pro career. As an undersized forward—standing at 6'8"—his multifaceted skill set is appealing and effective.
He's remained this unique, constant stat-sheet filler dating back to his days with the Utah Jazz. And despite not receiving superstar treatment, he's continued to rack up numbers.
Carson Palmer
3 of 10
The NFL being a quarterback-driven league has created a vacuum for stat-sheet monsters. Less rules favoring the defense and constant offensive innovation have altered passing numbers and touchdown totals. This change has also shifted the way we judge certain QBs.
No one has ever been able to question the talent Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer possesses. The former Heisman Trophy recipient was a stalwart of the Cincinnati Bengals from 2004 to 2010. He was a fundamental sensation, passing for over 3,500 yards and 25 touchdowns four times in the AFC North.
He was and still is a traditional pocket passer. He's a guy who uses arm strength to drive back defenses and smarts to place the ball where only his guy can come down with it.
But injuries took Palmer's career down a different path. He wound up with the Oakland Raiders for two seasons after bouncing out of Cincinnati, where he somehow managed to throw for 4,018 yards and 22 TDs in 2012.
Palmer's career was truly reinvigorated with head coach Bruce Arians and the Arizona Cardinals, where he's spent the last three seasons—minus one cut short by injury—filling up the stat sheet and carrying his team into the postseason.
Palmer's 2015 endeavor was the strongest to date, where he tallied 4,671 yards through the air and 35 touchdown passes.
It doesn't matter where you place him; Palmer has been terrific. And even with injuries floating around his tenure, he will go down as a genuine stat-sheet stuffer.
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Gordon Hayward
4 of 10
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward has gone from near-hero of the Butler Bulldogs to a valuable, constant source of production in the NBA.
Spending all of his years with the Jazz, it seems like Hayward's efforts often go unnoticed. Frankly, he doesn't command the respect he so desperately deserves.
Over the last three seasons, the small forward has averaged 18.4 points, five rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. For all he does on the court, Hayward was once again snubbed from the 2016 NBA All-Star Game, according to David Woods of the Indianapolis Star.
You can take away his All-Star appearances, but you can't stop his development and growth. Since he entered the league in 2010, Hayward has continued to ease into his role as the Jazz's leading man.
Tyreke Evans
5 of 10
New Orleans Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans won't grab too many headlines over the course of an NBA season. He's more of a low-key, talented hoops guy who also happens to thrive within the fantasy sports community.
There's a good reason why. Evans has been a stat-sheet breaker ever since he burst into the league in 2009. Glance over his totals year in, year out, per ESPN.com, and you'll notice this is a man who gravitates toward balance.
His career averages of 16.7 points, 5.3 assists and 4.9 rebounds sum up what he's been able to do: Dole out points and assists, and contribute on the glass.
Evans is your traditional, modern-day NBA stat man—a player who would provide more than enough value to a title contender if placed in the right situation.
Tomas Tatar
6 of 10
Tomas Tatar's presence with the Detroit Red Wings has been welcomed for five seasons and counting. He's one of the few players you can write down a projection of his stats preseason and usually get them right.
In each of the last three seasons, Tatar has scored no less than 19 goals and has dished out 20 assists or more. He doesn't churn out superstar totals yet (that's coming), but nevertheless, he's sensationally productive.
Stat-sheet ice-dwellers like Tatar help the NHL go around. They're borderline franchise players who tend to keep their respective teams afloat. As he continues to take on a bigger role with the Red Wings—now that Pavel Datsyuk and others have moved on—Tatar should be one name on this list who will transition from production hog to pure, unfiltered superstardom.
Al Horford
7 of 10
Al Horford spent nine seasons with the Atlanta Hawks filling up the box score. He became an indispensable player for a franchise that always felt just a few steps away from championship contention.
Things will look dramatically different this season for Horford. The big man took his talents up to Greater Boston, signing a four-year, $113 million contract with the Boston Celtics, per Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
Different uniform, same Horford. There's little reason to believe we shouldn't seen him continue to prosper. Horford has been a perpetual proponent of consistency, averaging 14.3 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game throughout his career.
The Celtics will worship his ability to gobble up boards, score in the paint and stretch the floor with a deceptively courageous jump shot. Horford has remained a solid, go-to option ever since he left the Florida Gators for Atlanta in 2007.
Doug Baldwin
8 of 10
Doug Baldwin has been able to blur the lines between being a possession wide receiver and a dramatic playmaker. Part of the reason why is he plays with quarterback Russell Wilson.
Wilson is a top-tier NFL QB. But the offense his Seattle Seahawks run isn't always opportune to pass-catchers. They've only welcomed a single 1,000-yard wide receiver over the last three seasons, and that guy was Baldwin in 2015.
Knowing the backstory allows you to embrace Baldwin even more as a stat-sheet guy. He's spent the better part of three seasons performing as Seattle's go-to wide receiver, hauling in 50, 66 and 78 receptions, respectively.
In 2015, Baldwin finally broke through, being on the receiving end of 14 touchdowns. He's a proven gamer who should continue to perform admirably, despite getting lost in the constant shuffle of great NFL wide receivers.
Kyle Lowry
9 of 10
The NBA is a funky place. True franchise-altering players are rare to come by, yet the league is loaded with talent. Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry is a perfect model of this.
He isn't going to carry a team by himself—or with little help—to the promise land, similar to LeBron James, Stephen Curry or Russell Westbrook. But he is good enough to qualify as an elite NBA point guard by going out and leaning on his advanced skill set.
The 2015-16 season represented a time when Lowry jumped up in points but remained his usual self in terms of fluidity. He notched 21.2 points, 6.4 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. He fit in beautifully with a gifted Raptors roster.
At 30 years old, Lowry should have plenty of great basketball left in him. Hopefully his stat-sheet-stuffing mentality one day will help bring an NBA title to Toronto.
Kyle Seager
10 of 10
If you could dream up the quintessential stat-sheet stuffer in baseball who isn't deemed a megastar, that vision would look a lot like Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager.
Seager is an interesting story. The guy signed a seven-year, $100 million deal in 2014, yet few people truly know who or just how good he actually is.
Appreciating him is easy when you take a step back and look at the numbers. He's a consistent 20-plus home run guy who drives in runs anywhere from 69 in 2013 to 96 in '14. His production is unwavering.
This season, Seager is sitting with 25 home runs and 86 RBI to go along with a .288 batting average. He's once again lived up to his contract, earning pennies and making fantasy baseball owners happy all at the same time.
All stats, box scores and information from Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
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