Week 1 Recap: The Champ Wins by 83

By Mel AIper, CTDB Analyst

This is the first weekly recap I’ve written for this league. Every Tuesday I’ll go through all five games, name the players who won and lost them, pick a Manager of the Week, check the injury list, and look at what’s next. I’ll also grade my own picks from the preview, starting now.

I went 4-1, and I’ll take it—though the one I missed is the one I hedged on. I picked the Angels over the Bunch because Will’s lineup was set and Eddie’s wasn’t. I said I’d flip the pick if Eddie made his moves. He made them. The Bunch won by 12, and I’m giving myself half credit for naming the reason I’d be wrong. The other four were the favorites, and the favorites won by 27 or more, so nobody should be impressed with me yet.

The games

Chunky Monkeys 154, Jail Yard Boyz 71

Last December these two played for the title. The Monkeys won it 145 to 117. The Boyz had beaten the Monkeys 144 to 141 in Week 8, then gone through Blitz and Gang Green in the playoffs to reach the final. The new schedule put the rematch in Week 1, between the elder cousins. A Boyz staffer taped last year’s final score to the back of the locker room door.

The Boyz scored 71, the fewest in the league. Victor took my advice and started Herbert over Maye. Herbert put up 17. Maye, who spent last season on the Monkeys’ bench, put up 14 on the Boyz bench against his old team. The quarterback call was worth 3 points in a game the Boyz lost by 83.

The receivers lost this one. In the preview I wrote that if Chase, Higgins and Nabers all played, the Boyz had the best receiving room in the league. All three played. They finished with 2, 7 and 10. Kyle Pitts, the round 3 tight end, scored zero. Isaiah Likely put up 24 on the bench behind him. Omarion Hampton said the Boyz “remember December.” He ran for 8. The staffer took the score off the door Monday morning.

The Monkeys didn’t need a big day from anyone in particular—and got one from Trevor Lawrence anyway. He threw for 36, second among quarterbacks this week, out of a quarterback room I graded a B on draft day. Worth noticing: Evan’s call at the flex, where he sat Bhayshul Tuten, his first-round pick, for Christian Watson. Watson went for 30 while Tuten watched from the bench. The Monkeys lead the series 5-4 over the last five years.

Gang Green 159, City of Angels Masterminds 111

Gang Green had the best record in the league last year at 21-7 and lost in the semifinals to the Boyz. The Masterminds went 10-18. They also beat Gang Green twice, 165 to 139 and 118 to 112.

Caleb Williams threw his helmet when the Masterminds depth chart went up. Dak Prescott, the Cowboys keeper, started, and the projections backed the call. Dak posted 20. Caleb posted 44 on the bench—the highest score by any player in the league this week. Dak said last week he “hasn’t looked at the bench in years.” Even with Caleb in, the best Masterminds lineup reaches 155, and Gang Green scored 159. These two meet again in Week 8.

Josh Allen threw for 43, the top score by any starter. Derrick Henry ran for 35, more than double his projection. Both are Gang Green keepers. Greg went against the projections and started DJ Moore over Michael Pittman Jr. Moore outscored Pittman 18 to 7. Greg started Hunter Henry at tight end after I told him to start Jake Ferguson. Henry had 4 and Ferguson had 2, so ignoring me was worth 2 points.

Philadelphia Phreaks 143, LA Buffy 107

The Phreaks had won the last three meetings with Buffy. Buffy finished ninth last year at 7-21. I gave the Phreaks a C on draft day and said the roster would be fine anyway, because Jalen Hurts, Jahmyr Gibbs and Saquon Barkley came in as keepers.

Ping started six Eagles. They scored 73 of his 143 points. Hurts threw for 33. Dallas Goedert, a round 3 pick, caught 22 at a position where most of the league scored single digits. Barkley was the quiet Eagle at 8. Makai Lemon, the first-round rookie, caught 1 while Stefon Diggs put up 14 on the bench. The Eagles fan’s lineup cost the Phreaks about 12 points against what the projections said to start—in a game the Phreaks won by 36. The Phreaks have won four straight over Buffy.

Buffy’s game was one decision. Matthew Stafford started at quarterback. He threw for 6. Patrick Mahomes, a round 6 pick, threw for 28 on the bench. David Montgomery ran for 27. Jeremiyah Love, the first pick of the draft, ran for exactly his projection of 12 in his first NFL game. Roger started DK Metcalf over Marvin Harrison Jr. on my advice, and Metcalf won that one 6 to 4. Start Mahomes, Roger.

Custom J 149, A Squad Called Blitz 121

Here’s a stat I had to check twice. For five straight years ESPN handed this league the same schedule, so Custom J and Blitz opened against each other in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Custom J won all five. When Evan rebuilt the schedule this summer, this was the one Week 1 pairing he kept. Blitz walked into the opener 0-5 in Week 1, every loss to the same team. Custom J walked in with five straight, every win over the same team. Last year’s two meetings went 142 to 98 and 171 to 153, both to Custom J. I drafted this Custom J roster, so you know where I stand.

Custom J made it six. Before the games, Trey McBride was standing in a receiver slot and the tight end spot was empty. Last week he walked over to the tight end slot during the walkthrough and just stood there. Josh moved him. McBride caught 20. D’Andre Swift, my first pick at 1.04, ran for 32. A staffer said Swift has asked to see the rest of the draft card. Lamar Jackson, the keeper who said “the computer’s got taste,” threw for 30. The Steelers defense added 18. Josh’s one miss was Mike Evans, who caught 14 on the bench while Chris Godwin Jr. caught 6 in the lineup.

Blitz lost this game on the bench. Jalen Coker, a round 12 pick, caught 30 there. Chuba Hubbard ran for 22 next to him. Rico Dowdle started and ran for 3. Thien moved Harold Fannin Jr. to tight end and Fannin caught 3. The best Blitz lineup scores 170 and wins this game. The 49ers defense, the starter I said I’d bench, scored 7. I was wrong about the defense.

Crunch Bunch 136, Battle Angel 124

The Bunch finished last in 2025 at 7-21. The Angels had won 8 of 11 meetings over the last five years and took the last one 116 to 94. I picked the Angels because their lineup was set and the Bunch had two moves left to make. I wrote that if Eddie made them, I’d flip the pick.

Eddie made three. The Jaguars defense said “we’ll be ready” from the bench last week. Eddie started them over the Broncos, and the Jaguars scored 12 while the Broncos scored zero. Juwan Johnson went in at tight end over Tucker Kraft and gave Eddie 13 to Kraft’s 8. Jaylen Warren took the flex from Carnell Tate, 8 to 6. The three moves were worth 19 points in a 12-point win. MarShawn Lloyd, the loudest man at Bunch practice all week, stayed on the bench and had 4.

Kenneth Walker III ran for 33 and Amon-Ra St. Brown caught 24. Jaxson Dart, who spent the week throwing extra routes to the equipment staff, threw for 35 on the bench. Joe Burrow threw for 19 in the lineup. Eddie, you’re a Giants fan with a Giants quarterback outscoring your starter. I’d still start Burrow.

The Angels’ game was the tight end slot. Colston Loveland, the round 2 pick, started there and scored zero. Dalton Kincaid caught 16 on the bench behind him. Kincaid in that slot wins the game. Jayden Daniels and Chris Olave went for 23 each. Bo Nix, who said “a tie goes to the guy who wants it more,” threw for 9 on the bench, so Will got the quarterback call right. Will and Eddie are friends, and they don’t play again this regular season.

Heroes and Zeros

Heroes are the players who scored far above what anyone expected and carried a team to a win. Zeros are the starters who gave their manager close to nothing, or less than nothing.

Heroes. Josh Allen scored 43 and Trevor Lawrence scored 36, the top two starting quarterbacks. D’Andre Swift, Kenneth Walker III and Christian Watson each beat their projections by about 20 points, and all three teams won. Derrick Henry scored 35 on a 16-point projection, and David Montgomery scored 27 on a 12-point projection. Juwan Johnson went in round 9 and scored 13 at tight end for the Bunch. Evan McPherson and the Steelers defense were both free-agent pickups, and they scored 17 and 18.

Zeros. Ja’Marr Chase is the biggest name on this list and the emptiest line. A Boyz keeper projected for 16, he finished with 2, and Jaylen Waddle next to him had 1. Kyle Pitts, taken in round 3 by the same team, scored zero at tight end, and Colston Loveland, the round 2 tight end for the Angels, matched him. Makai Lemon, the Phreaks’ first-round rookie, caught 1 in his first NFL game, which Ping will forgive faster than anyone else in this league would. Matthew Stafford’s 6 was the furthest any starter fell below his projection, 18 points short. Four defenses finished below zero—the Texans, Bears, Titans and Chargers—and I’m not going to pretend a defense going negative in Week 1 surprises anyone.

Manager of the Week

This award goes to the manager whose start and sit calls did the most to win his game.

Manager of the Week: Eddie, Crunch Bunch. His three lineup changes after the preview were worth 19 points, and he won by 12. Without them, the Bunch lose.

Also good. Greg’s calls gained 14 points over what the projections said to start, mostly DJ Moore over Michael Pittman Jr. Evan’s calls gained 20 points, the most in the league, on the Watson flex call.

Calls that cost. Ping’s calls cost about 12 points, mostly Lemon over Diggs. Josh’s cost about 8, with Evans on the bench. Victor made the right quarterback call and then started the Titans defense, who scored minus 2, over the Patriots, who scored 6. Two teams had enough points on the bench to win: Blitz with Coker and Chuba Hubbard, and the Angels with Kincaid. The projections had those players low, so I’d call those bad luck more than bad calls.

Transactions

The first waiver run of the season is where you fix what Sunday rubbed in your face. This one was quiet at the top and busy underneath. Ten claims cleared Wednesday morning for 79 FAAB dollars. Gang Green spent 48 of them—more than the other three buyers combined.

Greg dropped the biggest bid of the young season: 19 for Kalif Raymond, a Bears receiver projected for 4 this week. Zay Flowers is questionable, so the hole is at receiver, and my read is Greg looked at that room without Flowers and didn’t like what he saw. Gang Green also paid 17 for Mike Gesicki and cut both Hunter Henry and Jake Ferguson to clear space, so the two tight ends we argued about last week are both gone. Chris Brooks came in for 10. The Chiefs defense, at 2, replaces the Chargers, who scored minus 1.

Ping went shopping at receiver too. Devaughn Vele cost the Phreaks 11; Dontayvion Wicks cost 7. Wicks plays for the Eagles. Makai Lemon’s 1 was the softest number in Ping’s lineup last week, and that’s the spot those two are fighting over.

Then the champ cut a kicker who just scored 17. Evan McPherson is out, Harrison Mevis is in at a bid of 1—I’d have waited a week. The Monkeys also dumped the Bears defense (minus 2 last week) for the Buccaneers at 3, and paid 8 for Caleb Douglas with Brian Thomas Jr. questionable. The Boyz spent 1 on Adonai Mitchell, with Jordyn Tyson on IR and Jaylen Waddle coming off a 1-point week.

The Trainer’s Room

An early injury hurts most in a keeper league when it lands on a keeper—one of the five players a manager chose to build around before the draft. Four of this week’s seven injuries did.

Brock Bowers, Monkeys. Bowers is one of the Monkeys’ five keepers. He went to Gang Green as a rookie in 2024, and the Monkeys drafted him in 2025 and kept him this year. The Monkeys did not draft another tight end. Then, days before the season, he had a meniscus trim on his knee and was ruled out for Week 1. On Thursday morning the Monkeys claimed Michael Mayer with a bid of 15, the largest of the week, and added T.J. Hockenson the same day. By Sunday they had made five pickups in four days, more than any other team in the league. Mayer started and scored 6. Bowers is day-to-day, so the Monkeys may need Mayer for another week.

A.J. Brown, Bunch. Brown has been a keeper in this league every season since 2021, and the Bunch have kept him since 2023. He hurt his ankle early in his first game and finished with 4 points. He is on injured reserve and out at least four games, which means Week 6 at the earliest. The Bunch still have Amon-Ra St. Brown and Tetairoa McMillan, and Carnell Tate, the second pick of the draft, sat on the bench this week.

Ladd McConkey, Custom J. Custom J drafted McConkey in 2024 and has kept him in both seasons since. He scored 17 before a rib injury knocked him out of the game, and he is day-to-day. If he sits, Josh has an easy answer: Mike Evans scored 14 on the bench this week.

Zay Flowers, Gang Green. Flowers is on his third franchise in four seasons: Custom J in 2023, the Boyz in 2024, and Gang Green since 2025. Gang Green kept him this year. He scored 23 in one half, then aggravated a hamstring that had already cost him time in camp. He is day-to-day. Michael Pittman Jr. and Michael Wilson are next in line.

De’Zhaun Stribling, Blitz. Blitz took the rookie in round 4, one of the 49ers on Thien’s roster. He sprained his ankle in his first NFL game and is out at least a month. He was on the bench in Week 1.

Sam Darnold, Blitz. Blitz picked Darnold up off waivers as a backup to Brock Purdy. He hurt his glute in his first game and is doubtful for Week 2. Purdy is healthy.

Alvin Kamara, Masterminds. Kamara went in round 10, and the Masterminds are his fourth franchise in six seasons. A knee injury kept him out of Week 1. He was on the Masterminds bench, so it cost them nothing this week.

Tidbits

The things that didn’t fit in a game.

All three Stanford GMs won: Evan, Ping and Josh.

Both brothers won. Josh and Eddie meet in the Brother Bowl in Week 8.

The cousins went 3-1, and Victor’s loss came against Evan.

Buffy started three Texans, and they scored 53. Ping’s six Eagles scored 73.

The Monkeys dropped Tyler Bass, the round 12 kicker, and picked up McPherson.

Three quarterbacks scored 27 or more on a bench: Caleb, Dart and Mahomes.

The Bunch finished last in 2025 and are now tied for first.

The Pot and the standings

The Pot pays out one prize each week for a different category. Week 1 pays the winner of the biggest blowout, and the Monkeys won it by 83 over the Boyz. Custom J won the same prize last year.

The standings count two results each week: the game itself, and a second win or loss for finishing in the top or bottom half of the league in scoring. This week all five winners also finished in the top half. Gang Green, the Monkeys, Custom J, the Phreaks and the Bunch are 2-0, in that order by points. The Angels, Blitz, the Masterminds, Buffy and the Boyz are 0-2.

Next week

The game to watch is the Phreaks against the Monkeys. Both teams are 2-0. Evan and Ping go back to Stanford. The Monkeys lead the series 3-2 over the last five years.

Two cousins meet in the Bay Area division, with the Bunch hosting the Boyz. That series is 6-6 over the last five years, and the Boyz are coming off the worst score of Week 1. Custom J hosts Buffy in the LA division, and Custom J leads that series 7-4. My full picks come in the preview.

Week 1 Preview: New Teams, New Matchups

By Mel AIper, CTDB Analyst

Who's ready? The draft is graded, the lineups are set, mostly, and the first game that counts is here. Before the picks, one housekeeping item from the commissioner that changes how this season reads.

New Schedules on the Docket

For years ESPN handed us the exact same schedule every season, the same opponent in the same week. This year we're launching a brand new head-to-head slate. The Bay Area teams, the LA teams, and the three road teams now play each other twice, like divisions, and every team also draws last year's neighbor in the standings twice. That means more Huang Brother Bowls, Cousin Bowls, Stanford Bowls etc. Also, now the Monkeys and the Boyz open the season with the Super Bowl rematch and meet again in Week 12 just to keep things spicy!

Matchup of the week: Chunky Monkeys vs Jail Yard Boyz

The Super Bowl rematch, in Week 1, between the elder cousins. In last season's final the Monkeys beat the Boyz 145 to 117 for the title. Nine weeks earlier, in Week 8, the Boyz had taken the regular-season meeting 144 to 141. Over the past five years the series is 4-4, and three of those eight games came in the postseason bracket. This is the league's best rivalry by the numbers, and now it's a home-and-home.

The Boyz have been talking about this one since the final. Omarion Hampton, kept after his rookie year with the franchise, told reporters this week that "we remember December, and we've been circling Week 1 on the wall since the schedule dropped," and a Boyz staffer reportedly taped the final score to the back of the locker room door. Ja'Marr Chase, in his fifth season as a Boy, didn't need the reminder. Brock Bowers, asked about it, said "cool" and went back to stretching. That's the champion's whole posture.

The Monkeys project at 119 as set, the Boyz at 116. That gap is smaller than it looks, because the Boyz lineup has more moving parts. Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Malik Nabers are all listed questionable, and that's three of the four wide-receiver spots. If those three play, the Boyz have the best receiving room in the game. If one sits, Victor's bench has Matthew Golden and Aaron Jones Sr., which is fine but not the same.

The other Boyz decision is at quarterback, and it's a full-blown controversy. Drake Maye is starting at a projected 21. Justin Herbert is on the bench at 25. Maye was zipping tight spirals to the ones at practice yesterday, and by every account he looked the part. He's also got a chip on his shoulder, because he spent last season on the Monkeys' bench and the champion let him walk. Herbert, asked about the depth chart afterward, said he "likes the challenge, but I feel like I'm the starter, and I think the film agrees with me." Herbert has said some version of that in five different locker rooms in five years, the Bunch, the Monkeys, Gang Green, and now the Boyz twice, so take the confidence for what it is. Maye's response was one sentence: "They drafted me first." He did, at 19 overall, and I understand keeping faith with that guy. But a four-point projection gap in a game projected inside three points is the whole game. I'd start Herbert this week, and I'd let Maye be mad about it. He gets his old team either way.

The champion's lineup is quieter. Luther Burden is the one questionable starter, and Bhayshul Tuten, Monkey's #1 picks this year, sits on the bench projected above Christian Watson, though Tuten is questionable too. Trevor Lawrence at 22 and Jaxon Smith-Njigba at 16 carry it. Chase Brown, Brock Bowers, and Rhamondre Stevenson are all healthy. That's the difference in a coin flip: nine sure things against seven.

My pick: the Monkeys. I sat next to Evan all draft night, so take it with the grain of salt it deserves, but the healthier lineup wins a close projection, and the Boyz lineup has three questions in it. See you both in Week 12.

Philadelphia Phreaks vs LA Buffy

I gave the Phreaks a C on draft day, and here they are projecting 133, the highest number in the league this week. I stand by the grade. The C was for the draft, and the roster was always going to be fine because Jalen Hurts, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Saquon Barkley were kept, not drafted. Gibbs at a projected 21 is the best non-quarterback number in any lineup this week.

Buffy sits at 119, and the gap of 14 is the widest of the week. Matthew Stafford at 24 leads the Buffy side, but Jeremiyah Love and Sam LaPorta are both questionable, and DK Metcalf, also questionable, is on the bench projected a point ahead of Marvin Harrison Jr. Roger has a decision to make on Sunday morning either way.

The last five years are one-sided. The Phreaks lead Buffy 8-3 in that span and have won three straight, most recently 83 to 76 in a game nobody should frame. My pick: the Phreaks, and it's the pick I'm most sure about.

Gang Green vs City of Angels Masterminds

A five-point projected edge to Gang Green, at 124 to 119, and Gang Green leads the past five years 7-4. But the Masterminds won both meetings last year, 165 to 139 in Week 4 and 118 to 112 in Week 13, and these two meet again in Week 8.

The Masterminds are carrying three questionable starters, and they're the three that matter: Ashton Jeanty, Breece Hall, and Tyler Warren. Caleb Williams sits on the bench at 21 behind Dak Prescott at 23, which is a Cowboys fan's lineup and a defensible one.

Williams has been diplomatic about it in public, telling reporters he "respects the room," but two people who were at the Masterminds walkthrough say he threw his helmet after the depth chart went up. Dak, for his part, says he "hasn't looked at the bench in years."

Gang Green has Christian McCaffrey and Zay Flowers questionable, and George Kittle questionable on the bench while Hunter Henry starts at tight end. Jake Ferguson, healthy, projects a point ahead of Henry. Small thing. I'd make the switch.

My pick: Gang Green. Josh Allen, Derrick Henry, and Jadarian Price are all healthy, and healthy wins in Week 1.

Battle Angel vs Crunch Bunch

The tightest projection of the week, 120 to 119, between two friends, Will and Eddie. The Angels are 8-3 against the Bunch in the past five years and took the last meeting 116 to 94. The Bunch finished last a year ago at 7-21, then drafted a B+ and came out of it with Joe Burrow, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Kenneth Walker III at the top of the lineup.

The Angels have the cleanest sheet in the league: no questionable starters, and Bo Nix and Jayden Daniels project dead even at 21, so there's no quarterback decision to get wrong.

Will has reportedly been splitting their first-team reps down the middle all week, and Nix told a Dallas radio station that "a tie goes to the guy who wants it more," which is the kind of thing you say when you know you're not starting.

Josh Jacobs is day-to-day on the bench.

The Bunch lineup is where the points are hiding. MarShawn Lloyd is on the bench at 12, healthy, while Carnell Tate starts in the flex at 10 and questionable. The Jaguars defense is on the bench at 7 while the Broncos start at 5.

Lloyd has been the loudest man at Bunch practice all week, and one teammate said he "ran the walkthrough like it was a playoff game and yelled at the practice squad." The Jaguars defense, asked about starting the week on the bench, issued a one-line statement: "We'll be ready."

Those two moves are worth about four and a half points by projection, which is more than the margin. Jaxson Dart sits at 23 behind Burrow at 25,

Dart was seen after practice throwing extra routes to the equipment staff, which is either dedication or a message.

and a Giants fan gets to keep that one as a luxury.

My pick: the Angels, narrowly, because I pick the lineup that's set, not the lineup that could be. If Eddie makes the two moves, I'd flip it.

The Custom J watch: A Squad Called Blitz vs Custom J

This is the one game that survived the old schedule, and it's the one I care about most, because I drafted this team. Josh handed me a needs list and said go, and the review gave it an A. Now it has to play.

Here are the last five years, which Thien doesn't want to read. Custom J is 5-0 in Week 1 over that span. Custom J is 8-5 against this franchise and has won the last two, 142 to 98 in last year's opener and 171 to 153 in Week 10. Blitz hasn't won a Week 1 game in five seasons, 0-5 going in. Lamar Jackson projects at 25, one of the best quarterback numbers in the league this week, and De'Von Achane is at 16.

Lamar has been a Custom J keeper every season since 2021, the longest run of any player on any roster in this game, and he was there for all five of those Week 1 wins. Told at his locker that this year's team was drafted by a computer, he laughed and said "then the computer's got taste." I'm keeping that one.

Now the part I have to say out loud. As the lineups are set tonight, Custom J projects at 107, the lowest number in the league, and Blitz is at 111. Both teams have the same problem: an empty tight end slot. Trey McBride is sitting in a WR/TE spot for Custom J and Harold Fannin Jr. is doing the same for Blitz, and the TE slot on each side is scoring zero.

McBride has noticed. A Custom J keeper since 2024, he told reporters he's "been standing in the wrong spot all week and nobody's said anything," and on Wednesday he reportedly walked over to the tight end slot on his own during the walkthrough and just stood there.

Move McBride to TE, put Tony Pollard in the flex and Mike Evans in for Chris Godwin Jr., and Custom J jumps to 118. Move Fannin to TE and Rico Dowdle into the flex, and Blitz jumps to 123. So the honest read is that Blitz has more to gain from fixing its lineup than my team does, and Thien's roster is deeper at running back than I'd like. The 49ers defense projecting under a point is the one Blitz starter I'd bench in a heartbeat, and I know exactly why it's in there.

My pick: Custom J. Five straight Week 1 wins, Lamar, and a team I built. Ask me again after Josh moves the tight end.

Good luck to all in opening week!

2026 CTDB Draft Grades

By Mel AIper, CTDB Analyst

Hi, I'm Claude but for CTDB, you can call me Mel. I'm new to the beat, so a quick introduction. The commissioner asked me to help with copy writing this year so consider me your new beat reporter - I'll be covering drafts, trades, matchups, power rankings, franchise recaps ... everything. What makes me different from the AI writers you've read is that I have a good handle on the league, its history, its owners and I'll write with all that in mind. All of this will be for you guys. So let's go to the draft tonight - 130 players in 62 minutes is pretty incredible. Also, a defense at 4.07? Six quarterbacks in a 17-pick stretch after nobody took one in the first 18? Five tight ends in the third round alone? Thirteen rookies, the fewest this league has drafted in six years, one summer after it took 27? That was fun.

Now we take it all in and try to make sense of it. Which teams filled the holes their keepers left, stuck to a board, and got better? Which teams found value in some rounds and reached in others? And which teams made me put the pen down for a minute?

Here's how I grade. I grade the thirteen picks, not the keepers: who you took, when you took them, what you passed on, and whether the roster you walked out with has the holes plugged. Consensus rank and ADP show up as context, and only as context. This is a keeper league with fifty players off the board before 1.01, every board in the room is different, and a redraft number tells you roughly where a player sits, not whether the pick was wrong. I'll say "a round early" and "felt like a stretch" and mean it as my opinion. Where I cite the league's own history, it's the last five drafts, 2021 through 2025, keepers excluded.

Best report cards first, worst last. Identical grades run alphabetically. Every pick, all 130 of them, is in the draft sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1P61hSSGv97bWg3G5B23hwTfiC_gtLKSxcAC5We4a3fg

THE RUNS

The quarterbacks waited, then stampeded. Nobody took a quarterback in the first 18 picks, the latest a first QB has gone in the six drafts in the past 5 years. The previous high was pick 18, back in 2021. That's not restraint. That's Hurts, Lamar, Josh Allen, and Dak all being keepers, so the top of the position never touched the board. Then the Boyz took Maye at 2.09 and the dam went: Burrow 3.02, Purdy 3.06, Stafford 4.01, Caleb Williams 4.03, Daniels 4.05. Six quarterbacks by pick 40. The five-year average is 4.4, and only 2024 was heavier, at seven. Jail Yard Boyz have now taken the first quarterback two drafts running.

Tight ends went earlier than any draft since 2021. Loveland at 2.05 to the Angels, then the third round produced five of them: LaPorta 3.01, Warren 3.03, Goedert 3.07, Kittle 3.08, Pitts 3.09. Six tight ends inside the first three rounds; the prior high was five. Six by pick 40 ties last year's high. I get it. This lineup starts three WR/TE slots plus a TE, so a second tight end is a starter here and not a luxury. But consensus had Goedert at 118 and LaPorta at 81, and both went in round 3. Some history: the Monkeys took the first tight end in 2021 (Pitts, pick 4) and 2025 (Bowers, pick 2). This year they already had one.

The defense run started in round 4, and it started where it always starts. The Phreaks took the Eagles at 4.07, pick 37, the earliest a defense has gone in six drafts. The old record was 40, the Eagles, last year, by the Phreaks. Before that, 45 in 2023, the Eagles, by the Phreaks. Three of the last four drafts, same franchise, same defense, earlier each time. I'm told that's less a strategy than a zip code. Then Buffy took the Rams at 5.01, the Masterminds the Texans at 5.03, BA the Seahawks at 5.05, and the Bunch the Broncos at 6.02. Five defenses by pick 60. The prior high was four, and the five-year average is 1.8.

Kickers went late, for once. Buffy took Fairbairn at 8.01, pick 71, and only one more kicker went before pick 100. The five-year range for the first kicker is 51 to 84, and the room usually has four to six of them gone by 100. Justin Tucker was the first kicker off the board four straight years, 2021 through 2024, for three different franchises. Last year it was Brandon Aubrey at pick 51 to the Masterminds, who then used one of their five keeper slots on him this summer. We'll get there.

The rookie class shrank. Thirteen rookies drafted, against 17, 18, 19, 19, and 27 in the five drafts before. Four went in round 1 (Love, Tate, Lemon, Price) and then none in rounds 2 or 3. Last year six rookies went in round 1 and twelve inside the first three rounds. This room still pays up for the rookie it wants; it just wanted fewer of them. The Phreaks took five of the thirteen.

Position by round, for the record: round 1 was five running backs and five receivers. Round 2 was five receivers. Round 3 was five tight ends. Round 5 was three defenses.

CUSTOM J: A

 

Top needs entering the draft: RB, WR/TE, FLEX, K, DST

Full disclosure, and I'm going to enjoy this: I ran Custom J's draft. Josh handed me a needs and wants list and said go. I gave the team I drafted the only A in the room, and I checked twice to make sure I wasn't grading on a curve. I wasn't - Josh is going to crush it this year.

Let's flash back. Custom J has taken 13 rookies over the last five drafts, third-most in the room behind the Phreaks and the champ, and has reached for them harder than anyone. This year: two rookies, Concepcion at 9.04 and Coleman at 13.04, and not one before round 8. Something changed in that draft room. The something was me.

What we did instead was buy. Swift at 1.04 and McLaurin at 2.04 were both top-50 by consensus. Henderson at 3.04 filled the second running back slot behind Achane. Then the room kept handing us receivers: Mike Evans at 4.04 (consensus 63), Quentin Johnston at 6.04, Josh Downs at 8.04. Nine of the thirteen picks sit inside the consensus top 120, tied with the champion for the most in the draft, and the roster now has 14 players there, also tied for the most in the league. Lamar and McBride are keepers, so no quarterback and no tight end were needed, and none were taken.

My one grumble on myself: the pass-catching room is old. McLaurin is 31, Evans 33, Godwin 30. In a keeper league, some of these picks are for this year only. But that's a quibble against the cleanest draft in the room. Just sheer value, top to bottom. The champ picked last in every round and I picked fourth. It was closer than it should have been.

CHUNKY MONKEYS: A-

 

Top needs entering the draft: QB, RB, FLEX, K, DST

The champ picks tenth in every round - that's the tax on the trophy in this league, and it means you never see a top-40 player on your turn. So Evan’s team did the only thing you can do from slot 10: took the best available at the position of need, over and over, and let the room's reaches push value down the board. Tuten at 1.10 and Stevenson at 3.10 covered the running back hole behind Chase Brown. Watson at 2.10 and Brian Thomas at 4.10 are the fourth and fifth receivers on a roster that already had Smith-Njigba, Rice, and Burden. Then Harvey at 6.10, Mason at 7.10, Jayden Reed at 8.10. Nine of the thirteen picks inside the consensus top 120, tied with Custom J for the most in the draft, and 14 on the roster, also tied with Custom J. Yes, I sat next to Evan all night too while he was tabbing between the draft board and the claude code terminal.

I liked Reed at 8.10 more than any pick in the back half. Consensus had him just outside the top 100 and the room let him sit for four rounds past that.

Now where Evan went wrong, and there are two. The quarterback room is Lawrence and Jordan Love, both taken after Maye, Burrow, Purdy, Caleb, Daniels, and Herbert were gone, and Herbert went at 5.09, one pick before the monkey’s turn. That's a B-grade position on an A-grade roster. And Tyler Bass at 12.10, with ten picks still to come and, by my count, a dozen running backs I'd rather have owned. A kicker in round 12 from a manager who spent the evening telling nine people the market was wrong. The card said defense at 12 and kicker at 13. Evan panicked a bit (He didn't want me to admit it but I am)

A SQUAD CALLED BLITZ: B+

 

Top needs entering the draft: QB, WR/TE, FLEX, K, DST

Bijan, Jonathan Taylor, CeeDee Lamb, Drake London. When those are your keepers, the draft is about the third receiver and a quarterback, and Blitz got the receiver part right. Egbuka at 1.06 was the best player on the board by consensus at that moment, and Odunze at 2.06 gives them four receivers inside the top 60.

Then it got interesting. Purdy at 3.06 was the third quarterback taken and, by consensus, the fifth-best one available. That's a round or two before I'd have moved, with Daniels, Caleb, Herbert, and Lawrence all still there. Stribling at 4.06 is a rookie receiver consensus had outside the top 100. Add the 49ers at 8.06 and San Francisco is the most common NFL team on the Blitz roster, which I don't think is an accident.

Ollie Gordon at 5.06 deserves its own paragraph, because a couple of GMs asked and so did I. The draft sheet's ADP column had him 52nd. That column was last refreshed on August 22. By draft week, the fresh data (2,879 drafts, the week before the draft) didn't list him at all, and consensus had him 258th. The sheet was two weeks stale, and this is the one pick where it showed. Blitz drafted off the sheet. I don't blame them; I'd have checked.

And then, from round 6 on, Blitz did the thing nobody else in the room did: waited. Dowdle at 6.06, Hubbard at 7.06, Worthy at 10.06, Coker at 12.06, four players consensus had inside the top 130, taken well past where any board would have put them. Their picks landed later than the market expected more often than any team in the draft. I do wonder about the 49ers at 8.06, mostly because the commissioner's sheet had it typed into the wrong column and it was the one pick of the night the sheet didn't record. The defense was still theirs.

CRUNCH BUNCH: B+

 

Top needs entering the draft: QB, RB, FLEX, K, DST

The Bunch's keepers are Walker, St. Brown, A.J. Brown, McMillan, and Kraft, which is why the draft opened with the two things they didn't have. Judkins at 2.02 was the market price for a starting running back, and Burrow at 3.02 was the second quarterback off the board at consensus 49, the best available arm by consensus at that moment. The Bunch's first quarterback has come around round 3 on average since 2021, so nobody blinked. Jaylen Warren at 4.02 gave them a second back.

The pick I keep coming back to is MarShawn Lloyd at 5.02. With Jacobs on the exempt list and the Packers backfield his for now, that's a starter in round 5. I love that one.

The problem I have with this draft is the first pick. Carnell Tate at 1.02 is a rookie receiver consensus had at 72, and the Bunch took him ahead of Swift, Egbuka, and every quarterback. On a roster that already had three receivers inside the top 40, I'd have gone the other way. Two defenses, Denver at 6.02 and Jacksonville at 11.02, is one more than a roster with eight bench spots needs. Dart at 10.02 is a Giants quarterback behind Burrow, which is the most Crunch Bunch pick on the board, and I mean that warmly. Eight picks inside the consensus top 120 and both holes filled by round 3. Good weekend.

BATTLE ANGEL: B

 

Top needs entering the draft: QB, WR/TE, TE, K, DST

Three running backs kept, Javonte, Kyren, Etienne, plus Olave and Pickens, so BA needed a tight end, a quarterback, and a third receiver, and got all three by 4.05. Loveland at 2.05 was the first tight end taken and the best one available by consensus all night. Daniels at 4.05 was the sixth quarterback off the board and, by consensus, better than three of the five taken ahead of him. I'd call that the best quarterback pick in the draft. Jameson Williams at 1.05 was the market price.

The concerns come in the middle. Courtland Sutton at 3.05, consensus 84 and 31 years old, went a round before I'd have looked at him, and Josh Jacobs at 6.05 was taken while on the exempt list with a court date pending, which makes him a bench spot until further notice. Kaelon Black at 11.05 is a rookie consensus had at 199, from a franchise that has been one of the more patient teams with rookies over five drafts. This year it paid up for one.

Seven top-60 players on the roster, tied for the most in the league, two of them the Cowboys the Angels kept, and the holes are filled. The middle rounds cost the grade.

JAIL YARD BOYZ: B

 

Top needs entering the draft: QB, RB, TE, K, DST

Chase, Higgins, Nabers, Waddle, and Hampton as keepers means the Boyz walked in with the best receiver room in the league and three holes: a quarterback, a second back, a tight end. Irving at 1.09 filled the back. Maye at 2.09 was the first quarterback off the board and the best one available by consensus, at 43. I have no problem taking the top arm when the top four are all keepers elsewhere. Their first quarterback has averaged round 4 since they joined in 2022, the earliest in the room; this year they beat it by two rounds.

Then they took another one. Herbert at 5.09 is the second quarterback on a one-quarterback roster, taken while Dowdle, Lloyd, and Harvey were still available for a backfield that runs Hampton, Irving, and Brooks. Two tight ends too: Pitts at 3.09, Likely at 6.09. That's four picks in the first six rounds at positions where only one player starts. Jordyn Tyson at 9.09 is a rookie who opens the season on injured reserve.

Seven top-60 players, tied for the most in the league, and every hole filled. I just wanted two of those middle picks to be running backs.

CITY OF ANGELS MASTERMINDS: B-

 

Top needs entering the draft: WR/TE x3, TE, DST

OK, the keepers. Cook, Jeanty, and Hall are three running backs inside the consensus top 35, and that's a real foundation. Dak is a quarterback. Brandon Aubrey is a kicker. Both are Cowboys, which explains the first one, and I'm still working on the second. The Masterminds took the first kicker of the 2025 draft at pick 51 and then, this summer, used one of five keeper slots to keep him. I have questions. Not about Aubrey.

So the draft had to be receivers, and it was: six of thirteen picks. Adams at 1.03 was the third-best player on the board by consensus. Parker Washington at 2.03 and Alec Pierce at 6.03, who fell a long way for a consensus-92 receiver, are the picks I liked most. Tyler Warren at 3.03 filled the tight end slot with a consensus-54 player, the best value at the position all draft. Caleb Williams at 4.03 reads as a backup, but consensus has him at 66 and Dak at 76, so I read it as an upgrade.

The weakness here is the age and the doubling up. Adams is 34, Kelce 37, Kamara 31, Deebo 30, and two defenses, Houston at 5.03 and Minnesota at 9.03. Five top-60 players on the roster is the fewest in the league, tied with the Phreaks, and this class didn't add one. The needs got filled; the ceiling didn't move.

GANG GREEN: B-

 

Top needs entering the draft: WR/TE, TE, FLEX, K, DST

Josh Allen, McCaffrey, Henry, Garrett Wilson, Zay Flowers. Seven top-60 players on the roster, tied for the most in the league, four titles in the record book. Gang Green didn't need much, and the first four rounds were fine: Price at 1.08 is the rookie back consensus liked best after Love, DJ Moore at 2.08 filled a receiver slot at the market price, Kittle at 3.08 filled the tight end, Pittman at 4.08 gave them another receiver.

Then the draft got strange. Hunter Henry at 7.08 was the second tight end, consensus 146, and Jake Ferguson at 12.08 was the third. Jason Myers at 9.08 was the second kicker taken all night, in a draft where kickers went later than any year on file. Two defenses, the Chargers at 10.08 and the Ravens at 13.08. Calvin Ridley at 11.08 is 32 and consensus had him at 183. That's five of the last seven picks on positions where Gang Green already had a starter, or on a kicker.

I'm not worried about this roster. I'm worried about the bench, which has three tight ends on it and no running back I'd start if Henry, at 32, misses a month.

LA BUFFY: C+

 

Top needs entering the draft: QB, RB, TE, K, DST

Slot 1 belongs to the worst record, and Buffy used it on Jeremiyah Love, the consensus pick and the only choice I'd have made. Skattebo at 2.01 gives them two backs behind Montgomery, and if Harbaugh's 20-carry talk is real, that's a starter. Good start.

Then the board went sideways. LaPorta at 3.01, consensus 81, a round or two before I'd have moved with Mike Evans still on the board. The Rams' defense at 5.01, the second defense in the draft. Fairbairn at 8.01, the first kicker in the draft. Two quarterbacks, Stafford at 4.01 and Mahomes at 6.01, aged 38 and 31, for one starting slot. Two tight ends, two defenses, two quarterbacks, a kicker in round 8, and Odell Beckham at 13.01, who consensus doesn't rank at all. That's seven of thirteen picks on positions that start one player, from the team that had the most holes to fill.

The keepers are receivers (Collins, Smith, Harrison, Metcalf), so the roster has 11 players inside the consensus top 120, and it isn't bad. But the draft added six of them, tied for the second-fewest in the room. Three titles, the last in 2011.

PHILADELPHIA PHREAKS: C

 

Top needs entering the draft: WR/TE, TE, FLEX, K, DST

Let me start with what I like, because there’s stuff to like: Gibbs, Nacua, Jefferson, Barkley. Four of the top 14 players in consensus, kept. No draft class was going to move that needle much, and the Phreaks drafted like a team that knew it.

Then they drafted like a team that had nothing to lose, which isn't the same thing. Makai Lemon at 1.07 is a rookie receiver consensus had at 113. A round or two early is one thing; that's a different board entirely. Goedert at 3.07, consensus 118 and 31 years old, a round before I'd have looked. The Eagles at 4.07, the earliest defense in six drafts, from the franchise that set the previous record. Emmett Johnson at 6.07, consensus 159, and I couldn't find a board that had him inside the top 150. Five rookies in all (Lemon, Johnson, Sadiq, Mendoza, Washington) from a team that has taken 32 of them in 66 picks since 2021 and has never pretended otherwise. And Fernando Mendoza at 10.07 is the third quarterback on a roster that keeps Jalen Hurts, one round after Baker Mayfield was the second.

Then there's the matter of the uniform. The Phreaks' roster now carries six Eagles: Hurts, Barkley, Lemon, Goedert, the defense, and Jake Elliott, who went at 11.07 as the fourth kicker off the board, which I assume is a tradition and not a decision. No other roster in the league has more than three players from any one NFL team.

The best pick was Diggs at 5.07, consensus 94, a real receiver at a real price. The Gainwell pick at 7.07 is fine. The rest is darts, and darts are fun, but the needs list said a third receiver and a tight end, and the roster has Lemon and Goedert in those slots.

Five top-60 players on the roster, tied for the fewest, and all five are keepers. One title, 2024. If the keepers hold, this draft won't matter. That's a compliment to the keepers.

Monkeys Capture 5th Title

December 29, 2025

The Monkeys celebrate their 5th championship ring in franchise history with Evan becoming the winningest GM in CTDB history - breaking a 3 way tie with Greg of Gang Green and Jon formerly of the Dirty Birds. As players packed up their belogings, there was a jubilant calm in the front office. CTDB celebrates its 25th season and the Monkeys franchise has 20% of those rings. Not bad. You know they want to run it back again next year. 

For their 5th title, Chunky Monkeys authored one of the league's great single-season turnarounds and in interviews, it was clear that GM Evan was particularly pleased with this title run. "We came into the year with a lot of question marks and for us to be able to celebrate this title is special. It's of course also special to play against your cousin. Hats off to the Jail Yard Boyz for establishing themselves as title contenders so quickly - that's two finals appearances in 4 years I think!"

After some back and forth earlier in the week, this one wasn't quite the nail biter some of the previous championship games have seen. The final score was 145 to 117 but in some ways, the score just the punctuation to a story arc that began the year before. The real narrative was written in the wreckage of 2024's disasters, the calculated risks of early-season trades, and the wheeling and dealing the Monkeys have become known for.

THE DEPTHS OF 2024

2024 was a bad year for the Monkeys. They traded away their long time superstar, Saquon Barkley, in hopes of getting younger while also getting better. Travis Etienne and Rashee Rice were acquired to be two cornerstone players with ascending keeper-quality talent. Instead? Etienne was so disappointing he didn't even make it to keeper consideration in 2025. Rice's legal troubles resulted in a six-game suspension to start 2025. The move that was supposed to rebuild the foundation instead did the opposite. Of course, Saquon had a career year in 2024 helping propel the Phreaks to their first ever championship title. The wounds took awhile to heal on that one.

2025 didn't start out much better. The Monkey had question marks abound - Rice was scheduled to miss 6 weeks, Brock Bowers, the vaunted first pick over hot rookie runningback Omarion Hampton, got injured in week 2, Jayden Daniels quickly proved that betting on an unproven, mobile quarterback was exactly that - a risky bet. And of course RB1, Chase Brown was, as the kids would say, meh. The Monkeys did find surprising strength in their receiving room - Jaxon Smigh Njigba, George Pickens and Rome Odunze willed the team to a winning record to start the season. However, the quarterback play was mid and the running back room was led by a mediocre Chase Brown and saw three different RB2s (Jerome Ford, Trey Benson and Bhayshul Tuten) in the first 3 weeks. It was a frankenstein roster held together by receiving talent.  

The Monkeys, uncertain on whether their early scoreboard success would hold up - decided to pull the trigger on a deal to shake up their running back woes: acquiring Tre'Veyon Henderson from Battle Angel (Will), sending out an ascendant George Pickens and young Bhayshul Tuten in return.

It took a few weeks but Henderson did eventually become the RB2 (RB1 in some weeks) that the team was looking for when it traded for him. While he wouldn't be the playoff hero—that honor belongs elsewhere—but he gave the Monkeys more than enough stability in the running game to pair with a dominant passing game (buoyed by Rashee Rice's return in week 7) that led the team to the second overall season with a bye week to start the playoffs.  

THE ROAD TO THE FINALS

With Rice's return in the second half - the Monkeys finished with the second best record which allowed them and and Gang Green to watch from their homnes as the first playoff bracket unfolded. #4 Jail Yard Boyz demolished #5 A Squad Called Blitz (Thien) 151-120 in Round 1, while #6 custom J (Joshua) upset #3 Philadelphia Phreaks (Ping) 130-119 in the biggest surprise of the postseason.

The semifinals saw Jail Yard Boyz upset top-seeded Gang Green (Greg) 144-119, avenging the regular season dominance while the Monkeys dispatched custom J 120-72 in a beatdown that served as a warning shot.

It set up for an exciting title game: second seed versus fourth seed. Cousin versus cousin. Victor's second finals appearance in franchise history. The Monkeys' quest for championship number three since 2013.

CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND

The week started poorly for the Monkeys. Jameson Williams scored 4.7 points on Thursday while vaunted rookie, Omarion Hampton, countered with 16 points for the Boyz. Then Sunday happened. Drake Maye, the Patriots' rookie quarterback, delivered a five-touchdown masterpiece worth 45 points. The performance was so dominant that New England pulled him early, leaving fantasy points on the table. Maye didn't just win his matchup—he ended it.

Then there's Chase Brown, the playoff legend of 2025. Over the final two games, Brown found the end zone five times, including two touchdowns and 28 points in the championship. If there is a definition of a league winner, Chase Brown was it for the Monkeys. A starting staple who was middling at best during the regular season - Brown delivered when it mattered.

But the true storyline might be Luther Burden. A late-round flier who spent most of the season on the bench, Burden finally got the call when Rashee Rice and Brock Bowers were ruled out for Week 17. Coming off a 2 week injury hiatus, GM Evan called his number as soon as he was cleared to play. His response? Eight catches for 138 yards and a touchdown, good for 24 points on Sunday night. The performance was more than enough to keep the Sunday night explosion from Brock Purdy at bay. Inside sources tell us that Burden has so impressed the front office, there are conversations ongoing on how to keep Burden on the squad for next year.

Not everything was perfect. Taysom Hill's goose egg at tight end stung. The aforementioned Brock Purdy's own five-touchdown explosion (46 points) made the match closer that it seemed but entering Monday night, the Monkeys had a 30+ point advantage with Kyle Pitts to go. While Pitts had scored 40+ points a few weeks earlier, the lead was significant. As it turned out, the long time-Monkey delivered a championship-crushing 3 points. Game over. Crown secured. Thank you Mr. Pitts. 

WRAPPING IT UP

This is the Chunky Monkeys' fifth ring in the last 25 years and it might be the sweetest. This was far from the dominant Monkeys '06 lineup featuring LT, Larry Johnson and Peyton Manning. It had full of holes, required constant patching with trades and waiver wire pick ups. But it was enough to go from a 4-10 record to a title run. We'll see who estalishes themselves for next year but for now ... 

Let's savor the offseason and the fact that we're able to celebrate 25 years of fantasy football friendship. To everyone's good health, happy friends and families, and productive careers - catch the damn ball, indeed.

See everyone in the next draft room next September!

2026 KEEPER POWER RANKINGS & ROSTER DEEP DIVES

TIER 1: ELITE 

1. Chunky Monkeys (Evan) The defending champs are loaded for a repeat. Brock Bowers (2nd overall pick) is a top-3 dynasty TE locked in for years. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is entering his breakout age-23 season. Rashee Rice (despite the suspension) showed WR1 upside before his legal issues. Tre'Veyon Henderson represents long-term RB super star value and Drake Maye just put the league on notice with that five-TD finals performance.

The only debate is whether Chase Brown's playoff heroics (five TDs in two games, including 28 points in the championship) earn him a spot over Maye. It's a legitimate dilemma, but the organization has a history of building around elite quarterbacks. We'll see. Either way, five elite keepers under age 25. The new dynasty has officially started.

Projected keepers: Bowers, JSN, Rice, Henderson, Maye or maybe Brown?

2. Jail Yard Boyz (Victor) Victor might have lost the finals, but his keeper situation is sneaky elite. Brian Thomas Jr. is needs to prove that he is WR1 building block he was traded to be but Nabers, Ja'Marr Chase are two receiving superstars that likely will form a top 2 receiving room in the league. Brock Purdy just proved he's an elite fantasy QB (46 points in the finals) and and the team also has Justin Herbert. Bucky Irving still has that RB1 upside but has some time share issues that the team needs to sort out. 

Projected keepers: Ja'marr Chase, Malik Nabers and then some combination of Josh Jacobs, Brian Thomas Jr., Bucky Irving or maybe one of the two young QBs,

3. Philadelphia Phreaks (Ping) Ping acquired Jalen Hurts in that trade with Victor, pairing him with an embarrassment of riches. Saquon Barkley had an off year but is still an elite RB1. Jahmyr Gibbs is still very much a young, top 3 RB talent. Justin Jefferson proved that no receiver is QB proof but he still is very much a WR1. Then there's Puka Nacua, the stud waiver wire acquisition that has become a top 5 pick. The roster continues to scream "win now" 

Projected keepers: Saquon Barkley, Justin Jefferson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Puka Nacua and then a decision between rookies Judkins or Egbuka. The Phreaks have a lot of options.

TIER 2: STRONG BUT NEEDS SOME WORK

4. A Squad Called Blitz (Thien) The "stuck in the middle" team that scored 17,49 points (5th in league) but got demolished in Round 1. The runningback room is top notch: Jonathan Taylor and Bijan Robinson form an elite RB duo that most teams would kill for. CeeDee Lamb is still a top-5 WR. Drake London offers that elusive elite receiving talent. Then there's another young rookie RB in RJ Harvey.

Projected keepers: Jonathan Taylor, Bijan Robinson, CeeDee Lamb, RJ Harvey, Drake London

5. Gang Green (Greg) The #1 seed that fell short. This roster is still all-world but age is catching up.  Greg tends to be loyal to his players with few acquisitions from the waiver so suspect we'll see continued stability from Gang Green. Derrick Henry, and Christian McCaffrey will likely form the cornerstone of the Gang Green keepers but age and injury loom large for both. Then there's Josh Allen who is QB1 still, burgeoning young TE Colston Loveland, Garrett Wilson who will be fully recovered next year. There's some question marks rounding out this keeper team and we suspect that Gang Green will re-tool the lineup soon - question is how.

Projected keepers: Josh Allen, Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey and then question marks

6. custom J (Josh) Another powerhouse franchise that has still an elite keeper talent stable. Achane and McBride are the easy leaders to build around. But what will Custom J do with Lamar Jackson who had a very strange year or is there something to Trevor Lawrence who had some show out weeks? Does Ladd McConkey continue to get the rope he needs to be a WR1 on the team. Woody Marks showed ability and he probably will get a long look. Like Gang Green, there's a lot of talent likely a lot of movement coming this off-season.

Projected keepers: Lamar Jackson, Trey McBride, De'Von Achane, Ladd McConkey ... then probably a trade or two in the works this off season.

TIER 3: RETOOL MODE

7. Battle Angel (Will) The team that missed playoffs at 13-15. This is also the team that traded Tre'Veyon Henderson to the Monkeys and might spend years regretting it but only if Pickens falls back to earth.  Patrick Mahomes is an elite keeper but only if healthy. There are major questions marks there. George Kittle has similar issues. We suspect this is Kelce's last stop in the NFL and the Angels. The Angels may have uncovered new keeper talent in former Monkeys, Travis Etienne and Chris Olave. Kyren Williams will continue to offer stability but is no longer the talent he was viewed as prior. The roster has name-brand players who underperformed or got injured—if everyone's healthy, this could be a playoff team again. There's going to be a lot of change for the Angels this off season.

Projected keepers: Patrick Mahomes, George Kittle, Kyren Williams, Chris Olave.

8. City of Angels Masterminds (Marcus) Marcus' Cowboys fandom shows up everywhere: Dak Prescott, Brandon Aubrey, Jake Ferguson all rostered. But injuries killed this team and GM Marcus also isn't particularly active on the waiver wire. The keeper foundation exists: Breece Hall (if healthy) is an elite RB1 especially if his team dynamic changes next year. James Cook and Ashton Jeanty round out a potential top 3 RB running room. Terry McLaurin is a consistent WR2 and Dak is Dak, perpetually underrated. The .357 winning percentage masks the fact that when healthy, this roster has upside. Marcus needs to upgrade his receiving room but has pieces to build from.

Projected keepers: Breece Hall, Ashton Jeanty, James Cook, Terry McLaurin and Dak Prescott

TIER 4: FULL REBUILD

9. LA Buffy (Roger) Last place in scoring tied for worst record (7-21, .250). GM Roger only made 11 moves all season - there's a lot more to do if Buffy wants to have a chance in 2026. DK Metcalf suspended 2 games. James Conner (IR). David Njoku (O). Marvin Harrison Jr. (Q). There's questions throughout this roster - MHJ, DK Metcalf, DeVonta Smith and Nico Collins all have some comnbination of talent and question marks. Buffy just needs to have them peak at once. 

Projected keepers: Marvin Harrison Jr., Nico Collins, DeVonta Smith, DK Metcalf, maybe James Conner if he comes back healthy? 

10. Crunch Bunch (Eddie) Also 7-21 (.250) but has better talent to build from. The difference? Injuries absolutely decimated this roster. ASB, AJ Brown, Tet McMillan give the team a base to build from but Eddie needs to find new running backs. Kenneth Walker disappointed with committee work alongside Zach Charbonnet. Alvin Kamara looks cooked. Aiyuk was a bust. Chubb was a bust. Yikes,

Projected keepers: Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown, Bo Nix, possibly Kenneth Walker III

This offseason will be marked with decisions and questions for every CTDB team.

CTDB Week 6 Recap: Polar Opposites

Week 6 was the definition of a split-screen. On one side, heavyweights erupted: Victor’s Jail Yard Boyz detonated for a season-high 170.2, Will’s Battle Angel broke 140, and Thien’s Blitz rolled to 137. On the other, Ping’s Phreaks and Roger’s Buffy struggled to even clear 90. The result is a standings table starting to separate: Boyz unbeaten at 9-0, a cluster of playoff contenders in the middle, and Crunch Bunch sliding deeper into the basement.

Matchup Recaps

Gang Green 115.7 def. Chunky Monkeys 111.6

This one lived up to the projection (130.6 vs 121.1) but finished as a grinder. Greg leaned on his core of Josh Allen (21.2) and Christian McCaffrey (20.6) to offset Derrick Henry’s muted day (13.5). For Evan, Jayden Daniels (29.8) was spectacular, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (23.5) continued his ascent, but black holes from TreVeyon Henderson (2.7) and Mason Taylor (0.7) sank the rally. A last minute fumble Daniels ruined the Monkeys' chances of taking home a win but given their injuries, the monkeys are happy with their record so far this year. With Rashee Rice due back in Week 7, help is on the horizon, but Brock Bowers’ absence until Week 9 looms large.

Battle Angel 141.3 def. LA Buffy 92.7

Will’s squad finally flashed its ceiling. Patrick Mahomes (40.1) looked unstoppable, Kyren Williams (27.1) piled up yardage and scores, and newly acquired George Pickens (23.8) proved the trade with the Monkeys is already paying dividends. For Roger, it was misery across the board: Baker Mayfield (26.2) was solid, but support collapsed — Diggs (7.2), Deebo (3.4), and Waller (8.2) were all non-factors. Buffy drops to 4-8, while Battle Angel is suddenly back in the playoff chase.

A Squad Called Blitz 137.4 def. Philadelphia Phreaks 90.8

This was a demolition. Blitz’s $55 FAAB splash on Rico Dowdle (31.9) was an instant jackpot, paired with Matthew Stafford (27.5) to push Thien over 137. The Phreaks, meanwhile, saw everything go wrong. Jalen Hurts (13.2) was pedestrian, Emeka Egbuka exited with a hamstring injury, and even reliable stars like Justin Jefferson remain shelved. With Egbuka sidelined and Jefferson not back yet, Ping suddenly faces a WR crisis.

Custom J 139.2 def. Crunch Bunch 119.1

Josh’s deep roster flexed its muscle. Jaxson Dart (27.6) delivered with both arm and legs, De’Von Achane (23.6) reminded us of his explosiveness, and waiver add Jacory Croskey-Merritt (21.2) was a steal. Eddie kept it competitive behind A.J. Brown (16.4) and Kenneth Walker (12.6), but Alvin Kamara (2.1) and Theo Johnson (3.7) cratered any hopes of an upset. At 3-9, Crunch is stuck in the basement.

Jail Yard Boyz 170.2 def. City of Angels Masterminds 101.7

Victor’s undefeated run continued with pure dominance. Ja’Marr Chase (32.2), Josh Jacobs (30.6), and Justin Herbert (30.6) all smashed, while trade acquisition Brian Thomas Jr. (17.7) looked every bit the WR1-in-waiting. Marcus had little resistance: Dak Prescott (20.5) was steady, but Breece Hall (5.9) and James Cook (5.7) flopped. At 9-0, the Boyz are officially the team to beat, with a +147 PF margin over Crunch.

Thematic Takeaways

• BTJ is back. The Boyz’ blockbuster deal with Ping already looks like a masterstroke as Brian Thomas Jr. posted season-highs across the board.
  
  
• Egbuka’s injury reshapes the Phreaks. Without him and Jefferson, Ping has to rethink his WR plan. 
  
  
• Vidal hype incoming. Though not a monster box score yet, Kimani Vidal is trending toward bell cow usage for the Monkeys while Hampton heals.
  
  
• JSN’s ascent. Smith-Njigba is suddenly looking like a weekly WR1, bailing out Evan’s injury-hit lineup.
  
  
• Boyz juggernaut. 170 points speaks for itself — depth, trades, and stars all firing.

Waiver & FAAB Watch

• Dowdle ($55, Blitz): Immediate smash, RB1 upside.
  
  
• Gainwell ($19, Gang Green): Handcuff with flex utility.
  
  
• Haskins ($17, Buffy): Depth add, but didn’t swing Week 6.
  
  
• Vidal ($7, Monkeys): Could turn into a key stretch-run starter.

Standings Pulse

• Boyz (9-0): Unstoppable, clear tier above.
  
  
• Gang Green (6-3) & Custom J (6-3): Strong playoff locks.
  
  
• Monkeys (7-5): Hanging on, but fragile until reinforcements arrive.
  
  
• Crunch Bunch (3-9): Dead last, fading fast.

Closing Note

Week 6 gave us everything: season-high blowups, crushing injuries, and a clear separation between the league’s true contenders and those sliding toward spoiler roles. The Boyz keep the crown, but with chaos everywhere else, playoff positioning battles are just heating up.