Previews + Reviews

Week 9 Preview

Can Maye help WFT mount a playoff run?

LOC INSIDER (9)

The High Rollers match up against the NLS while the Titleist division sorts things out among themselves. This week's preview will be a little different, as coverage of the matchups is provided by the LOC's intrepid beat reporter Doug Menutsup.

Doug's ability to get the inside scoop, his ballsy takes on outcomes, and his firm handle on the output of all 12 teams makes him the perfect insider. All quotes are as provided by team owners.

Wolves vs. Crushers

Crushers ownership is reportedly unhappy with a recent string of vandalism at the team facility in the week leading up to their matchup with the Wolves. Signage spray-painted with apparent slurs such as "Mishap Magnet" and "First Pick: First Responder" were found adorning the training room walls when team staff arrived for Friday practice prep.

To this point, it's unclear as to what specific incident or issue has fans this upset, but team morale is clearly suffering. When asked about the cause of these targeted messages and how it might affect game preparation, GM Biff Buttslurp offered "It's going to be as painful as poking yourself in the eye for the Crushers. We're hoping for a miracle."

An investigation into the culprit did lead to a call with person-of-interest and Wolves GM Al Bino who was shown photos of the vandalism and asked point-blank: "Do you know anything about how these got here?" to which he dodgingly replied "Deez Nuts". No further updates have been provided.

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ESPN: Wolves by 21
FP: Wolves by 20

Dominators vs. Addicts

The environment was thick with looming hostility as both squads gathered on the field prior to the Addicts and Dominators matchup on Sunday. Spit and venom were traded as players from both teams shouted at each other while standing on the carefully-painted Addicts crackpipe logo at midfield.

Diesel QB and team captain Jack Mateets could be heard yelling over the fracas: "Dominators are gonna roll coal this week over Ghetto, our time is now!"

Across the way, in an interview with sideline reporters, Addicts coach CoCo Butters was no less confident. "Just another day dominating a diesel. It's just what I do, all day every day!" After reporters pointed out that Butters had forgotten to wear pants, he gestured toward the fray at midfield, where Doms QB Mateets was now on all fours, ass high, humping a football and pumping his fist in time with the thrusts. Kickoff was delayed as Butters begin tossing used spoons at the opposing players and struck an official in the face who was attempting to break up the skirmish with a Super Soaker 5000.

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ESPN: Addicts by 15
FP: Addicts by 26

Crew vs. Football Team

Historically, Football Team Director of Operations Furry McTurdish has not been one to mince words. His expected cleaning regimen involves the entire facility being thoroughly sanitized from top to bottom each week. Still, attempting to get opposing teams' staff to clean those hard-to-reach places has been a challenge.

"Ain't no dodging the ovens this week, J**remy", exclaimed McTurdish as he yelled across the sidelines. The Crew's coaching staff managed only a wince in response, pausing for a moment from their regular pregame task of gathering empty Four Loko cans from players. Despite being favored this week, Crew head coach J**remy Outagrass was silent on any prospects of a potential win. They were likely confused as to which version of a "wake and bake" was being suggested.

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ESPN: Crew by 7
FP: Crew by 13

Marauders vs. Cheetahs

Preparing for the postseason is nothing new for these 4x champs, but sometimes it takes on a different look. In this case, both franchises spent much of the week attempting to figure out why sales aren't better for the team cruises planned to start in Week 15. "The Rush '50-Something' Tour is generating far more excitement than mine", said Cheetahs Director of Operations Hook Masterson.

Generally these tickets sell out most seasons, but perhaps it's this year's earlier start that has fans a bit concerned. Signage at the Marauders stadium now boasts "50% off all Marauders nostalgia cruise tickets."

It's apparent that both teams are struggling to get logistics sorted, as further evidenced by the recent firing of Marauders Scouting Director Rusty Dart. Dart was found trying to escape the records office with a file full of retired players he later admitted were targets for potential contract opportunities.

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ESPN: Marauders by 8
FP: Cheetahs by .5

Losers vs. Remix

A tragic scene unfolded at Remix practice on Thursday, as three running backs spontaneously combusted within minutes of each other while running the rarely-used agility drill "Remix Rain Dance". Often discouraged as a practice maneuver for being a controversial and inciteful display that displeases mythological forces, the aftermath left fans covered in sticky matter and teammates were seen vomiting into adjacent trash bins.

However, the unfazed coaching staff maintained their focus forward. When asked how they would gameplan around this incident, Remix Offensive Coordinator Terp Tardo brazenly offered, "We're having to scrape together some running back points to keep the matchup close."

It's quite different from the scene over at Ledford Stadium, where a manna-seeking cult has emerged and taken over the team cafeteria. With a strict, bird-only dietary restriction and roadkill requirement, the takeover has caused malnourishment among many. Wins and losses are now only counted in terms of available eviscerated fowl and roadside remnants. Militia spokesman "Fryin' Ryan" Breastanbeak seems to sense the desperate hour: "We gotta get a win to have a hope of staying alive. No Eagles, but I'm feeling confident."

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ESPN: Remix by 9
FP: Remix by 14.5

Threat vs. Bruisers

TLM Head Coach Michael Scarn bemusedly eyed the press circuit over his podium microphone and paused for effect. "I've Ben waiting on this victory all week." Known for his puns and lack of situational awareness, Scarn has been the target of much ire given the team's 1-7 start. The concern was ratcheted up when Coach Scarn suggested that the team order "Last Place Warning" magnets for all staff and players to put on their standard-issue Toyota vehicles where they should remain for at least the next two seasons.

When asked about the victory assertion from Threat leadership, Bruisers new GM Red Scrapewaivers only replied with "What's the verbal equivalent of an eye-roll?" Already, the new hire is on a short leash with ownership, owing to his recent comments suggesting that the entire League of Champions is colluding to keep the Bruisers out of the postseason.

Anonymous sources from both teams indicate that players are still committed and playing hard, due in some part to threatened contract terminations from Scarn and Scrapewaivers.

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ESPN: Threat by 10
FP: Threat by 16

Week 8 ReCap

Postweek 8

Another one in the books. An interesting way to kick off the back half of the year.

The NLS brought their best, with all 4 teams going for 115+ in a set of high-scoring division duels. From those, the Crew topped the week in points and picked up their second OTW en route to 6-2. Right alongside, the Addicts stormed back late to beat the Remix and hold their share of the division lead. A competitive group showed it here again.

The Wolves picked up a huge boost from their running game (Cook, 35.5) to get to 7-1 and a 3-game lead in the High Rollers group. The Dominators won handily to get themselves right at 4-4. They are joined in the chase by the Football Team, who overcame projections to win their way back to .500 as well. Can either mount a challenge to the Wolves for the top spot?

Over in the Titleist division, only the Cheetahs found victory lane and propelled themselves to an interesting tiebreak lead. Given the scoring/win rates in that quadrant, no bad start should prevent progress at this point, especially for a proven franchise like the Cheetahs. Only the Bruisers are in the top half in scoring among these 4 inconsistent teams.

All in all, a better scoring week for most teams despite the number of players on bye. 8 teams sit at .500 or better, with five at exactly 4-4 and two teams a game back of the pack at 3-5. The curve is beginning to widen between first and last. This season's theme is slowly becoming "Celebrating Survival". Best not to shoot yourself in the foot with poor decisions or roster indecision. See "Andy Dalton: Marauders" for an example.

Standouts and LM Pick Results above/below.

Midseason Report

The Wolves' Mahomes leads the LOC with 21.7 ppg.

Midseason

UPS & DOWNS

Here we are at the LOC's 20th midseason!

It looks a lot different than it did back in '06, when we were trying to figure out how to start the best two QB's and projecting whether our punter could score a couple of "coffin corners" inside the 10-yard line. One thing that has never changed is the expected upheaval that happens in the second half of the season. There's always a hot team or two that dies on the vine. There's always a struggling squad that rallies to get their ticket. What happened before means less than what happens next.

We've had a few seasons where there wasn't a true Cinderella story, but generally an unexpected team closes strong. In other words, the only certainty in Weeks 8-14 is change. Scripts will be flipped. Stars will get injured (or return from injury). Fortunes will be impacted. And if we're lucky, we'll get competitive Week 14 showdowns with "win and in" playoff trips on the line.

Let's start with a look back...

CHAMPS & CRAMPS

What have we seen previously when crunch time arrived?

In 2016, we had 6 teams finish 7-7 in what turned out to be the most epic Wild Card race in history. Only 1 of them actually made it in. Of course, that would be 3 now (with the 6-team tourney). If we get something close to that level of parity and competition this year, it will be a fitting highlight of our 20th year.

That's not to say that the games leading up to this point can't foreshadow the finale. Back in '19, Baker's Boys sat at 4-3 with a W4. They turned that into a dynamic 8 straight wins, got to the title game, and missed landing the title by a mere 2 points.

Likewise the championship teams we all remember for consistent dominance: the '06 Addicts, the '11 Bruisers, the '12 Undead, the '15 Odells, the '19 Crew. They started strong and finished stronger. Momentum is a real thing.

It's interesting to note that we've not had one of those above-and-beyond favorites since 2019.

From 2020-2024, the Marauders (twice), Cheetahs (twice) and Threat (once) all secured titles while winning 9 or fewer games. The teams that won 10+? They cramped up in the playoffs and limped to a lower finish. The most notable example being the Addicts of '22, who went 13-1 and seemed unstoppable until they were ousted in the semis by the Cheetahs.

There are definitely tales of the opposite. The '14 Addicts stood at a league-leading 6-1, but by Week 14 they were 7-7 and missed the postseason. Team Koehler (v1) dropped 7 straight in the back half of the '07 season (4-10), and the '11 Crushers skidded to 6-8 and a brow-furrowing 12th place finish after a 6-2 start.

What about the moments that inspire fantasy hope and let us know that things can turn around? Familiar tales of old.

Back in 2007, Mizzark's Giant Killas started 2-5, put together 8 wins in a row, and made it to the title game. The '08 Crushers are the dream scenario, having just capped a 5-game losing streak to slide to 2-5 at midseason. They won 7 out of the last 9, the final win being their first LOC championship. The next year, the '09 Dominators had a 1-6 start, lost in Week 8, and then reeled off 7 straight wins to get to the title game.

Historically, a proper 16% of the time, a team below .500 at the midpoint rallies to get to the playoffs. However, since the playoff expansion in '21, that number has gone up to 25%. We'll see that in terms of record shortly.

SEVENS & EIGHTS

First, we take one more look back to identify clues about what your minimum/average final regular season record needs to be in order to make the cut. In this injury-riddled season, those late-season wins are going to be huge. How many will it take?

General consensus would be that 8 or 9 wins gets you to the postseason. Of course that threshold is ideal, but it's not without exception. Certainly you will need at least 7.

Of the 84 teams who have qualified over the last 19 years, none had a losing record. That's unlikely to change.

How about 7-7? Seven teams have made the cut with a .500 record, and (surprisingly) only three since '21 despite the extra available spots.

The aforementioned Crushers of '08 (1st) and '09 Dominators (2nd), and the Marauders of '16 (4th) and '17 (2nd) all got in at 7-7. Since the playoff expansion, the Wolves (6th) in '22 and the Football Team (3rd) and Addicts (6th) in '23 have done so. That's the list.

So it's possible to get in and contend at .500. In reality? It's probably best to aim for a minimum of 8 wins just to be safe. That gives you an 8/10 chance at making the cut. Or just win your division! 10/10.

Winning Perspective

[W/L totals of playoff teams in descending order of finish]

2006: 12-2, 10-4, 9-5, 8-6
2007: 9-5, 9-5, 9-5, 10-4
2008: 7-7, 8-6, 11-3, 9-5
2009: 9-5, 7-7, 10-4, 10-4
2010: 8-6, 9-5, 8-6, 9-5
2011: 12-2, 9-5, 10-4, 8-6
2012: 13-1, 8-6, 10-4, 10-4
2013: 10-4, 9-5, 10-4, 9-5
2014: 8-6, 9-5, 8-6, 8-6
2015: 11-3, 9-5, 9-5, 9-5
2016: 10-4, 9-5, 8-6, 7-7
2017: 8-6, 7-7, 10-4, 9-5
2018: 8-6, 9-5, 9-5, 9-5
2019: 12-2, 9-5, 11-3, 8-6
2020: 9-5, 11-3, 9-5, 9-5
2021: 9-5, 9-5, 10-4, 11-3, 8-6, 8-6
2022: 8-6, 8-6, 13-1. 9-5, 8-6, 7-7
2023: 9-5, 10-4, 7-7, 9-5, 8-6, 7-7
2024: 8-6, 9-5, 9-5, 10-4, 8-6, 9-5

As is evident above, plenty of teams with decent but not amazing records emerged as the most well-rounded for playoff conquest. 6 champions with only 8 wins. 1 with only 7 wins.

The actual average for qualification is closer to 9 wins, but that number is skewed to some degree by the strong records of the entrants in some seasons ('06, 11, '12, '19) and the addition of a 5th and 6th seed. 8 wins pays.

Of those 84 playoff teams, what were their midseason records?

In descending order, here is each qualifier's record through 7 games (with the eventual champ in bold).

2006: 5-2, 5-2, 5-2, 3-4
2007: 6-1, 5-2, 5-2, 2-5
2008: 6-1, 5-2, 4-3, 2-5
2009: 5-2, 4-3, 4-3, 1-6
2010: 5-2, 5-2, 4-3, 4-3
2011: 7-0, 5-2, 5-2, 4-3
2012: 7-0, 6-1, 4-3, 3-4
2013: 6-1, 6-1, 5-2, 5-2
2014: 6-1, 4-3, 4-3, 2-5
2015: 5-2, 4-3, 4-3, 4-3
2016: 6-1, 5-2, 3-4, 2-5
2017: 6-1, 5-2, 4-3, 4-3
2018: 4-3, 4-3, 4-3, 3-4
2019: 7-0, 5-2, 5-2, 4-3
2020: 6-1, 5-2, 5-2, 3-4
2021: 5-2, 5-2, 5-2, 4-3, 4-3, 3-4
2022: 7-0, 5-2, 5-2, 4-3, 3-4, 3-4
2023: 5-2, 4-3, 4-3, 4-3, 3-4, 3-4
2024: 5-2, 5-2, 4-3, 4-3, 4-3, 3-4

Tallying it up, fifteen teams managed to make the postseason despite a losing record at the midpoint. We already discussed some of the legendary runs from back in the day.

More interesting than that? 3 of our last 4 champions have won it all with a 3-4 record at halftime. That ought to encourage anyone who doesn't like the look of things at the moment.

Now & Laters

So let's bring this back to 2025 and the larger point. Only 5 teams have at least 4 wins, and there's a reasonable chance that some of them will make the postseason and a couple won't.

The Wolves hold the top spot right now at 6-1. Right behind them, the Addicts and Crew at 5-2. Then its everyone else...with most of the pack at 3 or 4 wins. A few teams look really strong, but injuries and poor choices have saddled most with capped optimism. Thus the Commish's annual reminder that trends will shift in the back half of the season.

For the 7 teams below .500, having only 2 or 3 wins at this point does not preclude you from the playoff chase. Put a streak together and get it done.

Make the moves you need to so that you'll have a shot at winning every week....one week at a time. Shed dead weight. Trade to balance. Find unclaimed talent. Play the matchups. Hope for the best. Talk a little trash. Most of all, have fun.

Whether the first half of the year was kind to you or not, you'll be making new history for the next 7 weeks. If you're lucky, the 3 after that. So don't quit on the future. Be there in Week 14 securing your playoff spot. Then seize the trophy.

Unbridled Optimism

Here's how you're going to make the playoffs.

Threat

Two top-5 QBs and a top-shelf running game. It's enough to help you pick up momentum in the second half and go on a winning streak and a 7-7 back door W.C.

Losers

Jalen gets into '24 form and CeeDee climbs to the top of the WR ranks. A strong defense and a top TE plus a timely waiver addition afford a run at a Wild Card ticket.

Cheetahs

Higher floor than ever. Broncos certain to improve. Chase Brown picks up steam. Rashee boosts a healthy WR group to the next level. Division opens up.

Remix

Hampton returns to lift running game as Etienne warms up. Strong WR group plays like it. Jones and Williams provide winning flexibility. Wild Card path.

Dominators

Strong balance across positions yields more wins than losses. WR starting decisions get dialed in and the running game becomes more consistent. Challenge for division.

Football Team

Dowdle's emergence holds fast. Maye continues to ascend. Things crystalize in the receiving game. Pick off wins here and there until you get there.

Bruisers

The running game should only improve from here. Top-tier WR1-2 gets support from smart flex play to raise the ceiling. Division path very real.

Crushers

Steelers stack pays more dividends. Saquon finds his groove again. Thomas finally earns his keep. It's enough for 8 wins and a shot at more.

Marauders

More players get healthy. The WR issues finally get sorted. CMC gets help in the running game and things click late. A Wild Card is possible.

Crew

The top levels are good. Allen, Chase, Breece. They get more help from the 2's and 3's later in the year. The division attainable if support players hold.

Addicts

Two of the top 3 RBs. They keep the chains moving. The balance shifts in the WR group as McLaurin re-establishes himself. Wins get to 9 or 10.

Wolves

Nothing to feel bad about. All systems go. Mahomes, Puka, Amon-Ra, and a good running game get the needed wins for a top two spot entering Wk 15.

Week 7 ReCap

7 Up, 7 Down

We're rolling right into midseason with a soupy mess. 7 out of the 12 teams are below .500 and 2 of the top 5 teams are the bottom two in scoring. Meanwhile, several top-5 scoring teams currently hold a losing record. Topsy-turvy.

A lot to cover from Week 7 before we get to the midseason report. Here are your award winners...

And a quick review of the matchups...

High Rollers

The Losers decided this was the week. They brought their A-game and won a hotly-contested shootout with the Football Team to get their second win and keep hope alive entering the back of the season. Hurts (27) and Brown (24) connected to lead the way. DeVonta Smith's 31 was a standout performance in a solid effort from WFT.

Another week, another Wolves win. 6-1 now after a second-half surge to take down the Dominators. Mahomes 24.5 was tops among the Dire scoring, boosted by a nice 21 from the Panthers D. The Doms rode Stafford-to-Adams early but caught a flat in terms of support scoring (Chargers -5). That's another game separating the Wolves from the pack.

NLS

The Crushers have been great in close games, but their non-Steelers failed to show against the 5-2 Krackaddicts. While some positions slept, the Ghetto running game proved wide awake again...led by Taylor's 26. Bijan added 16. They maintain a share of the division lead. Rodgers 24.5 was best among the Crushers starters.

For the Crew, Josh Allen's bye week was not an impediment to success. They share that division lead with the Addicts thanks to three key contributions. JaMarr Chase's 30, Olave's 20, and the Patriots 21. There were letdowns, but those 3 secured the win. The Remix got 19.5 from Swift but underachievement from their other primary weapons.

Titleist

Don't sleep on the Cheetahs. Rachee Rice emerged from the naughty list to help them past the Bruisers, along with a Bo Nix bonanza of 33.5 points. In the closest matchup of Week 7, Conover got enough support for their Broncos stars to move into a share of second place in the division. For BB, Jamo's goose egg and a down rushing day offset Dak's 24.5 and JSN's 23.

The Threat have been scoring well, but an Evans injury ensured they would not get a W over the Marauders. MIM had not scored 100 points in 5 weeks, but they found some juice this week behind 33 from CMC. A timely Chiefs start added 23 more. Kittle zilched in his return. Last in scoring but 4-3. Gibbs went off for TLM, netting 36 points to lead the league.

Week 7 Preview

Can Jefferson get the Remix back in the NLS mix?

WEEK 7

Divisionals!!! The first of two all-divisional slates (the latter being Week 14). This one takes us to midseason. The stakes will be high, with division positions leads up for grabs in two of the three divisions. As of this writing, the London game is underway, so pick data will reflect things as they currently stand (12:25pm updated).

Let's go through the week's matchups by division, as is only appropriate:

NLS

The NLS has shaped up to be the most competitive of the three divisions to this point. A three-way tie at 4-2 for the lead, with all four teams at .500 or better. Who moves ahead this week?

Crushers vs. Addicts

Crushers
It's all early for the Cliffs this week, with 4 starters who ran Thursday night. Rodgers chipped in 24.5, Warren added 19.5 more in the flex. The Steelers D (-4) hurt the cause. DK managed 7.5. Kyren and Brian Thomas will need better second halfs in the early game and Barkley needs to step up this week. Otherwise the scoring wraps up at the 4pm window with Ertz (8-10) and Badgley (same). Will it be enough?

Addicts
Can Jayden bring the heat to get close to Rodgers effort? Bijan and Taylor will both shine again this week. Pickens may take a step back. Golden is a wild card but should still see targets. Pollard needs to find his way again. The Vikes D will be tested. Wagner will be good for 8. Tucker Kraft is a big key here. Can he find a dozen? Projections look good for GK but this will be closer than currently slated. Folk might be the difference.

ESPN: Addicts by 20
FP: Addicts by 20

Crew vs. Remix

Crew
Darnold gets the start on Allen's bye, could go either way against a stingy Houston D. Breece is set for a good but not great day. Jamarr's 30 points on Thursday looms large in terms of the outcome here. Bill is elevating his play, could show up big this week. Olave is a high-floor start. Drake London ready to replicate his recent success. Kelce has a down week. Pats D finds 10. Baun bounces back. It should be enough.

Remix
Etienne not doing well against the Rams. More pressure on Swift to play and play well. Caleb should find easy points against the Saints. Jefferson and Odunze are the keys to victory here. 45+ between them would do it, anything less means Xavier Worthy has to surpass expectations and Goedert needs to keep his hot streak rolling. One of the two will. Seattle D should match the Pats, Campbell's tackles will be needed.

ESPN: Crew by 28
FP: Crew by 27

Titleist

The injuries and overall struggles have left this division wide open. Someone can claim their stake to it with just a few wins in a row. Who emerges from the malaise with an eye on the postseason?

Bruisers vs. Cheetahs

Bruisers
Dak projects to light it up this week. Can he live up to that? Rachaad is a go and should find room to run. Hubbard a question mark this week, unlike JSN who is on fire and will have a decent day despite Stingley's coverage. Jamo gets a look in the likely shootout with TB, boom/bust that leans boom. Doubs sneaky good flex. Aubrey and the Denver D both have favorable matchups and top projections. Watch for Burns!

Cheetahs
Purdy can't get healthy, so Nix is in the mix again. His connection with Sutton will make or break. Mason should break one. Walker is on the up, can he do it against HOU? A big lift with Rashee joining the ranks. How quickly he acclimates will say a lot here. Warren continues his impact. Nico reminds of his potential. The Packers D is likely to shine. If Lutz can do more than a FG and 3 XPs, this one gets real close.

ESPN: Bruisers by 11
FP: Bruisers by 4

Marauders vs. Threat

Marauders
Stroud is back in the saddle while Lamar recovers. Good for 18. CMC's volume equals top-10 floor. Can Vidal replicate last week? Could go either way. Meyers and Addison and Pacheco are all worth 10 at best unless someone pops. Brooks has been a tackle machine and should continue that. Boswell's 8 was a manageable start Thursday. Chiefs D set to chow down on LV. Kittle's return is the first positive in a while here.

Threat
All systems go in the quest for win 2. Baker should bake Monday night. Jacobs, Gibbs, Skattebo? That's a fearsome RB trio that will not be beaten this week. Expect the most from Gibbs among them. Combined 55. Can Evans return bolster the WR setup this week? Makes sense. Johnston is an either way play. Fannin will find 7. The Eagles D could excel but no guarantees with Jetta over there. Pineiro goes for 10.

ESPN: Threat by 2
FP: Threat by 2

High Rollers

It's been a one-man show thus far, but several teams are threatening to make the race more interesting. Is this the week the balance of power begins to shift or will the gap increase even more?

Dominators vs. Wolves

Wolves
As usual, there's not a lot that looks questionable here. Mahomes should skate easy against LV. Kamara is primed for a great game. Can Javonte do more of his Wk 5 work rather than last week's? No Puka or Deebo hurts WR ceiling, but Pittman will get his and Amon-Ra is auto-points. The Woody Marks flex is one to watch. Dice roll. LaPorta is back in business. Panthers D needs to rise up against the Jets. Certainly doable.

Dominators
Stafford is off and running in London. Him and Davante are 35+ in combo already with time still to go. Achane and Jeanty should win the RB slate by a nose this week. Jeanty big play needed. Waddle gets the WR2 slot and should deliver on that. Hockenson needs more than his usual 6 this week. Rhamondre will be a huge key to potential victory. Chargers D a risk. Gay will get kicks. Can Lavonte get to 10 this week?

ESPN: Dominators by 12
FP: Dominators by 19

Losers vs. Football Team

Losers
Hurts will likely get to 20 this week. TreVeyon is a wild card but projected well. JK needs to excel against the Giants. CeeDee's return is a big boon for the receiving corps. AJ will have a 10-pointer. Judkins should have a ton of rushing room. Ferguson is a stud TE1 at this point. Dicker is worth plenty this week if the game stays competitive. Texans D have to reach 12+ to ensure victory in this one.

Football Team
Maye gets the start again and should have another 16 against the Titans. Gainwell's 5 wasnt nearly enough. Dowdle will come down a notch but still double-digits. Ladd and DeVonta will both outpace projections. Look for Ladd to go 15+. Shepard flex a smart play. McBride needs to do his thing again. Bears D likely good for 6-8. Fairbairn will tested. Landman has a solid day at DP. This will come down to Dowdle and McBride.

ESPN: Losers by 13
FP: Losers by 19

Week 6 Review

Postweek 6

Well that was certainly interesting. A lot of Week 6 bedwetting. Only 5 teams reached 100 points. Some standouts for sure, but a lot of "What Have We Become" (queue DC Talk) among the downtrodden. Three blowouts of 30+ points.

The good was certainly great. The Krackaddicts came to play, posting a season-best, franchise-record 167 points in their absolute dismantling of the free-falling Marauders. In regular season games, that 98-point margin of victory is the widest gap we've seen--this side of Pamela's poon palace--since Week 9 of '22, when the Losers lambasted the Crushers 189.5-82.

The Addicts impressive return from rehab wasn't the only fine effort. The Threat pulled off the unthinkable and won their first game with a strong showing. This despite a second week of roster autopilot and out-but-starting narcolepsy that dampened spirits for the planned parade outside of Threat HQ.

The Crushers moved up to to 4-2 with a late comeback win over the Cheetahs. "Survive and advance" seems to be carrying this team. Only one of their wins had 100 points to go along with it (103, Wk 4), but wins are what matter!

Can't count the Football Team out. For the second week in a row, they topped 120 in a win with Dowdle fueling the boat. The Bruisers just nabbed a division-leading win in their best week of the season. All 3 of their wins have seen them score 130+. Both these teams are making early cases for the playoff race ahead.

And not to be forgotten, the Wolves did find their way late to get by the Losers. At 5-1, they hold the top spot in the High Rollers division, in points, and overall. The other divisions are locked up fairly tightly.

Big picture? There are 8 teams at 4-2 and 3-3, some of them headed different directions. The other 3 are a game or two back of the pack. For the week that just was, we're a lot more even in terms of record than we were in late September. No better chance to make ground than the week ahead. Divisionals loom.

Awards and observations below...

Observations

Bruisers

No Chuba, no problem this week. Season high in points. Everyone showed up. JSN, 29! Broncos D with 23 and Dak with 22. Egbuka got hurt, so he gets a pass here. Even Jamo (13.5) waved from the bench. Things are looking up.

Crew

Felt like a week to really make a statement. Instead it was just okay. Drake's 26.5 was certainly nice. Run game failed the cause. The support players didn't show up as well this week. WRs looked solid overall. There's always next week.

Crushers

A bit of balance, no major letdowns. It's getting this team into the prize closet more often than not. Brian Thomas, Bryce, Steelers D. All chipping in. Barkley will bounce back from his recent slide. NLS lead share.

Cheetahs

No longer last in scoring, but wins aren't materializing yet. Bourne (18.5) was a savvy pickup, but bye weeks and running game ghost acts hurt the cause this week. Broncos connection had a dud, but should bounce back.

Dominators

Not enough this week, though the 1-2 punch of Achane and Ashton is mighty. 41.5 points between the two of them. Waddle's rejuvenation is timely, Davante and Garrett both had bad games. Up and down trend for Diesel.

Football Team

Another 30-burger for Rico! Suave. Drake Maye continued his ascent with 28.5. Waller didn't come through, but the Ladd looked good and the Bucs D was steady. An RB2 away from the next step. Overall, optimism despite injury.

Krackaddicts

That run game is just red hot. Bijan's 35.5, Taylor's 21, that alone would keep you in most games. Add 27 from Pickens, 20 from the Raiders on a plug start, and hands raised around the room to get the Addicts moving up the ladder again.

Losers

A decent week would have been a win. Decent didn't happen. Dicker led the way with 18. Love added 14. Nearly everyone else disappointed. Run game took a step back, at least temporarily. Time to get healthy.

Marauders

Bad to way worse. 3-game slide and unhealthy. CMC still rolling with 18. Otherwise very little to feel good about. WRs and TE failed to show. Vidal went off on the bench. Injuries not adjusted for. Title defense on the ropes.

Remix

No JJ this week, the loss of Omarion so quickly, and a couple of questionable starting calls collaborated to throw out the spike strips. Swift was worth a big 27 and Caleb came through with 18. Everything else was a letdown.

Threat

Slayton starting. Gibbs sitting. Didn't seem like intentional calls to the casual observer. Somehow the winning winds blew in anyway. Jacobs (25) and Skattebo (23) rammed their way to a damn good day. Rams jammed for 21.

Wolves

Side of the Wolves we hadn't seen, vincible. There was Mahomes' 26 (nice) and LaPorta's 12 (cool) and a lot of meh. Puka health watch not fun. 5-1 is crucial...provides cushion for a future week like this.

Week 6 Preview

Can Egbuka put the Bruisers back in the win column?

Half Dozen

Another football weekend, another chance to notch a W.

We're closing in on a half-dozen weeks of data, and with a top-heavy spread in overall records, it will be interesting to see who ends up continuing to rise. The Commish thinks there will be a whole lot of 3-3 by the time the Week 6 air clears. There's a reasonable possibility that we end up with 8 or 9 teams at 4-2 or 3-3. That would be the perfect table-setting for the looming Wk 7 Divisionals.

For your main course this week, it's two High Rollers division duels and an NLS vs. Titleist four-pack. As it stands, the NLS position battle is revving up fast. The High Rollers are all chasing the Wolves and the Titleist group is full of limping and languish.

Will the Wolves and Crew ascend to 5-1? Can the Remix and Crew extend their winning streaks to 4? Are the Losers and Football Team ready to put a streak together? Will the Marauders or Cheetahs finally post respectable weeks? Will the real Crushers team please stand up? Can the Addicts bounce back from consecutive losses? Are the Bruisers and Dominators about to live up to their Power Scores? Are the Threat about to finally break the seal? Some good battles are about to kick off and kick up.

On to the matchup previews and picks...

Crew vs. Bruisers

Bruisers: Dak is likely to throw a couple of TD's in Carolina, double-digit day. White gets the injury start, may need to find the end zone to justify. Henry breaks a big one this week. JSN will get his projection and Egbuka may go for 18+. Jameson likely to be a miss here.

Burns posted a solid 9.5 Thursday. The Denver D should feast on New York if no passing game shows up. Aubrey will be busy again. His kicks may make all the difference in the outcome.

Crew: It seems Allen's meh games are still going to be enough. A good one here reminds of his value. Bryce will subtract from the Bruisers D but not for more than 12 or so. JCM, it's really hard to say. Has to get loose. Chase and Olave are both going for rewarding scores. London may not live up this week.

Kelce seems to be settling in, definite TD chances in this one. McLaughlin is a guarantee. Pats D not quite a lock but a good matchup. Baun's 3 not great. Will be a close one.

ESPN: Bruisers by 8
FP: Bruisers by 7

Crushers vs. Cheetahs

Crushers: The Bryce dice are rolled. We will see about that one. Barkley didn't show Thursday (7.5), putting the pressure on Kyren to get to 18. Possible if the Rams can build a lead. Brian Thomas is likely to outdo his projection, with Harrison finding 10-12. Warren has upside here, but certainly a risk.

The Pittsburgh D should shine against CLE, while Spillane is set for tackle tally opportunities. Prater a solid option this week. Can Ertz help the cause here? He needs a dime.

Cheetahs: As the Bo Nix experience rolls on, the early action should tell us how the wind is blowing here. Sutton is good for his reliable double-digits. Higgins needs to match it. Bourne is called up for a targets play in injurious San Fran. Could work. Walker and Brown should will have a dozen each, with KW3's road easier.

Warren is a favorite target but needed less here. Lutz will get some easy points. The Packers D is set to shine. Oluokun certain to make a play.

ESPN: Crushers by 5
FP: Cheetahs by 2

Addicts Vs. Marauders

Marauders: The 11th-lowest scoring team turns to Lawrence with Lamar down again. Probably worth a dozen. McCaffrey will get his, chalk another 20. Carter is a risk but gets the look. Meyers is likely to bust. Ridley looks to match last week's energy. Malik a dice roll at flex, but return points will help.

Juwan is slipping fast, Little replaces injured kicker for 8-10. Tennessee D likely to get free Geno points. Brooks a tackle machine. Need overachievement to challenge in this one.

WR: Daniels may not get to 20+, but he will certainly get close. In the rushing stable, JT and Bijan are likely to combine for 35, with Bijan's road a little tougher. Pollard looks to turn the corner in a winnable matchup. Pickens is set to lead the unit, though Golden is only a maybe here.

Kraft should have a good day aginst Cincy. Folk is likely needed but has limited range. Wagner always a safe DP play. If the Raiders D holds up, the outcome will be assured.

ESPN: Addicts by 19
FP: Addicts by 20

Wolves vs. Losers

Wolves: Mahomes looks to keep things rolling. Should do fine in a shootout. Javonte gets another look over Kamara. He will peak at 10 or so. Cook will exceed expectations against Atlanta. Puka is #1 for a reason and that means 20 here. St. Brown may not have his best game. Samuel breaks a nice run.

LaPorta gets a TD and earns his value. Butker may be called upon several times. 10 points. The Buffalo D is hit or miss, expect 8. Hunter is due for an ascent and goes for 12+.

Losers: Love gets the start against Cincy, good matchup. Beats Hurts' 15. Dobbins continues to excel and Montgomery will be a factor. AJ's 11 was okay Thursday night, but Keenan will be counted on for 15+. No Lamb again here. Judkins flexes a big play against PIttsburgh.

The Saints D (in for Houston's bye) will be pushed, probably no more than 5 pts. Cooper is good for a few points. Dicker will hope he's not just kicking XP's.

ESPN: Wolves by 12.5
FP: Wolves by 13

Dominators vs. WFT

Dominators: Stafford gets the nod and it's the right call. He posts 20. Achane will meet projections, Jeanty will exceed his. Davante may not be needed late but finds a dozen. Wilson will struggle but Waddle will come through in his first start.

Some of that comes at the expense of the Chargers D, who should generate a turnover or two. Gay steps in at kicker, might have a good game. Warner will contribute importantly. Jonnu, unclear in the TE stable.

Football Team: It's Maye back in the huddle against the Saints, not likely to disappoint but under 20. Rico's encore will be good but more like 15. Kareem busts this week. McConkey should get 6+ catches. Shakir needs to get a TD. DeVonta let down the flex (6.5).

Elliot posted 6 because of the TP reliance, but the Bucs will do better than that. Walker gets the DP nod, could go either way. Waller is primed for 15 against the Chargers. If he booms, WFT may challenge.

ESPN: Doms by 20
FP: Doms by 18.5

Threat vs. Remix

Threat: The QB matchup leans Herbert's way. Soft Miami defense. Skattebo provided a generous 23.5, but no Gibbs this week after a flex fail. Jacobs will earn 15-17. Quentin provides a needed boost, but a zero from Slayton (why?) and McMillan's tough assignment means a loss in the WR battle.

Fannin will likely find the same 6-8 as his counterpart. The Rams should provide 10+ with Lamar out. Bates has a good chance at points with Chiefs D issues.

Remix: Caleb could take the edge if he has a dual-threat game. Feels like he will have to. The need is for Etienne to find daylight...and he will. Swift not so much. Odunze is primed to give OG's a good game. Combo TD needed. Can Diggs do his part? Worthy's in the mix and will likely produce immediately.

Njoku seems like an under on the projection. Myers gets an all or nothing matchup. James is the better of the two DP's here. The Colts D will need to produce 15+ to secure the win here. Capable for sure.

ESPN: Threat by 4
FP: Remix by 2

Week 5 reCAP

Chase (28.5) led the Crew to a Wk 5 OTW.

Wk 5 Recap

Week 5 was a curious one. Tons of points contrasted with some absolute duds and even more injuries.

As it happened, the Crew showed up big and claimed this week's top score and a big division win. The Wolves continued their strong play and also stand at 4-1. These two teams are making some noise for themselves, and the Wolves hold a strong overall points lead.

Both the Addicts and Marauders dropped their second straight after 3-0 starts. The Addicts at the hands of the Crew and MIM in a low-scoring washout against the Dominators...who take the win and join that 3-2 group. Also at 3-2, the Remix pulled off an extremely close win over the now 3-2 Crushers, sneaking by to form a three-way tie in the NLS with them and the Addicts.

The Football Team rode Rico Dowdle's big day to a surprising win over the Bruisers, squaring them both at 2-3. In the War of 0-4's, the Losers blasted the missing Threat, nearly doubling their score to notch a W1. Congrats are in order.

So there you have it...7 teams at either 4-1 or 3-2, with 3 more right on their heels. The race is on. Try to stay healthy. A lot of minefields out there. Here are your standouts this week:

Week 5 Preview

High Five

Week 5 is in full swing. We've cleared the undefeateds out and now the battle for positioning truly begins.

At least one team will get to 4-1 when our "matchup of the week" reveals its winner between the Addicts and Crew. The other three 3-1's all face 2-2 teams looking to ascend. Finally, good news for the two 0-4's since one of them has to get a win this week (well, unless they tie).

So we get some good face-offs, including a rematch of LOC Bowl XIX (Marauders/Dominators). A lot of teams are plugging holes created by the spreading injury bug, and it will be interesting to see if Wk 4 trends continue.

Big picture, it's a division week for NLS and some sparring between the High Rollers and Titleist teams. Byes will impact things, with the Bears, Packers, Steelers and Falcons all off this week. The action starts in London early Sunday.

Aim for the rafters...let's see how high you get. On to the matchups...

Note: Commish's picks are at the end, with 2 LM Locks. If either lock fails, the Commish drops to 1 lock. If they both hit, there will be 3 locks next week. The arbitrary game continues until all locks are gone. Basically a couple of weeks.

Crew vs. Addicts

Crew
Allen sometimes underachieves against the Pats, still finds 15+. Hall is set for a heavy dose. Demercado a who-knows. Chase will go off this week. Olave will reach a dozen. Kelce gripes for a TD. Can Tucker find another big week? London on bye. Critical flex. McLaughlin helps again. Cleveland D should be fine but you never know. Baun has another double-digit day.

Addicts
Guess who's back? Jayden's back. 100%? Unclear. Taylor will feast against the Raiders. Pollard should get his touches, needs to find yards. No Bijan this week. Pickens is feeling it, another score coming. Wandale is a risk but might get 10. Minnesota D likely finds 6 or 8. Wagner will get his. Okonkwo probably doesn't. Folk (if accurate) has a 10+ effort. Close game.

Experts
ESPN: Even
FP: Crew by 1

Wolves vs. Cheetahs

Experts
ESPN: Even
FP: Crew by 1

Dominators Vs. Marauders

Dominators
Kyler starting again over Stafford. Favorable matchup. The run game should ignite again, with Achane and Jeanty both looking at favorable scenarios. Achane gets 20+. Davante provided 11 on Thursday, but Flowers and Wilson must also reach that number. Hockenson will get his targets. Chargers D has some risk. Warner's 6 serviceable. Loop will get kicks.

Marauders
Reek is out out. Lamar for a couple of weeks. Stroud gets clean-up and should be okay. McCaffrey's 21.5 Thursday was pivotal. WR group is suspect. Meyers underachieves and Addison good for 10. Jeudy may pop with the QB change. Johnson should bounce back. Carter is the either-way play. Shrader seems reliable. Bucs D no sure thing. Crosby back at DP.

Experts
ESPN: Dominators by 5
FP: Dominators by 5.5

Crushers vs. Remix

Crushers
Williams' 23 was a great starter. Barkley will follow up with 15. Geno is a never-know play and that may backfire. Harrison should have an easier go this time. Shaheed's path is unclear. No DK this week. WR battle probably depends on Thomas Monday night. Kincaid is good for a TD. Baltimore D is a dice-roll. Prater will be busy against NE. Garrett gets 10.

Remix
Indiana Jones will do better than Geno. That could be 2 or 20. Hampton and Etienne are an unlikely but capable duo that will keep the RB battle close. Hampton breaks one. Jefferson should have 100 yards early. Diggs, hard to say. Godwin will get his targets and shake off rust. Goedert is underrated. Colts D a strong streaming play. Bears on bye makes it tight.

Experts
ESPN: Crushers by .5
FP: Crushers by 1.5

Losers vs. Threat

Threat
No favors done by Rams D (-1). Herbert has a big game against WAS. Skattebo is likely to get his fair share (15) and Gibbs is good for more. Johnston is going to need a TD. McmIllan will get looks and should find a dozen. Bowers is still a question mark so limited upside here. Slayton might be a nice waiver snag. No Jacobs or DJ hurts.

Losers
Hurts will have to air it out. Tough Denver D. Like Montgomery and Dobbins to reach double digits. AJ and Keenan are both hit/miss. Not sure why Worthy is benched. Judkins a pleasant surprise, flexes high. Ferguson good for 10. Texans D should find 6 or 8. Dodson gets the DP nod and will outpace projections. Dicker a safe bet.

Experts
ESPN: Losers by 5
FP: Losers by 19.5

Bruisers Vs. Football Team

Bruisers
Fields is in line for a good day. Look for 20. Can Henry get it rolling again? Rachaad gets the one-week (?) start with both Bucky/Chuba down for the count. Njigba and Egbuka both find the end zone this week. Can Henry get work against the Bills? Jameson will be a key flex play. Aubrey has to get more chances. Zona D is a plug-and-play win.

Football Team
Jared Goff gets his turn at the top and makes it worth 15+. Dowdle and Miller are the tandem of choice (or necessity), probably combine for 20. Will McConkey ever bounce back? This feels like a TD week for McBride. Shakir's performance is mission-critical here. DeVonta's unhappy. Lions D worth 10. Branch replaces Roquan as a boom/bust playmaker.

Experts
ESPN: Bruisers by 8
FP: Bruisers by 11

Week 4 review

Mahomes (Wolves) looked like his old self in Wk 4 (25.5 pts).

PostWeek 4

The commish is a day late, but that takes nothing away from the craziness of Week 4. Tons of close matchups, plenty more injuries, and a few breakouts defined the action. No Last Man Standing left, as both the Addicts and Marauders took losses. In fact, 9 of the 12 LOC teams are now either 3-1 or 2-2! It's gonna be a hard-fought playoff ticket.

On that note, the Wolves re-ignited to top 150 points for the second time in 3 weeks and established themselves as the early favorite to make a postseason run. Keep an eye on the Crushers, who just notched their 3rd win in a row with a narrow win over the Football Team. Speaking of win streaks, the surging Crew handled business against the still-winless Losers while the Remix also got their second straight win after holding off the Dominators in a high scoring battle.

Over in the Titleist division, the Bruisers got over the hump Monday night to rally past the Threat in a shootout that came down to the wire. The Cheetahs made it two in a row with a closely contested comeback win that night as well. See 'The Nugget' tomorrow for more about this game's unique status.

Several teams took injury blows as stars continue to fall...with Nabers (WFT) and Tyreek (MIM) being the most significant. This is the time of year where bye weeks are underway and roster shuffles are inevitable...even if you have avoided the injury bug to this point. Week 4 was rough on some, but several teams are turning up the heat on the rest of the league.

In just 3 short weeks we'll be at the middle of the season. If this week was any indicator, more than half of the league will be above .500. Conveniently, Week 7 gives us a slate of intra-division duels. Spicy.

Okay, back to the present. Here are the Weeklies and matchup recaps.

THE MATCHUPS

Wolves vs. Addicts

The top 2 teams thus far battled it out, but the Wolves weren't going to be denied. Just as in Week 2, everyone but LaPorta showed up, with Puka's 29.5, Mahomes 25.5, and Cook's 20.5 pacing another great week. The Addicts had big efforts from PIckens (27) and Bijan (26), but just not enough to keep up in this one.

Remix vs. Dominators

The Remix fortunes seem to have shifted, with Omarion Hampton carving 27.5 to lead this win. Plenty of balance and a pair of 19's from Jefferson and Etienne highlighted the effort. Across the way, the Doms continue to look strong, with Jeanty's breakout 31 a highlight. More hands were needed to win the shootout.

Cheetahs vs. Marauders

A low-scoring slog for most of the way, this one was noteworthy for the Monday night matchups that decided the outcome as well as its Fumbowl status. The Cheetahs played the Nix/Sutton combo for a critical 40 points to take the win, with Nix's 25.5 the team lead. The Marauders lost (and lost players) with CMC's 21 the lone bright spot.

Bruisers vs. Threat

An exciting Monday night finish that saw the Bruisers climb back and snatch the win away from the Threat on the work of Justin Fields' 21 points and the Broncs D (17). Irving's 25.5 was an essential team high in the restoration to 2-2. TLM continue to ramp up their scoring each week, led here by Josh Jacobs (25.5). It just hasn't yet yielded a W.

Crew vs. Losers

The Crew have earned 3-1 with good support scoring. This win over the Losers was no exception, with Allen (20.5) and London (21.5) leading but the D/DP/K trio combining for 39 key points. McLaughlin continues to impress. Ledford can't find a W, though the Texans D provided a nice 21. Personnel issues continue to hamper.

Crushers vs. Football Team

Quietly, the Crushers are putting together a winning campaign. A narrow but valuable win over WFT advanced it. DK's 21 was the only score of note, but it proved to be enough here. Three players reached 20+ for the Football Team, but when your WR1 goes down early, its gonna be a long week. Gainwell's 25 was a smart play despite the loss.

Week 4 Preview

Puka has looked unstoppable through 3 games (Wolves).

Four SCore

We're here at the doorway of Week 4. A quarter of the way through Season 20 already! It's shaping up to be another competitive season with some real parity in play. Feels like we'll be even more confused by Monday.

Consider that only one of this week's matchups pairs two teams with winning records and it makes more sense. The Titleist's are in division battles again while the NLS and High Rollers have another round.

Week 4 has the lowest scoring average historically for any regular season week, though its also seen some lofty performances (see the Rodgers Historic Highlight down the page). Just last season, 8 of our 12 teams were 1-3 or 2-2 by the time the week was over (with the Crew the Last Man Standing). Are we headed for more ambiguity?

Let's see how it plays out this time around. Will we still have an undefeated (or unfeated) team left when the air clears?

Here are your matchups, starting with the presumed game of the week.

Wolves vs. Addicts

Summary

The top 2 teams to this point in the campaign square off to provide more breathing room in their divisional races and an early edge overall.

Players

Wolves
This lineup boasts balance and potential. Mahomes gets Baltimore this time, so no guarantees there. Cook and Kamara, lock them in for a combo 30. Stacking Nacua and St. Brown on top of it should make for a high floor, with both of them going for 15 too. Deebo needs touches, his performance a key here.

LaPorta bounce back? Not sure. Buffalo D susceptible. TJ Watt will make plays in Ireland. Javonte goes to the bench. Right call?

Addicts
No Jayden, so Mariota gets the homer start. Should be okay. Robinson and Taylor are both in favorable situations and should keep momentum. Can Golden carry the WR target share in GB? Pickens will likely pick up on the other side. Pollard needs to win the flex. Won't be easy.

Okonkwo gets the nod at TE, might surprise. Vikings D looks scary good right now. Slye gets some FGs. Wagner does good. Down to the wire.

Picks

H2H: 11-7, Wolves
ESPN: Wolves by 11
FP: Wolves by 7.5
LM: Wolves by 3

Bruisers vs. Threat

Summary

Two teams who seem better than their record line up for improving the numbers, with the Bruisers hoping for Week 1 form and the Threat trying to break through.

Players

Bruisers
Turning to Dart just like the Giants. Will be interesting. Can he at least go double-digits? JSN provided 10.5 Thursday, Egbuka needs 15. The run game must carry the way, certainly possible. Irving and Henry headed for better days. Hubbard will be the key. A 20 wouldn't hurt.

Aubrey is money and will be busy. Denver D primed for 15+. Can't go wrong with Burns. Support roles may win the day.

Threat
Herbert will get more assuredly get his against Dart's Giants. Jacobs and Gibbs should be playing with a lead in their matchups. McMillan good for more scores? Johnston feels like a good start. Skattebo is a dice roll but ideal for the flex. Let's see if he delivers again.

Bates should cruise to 10+, can Bowers provide at least that? Rams D may get iced, but Young won't be punished for getting sacks.

Picks

H2H: 3-1, Threat
ESPN: Threat by 5
FP: Threat by 5
LM: Bruisers by 5

Crushers vs. Football Team

Summary

The upstart Crushers take on a Football Team trying to reshuffle following the Conner loss in what feels like an early test and another low-scoring slugfest.

Players

Crushers
I'ts always a dice roll with Geno, though the experts are high on him this week. We'll see. Barkley should raise his game this week. Kyren, kinda depends on that Indy D. Metcalf finds the end zone again. Harrison already did with his 13.5 Thursday. Warren will be counted on.

Kincaid is good for a 10-spot. Prater will get easy opps against New Orleans. Can the Steelers keep it cool against Carson?

Football Team
As long as Maye keeps it rolling, and as he should against CAR, the Football Team will keep Goff on the shelf. Gainwell gets the start along Hunt, obviously going to be a TD-dependent setup. Nabers should show something this week, and it feels like McConkey will excel. Can DeVonta keep elevating?

McBride got an acceptable 8.5, but the Detroit D will need to better that. Roquan should find his points. Fairbairn a good play.

Picks

H2H: 12-12, Tied
ESPN: Crushers by 19
FP: Crushers by 9.5
LM: Crushers by 3

Losers vs. Crew

Summary

The Crew are looking like a potential challenger for the playoffs, while the Losers are looking to the bench to replace Lamb and find their first W.

Players

Crew
Allen enters as the top-projected in many leagues this week, given the matchup. 20+. Breece should find lanes against Miami, but can JCM find enough carries? Chase will be limited this week. London likely to get a big TD. Like the Olave edge at flex.

Can Kelce have a good week? It's hard to predict. McLaughlin won't repeat last week but should get a couple up. Pats D finds double digits. Baun will be busy.

Losers
So Hurts may not manage to match Allen, but he'll have to throw against Tampa. Dobbins is warming up for a big Monday. Montgomery should be okay as well. Brown and Allen will have to carry the Lamb-less weight. They will get to 25 as a pair. Judkins primed to show out.

Houston D packs the stat sheet. Dicker is a reliable option, and Cooper if healthy should contribute. Can they find enough here?

Picks

H2H: 9-8, Crew
ESPN: Even
FP: Losers by 2
LM: Crew by 4

Remix VS. Dominators

Summary

In what is likely the most underrated matchup of the week, the Remix try to repeat Week 3 success and the Doms try to get back to their winning ways.

Players

Remix
Caleb Williams is keying Remix optimism early, and he should reinforce it here. Etienne may struggle against SF, but Swift will find 15 this week. Tempered expectations for Jefferson but no less than 10. Odunze needs a Williams TD. Expect Hampton to get tons of looks. Can he make good on them?

Goedert is underrated and will find 8-10. The Seahawks D delivered a sturdy 14. Hamilton needs to make a play. This will be tight.

Dominators
It was another okay from Kyler (10), which will create a positional deficit. Is this the week Jeanty breaks out? Could be. Achane will find his against NYJ. Adams is set for another solid game. Flowers is hit/miss and needs to hit here. Garrett Wilson against the Fins secondary is big for the outcome.

Chargers D should get some rookie jitters working in their favor. Hockenson should turn in a big reception or two. Warner is a steady force.

Picks

H2H: 6-4, Remix
ESPN: Remix by 1.5
FP: Remix by 6
LM: Dominators by 1

Cheetahs VS. Marauders

Summary

In a lopsided head to head history, but with some big matchups decided by very close margins, the Cheetahs and Marauders duel for better divisional standing.

Players

Cheetahs
Nix is in as of this writing, probably the better QB matchup here. Mason should stretch early Sunday. Walker already provided a serviceable 11. Can Nico light up Tennessee? Sutton feels like a value and should find another Nix combo TD. Can Chase find holes against Denver? In question.

Warren is likely needed in this one, while the Packers D carries a high floor. Oluokun will carry his weight. Can Lutz benefit from enough Denver drive stalls?

Marauders
Lamar is the main reason for 3-0, and he should do enough against KC. McCaffrey is all systems go, for now. Benson didn't light it up with 9.5 Thurs night. Can Tyreek get loose against Sauce? Not sure Meyers will against Chicago. Addison sees his first action of the year, probably eases in.

Miami D is a risky call. Shrader is the new kicker, probably worth 10-12. Bush gets another week at DP. Not enough for a win.

Picks

H2H: 19-9, Cheetahs
ESPN: Marauders by .5
FP: Cheetahs by 4.5
LM: Cheetahs by 7

Week 3 review

3rd & Inches

You already know where this is going. Everything was close. Hell of a week, dudes!

Monday night drama was thick in the air as the clock raced down on Week 3, and we saw a couple of fantasy karts get blue-shelled in the closing turn. On one side of it, the Bruisers saw things flip with :30 left in the Ravens/Lions game, allowing the Marauders to escape to 3-0. The Addicts had a seemingly safe 30-point lead over the Losers entering the night, but David Montgomery was only a broken tackle away from upsetting that notion as well. Ghetto gets to 3-0 in an eventual shootout win.

The Wolves were confident Amon-Ra and LaPorta could wrangle 24 and get them to 3-0, but the wily Crew held on for the W after La Porta pottied in his pants (sorry, been saving that one). Likewise the Dominators, reasonably confident that Zay Flowers and Tyler Loop could manage 12 between them, found themselves coming up just short against the Crushers. All 4 of these teams are now 2-1.

The Cheetahs got off the ground with a fine division win, and the Remix looked alive in their first conquest as well.

We've whittled down to 2 unbeatens and 2 oh-fers. It's anyone's guess where we're headed. The Commish's preview suggestion that some clarity would emerge from these results was mostly wrong. The Addicts can certainly claim the front spot for the moment, but the pecking order is mostly a guessing game (requiring blindfolded monkeys and darts).

Everything that happened was close to not happening. Philosophically shallow but accurate in regard to what we just saw in Week 3. Here are your weekly awards and top starters at every position...

THE MATCHUPS

Marauders vs. Bruisers

This ended up being the game of the week, if only for the last minute comeback win in a low-scoring scrum. Lamar's 20 was the Marauders team high, a familiar 1-2 with CMC's 18.5 the second best. Otherwise the support staff was mediocre...but just enough yet again.

The Bruisers were led by JSN's 16 and a hearty 15 from the Bucs D. They needed a little more out of Henry (8) and Doubs was a miss in a winnable game.

Addicts vs. Losers

The highest-scoring matchup of the week by far, this one saw the 3-0 Addicts cruise to a big lead and OTW honors, though the lead was threatened late by the Losers. The run game continues to chug for the Ghetto express, led by Taylor's 28 with 13 from Bijan and 10.5 more from Pollard. Trevor didn't cut it (4.5), but the Vikings D went nuts with 33!

Montgomery's 26.5 and Hurts' 23 were pieces of a solid effort that was cut short by Lamb's injury. AJ Brown's 19.5 was an encouraging sign in the Losers continued hunt for a win.

Crew vs. Wolves

In yet another tense finish, the Crew built their lead and held on for a late Wolves rally that ended a TD short. 4:20 was paced by their kicker Chase McLaughlin (22.5), who along with Allen (20.5) bookended a good-enough effort for the W here. Baun's 14.5 was a critical element.

The Wolves brought good balance to it, with 19's from Cook and Puka to guide the effort. Amon-Ra delivered a meaningful 15, but there wasn't quite enough from the defensive side.

Crushers vs. Dominators

In yet another close battle, the Crushers mirrored Week 2 and moved to 2-1 after the Doms were let down late by the Ravens. Saquon was quiet (7), but Kyren's 15.5 and Kincaid's 13 led a mid-pack stat sheet that got Team Crush by for the win.

The TE starting swap didn't pay off for Diesel (-7.5), who had solid receiving marks--Wilson & Adams combined for 30--but needed more from Jeanty and Flowers to keep unbeaten.

Remix vs. Football Team

Caleb Williams (31) keyed an important win for the Remix, with a 20-point assist from the Seahawks ensuring the margin. This one wasn't as close as some, and there are encouraging signs for the OG's outlook. Balanced scoring from the RBs and WRs.

The Football Team had solid expectations here, but Nabers ghosted (2.5) and Conner guttered. The Colts D was sharp with 18, but the supporting cast failed to compensate for complications.

Cheetahs vs. Threat

Purdy Desperate was the temporary mantra this week, and the Cheetahs found the vibe they were looking for to brighten spirits. Mason and Nico both reached 21, while Sutton topped them all at 23.5. Everyone but Chase got in on the winning party.

There is considerably less excitement in Magnetville, where the Threat watched a 20-pointer from Jahmyr and an Eagles D 14 prove not nearly enough. The Evans injury exacerbates the pain. Tough sleds.

Week 3 Preview

Will Nabers fire up another big game for WFT?

Week 3

With two weeks in the bank, our distributions are evenly split. 4 teams apiece at 2-0, 1-1, and 0-2.

By the end of this week, we'll have our first indications of '25 frontrunners. Not based on what the preseason draft experts said, but on what's actually happening on the field. Our early season standouts.

There is a lot of murk out there right now. This game is as unpredictable as always. But we'll probably be a lot closer to a Last Man Standing in a day or two, and we may clear most of the winless from a two-week trend. The Threat and Cheetahs matchup will deliver one of them from it. Otherwise, this is a tough week to predict.

After the usual odd performance contrasts from Weeks 1 and 2, consistency has yet to reveal itself. We're looking for it this week.

The Titleists are in divisional warfare and the High Rollers are squaring against the NLS. Let's get to the matchups:

Wolves vs. Crew

Teams

The Wolves try to match their points potential from last week against a capable Crew unit still finding their chemistry.

Players

Wolves
It starts with Mahomes. He's going to have to put up points in this one. So he will. Cook provided a nice 19 to actually get things started. Javonte should have another good week. Kamara rolls? More of that Amon-Ra and Puka show to come, though Puka may be tempered this week.

Defense posted an average 6. Hunter could be relevant in this one. Can LaPorta be? This one will be a Monday challenge.

Crew
Allen's 20.5 will come in handy later in this one. They say JaMarr is QB-proof. Let's see if that continues against the Vikes. JCM is going to have to step up this week, as Breece is not firing consistently yet. Look for a Hollywood surprise. Kelce will probably hit paydirt, but he needs targets.

Atlanta D should do well against Carolina, but division games. Bucs kicker is good for a dozen. Baun is a machine.

Picks

H2H: 11-8, Wolves
ESPN: Wolves by 12.5
FP: Wolves by 3
LM: Wolves by 5

Bruisers vs. Marauders

Teams

In a Titleist matchup with potential, the Bruisers look to right the ship as they face the undefeated (but untested) Marauders.

Players

Bruisers
Expect a good outing from Dak. Could use a 20. JSN is a question mark, but Jameson is good for a boom play or two. Hubbard and Irving will get their share, call it 26 total. Henry will be the key. His Monday night goal line share.

Don't believe in Njoku, but Aubrey can probably clean up those points. Tampa should be a score on defense.

Marauders
Lamar will deliver his usual TD share. It should be enough to win the position. CMC will get a ton of work. Pacheco may see the last of his. Hill posted 11, okay. Can Meyers and Ridley put up WR2 numbers here? They will be critical to the outcome.

Arizona D is a risk, though its Mac Jones. Johnson gets the TE start and has been hot. Bush joins as DP, on the field a lot.

Picks

H2H: 15-12, Bruisers
ESPN: Bruisers by 2
FP: Bruisers by 2.5
LM: Bruisers by 7

Crushers vs. Dominators

Teams

The 2-0 Dominators will try to avoid a letdown after a solid start while the Crushers look to build on last week's win.

Players

Crushers
Is Stroud ready for a division W opportunity? Seems he is. Needs 15. Barkley and Williams should finish higher than expected. Kyren finds 15, Barkley...something nice. Potential there for Marv and DK to have big days. Warren is feast or famine.

The Comms D should fare well, Kincaid already did (13), and the Myles Garrett factor is there too. Gonna be close.

Dominators
If Kyler can find his mojo against a susceptible SF defense, the QB tilt goes the Diesel way. Achane's dozen is okay, but Jeanty needs to come to life. Davante and Garrett Wilson are certainly capable but need a couple of breaks here. Zay will get his.

Jonnu joins the effort, should get touches. Warner is a man. Keep an eye on the Chargers D. Could go either way.

Picks

H2H: 11-7, Dominators
ESPN: Crushers by 5.5
FP: Dominators by 1
LM: Crushers by 3

Losers vs. Addicts

Teams

The struggling Losers face a tough challenge to get things right against an NLS-leading Addicts team feeling early momentum.

Players

Addicts
No Jayden this week. Trevor gets the nod. Should have a decent 15-point day. Run game is a win. Bijan and Taylor will combine for 35. Pollard adds 10. Can Pickens keep it heading north? Feels like Terry has a down week.

Looks like Kraft is a go, which helps. Minny D may or may not work out, but no worse than 5. Butker gets to 10. Pads the win.

Losers
Hurts is steady and should take the QB battle. Dobbins is on the rise and will add to that. Montgomery may not. Lamb is rock solid at Chicago and AJ Brown needs a TD for those tandem points. Keenan is good for 10.

Ferguson looking good at TE. Waiting to see if Houston's D holds. Cooper kid is a solid IDP. Uphill battle decided Monday.

Picks

H2H: 10-9, Addicts
ESPN: Addicts by 7
FP: Addicts by 8.5
LM: Addicts by 12

Remix VS. WALKERTOWN FT

Teams

The Football Team (much improved in Wk 2) will try to extend the vibes while the Remix seek to shuffle things into place.

Players

Remix
Caleb's at the helm and is projected well. Hard to say. Etienne joins the team via trade and will reward the move. Swift needs a TD catch to stoke the Bears combo points. Odunze will get his. Jefferson may come up shy of 15. Coleman's 3.5 a letdown.

Temporary TE Sanders (post Bowers trade departure) could be a nice dice roll. Seattle D good for 10. Starter shakeups will make or break this week.

Football Team
Maye gets another go after last week. Goff sulks on the bench. 12 this week. Conner is gonna need bulk carries. Hunt needs the end zone to justify start. Ladd is due for a big game. Shakir's 10.5 a serviceable showing. Big key? Maleaky. Watch for Nabers to beat the KC secondary.

Indy defense a safe call. Roquan, enough said. Can McBride deliver a dozen? Every point will count in this one.

Picks

H2H: 8-6, Remix
ESPN: Football Team by 8
FP: Football Team by 10
LM: Football Team by 3

Cheetahs VS. Threat

Teams

Two teams trying to solve early-season mysteries get a chance to put a W on the board in this Titleist division matchup.

Players

Cheetahs
Nix gets the reins this week. He'll come through with 20 in the duel. Brown is due for a breakout. Is this it? Mason is projected well. Heavy workload incoming. Nico and Sutton should both have good days. Walker against Seattle will be a key determinant.

Warren probably doesn't get it going this week. Packers D will feast for 15-20. Lutz will clean up for Nix. Should be enough.

Threat
The Herbert side of the duel should also reap benefits. Expect up to 25. Gibbs, Jacobs both are likely to reach 15. Critical that they do. Can Evans get more involved this week? McMillan gets another chance at it as well. Quentin joins in and may impress.

Trading for Bowers boosts overall strength. Philly D may not do great. Bates will be one of the top kickers this week.

Picks

H2H: 4-2, Cheetahs
ESPN: Cheetahs by 2
FP: Cheetahs by 9
LM: Cheetahs by 1

Week 2 review

Two Through

That's all for the second week. Season over? Championship bound? Still avoiding waivers? None of those things should be locked in just yet. We're a long way from definitive outcomes.

What's clear is that Dire Wolves are running strong. They popped for 160 points in Week 2, which was more than enough to lead scoring and put them firmly at the top of the standings. Points came from every direction for the 2-0 Wolves, and they lead a pack of four unbeatens at this early stage.

The Addicts and Dominators both had runaway wins to get to 2-0, with the Addicts riding their hot running game and the Doms getting balance from across the board. The Marauders closed their win over the Losers late Monday to also join the group. Side note: The 4 undefeated teams are the same group that finished as the Top 4 overall last year.

After a mediocre Week 1, the Football Team roared to life in a higher-scoring showdown with the Threat, while the Crushers survived a slugfest with the Crew to get back to even at 1-1 as well.

First up, your awards for the week (above). Now to the matchups...

Wolves vs. Bruisers

Everyone but LaPorta chipped in to give the Wolves a massive Week 2 win. Amon-Ra's 30.5 led the way, with Cook adding 24.5 and Puka earning 22.5 more. The other half of Dire scoring was distributed among solid efforts from everyone else, with Mahomes and Deebo combining for 33. Shaping up to be the team to beat at this early stage.

The Bruisers came down a little from their Week 1 high. While Dak did step up (20.5) and JSN delivered 16, Egbuka was absent and the Broncs D (-5) hurt the cause. Better days are ahead, and they'll look to correct course against MIM in Week 3.

Addicts vs. Remix

Raising their game an additional notch, the Addicts blew out the Remix after a slow chugging start turned into a runaway train. The running game was the featured act again, with Taylor (28.5) and Bijan (20) powering the path. Tucker Kraft's 21 was a huge assist, and Pickens (13) looked more viable. GK stands atop the NLS at 2-0.

Rome Odunze certainly came to play. His 26 was a team best for the Remix. Boswell's 14 was a nice boost. Everywhere else was a disappointment. Burrow's injury clipped chances early, and a Cowboys D fail (-5) sealed the deal.

Walkertown FT vs. Threat

A reminder that everyone doesn't have to have a good day for it to be a good one. The WFT forces came to life behind a brilliant effort from Malik Nabers. His 32.5 was tops among all starters. Drake Maye had a nice 21, and Football Team mainstay Roquan delivered an essential 19.5. There are still positional concerns, but this was a good sign.

It was a measurably improved showing, but the Threat were going to need a bit more to flip this one. Herbert struck for 19, and the running game looked more promising (27.5 for Gibbs/Jacobs). Only Andrews (.5) held back the progress.

Dominators vs. Cheetahs

The Doms picked up the pace even more in Week 2 with a host of contributors. Achane's 20 and Davante's 19.5 led the way, with a massive boost from the K/D/DP combo yielding 43 more. Kyler seems to like scoring a dozen. Jeanty may be off to a slow start, but if the points come in bunches elsewhere, this team will be just fine.

It got worse for the Cheetahs than in Wk 1, as consecutive Fumbles have marred the early season outlook. Higgins showed up with 12 and Nico managed 10.5 more, but the best scores benched. Slow starts are only starts, there will be better days.

Crushers vs. Crew

In the NLS mud bowl of Week 2, the Crushers rode serviceable days from a few key players to escape with a win. Namely, the Ravens D's 16 and Saquon's 14.5. There wasn't much else to feel good about (WR's not helping), but after a solid Week 1 losing effort, the Crushers flip to an ugly Week 2 win. However they come!

Ja'Marr Chase is awesome. His 30 points were exactly what the Crew needed for a 2-0 start. Unfortunately, he was the only smoker in double digits when the clouds cleared. The run game and WR swaps didn't pan, and with a meh day from Allen (9.5), there wasn't enough.

Marauders vs. Losers

It took until late Monday night for the door to finally close, but the Marauders held off the Losers to get their second win. The effort was keyed by the studs, with Lamar's 23 and CMC's 17.5 driving success. Reek finally showed (15.5), with secondary players doing just enough to get the defending champs to 2-0.

For Ledford and Co, letdowns from Hurts and AJ Brown prevented a win here. CeeDee led things with 18, while Keenan and Ferguson both chipped in a dozen. Worthy's return and Dobbins' rise are needed medicine.

Week 2 Preview

Week 2

Even split after Week 1. Off we go to see if there will be any trends.

Week 2 is always interesting for a number of reasons. Here are 5 of them...

From the flock of underachievers in Week 1, there will be certain dudes that will emerge and reclaim their draft value. Happens every year.
That WR3 or backup RB or surprise TE who just scored 20+ won't reach double-digits for the rest of the season.
Someone in the LOC will go off...150+ and suddenly looking like the team to beat. May not mean anything down the road, but it will certainly inspire confidence in the short term.
A rookie will put the league on notice. No guarantees of future performance, but suddenly in the spotlight.
A team will fall to 0-2 and start the roster shuffle/shake routine. Upheaval before necessary. It's wise to make strategic tweaks but table-flips usually just cause a mess.

Here are your top 5 projected players entering the weekend (above)

And the matchups...the High Rollers face the Titleist division while the NLS battle among themselves. We will have at least one 2-0 team after this weekend, but how many more? It's highly possible 1-1 may be the flavor of the week. We'll soon find out.

Let's start with our only matchup between 1-0's and talk about what's to come. Side note: Besides Remix/Addicts, the head-to-head records in these matchups are significantly lopsided!

Wolves vs. Bruisers

Overview

The two unbeatens with the most optimism face off for an early role as the clubhouse leader. They enter as the top two scorers from Week 1 and will look to continue early success.

Keys

Dak has to play better than Wk 1...and he will deliver this week. Meanwhile, Mahomes has a score to settle with Philly and the Wolves will look for him to overcome.

While both run games bring the heat, this bake favors the Bruisers. Henry and Irving should combine for 30, while Hubbard adds 12 or so himself. That takes nothing away from likely scores for Cook and Kamara, both of whom are effective but may be slightly saddled this week.

Of the Dire receivers, Deebo's 14.5 are the only points on the board, but Amon-Ra should settle in and Puka will find 100 yards. Njigba and Egbuka were assets last week, but the Bruisers will need them even more here.

Expect LaPorta to become a factor in this one, with Hunter also a notable wild card. Njoku may underwhelm. Ben should get a slight edge from the Broncos D (unless Danny Dimes is actually good) and Aubrey's kicks, but Buffalo D is still worth 6-8.

When all is said and done, this one will be decided by the Bruisers Bucs players on Monday night. How much will they need for a W? Perhaps 25-30. Wolves survive.

Picks

All-Time: 13-6, Wolves
ESPN: Wolves by 10.5
FP: Bruisers by 6
LM: Wolves by 4

Crushers vs. Crew

Overview

This divisional matchup sees the Crushers trying to prove Wk 1 was a fluke and the Crew hoping to get more starters involved in the scoring than last time (despite the win).

Keys

It would be spurious to pick Stroud to outpace Josh Allen in this one, but the Crushers will get 15 out CJ. It just comes down to how many TDs Allen decides are his against the Jets.

The run game points to an obvious Crushers edge, with Barkley and Williams both likely to push 20 points. While Breece should make some hay for the Crew, JCM managed a woeful 1.5 Thursday.

As for WRs, that battle should be fun to watch. 4:20's Chase, London and Hollywood (freshly acquired) are the winning trio here. Cliff should see improved output from Brian Thomas, with Harrison and DK chipping in 10 apiece. Adds up to a 10-point edge once JaMarr is done.

In support, Baun is a tackle machine and McLaughlin should get plenty of kicks. The Niners D may not be what it was, but should be solid here. The Crushers need max yield from the Ravens D to keep things competitive.

Picks

All-Time: 19-13, Crew
ESPN: Crushers by 4
FP: Crew by 14
LM: Crew by 7

Cheetahs vs. Dominators

Overview

This matchup features a Cheetahs team attempting to overcome a poor showing in Week 1 against a balanced Dominators unit hoping to keep it rolling.

Keys

Murray is set for a solid day against Carolina, while the Cheetahs turn to Fields to engineer something akin to what he did in Week 1. Should be a close match there.

For some reason, Jordan Mason feels set to break a big one Sunday night. That along with Chase Brown's steady plodding should generate 25. Paired against Jeanty (who should improve) and Achane's snap count, both teams should be about even here.

A picture of contrast last week, the Dominators got a lot of squeeze out of Zay and Garrett Wilson, and that should be more fun if Davante finds his role this week. Sutton is steady, but the Cheetahs will celebrate much better efforts from Nico and Higgins to keep it close.

Hockenson needs to step up, while Conover hopes Warren continues to snag targets and points. The Steelers D should go for 10+, but the Chargers D may let the Diesels down.

This one may come down to the kickers, and that's anyone's guess.

Picks

All-Time: 19-6, Cheetahs
ESPN: Dominators by 5
FP: Dominators by 8.5
LM: Cheetahs by 1

REMIX vs. Addicts

Overview

These two teams square off in an NLS duel, with the Remix looking to ratchet up their scoring and the Addicts looking for another 2-0 start.

Keys

Jayden posted 15.5 after a slow start Thursday, but that won't be enough to match Burrow's Wk 2 inclinations against Jax. Good for a slight Remix edge at QB.

Hampton and Swift get the RB nod for Dan, with mixed upside that lands at about 20. Bijan and Taylor will ensure that Ghetto gets the edge on the ground.

As for WRs, Odunze is on the way up, and Jefferson should notch his 16-20. The Addicts will be counting on a better effort from McLaurin and something better from Pickens. Advantage Remix here.

The Vikes D could toss the cart against Atl, while the Remix's Seattle D needs a low scoring slugfest against Pitt. Bowers is strong, but won't match Kraft's 21. Expect GK to push ahead.

The flex matchup is one to watch, with Keon Coleman carrying a high ceiling and Pollard looking fresh. Both could excel, but the positional winner likely wins the matchup.

Picks

All-Time: 9-9, Tied
ESPN: Addicts by 3
FP: Remix by 1
LM: Addicts by 6

THREAT VS. WALKERTOWN FT

Overview

Historically unkind to the Threat, this matchup with Walkertown sees both teams looking for more potent scoring output to notch a first W.

Keys

In the Maye vs. Mayfield spar, Baker is the play here. Worth an extra 10 pts. If Miami's defense craps out, Maye might keep it close for WFT.

The rushing battle is projected close, with Jacobs having supplied a dozen for TLM and Gibbs certain to post 15+. Conner should have plenty of chances against Carolina, while Jones could reach paydirt once or twice. Tight positional battle.

The WR group let the Football Team down last week, so Smith has to pick it up. Ladd and Nabers should exceed Wk 1 totals. Evans is due for a TD or two, but McMillan is a prove-it. DJ in the flex is the x-factor here.

Good IDPs and kickers with multiple opps highlight the support group. The Rams D should lift WFT here, while Philly's D may struggle against a motivated KC team. The outcome leans in Walkertown's direction.

Picks

All-Time: 7-2, Football Team
ESPN: Football Team by 11
FP: Football Team by 13.5
LM: Football Team by 5

LOSERS VS. MARAUDERS

Overview

The Losers will hope to be healthier and their stars better utilized in this matchup with the defending champs, who also face uncertainties at key positions.

Keys

The QB matchup looks to be a close one, with Hurts likely to excel against KC and the Marauders' Jackson slated for comfortable numbers against CLE.

The RB tilt will hinge on Montgomery and Henderson posting reasonable numbers. Pacheco has to bounce back for MIM. Expect McCaffrey's massive volume to continue while other SF stars are out.

Look for a big combo from Lamb and an oft-targeted AJ Brown to help Ledford right the ship. Keenan could chip in as well. Tyreek and Jeudy should outplay their Wk 1 numbers, but it won't be as much as the competition. Meyers a wild card.

Pitts faces a tougher defense but should be serviceable in Kittle's stead, while Ferguson is a TD-dependent option who is good for 7-10. Both defenses have favorable matchups. Edge Cooper gave a nice 10.5 point bump to the Losers cause. Game should come down to the wire Monday night.

Picks

All-Time: 8-4, Marauders
ESPN: Marauders by 8
FP: Marauders by 1
LM: Losers by 3

Week 1 review

One Down

That's it for Week 1!

It got off to a slow start, and when the dust settled, the Bruisers and Wolves emerged as the top 2 scoring teams from our initial foray. Both won their games handily, with the Bruisers claiming the OTW.

Not far behind were the Crew, who rolled past the Threat behind a Power Player effort from Josh Allen. The Dominators handled business in their matchup with the Losers, while the Addicts and Marauders both held on to get to 1-0 as well.

There were of course injuries and surprises along the way. Some teams lumbered slowly out of the gate, while others looked they were in midseason form already. Regardless, half the league is 1-0 and feeling like things will be okay...the other half, trying not to overthink it as we enter the first round of waiver pickups. Bid wisely y'all!

Let's move on to a full review of the action, starting with your award winners from the first slate of games.

And now to the matchups...

Bruisers vs. Crushers

Turns out Dak doesn't have to play well for the Bruisers to excel. Njigba (16.5) and Egbuka (17) roared out of the gate, but it was King Henry's big day (27) and a nice assist from the Broncs D (21) that ensured a winning edge. The run game looked solid overall and no weaknesses emerged. Prescott will have better days.

A decent game overall for the Crushers, with a Brian Thomas sleepwalk (6) as the only real sore spot. Barkley and Kyren paired for 25, while Harrison (13.5) and DK (10) met expectations. Purdy got dinged while delivering 15.5, and even the Comms D added 13. No big games, but enough of a floor to give the Crushers confidence in future matchups.

Wolves vs. Football Team

The Wolves cruised to an early lead on a solid opening 21.5 from Mahomes. Cook and Kamara combined for 26.5. Puka (20) and Deebo (18.5) were excellent in the receiving spots. It all added up to a comfortable win and a good start in the High Rollers division. The Bills D failed to show (-2), but outside of that, a solid start.

There wasn't much wrong with the Football Team's Week 1 spread. It just needed a bit more pop. Serviceable 10's and 11's from May, Conner, Jones, and McConkey kept the Fumble away, but a crap start from DeVonta Smith (3) and the lack of a big game from any of the stars prevented a better challenge here.

Crew vs. Threat

Rock solid start for the Crew, with Josh Allen pacing all scorers. His 35 points were a key factor in the blowout win. Breece Hall looked good with 17 and the Niners D added 13 more. No one else reached double-digits this week, but there's plenty of optimism to be had in big wins without all cylinders firing. The Crew will take it.

The Threat can feel good about Baker at the helm. He led the way with 20.5 in this one. Gibbs and Jacobs had decent days, but no one reached 10 outside of Baker and Jacobs (11). The lack of production from Evans, DJ, and Andrews is either a short-term glitch or a bigger issue. Time will tell.

Addicts vs. Cheetahs

The positions where hits were expected gave the Addicts enough juice to get a W here. Bijan led the way with 24, Jayden chipped in 16.5, and Taylor added 11 to create a good baseline. The WR effort was paltry, as Pickens and McLaurin combined for just 8, but 10's from Butker and Wagner insulated the margin.

A lot of competitive promise, but it didn't arrive for the Cheetahs in Week 1. While Sutton (13.5) and IDP Oluokun (12) led the way, expected contributors like KW3 (3.5) and Tee Higgins (4.5) hurt the cause. The Steelers D goosed it. Nix's issues may be solved with Justin Fields waiting in the wings, but for now, Fumble.

Dominators vs. Losers

The Dominators of Diesel got a nice 30-point win to open the season, riding big days from Zay Flowers (24) and Garrett Wilson (17). Achane added a respectable 13.5, and everyone chipped in something. Kyler got neither 2 nor 20, but did average out with 12.5. Overall, a good balanced start in a division matchup.

For Ledford, injuries and under-usage kept the points away here. Hurts had 19 and Lamb 16.5 more, but underwhelming rushing days and the Xavier/AJ injury and ghost tour haunted the bottom line. The Texans D added 10, and perhaps Keenan can help out in the short term, but not the start anyone wants.

Marauders vs. Remix

The only game that was narrowly decided saw the Remix chasing a 35-point deficit Monday night with a capable trio. Jefferson (10), Odunze (10.5) and Hamilton (10.5) all made contributions, but the youth at QB impacted JJ's output. Brock Bowers picked up right where he left off (15), and ol' Boswell (15.5) had a nice effort in a close defeat.

The '24 champs snuck by with a win in their first defense effort, but it was due to the few and not the many. Lamar had 25 to lead the charge and CMC added 18.5. There wasn't much else to like here. 5 combined points from Pacheco/Ford and mediocre WR numbers plus a Kittle injury made the win the only positive.

Week 1 Preview

It's showtime in the LoC! The always-thrilling opening weekend is already underway. Season 20 is officially here.

Thursday and Friday gave us the first two matchups of the year, with the Eagles/Cowboys and Chiefs/Chargers meting out the season's first fantasy points (or lack thereof, in some cases).

Let's look at the standouts from the first two games...

That brings us to Sunday's action. The newly-dubbed High Rollers division will be battling each other for 1-0, while the NLS will take on the Titleist group in a cross-division skirmish.

Everyone arrives with a clean slate. Here's your first chance to find out who is gonna show up and who has some work to do under the hood. Half of us will get a winning start, half of us will be a step behind. Waivers "prizes" will become a lot more apparent over the next couple of days. Surprise rookies, veteran fall-offs, unexpected breakouts...all soon to come.

No more preamble necessary. Let's dive into the matchups. Best of luck to all!

Note: Predictions are from ESPN, Fantasy Pros, and the Commish. They do account for Thurs/Fri action.

Crushers vs. Bruisers

CRUSHERS

Barkley's 14.5 was a decent start. Purdy looks like he might exceed expectations, should certainly outpace Dak's 7.5. Will Kyren Williams get to double-digits? Thomas and DK both will. Harrison could miss. The X-skins D will reach 10. Need a Kincaid TD.

BRUISERS

First look at that solid Henry/Irving/Hubbard trio. They must carry the weight. Call it 40 between them. The receiving pair doesn't scare but JSN will get the targets. Is Njoku about to be Flacco's safety valve? Denver D and Franklin should combo for 20. Aubrey's 11 a nice buffer. Just enough.

PREDICTIONS

All Time: 16-9, Bruisers
ESPN: Bruisers by 8.5
FP: Bruisers by 4.5
LM: Bruisers by 1

Threat vs. Crew

THREAT

Baker will have to ball out to beat Herbert's 26 on the pine. Still gets to 20. The Gibbs/Jacobs tandem should generate 30+. Balanced WRs with high floors but no likely breakouts this week. McMillan and Andrews are the keys to a win.

CREW

Kelce provided an acceptable 9.5, Baun added 8.5 more. If everyone plays that way and Josh Allen chalks 20 against Baltimore, it's probably enough. Chase is bound to find the end zone. The run game could slow things down early. If the Niners D looks right, that may be the winning edge.

PREDICTIONS

All Time: 3-3, Even
ESPN: Crew by 6
FP: Crew by 2
LM: Threat by 3

Remix vs. Marauders

REMIX

Burrow is looking to defy his Week 1 history. Might as well do it against Cle. Bowers goes for 15. Tracy needs to find something near that. Jets D will be an interesting one. Hamilton a factor? The real story will be told Monday night, when JJ, Odunze, and Swift see action. They may need about 30, certainly reasonable.

MARAUDERS

The nostalgia tour kicks off with a poor Pacheco 3.5 and CMC hurting again. Lamar will try to save the day, but the Bills D will test. Ford better chip in. Can Reek get back in gear? Kittle should feast, in theory. Zona D will have to reach 10. Jeudy might show something. Might have to.

PREDICTIONS

All Time: 10-9, Remix
ESPN: Marauders by 3
FP: Remix by 3.5
LM: Remix by 7

Cheetahs vs. Addicts

CHEETAHS

This looks like a balanced team. Chase Brown and Nico probably have the best shot at stretching that. Can Bo live up against Tennessee? Sutton connection. Pitt D will make some racket. Higgins, Sutton, one of them needs a big game. KW3 gets an early test. Enough here on paper.

ADDICTS

It just feels like Daniels is gonna pick up right where he left off. That would help. Hitting Terry on a shot would open it up. Robinson finds 10-15. Taylor is a wild card, could go either way. Ideally not the Pickens way. Pollard has to reach 15. Minny D projected well but...division games. To the wire.

PREDICTIONS

All Time: 14-9, Cheetahs
ESPN: Addicts by 1
FP: Cheetahs by 5.5
LM: Cheetahs by 2

Losers vs. Dominators

LOSERS

It's a mixed bag entering Sunday. Hurts puts up 19, Brown gets one catch. Lamb comes up with 16.5, Worthy gets taken out 3 plays in. Not fair, but that's the breaks. Engram in at TE, needs to hit paydirt. Montgomery a key factor here. Henderson and he both need 12-15. Houston D has to bash the Rams. Otherwise, L.

DOMINATORS

Murray will either score 20 or 2. Feels more like a 20 week. Achane and Jeanty are a nice duo, assuming both get expected volume. Garrett needs Fields to make this work. Davante gets to 10 at least. Zay hits a big one. Game could come down to Hock on Monday night. Or it may not matter.

PREDICTIONS

All Time: 8-8, Even
ESPN: Dominators by 7
FP: Dominators by 23
LM: Dominators by 10

Football Team vs. Wolves

FOOTBALL TEAM

The WR output of 13 (McHonk and Smith) hurts. Nabers could fix that with a 20-burger. Conner and Jones are older but will find points wisely. Maye, not so sure. Detroit D worth 7 against GB. McBride needs to pop. What will Aaron Jones need entering Monday night?

WOLVES

Mahomes got things rolling (21.5). No reason to believe Nacua and Amon-Ra won't do the same. Could see some meh from Kamara and Cook, but one of them will show. LaPorta versioning unclear. Is Deebo about to make a splash? Buffalo D a gutsy call. A factor to watch.

PREDICTIONS

All Time: 12-7, Wolves
ESPN: Wolves by 13
FP: Wolves by 3.5
LM: Wolves by 2

Season Preview Pt 3

Let's look at the bigger picture...combining all composite positional scores into a 1-12 rank. Worth only what we can see from this point, which is frankly very little. This was a difficult exercise, so please don't overthink the ranks. They are just an average of speculative analysis.

What's Ahead

Another competitive year! The 6-team playoff field leaves very little controversy for "shoulda woulda" teams. No reason to miss the cut unless you get repeatedly sniped by injuries or simply fail to manage your team properly (we've all been there!).

Your draft didn't sink you. It also didn't win you anything. 50% of your fortunes will be determined by your ability to pivot. That's why we have trades and waivers. Make those your friend, know when to call your shots, and find your way to the dance.

In keeping with tradition, let's stack up 1-12 ranks on projected scoring averages. These are the combined season projections of your 10 "best" starters at this moment, divided by 17 (with a bump for kickers). See image below

So we see some anomalies between the two ranking systems (unsurprisingly). The Crushers and Remix are notably higher in the PPG projections, while the Crew, Cheetahs, and Football Team are projected lower than their presumed "team value".

As has been stated many times, they can't both be accurate! The difference may be in your team's midpoint. Less vacillation across a longer period of time. Fewer peaks and valleys. Or in the higher ranking teams, more anticipated peaks.

However you interpret it, some teams are consistently in the bottom half and will need to start figuring out how to prove those figures incorrect. It's anyone's ballgame. Where we are is certainly not where we'll end up.

In cLosing

Football is just days away. Things will get real in a hurry. While this year's preamble didn't have the usual robust historical deep dives and statistical extrapolations of some seasons, it doesn't mean the Commish isn't chomping at the bit to see the season get started.

The mission is simple. Follow the rules. Be a good sport. Maintain your team. Don't start drama. Give it your best shot. Build on your franchise legacy. If everyone does these things, we'll have another awesome season!

We'll have some unique updates to the previews/reviews this year, so hopefully you'll enjoy the new spin on how that info is presented. Your continued engagement with this league and your friendship (outside of football!) means a lot...just know that everything that happens on this website or in the LOC is a direct result of that. Also because an aging fanboy is hoping someone will read the content and maybe appreciate some small part of it, ha.

May you find your way to the championship. Long live the League of Champions!

Season Preview Pt 2

Couldn't pull Charlie away from the kitchen long enough to get him to trivia, but he didn't finish last! Shout out to Will for some good guesses, since he scored better than most original members of the league!

Speaking of points, now that we're on the other side of our epic and "highly influenced" draft weekend, we're eagerly awaiting what a fresh slate of rosters will deliver in '25. No keepers and a few unique draft approaches defined the Year 20 slate. No one really knows who the best of our dirty dozen is, but we can at least surmise about where the most value appears to lie.

So let's look at strengths and weaknesses by position group. These features are an amalgam of ESPN, Fantasy Pros, an additional third-party service, and my own assessment. A composite score of between 75 and 100 is assigned to each group as a working average of the projected value. We'll highlight the top 3 and the bottom 3 at each position group.

QB
Fairly obvious in terms of preseason rankings, as you're looking at the Crew's Allen, Jackson (Marauders), and Daniels (Addicts) and then everyone else...though Burrow (Remix) and Hurts (Losers) are right behind these three. It's not like Jared Goff (Football Team) or Dak (Bruisers) are garbage, just likely to average less than their counterparts if the experts are correct. QB ranks are notoriously all over the place and they tend to only value previous work. Fantasy teams can win championships on the backs of MVP QB's or streaming matchup-based starting QB's.

RB
The running games (and WRs) are a little tougher to rank, since many teams either have 2 top-level backs or 3 good backs. In the end, the Addicts emerge as the top unit, with 3 every-week starters ready to run. Don't sleep on the Henry/Hubbard/Irving trio for the Bruisers, which could end up being the best stable by season's end. Achane and Jeanty got the Dominators a big boost in these ranks, but depth concerns could test them early. The Threat and Crushers were just behind these 3, with TLM's Gibbs/Jacobs duo a serious force and Barkley/Williams primed for good things. Depth were the only concerns for those two squads.

WR
The Crew boast the highest-ranked group in this category, with Chase/London supported by Olave/Kupp/Jennings. The Wolves may rise to the top, with Amon-Ra, Puka and Deebo (plus the Travis Hunter wildcard!) a high-ceiling group. At least early in the season, the Losers should get a lot of juice from Lamb/AJ Brown/Worthy. Conversely, the Marauders nostalgia fleet has too many question marks, while the Bruisers are ranked low because of youth and the Addicts don't have enough projected depth.

Teams like the Crew can process this info a lot easier, since they managed to be at the fringes of the 3 positional rankings. Get the running game sorted and things should go well. For others like the Cheetahs and Remix, the ranks consistently put your positions in the 4-6 range, which might be the best possible scenario in terms of team balance! So if you don't see your team listed much, consider it a likely positive.

TE
The Remix landed Bowers, the consensus top Tight End entering the season. With WR question marks in LV, he could be even better this year. Kittle (Marauders) and McBride (Football Team) are equally capable of leading the league. Late-round snags for teams like the Crushers (Kincaid) and Losers (Engram) will either be prove-it guys or placeholders, depending on what actually happens.

D/ST
There are a lot of varied team defensive ranks, but the Steelers (Cheetahs) and Broncos (Bruisers) consistently show up near the top, with Philly (Threat) right there as well. As with any of the support positions, there are multiple ways to approach it. For teams at the bottom, streaming defenses is probably the way to go. Roughly half of all LOC champions did not start the same defense in their title game that they drafted in the preseason.

K
Never underestimate the value of a reliable kicker. There are probably at least two wins a year that can be obtained just by having the right guy booting the ball. If the Lions maintain their scoring prowess, Bates and the Threat will appreciate those two wins. Aubrey (Bruisers) and Dicker (Losers) are both highly ranked among this group as well. The Crushers probably disagree that Matt Gay is going to be K12, but that will be proven/disproven on the field.

Season Preview Pt 1

Season PREVIEW

Think of it as the "state of the LOC union". We go through it every year. Where we've been, where we are, and where we're going. Given that many of you use third-party tools for your draft and/or team ranks, this season's intro is less focused on draft rankings and more on specific roster areas, with strengths and weaknesses using new tools and a fancy graphic or two. Plus, the Commish's own highly speculative assessments are provided at no additional charge. Let's get to it.

Way Back in '24

We've had 9 different champions in 19 seasons, a bit of redundancy that franchises like the Losers, Dominators and Football Team would love to extinguish. Just 8 months ago, the Marauders became the second team to reach 4 LOC titles, joining the Cheetahs in that rarified air. Unlike the traditionally dominant Cheetahs, the Mitchell path to the title is usually just one notch above average, with a few clutch upsets and smart moves down the stretch.

Whatever works, right? Drafts are only 50% of the equation. Slow starts don't sink you. It's all about how you respond and adjust to the random injuries and flame-outs that are sure to find your roster. No one is immune to the fire. Drafting good team depth is great, but it's impossible to win a title without some strategic shuffling and a bit of hopeful foresight about which players should be closing the year strong. They won't all already be on your roster.

Also, it's about knowing when to cut bait. That veteran was supposed to have a bounce-back year, and now it's Week 10. Still waiting on that return to form? Why? Your rookie RB was prognosticated to be a top-10 guy this season, but he is only averaging 8 touches a game. When do you ship him off? Conversely, the depth charts usually look significantly different by midseason, after missteps and mediocrity force NFL teams to shuffle new guys to the top. Who is that player that's waiting in the wings for you?

It all sounds simple, but the trick is guessing right on "when to say when". The Marauders were 3-5 through 8 weeks last year, but then lost only once on the rest of the trip to title town. A couple of trades and backups-turned-starters helped them catch and pass the pack. A points title (their first ever) was further evidence of the surge.

The Dominators, who led late in the championship game and nearly had the trophy secured, stood at a middling 5-5 after 10 weeks. They won 6 in a row and came two plays away from entering this year with a 7-game win streak. Their biggest asset? A strong run-game rotation and a commitment to young players who's value increased as the year progressed. Bijan/Bowers/B Thomas Jr. That's how you contend.

There are--of course--plenty of ways to get your name in the hat. The #1 seed Krackaddicts forged their path on a veteran squad that valued sum starting totals over individual studs. Having Josh Allen didn't hurt. The Wolves were the hottest team down the stretch in terms of scoring, driven by the Bengals trio (Burrow, Chase, Higgins) and some waiver wonders. It worked, they stayed with it, and both of these teams threatened for a title at the end.

It's never about how you start. And by the time we got to the finish line last year, the four teams that challenged for glory all made unique adjustments to give themselves a shot. Luck (and your draft) always plays a role, but don't count on it for a trophy plate.

We Are Here

Where are we exactly? For starters, Ties are officially here. At least in the regular season. The free agency bidding option is installed, allowing owners to skip ahead in line if the price is right. That should quell some of the "rich get richer" complaints about wait-in-line waivers, assuming people manage their budgets properly. The Dominators went "Diesel" and several teams got a new logo.

We also have new divisions! Following the anniversary trivia game, the three top scorers (James, Dan, and Andrew) became honorary division captains and made their picks. The result? A re-formation of the NLS (Year 4, way to mix it up), the High Rollers division (mostly high or mostly rollers?), and the Titleist group (boasting their 11 combined titles which have absolutely no bearing on future performance). Just for transparent kicks, here are the final results from that trivia game.

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