Super Bowl XVIII

#3 Athena Nike (7-6) def #2 Gang Green (7-6), 141.6 - 126.5
As one prognosticator predicted, Athena Nike was the most dangerous team headed into the playoffs and then they went out and proved it, by taking down another higher seed as they romped their way to a title after putting up 135.6, 104.5, and a 141.6 points during the playoffs. (Note: The Super Bowl record for PF was 155.0 in 2001 by Buffy, which is wild since that was before we expanded starting lineups by two slots.) At the end of the day, Nike won eight straight from WK10 on, and that was after a 1-5 stretch from WK4-9, proving that perseverance is a key trait for every champion.

Their games got increasingly, slightly, tougher as they started off with a RD1 fifty-point blowout of Jammers, then a twenty-five point win versus top seeded Chunky in the Marvel finals, and finally a Super Bowl victory by “only” fifteen points. Of course, the title game was essentially sealed with a touchdown pass to Michael Thomas halfway through Sunday, and despite Ben Roethlisberger’s heroics and a comeback attempt by Christian McCaffrey, Gang Green fell short. Technically there were a lot of points left on Greg’s bench but none that would have been inserted normally, and to put an exclamation point for our year-long issues with defensive scoring, Texans defense threw up negative seven for the final matchup.

On the winning side, the heroes were many, as Baker Mayfield stepped in for an injured Cam Newton — his second start for Athena — and won a ring in his rookie NFL season. Ezekiel Elliot slowed a bit as the postseason wore on but still averaged 18+ points. The steadiest hand for Nike during the post-season was DeAndre Hopkins, who was an explosive stick of dynamite. Throw in Leonard Fournette and Adrian Peterson doing just enough, and it was a team-wide effort for this title. Heck, tight end Evan Engram was a free agent last week and then put up 14.3 points in the Super Bowl, while coach Frank also subbed out Vikings defense for Rams, resulting in a one-point increase.

In short, owner Frank’s plan worked out to perfection as he took a team that finished with only five wins in 2014 — the year Frank rejoined CTDB — and launched a rebuild that re-energized trade markets around the league and also resulted in Nike getting two #1 overall draftees despite never actually winning the Toilet Bowl.

Since inheriting a keeper core of Aaron Rodgers, Ray Rice, CJ Spiller, Alfred Morris, and Roddy White, Frank has turned over everyone to not only get younger, but also more talented. 2015 brought in DeAndre Hopkins and a RD3 for Nike's RD2 pick. That spare RD3 was then turned into Rob Gronkowski a day later. So yes, one RD2 pick brought in Hopkins and Gronk!

2016 was a mega-deal that resulted in draft picks used to grab Ezekiel Elliot and Michael Thomas. 2017 was another three-team mega-trade that involved Frank shipping off assets for Leonard Fournette and a bunch of future picks, knowing that 2018 was the year Athena Nike would mature into a contender. Three consecutive Augusts, four huge deals that laid the groundwork for this title run. There were other success stories too, like the long gestating belief in Amari Cooper’s talent if not actual production, etc. Even when stabbed in the back by GM Jon — who grabbed Calvin Ridley in 2018’s draft and gave Frank Cam Newton — things turned up roses for Frank as Newton outperformed Rodgers for most of the year.

All in all, it’s been a roller coaster ride for Frank in CTDB, split over two stints, but a short and well calculated flight to the top resulted in his first ring. Athena Nike looks stacked with talent galore and given the chance, Frank has a great shot at going back-to-back. Given the chance…

As for Gang Green, it was their fourth Super Bowl appearance but their first since their 2009 title. A third ring would’ve been nice but Greg was mostly just happy to be in the championship game after two previous seasons of getting bounced in RD1 of the Toilet Bowl. Gang Green finished the year out with the second best running back, Christian McCaffrey, and the best receiver, Davante Adams, meaning their traditionally star-less state is over. A 0-4 start to the season ended with 9-2 record until the title game loss. Being on the losing end of the highest scoring Super Bowl in CTDB history — and putting up the highest losing score ever -- is not bad at all for a runner-up season!

Toilet Bowl VIIII

#4 Fat Jubas (5-8) def #3 Battle Angel (5-8), 134.8 - 97.0
Heading into this year’s Toilet Bowl, we were pretty sure Battle Angels were the favorite, despite being only the third seed. Vu’s team had been throwing up 120+ points routinely since WK7 and was the real people’s favorite to take the Toilet Bowl.

On the other hand, Fat Jubas had started the season off 3-1 but then slipped into a seven game losing streak to bring them to the bottom of the league. Two wins at the end of the regular season gave Jubas some momentum and then they finished it off by toppling Dirty Birds and Battle Angel on their way to their first Toilet Bowl victory — previously they had been there in 2014, but lost. After losing by 0.1 points in the first round of the Toilet Bowl last season, Eric must be overjoyed for this year’s success. Next year: a return to actual postseason glory?

The duo of Jameis Winston and Chris Carson put up 50+ combined while Battle Angel came out flat except for Philip Rivers and Alvin Camera. Nobody else save kicker Adam Vinatieri put up double figures for Angel and with Alshon Jeffery and David Johnson also scoring nice games, Jubas coasted to an easy consolation title. Who will they pick next year?! Nice win for Jubas to save a lost season!

Playoffs & TB 2018: RD2

Playoffs, RD2 - Conference Finals
#1 Chunky Monkeys (9-4) vs #3 Athena Nike (7-6)
Frank's team took out the trash on the way to an "upset" of Tiiite End Jammers and now Evan's worst fears have materialized: a matchup with streaking Athena Nike, who haven't lost in five weeks. We are very excited about this matchup and can't wait to see what happens!

#1 Philadelphia Phreaks (7-6) vs #2 Gang Green (7-6)
Greenies didn't need Derrick Henry's 47.8 points to sneak by Fobsters in RD1. While Fobsters did make it interesting near the end, they eventually lost by -2.2 points, which was a common theme for them all season long. Phreaks had a huge week on bye, and a repeat would vault them right into their first ever Super Bowl appearance.


Toilet Bowl, RD2 - Finals
#3 Battle Angel (5-8) vs #4 Fat Jubas (5-8)
Both lower seeds advanced, but it's fair to say that Battle Angels, our #3 seed, was the clear Toilet Bowl favorite as they led CTDB in PF this season. They blew Buffy out by 33+ and that was all she wrote for Roger. Vu lost to Eric WK12 so there is an upset chance here.

Fat Jubas used a big week from Jameis Winston, plus a decent game from Steelers' third running back Jaylen Samuels, to upset defending champ Dirty Birds. After an eight-game win streak WK4-11, they've now won three in a row. Can they pick up one more victory and secure next year's top pick?!

Playoff Previews 2018

A look at each team's 2018 season and playoff preview after our division re-names and a year of amazing parity that resulted in seven of our ten teams within one game of 0.500.

Tiiite End Jammers (7-6) vs Athena Nike (7-6)
After starting off red hot and looking like a juggernaut at midseason, Jammers have dropped five of their last six and barely squeaked into the playoffs — that one win was a 0.5 squeaker versus Fobsters too. All this and Jammers still ended up with the  easiest PA in the league at 110.4 per week.

So which Jammers will show up for the playoffs? Unfortunately, probably the same one that only put up 115.0 points per week, and it’s not like injuries wrecked their second half of the season. Aaron Rodgers  has slowed and despite his of impressive receivers — Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, Emmanuel Sanders, Sony Michel — there just isn’t enough offense here. Rookie running backs Kerryon Johnson and Sony Michel have been good when on the field, but both have missed games. The absolute lost season from Le’Veon Bell really hurt here.

As for the team they’ll be facing, Athena Nike, it’s the complete opposite story. Frank’s team has won five of its last six and has had an absolutely monstrous back half of the season by stomping on every opponent and displaying a massive ceiling — it took a 173.4 PA in WK9 to beat Nike.

Ezekiel Elliot is a man refreshed, as is Amari Cooper post-Cowbodys trade. The trio of Cooper, Michael Thomas, and DeAndre Hopkins is excellent, and there’s a possibility Courtland Sutton sneaks in a start due to Matt Breida’s injury. With Leonard Fournette back from a one-game suspension and Adrian Peterson proving that he’s still got wheels, it should be an easy stroll in the park upset for Cam Newton and Athena Nike this week. Or does Frank step in with rookie Baker Mayfield?!?

Gang Green (7-6) vs Fobsters (6-7)
A WK13 win at Buffy locked in Gang’s playoff spot and they even got a higher seed out of the situation as Fobsters fell. Much like Phreaks, Greg’s team is peaking at the right time as they’ve put up 130+ in recent weeks, representing their best two week showings. And while Athena Nike has been wow-ing CTBD during the late stretch, Gang Green has cleaned up with five of six wins in their back half of the season as well. Just as we predicted, Gang finished up with a nice playoff push.

Christian McCaffrey has been the second half stud for this team, as the second-year running back has posted 31+ in four of his last five games. Davante Adams has been great as well, and after an early season of Deshaun Watson starts, it looks like Big Ben is now the preferred starter for coach Greg. There isn’t a whole lot behind McCaffrey-Adams as far as star power or depth, so it’ll take a lot for Green to avoid an upset.

The Capcom division leader heading into WK13, Fobsters slipped to a three-seed after a loss to 5-8 Jubas. Bad form. That’s three straight losses for Fobsters and four of six for their back half of the season. Still, the playoffs are a new ball game and Fobsters are undeniably talented as they sport Melvin Gordon, Kareem Hunt, Joe Mixon, and rookie second-half sensation Nick Chubb. Oh wait, did we mention Hunt? Whoops, looks like he’s gone due to his…we all know what happened. Still, with Gordon on the mend, a three-headed RB attack is still here for Fob.

The big question is their passing game, as Tom Brady has slipped this year and exciting years by sophomores Kenny Golladay and Corey Davis, this team could use a big more pop through the air.

A season featuring tough losses — by 2.5 to Monkeys, 0.5 to Jammers, 4.3 to Gang Green — leaves this team wondering what could have been. If Fobsters get knocked out in the first round, they’ll perhaps regret not pulling the plug on Brady earlier, despite a nice season’s worth of unearthing gems like Chubb, Golladay, Anthony Miller, and Geronimo Allison.

Bye Teams

Chunky Monkeys (9-4)
Flying very high off back-to-back 160+ point weeks, Chunky will look forward to a bye after laying an absolute egg in WK13, scoring their lowest total of the season. That blip won’t really matter though as Monkeys are still in pole position for a title after racking up 130.4 points per game — good for second in CTDB.

Rookie of the year Saquon Barkely has led Monkeys all year and there is plenty of support behind him as Kirk Cousins and Tyreek Hill, although a slightly weak tight end position could be cause for concern moving forward. Still, a big congrats to Monkeys for going last-to-first and capturing a Marvel division title — for the ninth time — as well as the best record in the league by two whole games.

Philadelphia Phreaks (7-6)
Ping’s team vaulted into a bye and a Capcom division title in WK13 by securing a win over Battle Angel and then out tie-breaking Gang Green. They seem to be peaking at just the right time too, as they’ve put up back-to-back 140+ points and super passing attack of Patrick Mahomes, Zach Ertz, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Keenan Allen will have to take the week off.

After suffering through season ending injuries to Devonta Freeman, Cooper Kupp, and Marshawn Lynch, it’s been a big victory for Ping to emerge with this bye week, a distinction they last earned in 2014, and now with three division titles total.

Toilet Bowl Preview 2018

And our 2018 Toilet Bowl participants... Remember that Toilet Bowl seedings aren't based on divisions!

#1 Dirty Birds (6-7) vs #4 Fat Jubas (5-8)
After getting pounded by the second highest PA in the league, our defending champs were sent to the Toilet Bowl with two losses in their last three games. Despite the fantasy all-stars that were Todd Gurley and Drew Brees, Birds could never find a consistent rhythm all season and will instead be forced to play in the consolation tournament.

Still, they have a good chance here to advancing, as they are the one-seed and feature Brees/Gurley along with a quartet of nice receivers around Gurley — Odell Beckham Jr, TY Hilton, recent trade acquisition Robert Woods, and rookie Calvin Ridley. With Dalvin Cook finally healthy, Dirty hopes to redeem their lost season with a high pick.

Fat Jubas are our champs from two years ago — making this the Toilet Bowl battle between the two previous champs — but also slipped to the bottom after a 4-9 2017 season. Well, 2018 wasn’t much better as Jubas ripped off eight straight losses between WK4-11, thus sealing their fate. The good news is that’ve put up 115+ in their last two outings, the bad news is Dirty Birds puts up 123.3 per and has only been under 115 once in their last seven tries.

Still, with a strong passing game, including the return of Jameis Winston as a starter, Jubas could look to use Winston, Adam Thielen, and Mike Evans to create an upset special. Somehow recent trade acquisition Tarik Cohen and post-injury Chris Carson are now this team’ best bets at running back, as David Johnson and Tevin Coleman are slowing down just as the postseason competition ramps up. Jubas could sure us a top finish in the Toilet Bowl to return to their previous glory.

#2 LA Buffy (6-7) vs #3 Battle Angel (5-8)
What a wild roller coaster ride for Buffy, as they started off 1-4, won four straight, and then whimpered to a 1-3 finish. And now it looks like James Connor and AJ Green are both out, leaving Buffy a very tenuous two-seed in the Toilet Bowl.

It’s been a juggling act all season for Roger as he’s shifted pieces in and out, with Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson splitting time at quarterback and injuries across the board. A backfield of James White, Peyton Barber, and TJ Yeldon aren’t that scary and the aged trio of Larry Fitzgerald, Julian Edelman, and Doug Baldwin won’t strike fear into anyone’s hearts either. First round pick at 1.2, Royce Freeman, has been a dud and has left Buffy mostly toothless for this matchup, despite the nominal upper seed.

What happens when you pair the best PA with the best PF in the league? Well, you get a Toilet Bowl monster, that’s what! Battle Angels led CTDB with 133.2 points per week while facing opponents who put up 132.4 on average. That’s not a lot room for error and Vu has found himself stumbling after a 3-1 start with a 2-7 record the rest of the way. Oh, but when this team is on, it can be on as they boast Alvin Kamara, Philip Rivers (or Jared Goff), and Travis Kelce in key positions.

There’s even a double tight end lineup here of Kelce and Greg Kittles here, along with grabbing another great FA rookie running back in Bronco Phillip Lindsay -- Vu is starting to specialize in this after Kamara and Lindsay in back-to-back years undrafted. Plus Aaron Jones as an under-the-radar seance half breakout. Receiver Jarvis Landry has been inconsistent all year so Adam Humphries and his string of wonderful games have taken over Landry’s starting spot, alongside Brandin Cooks.

So while Battle Angel are only the three-seed in the Toilet Bowl, they have to be the favorite to win it all for a number one pick in 2019.

Playoff Matchups: 2018

Playoffs, RD1
Tiiite End Jammers (7-6) vs Athena Nike (7-6)
Gang Green (7-6) vs Fobsters (6-7)

Byes: Chunky Monkeys (9-3), Philadelphia Phreaks (7-6)

*Tie-breaker: Points Scored, H2H was tied 1-1 so Tiiite End Jammers beat Athena Nike on PF for higher seed
*Tie-breaker: Points Scored, H2H was tied 1-1 so Philadelphia Phreaks defeat Gang Green on PF for higher seed and division title

Toilet Bowl, RD1
#1 Dirty Birds (6-7) vs #4 Fat Jubas (5-8)
#2 LA Buffy (6-7) vs #3 Battle Angel (5-8)

*Tie-breaker: Points Scored, H2H was tied 1-1 for both 6-7 and 5-8 teams so defer to PF

Standings 2018

Full Standings Breakdown

Mid-Season Review: 2018

Okay it's past midseason with only five regular season games to go, but let's take a look at how our teams are doing as everyone is within mathematical possibility of the post-season!

Marvel
Tiiite End Jammers (6-2)
With only two losses — both came when Jammers scored under a hundred — Lei’s team is all but assured of a playoff appearance. The easiest schedule in CTDB, with 100.7 PA has also been a factor of course. Led by the passing game of Aaron Rodgers, Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, and Golden Tate, Jammers is still looking for a consistent run game but perhaps Lions rookie Kerryon Johnson could be the answer.

Chunky Monkeys (5-3)
Currently average a league leading 130.7 points, Monkeys hit big on number one overall Saquon Barkley and is using the explosive talents of Tyreek Hill and Stefon Diggs to fight toward a division title. Looks like the rebuild is over and the Monkeys' youth movement has arrived!

Dirty Birds (4-4)
Finally reaching a soft part in their schedule, Dirty Birds righted the ship despite a slew of injuries to nearly everyone on the roster not named Todd Gurley, Drew Brees, or Odell Beckham. Can those three -- and not much else -- carry the defending champs to a post-season berth? Can a team with Gurley actually miss the playoffs?!

LA Buffy (4-4)
The hottest team in the league is coming off 105.3, 147.2, and a season record 171.6 points in the last three weeks — all wins. While rookies Royce Freeman, Ronald Jones, and Jordan Wilkins have been useless (plus the loss of Jerick McKinnon in pre-season), Roger traded for fantasy gold James Connor and is using James White and a resurgent AJ Green along with two-headed QB monster Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson to re-enter the playoff conversation.

Athena Nike (3-5)
A winless stretch in WK-7 has sent Athena to the cellar, but a much needed win last week gives Frank hope of an upswing. Controversial RD1 pick Cam Newton has been fantastic of late, while DeAndre Hopkins has asserted himself as a franchise receiver. Despite Leonard Fournette’s season long absence, the ground game is okay here with Ezekiel Elliot and Adrian Peterson.


Capcom
Philadelphia Phreaks (5-3)
It’s the Patrick Mahomes show as Phreaks has won four out of five and the breakout Kansas City quarterback has shown no signs of slowing down. His main target is Zach Ertz, with a helping of JuJu Smith-Schuster, but this team is going to go as far as Mahomes will take them!

Fobsters (4-4)
Capable of back-to-back 150+ point weeks, Fobsters are relying on a three-headed run game of Kareem Hunt, Melvin Gordon, and Joe Mixon to lead their contention hopes. With rookie Nick Chubb also in reserve, this team could look to get some receiving help to give Tom Brady some better targets.

Battle Angel (3-5)
After coming out of the gates with jaw dropping 133.3, 145.5, 152.3, and 179.0 scores during our first month, Battle Angels seemed to be on their way to another Super Bowl. However they lost four straight since and we’re not even sure why. A league tough 133.9 PA is painful but that doesn’t explain WK5/6 swoons of sub-80s. With Travis Kelce and Alvin Kamara leading the way, Vu will have to decide whether to head down the stretch with Philip Rivers or Jared Goff.

Fat Jubas (3-5)
And if you thought four straight losses was bad, Jubas said “hold my beer” and are coming off five losses and counting. In an incredible boom year for passing and quarterback numbers, Eric has rotated Jameis Winston, Alex Smith, and Andy Dalton. Hum... Even when your receivers are Adam Thielen and Mike Evans, that's likely not enough. Also, where art thou MVP caliber David Johnson?

Gang Green (3-5)
Averaging a league low 115.5 points, Greg’s team is actually a bit of a dark horse as they have ditched their 0-4 start and then last week’s explosive win over Monkeys could be the catalyst that propels them forward even more, as the other three-win teams in Capcom have been dumping games. Davante Adams has been a stud and rookie Kenyan Drake could be finding his footing, so if Deshaun Watson can regain last season’s form, these Greenies could be ready for a playoff push.

New Division Names

Our original division names, Inscrutable Drama Kings and Spunky Misunderstood Geniuses, were made with the Wu-Tang Name Generator — now made famous by Childish Gambino. However, the names were always a mouthful, and it’s doubtful people remembered it year to year. So here we are to change it up because this league is all about change!

Many great suggestions were made (mostly by Roger), but the one that really drew us in was Marvel vs Capcom, which satisfied the requirement of being easy to remember: one-word, no abbreviations, and more importantly, on theme. For us young guys, 1998 may seem like just yesterday but let’s face it: we old! Marvel and Capcom definitely captures us in our heyday and I'm sure most of us were either video game players or comic book readers, and probably both.

Also, sorry if you wanted to be on Marvel, or wanted to be on Capcom. Too bad! ESPN reads left-to-right so Inscrutable Drama Kings will become Marvel and Spunky Misunderstood Geniuses changes to Capcom. Maybe there's a case for re-alignment here?

Out of seventeen seasons, here are how many division titles each franchise has earned [Google Sheet here]:

Spunky Misunderstood Geniuses / Capcom:
Fat Jubas (6), Battle Angels (4), Gang Green (4), Philadelphia Phreaks (2), Skool / Fobsters (1)

Inscrutable Drama Kings / Marvel:
Chunky Monkeys (8), Buffy (3), Dirty Birds (2), Tiiite End Jammers (2), Ante Up / Athena Nike (2)

Note: Our two newest owners, Jimmy and Frank, have both never won a division title! I believe Frank joined three years ago and Jimmy, I dunno?! I'm officially cheering for them to take their first one this season.

And here's how many titles each division has won since 2001: Marvel (11.5) vs Capcom (5.5)

So how often did a top seed win the title? The answer is that out of seventeen years, a top seed won the title twelve times. Thus if you get that bye, your team's chances of winning it all are a whopping 70%!

Number-one seeds that made the championship round but didn't win the title game? Chunky Monkeys (3x, in 2004, 2009, 2015) and Ante Up (2x, in 2003, 2005). 'Nuff said...

Some other division name suggestions:

• Dinobots vs Constructicons
• Joes vs Cobra
• CT vs Bananas / Champs vs Stars
• Gummy Bears vs Smurfs
• Darkwing vs Scrooge
• Marvel vs DC
• In-N-Out vs White Castle
• Sega vs Nintendo
• BSB vs N’Sync
• Avengers vs X-Men
• Underworld vs Twilight
• LOTR vs Harry Potter
• Star Wars vs Star Trek
• Jons vs Jimmys

Draft Review: Marvel

Last year we had a brisk ninety-minute draft and this year went just two hours on the dot. Not bad! Once again, we all were present and we get another year of eighteen man rosters, ready to compete. [2017 Inscrutable Drama Kings draft review]

Chunky Monkeys (4-9)
After winning the Toilet Bowl and getting ranked as the worst keeper core in CTDB, Monkeys went a long way toward rebuilding after selecting consensus beast Saquon Barkley with the first overall pick. And then it got weird… Michael Crabtree and Mark Ingram were first out of the gate and its safe to say both players have seen better days. Sleeper tight end Trey Burton was a nice get in RD4 and Evan should hit on one of his young guys like Marquise Goodwin, Christ Thompson, Kenny Stills, or Chris Godwin. Kirk Cousins will lead this team out of the cellar — or Matt Stafford — and well, that’s about it. Still, for all his work behind-the-scenes, and for that incredible draft spreadsheet, we can’t give Monkeys anything less than a stellar score.
Grade: A++

LA Buffy (5-8)
It’s been a long drought for Roger, our three-time champs who has gone a long six years (and counting) between titles. It was time for new blood — Buffy had the oldest team in 2017 — after last year’s debacle and our second place Toilet Bowl finisher loaded up on Royce Freeman at 1.2, Ronald Jones at 2.2, and another rookie runner, Jordan Wilkins at 9.2. With the pre-draft addition of Jerick McKinnon, Buffy should have a backfield full of excitement. The receiving corps is a bunch of semi-old to straight up old guys, save the always underperforming Sammy Watkins. AJ Green, Larry Fitz, and Doug Baldwin will be joined by Julian Edelman, Randall Cobb, and Donte Moncrief. The duo of Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck will be solid, and when you go kicker in RD6, you are declaring your intentions for some wins. Who gets to four titles first: Chunky or Buffy? Shout out to Roger for throwing out potential new division names, and giving us our favorites, “Marvel vs Capcom.”
Grade: B

Tiiite End Jammers (6-7)
The Jammers are loaded, with their keeper core being ranked number one overall by analysts. Our champ from 2014 couldn’t resist the best quarterback in the land coming to them at 1.4 and now this keeper core is by far the best around. If Rodgers can stay on the field, watch out! Rookies Sony Michel and Kerryon Johnson compete for a starting gig while a strange backup receiver core of Jordy Nelson, Dez Bryant (still unsigned), and Kelvin Benjamin will likely not even see the field, especially with 5.1 Emmanual Sanders in front of them. We like the combo of Delanie Walker and Tyler Eifert at tight end, but to be real, it’s going to be a gigantic year of Jammers to use Rodgers and his all-world potential to take pole position for the 2018 season.
Grade: A-

Athena Nike (8-5)
Despite sort-of trying to tank last year, Athena went 8-5 and almost won the division! The core five are fantastic and with three extra picks in RD2 and RD3, Frank got to work mining for more gems. Armed with 2.7, 2.8, and 2.10, Nike drafted Mike Williams, Michael Gallup, and Donta Foreman (who will start the season on the PUP list). Back-to-back picks at 3.7 and 3.8 brought in yet another rookie receiver, Courtland Sutton, and the shocking selection of Adrian Peterson, who wasn’t even on Evan’s big board. But when you got lots of picks you can afford to take big swings. Packers sophomore running back Jamaal Williams is the guy to have in Green Bay, and then Derrius Guice, the likely number-two rookie before his injury, will be an auto-IR candidate for a draft-and-stash. Whew! Add in Josh Doctson, Jordan Reed, more rookies in Kalen Balalge, Matt Breida, and Christian Kirk, and our favorite last round pick: Lamar Jackson, and this team might not even miss Aaron Rodgers. Speaking of Rodgers, the new starting quarterback, Cam Newton (1.8) was the result of some controversy as Frank came to the draft late and was given Newton by a certain someone — thus missing out on his pre-season 1.8 target: Calvin Ridley. Still, Nike is the presumptive 2019 favorite, even while being a true contender with that talented core in 2018.
Grade: B+, but probably A- without the tardiness

Dirty Birds (8-5)
Our reigning champs -- and four-time winners -- might have snaked Calvin Ridley away at 1.10, but the next great Falcon probably won’t grade out as more than a WR4 this season. So with that in mind, Jon took four other receivers, all young but mostly flashes in the pan: Nelson Agholor, Rishard Matthews, Jamison Crowder, Martavis Bryant, and over-the-hill Pierre Garcon. However, getting a top DEF (5.10 - Rams) and K (10.10 - Justin Tucker) means Dirty Birds are here for business, and with Drew Brees leading the way, they’ll look to get the first repeat in CTDB history. Oh yeah, OJ Howard and Cameron Brats are the tight ends here, so that’s like, whatever. Let's go Birds!
Draft: C-

Draft Review: Capcom

Take a look at our newly named Marvel division draft review, and then dive into the new Spunky Misunderstood Geniuses: aka Capcom division! [2017 Spunky Misunderstood Geniuses draft review]

Fat Jubas (4-9)
Eric’s team collapsed hard after their 2016 title because David Johnson got injured for the year. We said Jubas needed some more level talent to climb back up in the standings and it looks like the job was accomplished! Adam Thielen was a bit of a surprise at 1.3 but he’s got loads of potential after a nice rookie year. Marvin Jones is always underrated, Robert Woods has bit play ability, same as John Ross, and Evan Engram should be a good tight end. Carlos Hyde and Chris Carson will get starting gigs in Cleveland and Seattle, and they might supplant keepers Rex Burkhead and Tevin Coleman pretty quickly. Add in Peyton Barber and Duke Johnson and this backfield should be fine. People raved about securing Keelan Cole at 11.2! Eric was by far the last owner to move on a starting quarterback, picking up Alex Smith in RD9 (next closest was Kirk Cousins in RD6), with Mitch Trubisky to back him up at RD12. We dunno where this team will end up this year, but really there’s nowhere else to go but up!
Grade: B+

Gang Green (6-7)
With a youthful new brain trust installed, GM Greg was hanging out by the pool in the Hamptons while making his selections. Once the toast of the now defunct Spunky Misunderstood Geniuses division, the Greenies have fallen on hard times, appearing in only one division finals (2015) and one runner-up in the Toilet Bowl (2012) since their 2009 title. But Greg’s teams can always surprise. Allen Robinson was a great get at 5.5, Deshaun Watson even better at 6.5, and hey, we like Devin Funchess in RD7 too! The running back wheel-of-fortune will consist of keepers Kenyan Drake and Derrick Henry, while Isaiah Crowelland Devontae Booker join the mix. Robinson and Funchess will have DeVante Parker, Sterling Shepard, and Jermaine Kearse nipping at their heels, while Kyle Rudolph is installed as the value tight end. So, what does Greg’s new brain trust say about his 2018 prospects? “Tiiite End Jammers will win it all….” So there it is, the truth from the mouth of babes!
Grade: B-

Philadelphia Phreaks (7-6)
Searching for a second running back to pair with Devonta Freeman, Ping took rookie Rashaad Penny, presumptive Texans starter Lamar Miller, and new Panther CJ Anderson in RD1-3. He also nabbed Dion Lewis and Marshawn Lynch in RD7/8, plus LeGarrette Blount in RD11. We aren’t sure what to make of that, to be honest. The 2015 All Stars? We like Cooper Kupp in RD4 and Allen Hurns, Mike Wallace, and Danny Amendola, who should all fit right in on this “are they over the hill?” crew. Patrick Mahomes will start the season under center, as Carson Wentz will likely be on the bench. After going 0.500 in his past two seasons, can Ping rise back to his 8-5 2015 record? Who cares, go Eagles!
Grade: C+

Fobsters (8-5)
After going all-in last year, and after losing a shootout to Battle Angels in the division finals, it looks like Jimmy is now on the scout-for-talent path, despite having the highest ranked keepers in Capcom. Rookie DJ Moore, sophomore tight end David Njoku, Negatron Kenny Golladay, started off Fobsters’ draft. After grabbing the top defense in RD5, Jimmy went right back to work grabbing young guys: rookie Nick Chubb, Tyler Lockett, Cordarrelle Patterson, Anthony Miller, Geronimo Allen (Geronimo!), Dante Pettis, and Mike Gesicki, whoever that is. See any names that have done anything much in the NFL? Not really! But hey, Tom Terrific and his old backup Jimmy the Beautiful are here to take these young guys to another playoff appearance. Who knows, maybe playing the lottery will get Fobsters to the promised land?
Grade: C

Battle Angel (9-4)
After losing in the title game in 2013 and 2017, Vu’s team is hungry to grab their second title, which came in 2008, a long decade ago. Last year’s rookie free agent gem, Alvin Kamara, gives this team a superstar to ride with -- and to think Battle were given the worst slot for Power Rankings in 2017. While dialing in from a family BBQ, Vu went for youthful vets to keep his winning ways going. Brandin Cooks a nice 1.9 grab for an already strong receiving corps, and we like Chris Hogan and Will Fuller in RD3/4 respectively. Jay Ajayi is a pretty erratic starter so we’ll see if Marlon Mack, Aaron Jones, Tarik Cohen, or Bilal Powell can take over. Niners tight end George Kittle is quite the sleeper and he could be quite the value in RD10. Last year’s quarterback combo of Drew Brees and Cam Newton are gone, replaced by Philip Rivers and Jared Goff. Maybe leaving Los Angeles made Vu nostalgic for old times? He also has Chargers defense to boot. Can Kamara avoid the sophomore slump and lead these Angels over the championship hump? We’ll about to find out!
Grade: B

2018 Keepers

Ranked in light keeper core strength order. Very light.

1) Tiiite End Jammers
Lei’s team may have not won the title last year but it still sports the best keepers around. The returning foursome of Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, and Demaryius Thomas are unimpeachable, and the addition of Golden Tate makes this passing attack even more dangerous. A new running back will need to be found though, as longtime Jammer DeMarco Murray retired. The 2014 champs look ready to contend again.

2) Dirty Birds
Why mess with a good thing? 2017’s champs return four to the core: Todd Gurley, LeSean McCoy, Odell Beckham, and TY Hilton. Mega-trade bust Dez Bryant will be pushed aside in favor of last year’s promising rookie runner, Dalvin Cook. There’s injury concerns here but if the defending champs can bring back ODB and Cook, that would be like the Celtics adding a healthy Kyrie and Gordon to their soon to be title team. Back-to-back?!?

3) Athena Nike
After inheriting Aaron Rodgers, Frank has cut him in a push year, which signals Rodger’s first time off Ante Up / Athena Nike’s keeper core since 2010. His replacement is worthy though, last year’s #1 overall pick, Leonard Fournette. With Ezekiel Elliot back for a full season that’s quite a one-two punch in the backfield. Add in DeAndre Hopkins, Michael Thomas, and Amari Cooper, and it’s easy to see why Rodgers had to make room for the non-QB players on this team.

4) Fobsters
Jimmy’s team had 5-4-3 wins in the previous three seasons, and then went 8-5 last year. I guess all those pre-draft moves from last season worked! Kareem Hunt was a monster early and late, Joe Mixon struggled but flashed enough promise, and Corey Davis was still the top drafted wide last year, before injuries ruined his rookie season. The 2017 draft brought in a ton of talent to replace Carlos Hyde, Sammy Watkins, and Kevin White — the latter two recipients from the mega-trade, so maybe not a huge upgrade? The good news is that Melvin Gordon has proven his top tier status, and the immortal Tom Brady is returning to lead this team again.

5) Battle Angels
Last year's rookie sensation Alvin Kamara joins the core, along with Robby Anderson, the hope of New York and receiver replacement for Kelvin Benjamin. Longtime franchise cornerstone Drew Brees was tossed overboard, so there could be a new hero at the helm to throw to Travis Kelce and Jarvis Landry. Can Jay Ajayi truly become a top tier running back? Our defending Spunky Misunderstood Genius conference champs will try and find out!

6) Gang Green
A complete turnover of keepers from just two years ago, Greg always has a churning core. This year there’s Davante Adams and Jimmy Graham for the passing game and possibly increased work for runner Derrick Henry.  Kenyan Drake blew up after Jay Ajayi was shipped from Miami and if he can stay on a nice workload, he could be a top ten option -- better than Lamar Miller at least. Add in sophomore multi-threat Christian McCaffrey and this running game looks good. And oh yeah, see ya Michael Crabtree!

7) Fat Jubas
Let’s hope David Johnson returns to prime form for Eric, as he’ll be needed in a likely rebuilding year, with Mike Evans being the only other franchise talent on this team. Alshon Jeffery can still catch touchdowns but he is likely in soft decline, but he was kept in favor of new Raider Jordy Nelson. New additions Rex Burkhead and Tevin Coleman are time-share backs with some upside — goodbye Isaiah Crowell — but without a refreshed Johnson, this ground game could be in trouble.

8) Philadelphia Phreaks
Riding high off an Eagles championship, Ping’s already a champion this season. Maybe that explains why he kept Carson Wentz — who didn’t win the Super Bowl btw — when just two other quarterbacks were kept overall. We’re pretty sure keeping Allen Robinson or Brandin Cooks was the better option but the heart wants what it wants! Let’s hope Phreaks can get a title of their own behind the Wentz to Zach Ertz connection, along with Devonta Freeman, Keenan Allen, and the highlight stylings of Juju Smith-Schuster.

9) Buffy
Looking for a return to the post-season, Roger will get the #2 overall pick this year to join the likes of Rob Gronkowski, AJ Green, Doug Baldwin, and Larry Fitzgerald — the latter replacing Julian Edelman. A pre-draft trade brought in Jerick McKinnon but as he’s the only running back on the roster, after cutting Mark Ingram, we expect Roger to go with a rookie RB, but which one!? There's no clear consensus and if this pick hits big, it could set Buffy up for the near future.

10) Chunky Monkeys
Evan was close to trading the #1 overall pick but decided to stand pat as his ailing franchise is short on premier talent. Of last year’s keepers, only Jordan Howard and Tyreek Hill are back, but both are low-ish keepers. Alex Collins and Stephon Diggs have talent and are an upgrade over Ty Montgomery, Terrelle Pryor, and Greg Olsen though. Plus, the return of Josh Gordon to a keeper core! What a mighty gamble by a former powerhouse team. It looks like Chunky really needs this pick to pan out! Hello Saquon!

Rules Changes 2018

We had a slew of new rules changes last season -- take a look -- and we had a few more this year. Take a look at the voting if you like.

1) Prohibit the trading of keeper slots (7/2 "yes" votes - Pass)
Keeper slots cannot be traded, and you can't hold a keeper for another team, even through another year. Any attempt to circumvent these rules will be

2) Update DST scoring (9/1 "yes" votes, albeit with two wanting new proposed or comments - Pass)
We're revamping DST scoring to be both less overall and fewer negative games. For our initial thinking, we are using this Reddit guide as a baseline: "You Deserve Better D/ST Scoring (2018 Preseason Edition)"

• DSTs start at 0 (not 10)
• Defensive TDs of any kind are worth 6 points. Counts for INT and FR.
• Increase Punt/Kick return TDs to 8 points. Give a boost for return TDs because they are momentum shifters and won't receive a natural bonus from turnover points.
• Increase safeties to 4 points. Not only is it 2 points on the scoreboard, but it's also a turnover. So it's 4 points total because math.
• 2-PT Conversion Returns are worth 4 points. They put 2 points on the board for the team and prevent 2 points from the opposing team: a 4-point swing in theory. They can shift the momentum of a game just a much as a Safety, if not more so.
• Increase blocked kicks to 3 points.  Not only are they in many ways like a turnover (worth 2 points) but they're also a momentum shifter, which should hold value. "Kicks" applies to punts and field goals.
• -2 points per 100 yards allowed after 400 yards allowed.
• -2 per 10 PA after 2 PA.

FAILED
1) WR/TE designations are simply now TE (1/8 "yes" votes - Fail)
Currently we have three WR/TE slots, which means a team can start four TEs. The measure didn't pass so the weirdness of four TE lineups lives on.


Rules not voted on but mentioned/discussed:
• Extending keeper slots from five to more
• Expansion and/or reset
• Eliminated DEF or K positions altogether
• Two starting QBs
• Re-think playoff seeding
• Re-shuffle divisions
• Re-name divisions

Draft Order: 2018

1. Chunky Monkeys (4-9)
2. Fat Jubas (4-9)
3. Buffy (5-8)
4. Tiiite End Jammers (6-7)
5 Gang Green (6-7)
6. Philadelphia Phreaks (7-6)
7. Fobsters (8-5)
8 Athena Nike (8-5)
9. Battle Angels (9-4) *Runner Up
10. Dirty Birds (8-5) *Champion

Toilet Bowl Win: Chunky Monkeys
TB Loss: Buffy

Tie-Breakers
1) #1 and #2 picks: Monkeys (4-9) and Jubas (4-9). Monkeys was 0-1 vs the Jubas so Monkeys win and secure the first pick of each round.
2) #7 and #8 picks. Athena (8-5) and Fobsters (8-5). Birds and Angels are the last two picks since they were in the Superbowl. Fobsters was 0-1 vs Athena so they secure the higher 7th pick, Athena is 8th pick.
3) #4 and #5 picks. Jammers was 0-1 vs Gang Green so secured the higher pick #4 pick

Super Bowl XVII

Dirty Birds def Battle Angels, 136.3 - 104.3
The Dirty Birds have been here before, a whopping four times now: champs of Catch the Damn Ball! While we haven’t had any back-to-back winners yet, this was two of three for Birds, and represents the closest two titles we’ve had in CTDB history. After finishing 5-8 last season, Birds came right back to become the second highest PF team this year (while facing the softest opposing scheduled) and earned a first round bye after starting off the season 7-1. Despite a tepid 1-4 finish to the year, once the playoffs hit, all it took was two epic games from Todd Gurley and Dirty Birds were headed for another parade.

What a quick rebuild! The only player left over from that 2015 championship team was Gurley, as old stalwart Adrian Peterson was cut from the keeper roster prior to this year. And despite losing basically every trade he made before the draft — 2017 #1 Leonard Fournette for Dalvin Cook, Travis Kelce for TY Hilton, acquiring Des Bryant and Jimmy Graham, etc — and suffering season ending injuries to Odell Beckham Jr. and Cook, Jon’s team still steamrolled through the year. What a game, fantasy football!

It wasn’t all Gurley’s work this season though, as LeSean McCoy once again proved his star status, and Dak Prescott and Philip Rivers alternately time in the starting quarterback slot. With no receiving game to speak off -- Hilton led the team with Delanie Walker placing as the #6 TE -- the Birds turned to new rules that allowed three RBs and continually ran Gurley, McCoy, and Jerick McKinnon out there.

With Beckham and Cook returning next year, could Birds go for a repeat and really cement themselves as the greatest ever in CTDB history? With a league leading four titles, they have temporarily taken the lead, but we all know that the mythical G.O.A.T. title tends to change every few years. Note: This marks the fourth season in a row that Jon has won something, from the Toilet Bowl in 2014 and 2016 to titles in 2015 and 2017. What a run!

As for our runner-up, Battle Angel was looking to grab their second title (their last one was in 2008) and looked like they were in great position to do it. Likely ROY Alvin Kamara was the pickup of the season and Angel was coming off a 142.8 week in the conference finals. Alas, Kamara was stifled in the Super Bowl and while Vu made the right choice of Cam Newton over Drew Brees, the rest of his vaunted receiver core didn’t quite come to play, especially Jarvis Landry. The good news is that after leading the league in wins this year, Battle Angel is firmly back in proper contention after going 16-10 in the last two seasons, after participating in the pre-draft blockbuster of 2016.