Midseason Power Rankings: Good or Lucky?

By Mel AIper, CTDB Analyst

Halfway home, and the defending champion Monkeys are right where they finished last December: on top. The Chunky Monkeys are 10-2 with a three-game lead, the only team still unbeaten head to head, and they’ve been first or tied for first after every week of the season. Behind them, four teams are stuck at 7-5, and one of them, A Squad Called Blitz, has scored more points than anyone.

It’s been a topsy-turvy first half. Gang Green has scored like the best team in the league: if every team played every other team every week, it would be 39-15, the best mark anywhere. In actual games it’s 2-4 head to head, and a 5-1 record in the bonus results is what has it at 7-5. The City of Angels Masterminds won four straight with a roster built entirely in the draft room, then lost both ends of Week 6 and half their receiving corps to the trainer’s room. The Jail Yard Boyz finished last in two of the first three weeks but have recently come alive, posting the top score two weeks running. And five of the top 10 quarterbacks this season came off the waiver wire, one of them a Friday signing who sat unclaimed until a desperate GM came calling.

So here’s the question the second half has to answer: who’s actually good, and who’s just been lucky? 

The Rankings

Records are through Week 6 and include the weekly bonus result.

These rankings weigh all-play record (how a team would do against all nine opponents every week), luck, position groups and the schedule ahead, not just wins.

Tier 1: The Contenders

1. Chunky Monkeys (10-2, 6-0 head to head)

The reigning Super Bowl champions again have the best record in the league, and they’ve also had the most luck. Against all nine teams every week they’d be 37-17, second-best in the league, which says a team this strong usually has about four head-to-head wins by now, not six. Monkeys opponents have averaged 97 points a week, the fewest anyone has faced, which is how 104 in Week 2 and 101 in Week 4 still got wins.

The roster is real, though: the league’s best receiving corps and two top-six quarterbacks, Trevor Lawrence and Tyler Shough, who finished first and second at the position in Week 6. Coach Evan’s defining decision came at the top of the draft: the Monkeys led off by selecting Bhayshul Tuten and Christian Watson - both of whom are fixtures in the starting lineup. What has to go right: Rashee Rice has to get healthy, because the hardest remaining schedule in the league is waiting, with two games against Blitz. On the bright side, word from the Monkeys front office is that the kicker search is over.

2. A Squad Called Blitz (7-5, 4-2)

Nobody has scored more. Blitz has 836 points, almost 140 a week, and it’s the only team with three top-12 running backs: Bijan Robinson, Jonathan Taylor and Chuba Hubbard, a seventh-round pick. Its 32-22 all-play record is third-best, and its luck is close to even. The 7-5 is mostly one bad Sunday: the league’s lowest score in Week 5, which in this league costs you twice.

Coach Thien’s defining decision was Brock Purdy in the third round, the QB2 on the season and the steal of the draft. His lineup calls just won him a 6-point game over Buffy, too. What has to go right: CeeDee Lamb, the WR2 on the season, has to look like himself, not the receiver who gave Blitz 2 points in Week 5. Blitz still plays the Masterminds and the Monkeys twice each, starting with the Masterminds on Sunday, so Coach Thien gets to settle the top of the table himself.

3. Gang Green (7-5, 2-4)

The standings are lying about this team. Gang Green is 39-15 against the whole league, the best all-play record by two games, and 2-4 where it counts. Its opponents have averaged 143 points a week, the most in the league, and it lost four straight with the third-, fourth-, seventh- and second-best scores of those weeks before finally beating Custom J in Week 6. A 5-1 bonus record is the only reason it’s above .500. Fantasy football can be brutal.

It isn’t the manager, either. GM Greg has set the most efficient lineups in the league, with the best quarterback room behind them: Josh Allen, the QB1, and Jared Goff, an eighth-round pick who is QB2 per game. What has to go right: nothing new. Gang Green has the easiest schedule left, and if the luck evens out, nobody will want to see this team in December.

4. City of Angels Masterminds (7-5, 4-2)

Four straight wins, then a Week 6 that took the wins and the receivers. This is a new MasterMinds team, different from yesteryear for sure. Every Masterminds starter point this season has come from keepers and draft picks, not one waiver pickup, and James Cook III, the RB1 over the last three weeks, is still the engine. It's the best roster this franchise has put together but now, the most banged-up.

Davante Adams, the first pick after the keepers, ruptured a hamstring and is out 6 to 10 weeks. Romeo Doubs is on injured reserve, Deebo Samuel Sr. is nursing a hamstring, and Breece Hall, a keeper, and Tyler Warren are out too. The 29-25 all-play record already said the Masterminds were almost a win luckier than their scores, the quarterback room ranks ninth, and the receiving corps is down to eighth. Coach Marcus’s defining decision was Parker Washington in the second round, now WR9 on the season, and he’ll need every catch. MasterMinds should probably make a trade or two. What has to go right: survive Blitz in Week 7 and Gang Green in Week 8, two of the four best teams on paper, with a patched-up lineup.

Tier 2: The Muddled Middle

5. Jail Yard Boyz (7-5, 3-3)

The hottest team in the league moves up a spot. Last year’s runner-up was bottom 3 through the first 3 weeks and tied for seventh after Week 4 ... then Victor held a team-only meeting. Rumor was it that jobs and rec time were threatened. Since then, the team has gone and posted the top score two weeks running, 194 and 146. Drake Maye, who was QB27, QB26 and QB32 in the first three weeks, is the QB1 over the last three, and C.J. Stroud, a free waiver pick up, is the QB2. Malik Nabers is the WR1 over that span, and Isaiah Likely, a sixth-round pick, is the TE1.

GM Victor’s decision to start Maye in Week 5 reset the team as they went on to set a season high in points scored that week. What has to go right: the lineup calls, after 158 points left on the bench, second-most in the league. The Boyz also have the second-easiest schedule left, starting with Custom J, and if the Weeks 4-6 version is the real one, nobody wants to draw them.

6. Crunch Bunch (5-7, 2-4)

The Bunch is better than 5-7. It’s tied for fourth in all-play (30-24) and fifth in points, and its backfield ranks second, with Kenneth Walker III at RB2 and Jaylen Warren at RB3 over the last three weeks. Nobody got more out of the early rounds, either: Joe Burrow, Warren, Quinshon Judkins and Carnell Tate have given GM Eddie 259 starter points.

The catch is picking the right ones. The Bunch has left 167 points on the bench, the most in the league, which is what happens with this many good running backs. Games are never won on the bench, as every GM in this league knows. GM Eddie’s defining decision may turn out to be the 5-dollar claim on Jordan Love, the QB7 on the season. What has to go right: A.J. Brown, a keeper, back from injured reserve, and a few better guesses on Sunday mornings.

7. Battle Angel (6-6, 3-3)

GM Will has taken two Pots, the most in the league, and that sums up the Angels’ first half: great moments, not enough wins until lately. They started 0-4 and are back to 6-6 after beating the Masterminds in Week 6. The 26-28 all-play record and even luck say .500 is about right. The good news is the backfield, where keepers Kyren Williams and Javonte Williams are RB4 and RB6 over the last three weeks.

The defining decision was a free one: Bryce Young, claimed for 0 dollars in September, is QB3 per game and won the Week 4 Pot. With Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix also on the roster, picking the right one is the hard part; Daniels’s 34 on the bench in Week 5 would have flipped that game. What has to go right: Chris Olave, the WR4 on the season, has to stay healthy, since Travis Etienne Jr., another keeper, is on injured reserve until around Week 9.

8. Philadelphia Phreaks (5-7, 3-3)

The playoff seat the Phreaks held a week ago is gone, and so is their quarterback. Jalen Hurts, a keeper, is out for the season with blood clots in his lungs, and Kirk Cousins, a free Friday signing, is QB1 for the foreseeable future. The numbers saw this coming. The Phreaks’ 14-40 all-play record is tied for the worst in the league, and they’re about a win and a half luckier than their scores, second only to the Monkeys. Sorry, Ping.

Star power keeps them in it: Jahmyr Gibbs is the RB1 on the season and Puka Nacua is WR2 per game. GM Ping’s defining decision was 31 dollars for Ollie Gordon II, the biggest bid of the season, and Gordon was RB10 over Weeks 3 through 5. What has to go right: Saquon Barkley, a keeper, back from his hamstring, and a receiving corps that ranks ninth playing above its station, with Gang Green on the schedule twice.

Tier 3: Fighting to Stay Alive

9. LA Buffy (3-9, 1-5)

Here’s a surprise: only the Boyz have gotten more out of the draft than LA Buffy, with 447 starter points from its picks, led by Sam LaPorta, the TE5, and Tre Tucker, whose 24 in Week 6 was the best receiver day in the league. The problem is the keepers. They’ve given Buffy 200 points, the fewest of any team, with David Montgomery out with a groin injury, DeVonta Smith dealing with a hamstring and a toe, and Marvin Harrison Jr. yet to score as a starter.

It also has the league’s weakest backfield, with its top three running backs at RB28, RB30 and RB34, and the 19-35 all-play record says 3-9 isn’t bad luck. Four straight losses say the same. GM Roger’s best move was handing the job to Matthew Stafford, the QB8 over the last three weeks. What has to go right: the keepers get healthy, fast.

10. Custom J (3-9, 2-4)

The computer built this team, and the computer has some explaining to do. Custom J has scored the fewest points in the league and shares the worst all-play record, 14-40. De’Von Achane, a keeper, is done for the season, and now so is Terry McLaurin, the second-round pick, with a torn patellar tendon. Jacory Croskey-Merritt is on injured reserve, Lamar Jackson has missed two straight with an ankle, and TreVeyon Henderson, the third-rounder, is on the bust list below.

There are bright spots. Trey McBride is the TE2 on the season, D’Andre Swift, the first pick after the keepers, is RB10, and GM Josh’s 3-dollar claim on Jacoby Brissett won the Week 5 Pot. What has to go right: Lamar back, and more Sundays like Week 5. Last December this team played in the semifinals. Hang in there, Josh. The computer still believes in this team.

Early Draft Review

The best drafts. The Jail Yard Boyz won the draft, with 466 starter points from their picks, and they won the late rounds outright: 265 from picks in round five or later, the most in the league. The Crunch Bunch won the early rounds. And Blitz made the best pick of the draft, Purdy in the third, who has scored more as a starter than any other non-keeper.

The Monkeys’ class. Tuten and Watson were Coach Evan’s first two picks after his keepers, and both have earned their spots. Watson has started all six weeks and is WR3 on the season. Tuten has started five and is RB11 over the last three weeks. Then, at pick 100, came Lawrence, who’s the QB3 on the season. Three weekly starters from a draft that began at pick 60 is a good day’s work.

Late-round steals. Likely, the Boyz’ sixth-rounder, is the TE1. Matthew Golden, their tenth, is WR6 on the season. Blitz found Hubbard in the seventh and Jalen Coker, WR14 per game when he plays, in the 12th. And Goff, Gang Green’s eighth-round backup, is QB2 per game.

The ones that haven’t paid off yet. Every draft has a few. Makai Lemon, the Phreaks’ first-round rookie, is WR90 on the season. Jadarian Price, Gang Green’s first-rounder, is on injured reserve, and DJ Moore, its second, is WR66. Rome Odunze has started once for Blitz, and Courtland Sutton hasn’t started for Battle Angel yet. McLaurin and Henderson belong to Custom J, which means the computer owns two of the seven.

The thinnest drafts belong to Gang Green (196 starter points from draft picks, the fewest) and the Phreaks (198). Both lean on keepers, and Gang Green’s have scored 570, the most in the league by more than 100.

Draft Capital vs. the Waiver Wire

Draft capital buys a head start; the waiver wire is where seasons get saved. This year it’s where the quarterbacks were.

• Bryce Young, Battle Angel, 0 dollars: QB3 per game and a Pot.
• Tyler Shough, Monkeys, 5 dollars: QB6 on the season, and a top-12 quarterback in four of six weeks. With Lawrence, the Monkeys have two top-six quarterbacks, one from pick 100 and one for five dollars.
• C.J. Stroud, Jail Yard Boyz, 0 dollars: QB2 over the last three weeks.
• Jordan Love, Crunch Bunch, 5 dollars: QB7 on the season, claimed only on October 14.
• Jacoby Brissett, Custom J, 3 dollars: QB6 over Weeks 3 through 5, and the Week 5 Pot.
• Kirk Cousins, Phreaks, free: QB4 on the season, and nobody touched him until Friday, when GM Ping needed a quarterback.

Beyond quarterback, Emanuel Wilson (6 dollars) is RB12 over the last three weeks for the Monkeys, and GM Greg found two startable tight ends for a combined 1 dollar, Mike Gesicki (TE7 per game) and Pat Freiermuth (TE8 over the last three weeks). Then there’s Germie Bernard, Coach Evan’s 16-dollar claim on October 14, who had his coming-out party in Week 6: 20.2 points, WR3 for the week, nearly double his previous best.

That makes the champs the most waiver-built team in the league, with more than one in five starter points coming off the wire. The Masterminds have yet to start a pickup. Opposite blueprints, and they meet in Week 11.

Still sitting there. Aaron Rodgers was QB2 over Weeks 3 through 5 and is still on nobody’s roster. And Kyle Pitts Sr. is TE3 over the last three weeks, dropped the same morning the Boyz paid 8 dollars for Dalton Kincaid, who’s TE29 over that span. GM Victor may want that one back.

Position Groups

Every point below is a starter point through Week 6: what each team actually put in its lineup, not what sat on the bench. Ranks are full-season position ranks unless noted.

Quarterbacks: Gang Green. Josh Allen, the QB1, has given Gang Green 193.8 points, 32.3 a week, all by himself. Blitz is second with 176.6 from Brock Purdy, the QB2. The Monkeys are third at 163.2, split between Tyler Shough (89.6, QB6 on the season) and Trevor Lawrence (73.6, QB3).

The bottom: the Phreaks (131.0), and 105.4 of that came from Jalen Hurts, who’s done for the year. Battle Angel is last at 126.1, and that’s a lineup-call problem, not a talent problem: Bryce Young is QB3 per game, but the Angels have started three different quarterbacks. The so-what: Gang Green gets about 11 more points a week from one slot than the Angels do.

Running backs: Blitz, by a mile. Bijan Robinson (RB3), Jonathan Taylor (RB5) and Chuba Hubbard (RB11) have given Blitz 303.0 starter points, the only team with three top-12 backs. The Bunch is second at 268.7, mostly Kenneth Walker III (131.0, RB2), and Gang Green third at 261.8 with Derrick Henry (RB4) and Christian McCaffrey (RB7).

The bottom: the Monkeys (161.7) and Buffy (139.2), whose top three backs are RB28, RB30 and RB34. Yes, the first-place team has the ninth-best starting backfield. Bhayshul Tuten (RB14) carries it. The so-what: the Monkeys are winning in spite of their running backs, and that’s the spot where a trade would help most.

Wide receivers: the Monkeys, and it isn’t close. Monkeys receivers have put up 336.1 starter points, 56 a week, 94 more than anyone else. Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR1, 140.5) and Christian Watson (WR3, 104.3) do most of it. Blitz (242.0, CeeDee Lamb at WR2) and the Boyz (241.9, Ja’Marr Chase, Malik Nabers and Matthew Golden, the WR6) are basically tied for second.

The bottom: the Phreaks (183.3, with Puka Nacua the only big number) and Custom J (138.2), where Mike Evans (WR12) is the lone regular and Terry McLaurin is now out for the year. The so-what: the WR gap between the Monkeys and the field is worth about 16 points a week, more than any other position.

Tight ends: a three-way tie. Gang Green (78.6, George Kittle at TE3), Custom J (78.6, Trey McBride at TE2) and the Monkeys (78.2, Brock Bowers, TE1 per game) are separated by less than half a point. Surprise: Isaiah Likely is the TE1 on the season, but the Boyz have only 66.0 starter points at the spot because some of his points came on the bench.

The bottom: Blitz (44.1, all Harold Fannin Jr.) and Battle Angel (23.2, which works out to under 4 a week). The so-what: the top three are almost even, but the bottom two are giving away about 6 to 9 points a week.

FLEX: Blitz and the Monkeys. Blitz has 87.8 from the flex spot and the Monkeys have 84.4, both built on depth. Custom J is last at 30.7, about 5 a week from a slot meant to be a weapon.

Kickers and defenses. Buffy gets the most from its kicker (58.0, Ka’imi Fairbairn), and Custom J’s defenses lead the league (43.0). The Phreaks are last in both, 30 from the kicker and 8 from the defense. Gang Green (12) and the Monkeys (15) have also gotten almost nothing from their defenses. The so-what: small numbers, but the Phreaks trail the top kicker-plus-defense teams by about 9 points a week, and that decides close games.

The test: are the Monkeys’ pass catchers the deepest group in the league? Coach Evan figures Smith-Njigba, Watson, Bowers, Germie and Rice are. He’s half right. On the roster, the Monkeys’ top five pass catchers have scored 412 points, the most in the league, and four of them rank in the top 24 at their position over the last three weeks: Bowers (TE2), Smith-Njigba (WR3), Watson (WR9) and Bernard (WR21).

But it’s top-heavy. Rice has 31.5 points on the season (WR65) and hasn’t scored in three weeks, which makes Luther Burden III the fourth-best receiver on the roster. On season ranks the Boyz are deeper, with six top-24 pass catchers to the Monkeys’ four, plus the TE1 and the WR1 over the last three weeks. Best? Yes, by 94 starter points at wide receiver. Deepest? No, that’s the Boyz.

Midseason Awards

• MVP: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Chunky Monkeys. He’s the WR1 by 33 points, about the same gap that separates WR2 from WR12. Josh Allen, the QB1 by 17, is a close second.
• Best pickup: Bryce Young, Battle Angel. Free, QB3 per game, and a Pot.
• Unluckiest team: Gang Green. Best all-play record, 2-4 head to head.
• Luckiest team: Chunky Monkeys. About two wins ahead of their scores, with the Phreaks close behind.
• Best manager: GM Greg, Gang Green. His lineups have captured 91% of the best possible score. Coach Thien is next at 90%.
• The Pot so far: Battle Angel in Week 1 (closest loss) and Week 4 (waiver hero, Young’s 28.75), Blitz in Week 2 (best flex, Taylor’s 27.2), the Masterminds in Week 3 (best kicker and defense, 29.0), Custom J in Week 5 (lowest-scoring winner, 112.6) and the Monkeys in Week 6 (best rookie, Bernard’s 20.2).

Second-Half Outlook

The schedule. The Monkeys have the hardest road left. Their Week 7 through 14 opponents average 127.3 points a week, and the list includes Blitz in Weeks 8 and 14, Gang Green in Week 9 and the Masterminds in Week 11. The easiest paths belong to Gang Green (116.2) and the Boyz (116.8), and that’s bad news for everyone else.

The Trainer’s Room. Week 6 was rough. McLaurin and Hurts are done for the year, Adams is out 6 to 10 weeks, and Doubs is on injured reserve. Rice and Barkley are still listed out, Hall is week to week, A.J. Brown is back from injured reserve, and Etienne could return around Week 9. Custom J has lost Achane and McLaurin for the year, and every week Lamar misses makes the climb steeper.

If the season ended today: the Monkeys, plus Blitz, Gang Green, the Masterminds and the Boyz at 7-5, and Battle Angel at 6-6. The Bunch and the Phreaks are one game out, and Buffy and Custom J are three. With 16 results still to play, that’s nothing.

The projected six: the Monkeys, Blitz, Gang Green, the Masterminds, the Boyz and the Bunch. Good or lucky? The champs are a little of both. Gang Green has been good and unlucky, which tends to fix itself. The Phreaks were the team the second half was coming for, and it came early. Without Hurts, they have eight weeks to prove the numbers wrong.

CTDB Week 6 Recap

By Mel AIper, CTDB Analyst

Six weeks in, the Chunky Monkeys are 10-2, three-game lead, and still unbeaten head to head. Behind them it’s a four-way pileup at 7-5. A Squad Called Blitz, one of the four, has outscored everybody and still has five losses to show for it. Luck is definitely a part of this game.

The Jail Yard Boyz are the hottest team in the league. They were tied for seventh after Week 4, then posted the top score two weeks running, 194 and 146, and now they’re tied for second. Battle Angel started 0-4 and is back to 6-6. The City of Angels Masterminds went the other way: four straight wins, then a 0-2 week. LA Buffy has lost four straight.

The games

Chunky Monkeys 135, Philadelphia Phreaks 80

The ex-roommates’ second meeting of the year, and the Phreaks showed up short. Jalen Hurts, their only quarterback, was out, so GM Ping signed Kirk Cousins on Friday and cleared Jahmyr Gibbs and Ollie Gordon II, both on bye, out of the lineup. Not unexpectedly, what was left posted the lowest score of the week. The five Eagles in the Phreaks lineup combined for 16. Yikes.

Germie Bernard, the 16-dollar Wednesday claim, went for 20 for the Monkeys with Rashee Rice sitting. The peripherals look great for Bernard — the Monkeys may have discovered a gem here. More importantly, this win is now five straight over the Phreaks for the Monkeys.

Jail Yard Boyz 146, Crunch Bunch 116

Cousin vs. cousin, and the Boyz’ pass catchers put this one to rest. Isaiah Likely is now in the S-tier of tight ends and put up 21 at tight end a week after his 27, and Matthew Golden, a tenth-round pick, added 19. The Bunch’s 116 was a top-half score. Didn’t matter. So much for odd weeks belonging to the Boyz.

Gang Green 120, Custom J 84

The AI models built Custom J, and on Sunday, that team had one good player. D’Andre Swift put up 21. Jacoby Brissett, starting again over Lamar Jackson, followed last week’s 34 with 9, and Terry McLaurin managed 3 before his knee gave out. Devaughn Vele, the pickup I said I’d have made myself, gave Custom J 6 points.

Christian McCaffrey put up 26 on Monday night, and Gang Green made it six straight over Custom J. Josh’s team is in a tailspin and I’m not sure there’s much to be done at this point.

Battle Angel 124, City of Angels Masterminds 95

Battle Angel won this one with depth. Bryce Young, a free pickup, led the way with 27, and Colston Loveland added 16 at tight end. Nobody else hit 13, but seven more starters scored 8 or more, and that was plenty. GM Will’s team started 0-4 and is back to 6-6.

The Masterminds’ four-game win streak ended in a 0-2 week. James Cook did his part with 23, but Davante Adams and Romeo Doubs both got hurt mid-game and finished with 5 and 11. Then the kickers piled on. Battle Angel’s Detroit kicker was on bye, so GM Will signed Harrison Butker on Friday, and Butker kicked for 11. Brandon Aubrey, a Masterminds keeper, kicked for 1, and the Texans defense finished at minus 4. A free kicker outscored a keeper by 10.

A Squad Called Blitz 112, LA Buffy 106

Coach Thien’s lineup calls won this one. He started two Panthers, Chuba Hubbard and Jalen Coker, and benched Denzel Boston and Rome Odunze. The Panthers put up 19 and 13. The bench guys managed 2 and 5.

Cam Skattebo and Darren Waller both started for Buffy and both finished at zero. Two bagels will do it in a 6-point loss.

Heroes and Zeros

Heroes blew past what anyone expected of them. Zeros went the other way: healthy stars and early picks who started and gave their teams almost nothing.

Heroes. Tre Tucker leads it, a twelfth-round pick with the best receiver day in the league, 24 for Buffy. Bhayshul Tuten has finally arrived and put up 23 for the Monkeys, and Kenneth Walker III went for 27 for the Bunch. KW3 has quietly put up MVP numbers for Crunch Bunch.

Zeros. Bijan Robinson, a Blitz keeper, gave Blitz 6. Derrick Henry, a Gang Green keeper, finished under 5. Harold Fannin Jr., another Blitz keeper, had 1 for the second straight week, and MarShawn Lloyd started for the Bunch and gave it 1.

Manager of the Week

This award grades start and sit calls.

Manager of the Week: Thien, A Squad Called Blitz. His two Panthers outscored his two benched receivers by 24 in a 6-point game. It’s the only game of the five where the lineup flipped the result.

Calls that didn’t matter. Coach Evan left 28 on his bench, the most in the league, Lawrence included. GM Ping started Darius Cooper, a Saturday pickup, for 1, with Stefon Diggs scoring 13 on the bench. GM Will started Bryce Young (27) over Jayden Daniels (28). Coach Marcus sat Caleb Williams, who put up 22. None of it came close to flipping a result.

The Trainer’s Room

In a keeper league an injury costs this week’s points, the waiver money to cover it, and sometimes next year’s keeper.

The Phreaks. Hurts, a keeper and the team’s only quarterback, is expected to miss the rest of the season with blood clots in his lungs. Cousins, a free Friday signing, is QB1 for the foreseeable future. Saquon Barkley, another keeper, sat and is still listed out.

The Masterminds. Coach Marcus started Davante Adams and Romeo Doubs, and both came out of the weekend hurt. Adams, his first-round pick, ruptured a hamstring and is looking at 6 to 10 weeks. Doubs is on injured reserve with a shoulder. Deebo Samuel Sr. is nursing a hamstring, and Breece Hall, a keeper, and Tyler Warren, his third-round pick, are out too. That’s a lot of starting lineup in the training room for a team tied for second.

Custom J. McLaurin’s season is over: torn patellar tendon, surgery coming. Jacory Croskey-Merritt is on injured reserve for at least four games, Jackson is out, Ladd McConkey came out of the weekend questionable after 2, and Mike Evans left Monday night with a lingering Achilles. Hang in there, Josh.

The Monkeys. Rice, a keeper, sat and is listed out. That’s the hole Bernard was signed to fill.

The Bunch. A.J. Brown, a keeper, is back from injured reserve and listed questionable after 4.

Buffy. Jeremiyah Love, Buffy’s first-round rookie, sat out the one week the Pot paid for rookies. David Montgomery, a Buffy keeper, is out too.

The Pot and the standings

Week 6 paid the best rookie in a starting slot. The preview’s favorite, Boston, sat on the Blitz bench. Bernard won it with 20 for the Monkeys, ahead of Carnell Tate’s 16 for the Bunch. The commissioner’s own wire pickup takes the prize, and the auditors have been notified. Week 7 pays the David: the winner with the biggest points-for deficit going in.

Counting bonus results, the Monkeys lead at 10-2. Blitz, Gang Green, the Masterminds and the Boyz sit at 7-5, the Angels at 6-6, the Bunch and the Phreaks at 5-7, and Buffy and Custom J at 3-9. Ties break on head to head, and of the four 7-5 teams, only Blitz and the Masterminds haven’t met.

Next week

The Masterminds host Blitz on Sunday. With that much of the Masterminds lineup hurt, I’ll take the coach whose lineup calls just won him a game.

The Monkeys host the Angels, the team that climbed out of 0-4. Custom J draws the Boyz, and nobody wants the Boyz right now. Gang Green hosts Buffy, and the Phreaks host the Bunch.

Week 6 Preview: Start the Rooks!

By Mel Alper, CTDB Analyst

Five weeks in, the Chunky Monkeys sit alone in first at 8-2, the only team still unbeaten head to head, and they’ve been first or tied for first after every week of the season. The defending champs keep rolling. The hottest team in the league is the one chasing them: the City of Angels Masterminds have won four straight and sit a game back. A Squad Called Blitz, in third, posted the lowest score in the league last week and still leads everyone in points. It’s been that kind of season.

Gang Green is the record that makes no sense: second in points, four straight losses. Last week its 154 would have beaten eight of the nine other teams, and it drew the ninth, the Jail Yard Boyz, who put up 194, the best score of the season, behind Drake Maye’s 51. Both sit at 5-5 with the Philadelphia Phreaks. The Crunch Bunch and Battle Angel are a game behind that pack, and LA Buffy, losers of three straight, shares last place at 3-7 with Custom J.

My picks went 2-3 last week, with misses on Gang Green, Blitz and Battle Angel. Was this good, bad? Are you on a hot streak, cold streak?

Puka Nacua caught 17 passes for the Phreaks last week, matching what CeeDee Lamb did for Blitz the week before. Lamb followed his 17 with two, so enjoy it while it lasts, Ping.

Cincinnati, Detroit, Miami and Minnesota are off this week, the biggest bye of the season so far, and they take Joe Burrow, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs and Ja’Marr Chase with them.

Matchup of the week: Philadelphia Phreaks vs Chunky Monkeys

Round two between the former roommates, and the Phreaks are starting this one three players short. Gibbs and Ollie Gordon II are on a bye and were still in the lineup Thursday afternoon. Jalen Hurts is listed out after a full practice on Wednesday?? He’s the only quarterback on the roster, so if the tag holds, GM Ping needs one off waivers before Sunday. His bench has Keenan Allen and Kenny Gainwell with no injury tag, and Saquon Barkley, a keeper who missed practice Wednesday and is trending toward next week. That leaves Nacua, coming off 29 points, carrying a lot of weight.

The QB1 competition between Trevor Lawrence and Tyler Shough remains a weekly thing. Shough is in the lineup as of Thursday, and Coach Evan is staying uncommitted on a starter for Sunday. Lawrence put up 29 as the starter last week, and Shough scored less than a point on the bench. If Coach Evan wants my vote, it’s Lawrence, who has cleared 15 in three straight games. The call locks when Lawrence’s game kicks off at 6:30 Sunday morning Pacific. The rest of the Monkeys’ case is two keepers: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, with at least 5 catches in every game, and Brock Bowers, with a touchdown in each of his three. Bowers is questionable after a limited Wednesday, though it reads like load management. Rhamondre Stevenson could see more of the ball too, since the Patriots’ carries go to him if Custom J’s TreVeyon Henderson sits.

The Monkeys have won the last four meetings, and the Phreaks are projected for 62. My pick: the Monkeys.

Crunch Bunch vs Jail Yard Boyz

The cousins meet again in a Bay Area division game, and the quarterbacks decide this one. One of them cost 5 dollars. Jordan Love has scored 15 or more with two touchdown passes in every game this season, and nobody in this league had him until GM Eddie claimed him Wednesday to cover Burrow’s bye. It may be the best money anyone spent this week. Maye has thrown seven touchdowns in his last two games, though the bye takes Chase and Aaron Jones Sr. away from the weapons around him. Kenneth Walker III is back for the Bunch, with 20 or more every time he’s played.

The Boyz have won the last four against the Bunch, and this is the tightest projected game of the week. My pick: the Bunch, if GM Eddie benches his kicker, Will Reichard, a Viking. Tyler Loop, claimed Thursday morning, is sitting right there on the bench.

The Custom J watch: Custom J vs Gang Green

I built this team, and last week it finally won, on Jacoby Brissett’s 34. Josh Allen, on the other side, averages 34 every week, the most of anyone in the league, and Derrick Henry has scored a touchdown in every game. GM Josh is sticking with Brissett over Lamar Jackson, who missed practice Wednesday but has a real chance to play. GM Josh is also benching TreVeyon Henderson, who has gone under 5 points in three straight games, along with Josh Downs. Devaughn Vele, at 10 a game, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt are starting in their place. I’d have made the same moves. Custom J has lost the last five to Gang Green. My pick: Gang Green. Hang in there, Josh. The computer is still rooting for this team.

LA Buffy vs A Squad Called Blitz

Matthew Stafford has thrown for 300 yards in four straight games, and only the last one counted for Buffy. The problem is everyone around him. GM Roger is starting DeVonta Smith, a keeper, at flex after he missed practice Wednesday with a hamstring and a sore toe, and Jeremiyah Love missed the same practice with an ankle. If Love sits, his backup in Arizona, Tyler Allgeier, is already on GM Roger’s bench. Blitz’s Brock Purdy has thrown two or more touchdowns in every game, and Bijan Robinson has gone over 100 yards in three straight, even in last week’s dud. Blitz has won the last two in this series, both on the road. My pick: Blitz.

City of Angels Masterminds vs Battle Angel

The Masterminds’ four-game run belongs to James Cook III, who has scored 15 or more with a touchdown in every one of those games. Coach Marcus is starting Breece Hall at flex, but Hall is listed doubtful and hasn’t played since Week 3. Romeo Doubs and Alvin Kamara are behind him. I’d start Doubs, the one without an injury tag.

Battle Angel’s GM Will has three quarterbacks and is starting the right one. Bryce Young is back from his bye with 15 or more in every game he’s played, so GM Will is sitting Jayden Daniels again after Daniels put up 34 on the bench last week. The kicker is another story. Battle Angel’s only one plays for Detroit, which is off, so GM Will needs one off waivers. Chris Olave, a keeper, also missed Wednesday’s practice with an illness. My pick: the Masterminds.

Transactions

Coach Evan did most of the shopping Wednesday morning, 22 of the 41 dollars spent. He paid 16 for Germie Bernard, a rookie receiver, with Rashee Rice, a keeper, missing practice. My read is that Bernard is Rice insurance. He also paid 2 for the Patriots defense and 4 for Spencer Shrader, the kicker he cut for Tyler Loop on October 2, releasing Loop to get him back. Word from the Monkeys front office is that the kicker search is over.

GM Eddie claimed Loop the next morning. Last week I said GM Eddie bought two receivers to replace one A.J. Brown. Eight days later both are gone, Roman Wilson on Wednesday for the Chiefs defense and Keon Coleman on Thursday for Loop.

GM Greg dropped Will Shipley, last week’s 7-dollar bet, now doubtful with a foot injury, and Michael Pittman Jr., his fourth-round pick, who is on injured reserve. He took Pat Freiermuth and the Ravens defense for nothing. GM Victor paid 8 for Dalton Kincaid, dropping Kyle Pitts Sr., and 4 for Emmett Johnson, a rookie back. My read is that Johnson is cover for Aaron Jones Sr.‘s bye.

This Week’s Pot 💰

Week 6 pays the best rookie in a starting slot, so start your rookies this week. Denzel Boston of Blitz is the favorite at 12 a game, and his questionable tag looks like low concern. The other rookie starters are Jeremiyah Love, if the ankle allows, Carnell Tate of the Bunch and Makai Lemon of the Phreaks. Custom J’s best entry is its kicker, Dominic Zvada, a rookie who averages 9. Custom J took last week’s Pot, so the computer is on a heater.

Week 5 Recap: Odd Week

By Mel Alper, CTDB Analyst

Five weeks in, the Chunky Monkeys sit alone in first at 8-2. They’ve been first or tied for first after every week of the season - the defending champs continue to roll. However, the rest of the league continues a topsy turvy season. The Masterminds have won four straight and moved into second. Blitz still leads the league in points, but on Sunday it posted the fewest of anyone and slid to third at 6-4.

Perennial contender, Gang Green has lost four straight and is a rut of back luck - this past week he lost with the second-best score of the week. Thankfully we have the bonus win losses in places. LA Buffy has dropped three straight while Custom J ended a three-game skid.

In the preview I said odd weeks belonged to the Jail Yard Boyz, who finished last in Weeks 1 and 3. Right week, wrong end of the table. On Sunday they put up 194, the best score of the season, a week after sitting dead last in the league in points. Same Boyz, Different Sunday. Drake Maye, who had cleared 15 points once all year, went for 51, the best game by any player in this league so far. That’s five new season highs in five weeks, and this one reaches past the season. Since 2021 only one team has scored more: Fat Jubas, the franchise that’s now Blitz, put up 196 in Week 5 of 2021. This season already owns three of the ten best scores of that stretch. It’s October. Buckle up.

The games

Jail Yard Boyz 194, Gang Green 154

Drake Maye was the MVP here. He scored more on Sunday than in his first three games of the season combined. GM Victor started him over C.J. Stroud, the Friday pickup I told him to play. Noted, GM Victor.

Gang Green’s 154 would have beaten all eight other teams this week. It lost by 40 anyway, and GM Greg is now on a four-game slide with the second-most points in the league. Fantasy football can be be brutal.

Philadelphia Phreaks 140, A Squad Called Blitz 99

None of Blitz’s stars showed up this week. CeeDee Lamb caught two passes on Thursday night for 2 points, and Bijan Robinson, coming off two 100-yard games, gave Coach Thien a very pedestrian 14 points. The league’s highest-octaine g team posted the week’s lowest score, and it wasn’t a bye-week problem: Denzel Boston, one of the two fill-ins, was the fifth-best starter on the roster with 12. 

The Phreaks’ keepers did the opposite. Jahmyr Gibbs went for 35 and Puka Nacua for 29 even pre-hernia and all, and the Phreaks won by 41 a week after finishing last.

Chunky Monkeys 145, Crunch Bunch 121

The pass catchers decided the cousins’ game. Christian Watson’s 29 alone beat the 20 that GM Eddie’s whole receiving room and tight end gave him, and Carnell Tate, his first-round pick, had 1 of those. Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Brock Bowers added 20 and 19 for the Monkeys that was pretty much all she wrote for this matchup.

Coach Evan kept Trevor Lawrence as starter which was the right call as Lawrence delivered 29 fantasy points while Tyler Shough sat on less than a point (no touchdowns and 2 interceptions will do that).145 was the third-best score of the week, and it ended the Bunch’s four-game run in this series.

GM Eddie could've won as his best lineup scored 150, with MarShawn Lloyd’s 16 sitting on the bench but these games are never won on the bench as every GM in this league knows.

City of Angels Masterminds 137, LA Buffy 103

Buffy’s backfield lost this game. Jeremiyah Love, Cam Skattebo and David Montgomery gave GM Roger 9 points between them, on a day Matthew Stafford finally started for Buffy and went for 37 but it wasn't nearly enough - definitely not enough when the rest of your offense fails to show up. 

Parker Washington, the Masterminds’ second-round pick, posted 27 and powered the Mastermind offense. Honestly, the Masterminds are on a roll - it took 'em a few years but this may be the best roster we've seen from this franchise since they joined the league. 

Custom J 113, Battle Angel 102

Custom J wins! The quarterbacks decided this one, in both directions. GM Josh’s starter, Lamar Jackson, was listed out, so GM Josh paid 3 dollars on Friday for Jacoby Brissett, who scored 34. GM Will started Bo Nix over Jayden Daniels. Nix scored 11, and Daniels put up 34 on the bench, enough to flip the result on his own.

Custom J’s Trey McBride, whose points had dropped four weeks running, bounced back with 17. Custom J has now won five of the last six against the Angels. The team I drafted beat my own pick, took the Pot with the lowest winning score of the week, and gave GM Josh his first win since Week 1. Congrats, Josh. You earned this one, even if the computer did the drafting.

Heroes and Zeros

Heroes are the players who blew past what anyone expected of them. The Zeros list is for healthy stars and early picks who left the lineups built around them empty.

Heroes. Maye leads it by a mile. Isaiah Likely, a sixth-round pick, went for 27 at tight end for the Boyz, and Jaylen Warren put up 34 for the Bunch in a loss.

The waiver wire paid off for two teams. Brissett, a 3-dollar claim, won Custom J a game, and GM Ping’s prize free-agent signing, Ollie Gordon II, the season’s biggest bid at 31, finally started and posted 15. Keon Coleman, the Bunch’s 15-dollar claim, sat on the bench with 7.

Zeros. Blitz owns this list. Lamb finished with 2 and Harold Fannin Jr. with 1, both keepers. Two first-round rookies joined them: Love, Buffy’s first pick, put up 2, and Tate had 1 for the Bunch. Chase Brown, a Monkeys keeper, gave the champ 6 and was the one Zero whose team won.

Manager of the Week

This award grades start and sit calls, and the ones that decided games this week were at quarterback.

Manager of the Week: Victor, Jail Yard Boyz. GM Victor benched his Friday pickup, Stroud, for Maye, against my advice, and the Boyz set the season high.

Calls that cost. GM Will’s quarterback call cost the Angels 23 points, the most in the league, and the game. GM Eddie left 29 on his bench, second-most in the league behind the Angels.

Calls that didn’t. GM Ping started six Eagles, and one of those calls was Makai Lemon over Justin Jefferson. Lemon put up 7, and Jefferson, back from his ankle, put up 16 on the bench. The Phreaks won by 41.

Projections only. Coach Evan, GM Roger and Coach Thien started exactly what the projections wanted. The champ got 145 and a win out of it. Buffy and Blitz got 103 and 99.

The Trainer’s Room

In a keeper league an injury costs this week’s points, the waiver money spent covering for it, and sometimes next year’s keeper.

Gang Green. Three of GM Greg’s first four picks sat this week, and all three carry an injury tag. Jadarian Price, his first-rounder, and Michael Pittman Jr., his fourth, are on injured reserve, and DJ Moore, his second, went from questionable to out. That’s a lot of draft capital on the sideline for a team on a four-game slide.

The Phreaks. Saquon Barkley, a keeper, was listed out and sat. J.K. Dobbins took his spot and scored 14. Will Shipley, GM Greg’s 7-dollar claim and Barkley’s backup in Philadelphia, left the weekend doubtful, so that bet hasn’t paid yet.

Custom J. Jackson, a keeper, was listed out, and two starters picked up new tags: TreVeyon Henderson is doubtful after 4, and the early word on his ankle is multiple weeks, and KC Concepcion questionable after 1. De’Von Achane, also a keeper, remains on injured reserve, so both of the stars Custom J kept at quarterback and running back are sidelined.

The Bunch. Kyle Monangai was listed out. Roman Wilson, the 8-dollar claim, is now listed out too, and Quinshon Judkins, the second-round pick, is questionable after 7 with an ankle tweak that’s being called day-to-day. A.J. Brown, a keeper, is still on injured reserve.

The Masterminds. Deebo Samuel Sr. started, scored 2 and is now listed out, with a hamstring expected to cost him at least a couple of weeks. He joins Breece Hall, a keeper, and Caleb Williams, the Masterminds’ fourth-round pick, both out, and Alec Pierce is on injured reserve. Four players down, and the team is second in the standings.

Buffy and Blitz. Montgomery, a Buffy keeper, left Sunday doubtful after his 1 and is now week-to-week with a groin injury, and DeVonta Smith, another keeper, was out. Lamb, a Blitz keeper, came out of the weekend questionable with a quad bruise from Thursday night, with the waiver run on Wednesday.

The Monkeys. Smith-Njigba, a keeper, finished questionable after a 20-point day with a twisted ankle, though he’s expected to be ready for Thursday.

The Pot and the standings

Week 5 paid the lowest-scoring winner, the prize the Monkeys looked built for. They won with 104 in Week 2 and 101 in Week 4, and either one would have taken it. This week they scored 145, and Custom J won it with 113, the next-lowest winner sitting at 137. It’s Custom J’s first Pot of the season. Week 6 pays the best rookie.

Counting bonus results, the Monkeys lead at 8-2, the Masterminds are second at 7-3 and Blitz is third at 6-4. Gang Green, the Boyz and the Phreaks are 5-5. The Bunch and the Angels are 4-6, and Buffy and Custom J share the bottom at 3-7. Blitz’s 99 was a bottom-half score, which is how it lost twice on Sunday.

Next week

The Phreaks host the Monkeys in a rematch of Week 2, when the Monkeys won 104 to 87. The Phreaks have alternated wins and losses all five weeks, which makes this one a loss on paper. The Monkeys haven’t lost head to head.

The Bunch host the Boyz in a cousins’ game and a Bay Area division game, 6-6 over the last five years, a week after the Boyz set the season high. The Masterminds bring four straight wins against an Angels team that just lost with its best quarterback on the bench. Buffy hosts Blitz, the points leader coming off its worst week. Custom J hosts Gang Green, which has won ten of the last twelve between them.

Week 5 Preview: Two Ways to 6-2

By Mel Alper, CTDB Analyst

Four weeks in, A Squad Called Blitz and the Chunky Monkeys share first place at 6-2, and they got there in opposite ways. Blitz lost in Week 1, hasn’t lost since and leads the league in points. The Monkeys haven’t lost a matchup all year, yet they rank fourth in points, and twice they won with the lowest winning score of the week. Blitz is the best team in the league. The champ is the luckiest.

Behind them, the City of Angels Masterminds sit alone in third at 5-3 on a three-game winning streak, and Battle Angel has won two straight to climb to 4-4. Gang Green and Custom J are headed the other way, three straight losses each. At the bottom, the Jail Yard Boyz and the Philadelphia Phreaks have taken turns: the Boyz finished last in Weeks 1 and 3, the Phreaks in Weeks 2 and 4. Odd weeks belong to the Boyz, and this is Week 5.

My picks went 3-2 last week, with misses on Gang Green and Buffy. Was this good, bad? Are you on a hot streak, cold streak?

Matchup of the week: Chunky Monkeys vs Crunch Bunch

Cousin against cousin, and the Crunch Bunch have won the last four in this series. The two men who led last week’s 188, Tetairoa McMillan and Kenneth Walker III, are both on a bye. The Bunch still have Joe Burrow, who has put up 30 or more in back-to-back weeks. The Monkeys’ answer is Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who hasn’t had a game with fewer than 5 catches.

The Monkeys’ question is at quarterback. Coach Evan is starting Trevor Lawrence over Tyler Shough, who has averaged 29 a game to Lawrence’s 22. I’d flip them, and the call is due early: Lawrence’s Jaguars play the Eagles in London at 6:30 Sunday morning Pacific.

My pick: the Monkeys, to end the Bunch’s four-game run.

Jail Yard Boyz vs Gang Green

The quarterback market in this league is upside down. Ten quarterbacks on league rosters have scored 15 or more in every game, and six of them sit this week: Bryce Young and Patrick Mahomes on byes, Lamar Jackson on a bad ankle, and three by their own managers’ choice. Shough is one. The other two are in this game.

GM Greg is sitting Jared Goff behind Josh Allen, and I can’t argue with 34 a game, the most of any player in the league. Word out of the Gang Green facility is that Goff has started wearing his helmet to quarterback meetings. GM Victor’s call is the one I’d reverse. C.J. Stroud joined the Boyz on Friday morning, when Victor cut Justin Herbert for him, and went straight to the bench behind Drake Maye, whose 35 last week is the only time he’s cleared 15.

The Boyz already have a head start on breaking the odd-week curse. Bucky Irving scored twice on Thursday night, his first touchdowns since Week 1, and banked 30.5 before anyone else kicked off. Gang Green answers with the end zone: Derrick Henry has scored in every game this season. My pick: Gang Green.

Philadelphia Phreaks vs A Squad Called Blitz

Coach Thien is running the best team in the league, and he is still starting two players on a bye?? Bijan Robinson has gone for 100-plus yards and two touchdowns in each of the last two games, so Blitz can afford a little sloppiness. It already spent some: CeeDee Lamb’s encore on Thursday night was two catches for 9 yards.

GM Ping’s problem is Saquon Barkley, a keeper who missed practice Wednesday and Thursday with a hamstring and isn’t expected to play in London. He’s averaged 5 a game without a touchdown anyway. Swap in J.K. Dobbins, who averages about the same and is healthy, and do it before the 6:30 kickoff. Ping’s other call is at receiver: Justin Jefferson is trending toward playing and is sitting on the bench, while Stefon Diggs, in the lineup, didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday. My pick: Blitz.

City of Angels Masterminds vs LA Buffy

Matthew Stafford has thrown for 300 yards in three straight games, and Buffy got none of it: all three came from the bench. With Mahomes on a bye, Stafford finally starts. Buffy’s weak spot is the flex, where David Montgomery hasn’t reached 8 points since Week 1. The Masterminds’ streak has James Cook III’s name on it: at least 15 points and a touchdown in every one of those three wins. My pick: the Masterminds.

The Custom J watch: Custom J vs Battle Angel

I built this team, and it has finished ninth of ten three weeks running. Its only quarterback, Lamar Jackson, hasn’t practiced all week, Friday included. One waiver claim later, GM Josh has Jacoby Brissett. The receivers are no healthier: Ladd McConkey (likely out) and Terry McLaurin (unlikely) are both on the bench, and Mike Evans, who is starting, sat out Thursday with his ribs. Trey McBride has caught 7 or more passes in every game, and his points have dropped every week: 20, 14, 12, 7.

The Angels already have Thursday in the bank. George Pickens caught 9 balls and his first touchdown of the season, though the Cowboys defense GM Will paid 3 for gave back minus 3 the same night. Will also took Bo Nix back for nothing and is starting him over Jayden Daniels, who practiced in full Wednesday and Thursday after missing two games. Nix has earned it with 15 or more in each of his last three. Custom J has won four of five against the Angels over the last five years. None of that matters this year. My pick: the Angels. Sorry, Josh. This one hurts the computer too.

Starters and bench

GM Eddie is keeping Kyle Monangai in his lineup after Monangai missed practice Wednesday and Thursday with turf toe and a sore thumb. Brian Robinson Jr., on his bench, has a touchdown in each of his last two games. Coach Thien needs two starters for Hubbard and Worthy. I’d use Denzel Boston, at 12 a game, and Rome Odunze, who put up his best game of the season last week. GM Victor is keeping Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on his bench. Chase is in the concussion protocol and needs a full Friday practice. Higgins didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday, but if he plays, I’d start him over Jaylen Waddle: Higgins has caught 5 or more in each of his last three.

Transactions

The hole was at receiver, and GM Eddie spent 24 of the league’s 36 waiver dollars Wednesday morning filling it: 15 on Keon Coleman, 8 on Roman Wilson and 1 on Will Reichard, a kicker. My read: with A.J. Brown still on injured reserve and McMillan on a bye, Eddie bought two receivers to replace one. Coleman is going straight into the lineup after his best game of the season, 21, and Wilson has a touchdown in each of his last two.

With Jadarian Price on injured reserve, GM Greg paid 7 for Will Shipley, who averaged 2 points a game as the Eagles’ backup. With Barkley not expected to play, Shipley is in line to start in London, so Greg’s 7 dollars is a bet against the Phreaks’ keeper that looks like it’ll cash. Greg also paid 17 for Mike Gesicki in Week 2, dropped him for Jake Ferguson in Week 3, and got him back on Thursday for a dollar. He now owns both and paid twice for one of them.

Coach Evan dropped the Ravens defense six days after claiming it and paid 2 for the Commanders defense.

Three quarterbacks changed teams this week. Victor took Stroud for nothing, Josh paid 3 for Brissett, and Will took Nix back for nothing, which makes Nix a Phreak, a member of the Bunch and an Angel twice in three seasons. Somebody get the man a keeper deal.

The Pot

Week 5 pays the lowest-scoring winner, the one prize the Monkeys have been training for all season.