Midseason Review: 2019

Now that we’re all one big division, we’ll just take a quick stroll through how 2019 is going during our first eight weeks of the season. And here are the midseason standings as well. [ Draft Reviews: Capcom | Marvel ]

Chunky Monkeys (8-0)
Sometimes you assemble a great team and know you’re headed for success. Sometimes you draft the Patriots DST, aka the greatest DST in fantasy football history. Monkeys are averaging a league second best 144.6 PF — against 109.9 PA, the third lowest in CTDB — and was only tested last week, in a 153.7 - 147.9 duel with Buffy that still left them undefeated. If they can secure a win against second place Custom J next week, that ninth win will have been their best regular season since 2016… Plus with only five more weeks to go, Evan has a shot at pulling off an undefeated regular season. The good news for the rest of CTDB is that Monkeys is one of two teams with zero dollars left for FAAB. So, um, there’s some hope I guess.

Custom J (7-1)
In his rookie season with CTDB, Josh’s Custom J team has obliterated expectations by using the fourth highest PF at 133.9 points — albeit against the lowest PA — to storm out to a wonderful record while leaving his other new owners in the dust. Their lone loss so far was at the hands of fellow new owner Marcus’ Masterminds in WK7, but if Josh can take down cousin Evan in this week’s huge WK9 matchup, Lamar Jackson and Nick Chubb could find themselves heading into the postseason as the top seed. Long live Custom Birds!

Gang Green (6-2)
Running out to their best season in three years, the Greenies are using the Deshaun Watson and Christian McCaffrey duo to steadily take down their opponents, sometimes in thrilling fashion, as a WK1 win was by just +1.3 points. They’ll get a shot at avenging their WK2 loss to Tiiite End Jammers in two weeks, but there also is a pretty big WK10 face-off versus Custom J’s coming up. It’s possible Greg could still take this team to a bye, as they’ve got the edge against the two teams right below them in the standings.

Crunch Bunch (5-3)
After starting off a shaky 2-2 in their rookie year, Eddie’s Crunch Bunch delivered a statement win in WK5, with a 224.2 - 150.1 beatdown of Buffy that is likely the historical high mark for one week. Since then, they’ve even thrown in another gigantic crushing of Phreaks in WK8, putting up 182.9 points and thrashing them by +83.9 points. Outside of a super dud in WK6 against older brother Josh, Crunch Bunch has four wins in their last five games and could be ready for a postseason run behind the running duo of Dalvin Cook and Aaron Jones. Oh yeah, all those epic scores mean these Crunchies are the lead leaders in PF, at 148.1 points each weekend.

City of Angels Masterminds (5-3)
Tied with Crunch Bunch, our last new owner haven’t seen quite the highs of Eddie or Josh, but are nonetheless positioned for a postseason slot. They only average 113.9 PF against 109.3 PA, which means they’ve been a little erratic, with some 90+ games leading to wins but just as often losses. The good news is that inconsistency seems to be behind the Masterminds as they have been over 105+ in the last month and have gone 3-1 since. A possible playoff defining matching versus Crunch Bunch looms in WK9, and then two very tough games at the end of the regular season. Can Aaron Rodgers take City of Angels into the playoffs?

Battle Angel (3-5)
If the season were to end today, Battle Angel would technically be in the playoffs but that might end up begin the case in five weeks. Vu’s team had an outstanding WK3 game, 177.5 - 166.7, versus Phreaks and managed to take down Fat Jubas by +5.1 points in WK6, but note that those two opponents are a combined 1-15 this seasons. With three games against teams with winning records left to go, Battle Angel might be hard pressed to even equal last year’s 5-8 record. If nobody else can step up to help out Russell Wilson, these Angels could be headed right back into the Toilet Bowl.

Tiiite End Jammers (3-5)
We just did our first franchise look at Jammers, and well, it looks like they’re headed for a down season after last season’s barely 0.500+ performance. Losing Antonio Brown to his various fiascos didn’t help and Jammers is averaging a second to last 105.8 PF. With three losses in their last four — with their sole win coming versus the Phreaks — Lei’s team is going to need some luck and some pluck to pick up that last playoff spot. The good news is that Julio Jones is out of his slump and Tyler Lockett has been quite consistent all year. The lack of a run game though limits this team’s upside.

LA Buffy (2-6)
Roger’s team has been about middle of the pack in both PF and PA but they’ve been on the losing end of some tough matchups. There was the -1.9 point loss to Custom J in WK3, the -4.2 loss to Jammers in WK4, and the narrow -5.8 matchup versus undefeated Chunky last weekend. Not to mention the historic high put up by Crunch Bunch versus them in WK5. So yeah, it’s just been a star-crossed year for Roger. If the return of Drew Brees can catapult this team to the postseason, well, okay it won’t. But Roger could have his sights set on winning a Toilet Bowl, which would be a welcome reward for a season gone all sideways. If they can’t get to four wins though, this will be their worst regular season since 2013!

Fat Jubas (1-7)
After notching only five wins last season and four the year before that, we thought drafting 2019 RD1.1 Josh Jacobs could turn this team’s fortunes around. If Jubas can’t pick up three more wins, they are headed toward their worst regular season ever — since 2001, the very start of CTDB. The schedule has done them no favors, as they are facing the second toughest PA in the league, with opponents throwing up 138.6 versus them. Even with a league average PF, that’s just not gonna cut it. While injuries have hit this team hard, the trio of Jacobs, Mike Evans, and Chris Carson seem to be good, but I guess it’s just not meant to be for Jubas this year. See you in the Toilet Bowl (again)!

Philadelphia Phreaks (0-8)
This upcoming matchup in WK9 represents Ping’s best chance to get a win this season. After riding Patrick Mahomes to the playoffs last season — and taking Capcom’s division title — it’s quite possible that Mahomes’ injury could send Phreaks tumbling to a dark crevasse. I mean, darker than now. As the lowest scoring team in CTDB, Phreaks already face an uphill battle as they put up just 100.3 points per week, but having the league’s toughest PA at 141.1 just leaves them no chance to do much of anything. Can they get a single win this year? Just one?!? FYI: Phreaks have had two two-win seasons, in 2003 and 2007. Should they manage to go defeated the whole season, they’ll match 2006 Fobsters, who went a wild 0-13.

The Great Division

It's long been a fact that the Marvel division has been superior to Capcom in every way -- see here for the old division names -- but the question is by how much?

For the regular season splits, Marvel is 626-537-8, taking 0.538 of their games while Capcom is at 537-630-4, which translates to a 0.460 winning percentage.

• Four of the top five all time regular season records belong in Marvel, with Gang Green being the only Capcom franchise that has an overall winning record in eighteen compiled seasons. Sometimes the regular season difference has been pretty stark between our two divisions. For example, there was one year, 2014, when Capcom boasted only one team above 0.500 — Phreaks at 7-6 — and everyone else finished at 5-8 for um, a pretty bleh year.

Also, when adjusted for owner and not sorted by franchise, Marvel owns all five of the top five regular season winning percentages — as Frank’s 35-30 and 0.538 win rate puts him at number two all time during his five seasons in the league. Basically, once Ante Up left CTDB, the division disparity got even bigger.

• With 12.5 Super Bowl titles going to Marvel, compared to Capcom’s 5.5 — it was half a title each for Dirty Birds and Gang Green resulting from their tie in Super Bowl VII — Marvel has most of the rings in CTDB history as well.

• Marvel also holds the edge in teams that paced a regular season in wins. There have been 15.5 Marvel teams with regular season high marks compared to just 3.5 for Capcom -- and three of those Capcom regular season win titles were by Battle Angel.

•  Heck, Marvel even holds the edge in Toilet Bowl Finals appearances — 10 for Marvel, 8 for Capcom — as well as having won five Toilet Bowls to Capcom’s four. (Note: This is possible because the Toilet Bowl is reseeded without regard for division.)

• In addition, with Athena Nike winning the 2018 title, every franchise in Marvel has won a championship, whereas two in Capcom have yet to grab a ring. Philadelphia Phreaks have yet to even make a Super Bowl, putting them on par with our three newest franchises and our old ones, Ante Up and Skool.

• Things even out a bit more for franchises with the most playoff appearances. Chunky Monkeys leads the way with sixteen appearances but Capcom’s Fat Jubas and Philadelphia Phreaks aren’t far behind with thirteen and twelve, respectively.

• As for variety in division title winners, Capcom has the edge there as four of their franchises rank in the top five of “most division titles,” while Marvel is paced by Chunky Monkey’s league-leaguing nine division titles.

So yeah, it's clear Marvel has historically been far greater than Capcom, but now we’re headed into a new era of CTDB, one which will be division-less and feature every team battling with every other team in the standings!

Championships:

• Dirty Birds (3.5)
• Chunky Monkeys (3)
• Fat Jubas (3)
• Buffy (3)
• Tiiite End Jammers (2)
• Gang Green (1.5)
• Battle Angels (1)
• Athena Nike (1)
• Philadelphia Phreaks, Fobsters (0)

Toilet Bowl Winners:

• Chunky Monkeys (2)
• Dirty Birds (2)
• Battle Angel (1)
• Buffy (1)
• Fat Jubas (1)
• Fobsters (1)
• Gang Green (1)
• Tiiite End Jammers, Athena Nike, Philadephia Phreaks (0)

CTDB: 2001 - 2018

We are entering the nineteenth season of CTDB, yes, nineteenth! Almost ten years ago, we finished our franchise series of posts — which ran from 2006 to 2011 — covering the first decade or so of CTDB. Now we’re back, armed with spreadsheets and more facts and figures.

Here is the historical CTDB sheet I’ve compiled, which mostly just tracks each season’s record, all time keepers, and postseason results: CTDB History

Note: We only switched over to ESPN full time in 2013 so some of the data from pre-2012 years (on CBS) is now gone. Luckily, this blog has provided us a historical artifact and screenshots of old standings and keepers have kept the memories alive. I’ve posted the all time regular season record below, but we’ll continue to use this history sheet to parse out some fun CTDB data! It’s been an astounding (almost) two decades!

Note, moving forward, “Team ID#” has been assigned to all franchise for the purpose of record keeping.

1. Fat Jubas
2. Chunky Monkeys
3. Gang Green
4. City of Angels Masterminds (Athena Nike / Ante Up)
5. Custom J (Dirty Birds)
6. Crunch Bunch (Fobsters / Skool)
7. Tiiite End Jammers
8. Philadelphia Phreaks
9. Buffy
10. Battle Angels

New Division Names

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some other division name suggestions:

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

Power Rankings 2017

With the season upon us, we wanted to unveil our inaugural power rankings for 2017.  There are a few surprises -- and a few updates since we wrote this article. Note: Analysis does not include kickers and defenses.

10. Battle Angels.  While we believe the Angels found some sleepers in Meredith and Tyrell Williams, we had to scratch our head at the first two picks the Angels led off with - Paul Perkins and Josh Doctson.  Both are young and talented but their respective consensus expert rankings (in their respective positions) were #31 and #59.  Looks like the Angels reached early.  Because of this, we rate the Angels starting receivers as the 3rd worst in the league and even more concerning, we believe the Angels have the weakest running game in the league.  The Angels have Ajayi anchoring the unit but Perkins and Rawls (the top two picks) hardly inspire confidence.  On the flip side, Brees and Kelce are one of the strongest starters for their positions.  Angels make the playoffs IF: They find stars in both Meredeith and Tyrell and are able to discover a serviceable RB2 to pair with Ajayi (we have no faith in Perkins and Rawls).  Update: Meredith is out for the year ... it's all on Tyrell now!

9.  Fobsters.  We knew Fobsters were rebuilding and so it may not be that surprising that Jimmy decide to go full Preller with his team.  He traded away Jordy and Dez in return for a boatload of picks.  With one of the weaker keeper cores in the league (Kevin White caused a few eyebrow raises around the league) - Jimmy is hoping to hit gold on at least 2-3 of his rookies.  While the future may be potentially super high wattage, 2017 is likely going to be very choppy.  Brady and the running backs make up the strength of this team (Gordon, Hyde and Mixon are young and one of the best) but the receiving game will be really inconsistent.  We believe the Fobster receiving core, including tight ends, will be one of the most inconsistent this year.  If the team can find 2-3 keeper-worthy pass catchers this year, we can call it a success. Fobsters make the playoffs IF: Really unlikely but path forward this year is rookie dependent.  It's not uncommon but if the rookies (think Mixon, Corey Davis etc.) hit early stardom, there's a sliver of light.  Update: With Ware out for the year, Fobster cashed in his first chip in Hunt! 

8. Buffy.  Roger annually stocks his team with veterans, loads up on starters early including a defense and K a few rounds earlier than most and rarely chases rookies.  This year is no different.  Buffy had the oldest keeper core in the league (29) and somehow, the average age got older with the draft. 7 of Roger's 13 picks were 'veterans' - 30 years or older.  Larry Fitzgerald, Matt Forte, Adrian Peterson - this looks like an all-star team .... of 2012.  Buffy's forte (no pun intended) is in its pass catchers.  Gronkowski is the best tight end in the league and AJ Green, Julian Edelman and Doug Baldwin make a top 3 pass catching stable in the league.  The team's weakness is the team's running backs and quarterbacks.  Roger got Andy Dalton as his starting QB in the 8th round and need a couple homeruns between Mark Ingram, Gilislee (the Patriots running backs are impossible to predict) and McFadden (great value pick by Roger). Buffy make the playoffs IF: Similar to the Phreaks but Buffy needs the team to rediscover the fountain youth except nearly half of the team over 30, this team needs a lot of that juice!  Update: Edelman is out ... did this make Buffy younger?

7.  Gang Green.  Despite executing one of the better drafts, Green entered the season handicapped by his keeper quality.  Like Jimmy's selection of Kevin White, we puzzled over Derrick Henry.  Henry is a talented back but has no clear path to full touches with Demarco in town.  We loved GM Greg's early draft picks - McCaffrey is projected to be a star, Martavis can be a WR1 as long as he stays on the field and Ryan is a bonafide top 5 QB this year.  However, we think this team will be outside looking in come playoff time.  Even with McCaffrey, Green has one of the weakest running units in the league.  Combined with a middling passing game, we see this as a middling team overall.  There is a youth movement happening -- the average for Greg's first 5 picks were a hair over 24.  Next year will likely bring a bit more production than this year.  Green make the playoffs IF: McCaffrey and Martavis go full super nova mode.  If McCaffrey can take Henry's slot and if Bryant can star in the WR3 slot, we are looking at a playoff team.

6.  Chunky Monkeys.  Oh how the Monkeys have fallen. It's a shock that the team even made the playoffs last year.  With some insider knowledge, we know that the Monkeys will continue to push to field a competitive/playoff caliber team despite the roster turnover.  The Monkeys drafted with starters in mind so despite the youth movement across the board, GM Evan sprinkled in some veterans that he's hoping will produce now - think Greg Olsen, Pierre Garcon, Kenny Britt and Jacquizz Rodgers.  The Monkeys will need Hill and Pryor to outperform their ADPs to really have a shot but realistically, the Monkeys will likely need to find 1-2 keepers this draft.  In looking at expert rankings, the Monkeys have an improved running game with the acquisition of Howard, the progression of Ty Montgomery and the addition of Spencer Ware.  We think the running game is underrated.  Same with the QB position - we think Mariota has top 5 potential and obviously GM Evan did too after investing a 2nd round pick in Mariota (the first QB drafted).  It's hard to project the Monkeys this year but we'll know in a few weeks whether we have a contender or pretender on our hands. Monkeys make the playoffs IF: Really murky path but it really depends on  if GM Evan's bet on unproven talent like Tyreek Hill, Terrelle Pryor, Spencer Ware, and Marcus Mariota.  All of these guys have shown the tools but haven't proven it over a season.  Update: Ware is out for the season.  Monkeys likely re-ranked to worse team in the league.

5.  Athena Nike.  Frank, before openly declaring his intention to defer competition to next year, actually has a solid team including one of the best keeper cores in the league.  Outside of Rodgers who is locked in as QB1, Frank's keepers including Amari, Hopkins, Ezekiel Elliott and newly discovered Michael Thomas are young yet proven fantasy stars.   With a flurry of trades, Frank traded up to get Leonard Fournette who appears to be another Elliott-in-the-making prototype.  Frank was handicapped the rest of the draft but if he can make it through the first 6 weeks relatively competitive, Nike might have a decent shot at making the playoffs - with their keeper alone.   We like Danny Woodhead who is clearly a win now player and the receiving core is decent, mostly anchored by Hopkins, Thomas and Cooper.  Nike make the playoffs IF:  Emerge from the first 6 weeks with a .500 record or better.  Zeke can carry them the rest of the way.  ** Update. Zeke may be back sooner -- hold on to your helmets!

4.  Phreaks.  The Phreaks have been playing better than .500 ball ( last year was the first sub .500 regular season since 2013 and they just missed by one game) and so no surprise that we have Phreaks playing well this year.  Health is key for more teams but more so than ever for the Phreaks.  GM Ping invested his first pick in former Phreak, Marshawn Lynch.  The rest of the draft were littered with established veterans including Emmanuel Sanders (why is he drafted 2 rounds after Demaryius), Russell Wilson, Desean Jackson, Frank Gore, Randall Cobb.  There's going to be nagging injuries for this veteran crew but if Ping can mix and max appropriate, we think this is a sure playoff team.  The passing/receiving game is strong and if Marshawn can come back to its former glory, the running game will be more than strong enough. Phreaks make the playoffs IF:  Same as Buffy but a little clearer path since the team is a full 2-3 years younger.  Team needs to rediscover some of its former success and stay healthy.  Especially Marshawn.

3.  Fat Jubas.  Last year's champion seemed like they had to do a bit of catch up. GM Eric traded for Crowell and Nelson right before the draft and had a pretty savvy draft despite handicapped by later picks.  Like the Jammers, the Jubas feature a top flight running and receiving unit.  Evans, Jeffrey, Jordy and Wilie Snead is a top shelf unit.  David Johnson is the unquestioned #1 this year and alone makes the running effort stellar.  Crowell gives GM Eric a young and talented #2 though they' appear to be pretty thing outside of the starters ... there are question marks around Tevin Coleman and Terrance West who don't have clear starting roles.  The big question marks however are the QB and TE position.  They'll need find consistency in Stafford and the TE position which currently anchored by Coby Fleener.  Jubas make the playoffs IF: Stafford needs a near-career year and they'll at need at least a consistent, serviceable performance from the new TE position.

2.  Dirty Birds.  Our first (and only) surprise!  Jon was all over the place, trading in and out of picks, turning over his young stars, ending up with too many keepers (somewhat stupidly), but the end product looks pretty attractive.  First, this is a top 3 keeper unit - young and proven. Fingers crossed on OBJ's injury but this new unit is built to win now more than ever with McCoy, Dez, and TY Hilton.  The Birds went young in the draft but we like the overall picks here.  Dalvin Cook's hype arrow has grown white hot and we think Jaminson Crowder and Ameer Abdullah are more than starter quality.  Jon certainly took some shots later on in the draft but nothing that'd we really raise an eyebrow at given how late the picks were.  We like this team to be this year's runner up!  Birds make the playoffs IF: OBJ and Hilton stay healthy!  Rest will take care of itself

1.  Jammers.  Last year's runner up but if you dig under the cover, the Jammers were the best team in CTDB and it wasn't close.  This is an offensive juggernaut.  Let's start with the keeper core of Antonio Brown, Demaryius Thomas, Demarco Murray, Leveon Bell and newly acquire Julio Jones.  The Jammers field the best of receivers and running backs and it starts with the keepers.  Golden Tate, Bilal Powell and even CJ Anderson (Jamaal Charles may not even make the team) look like easy starters  Like the Jubas, the Jammers waited until later for a QB and is counting on Jameis Winston to turn in a career year -- and explain geography.  Tyler Eifert was a sneaky good pick in round 4 and is more than serviceable in the TE position.  Jammers just need to repeat last year and they are a shoe-in for the crown.  Our only concern is that this team is clearly built to win now - the window likely narrows quickly in the next year or so.  Let's just proclaim this the year of the Jammers now and get it over with!  Jammers make the playoffs IF: Don't piss off the fantasy god.  This team has a pre-built inside tracks to the Super Bowl!

Young & Old

As teams are still processing the draft, a league study reviewed average age by team shows potential directions of the teams.

As expected, Fobsters and Athena Nike are by far the league's youngest teams. Both teams signaled pre-draft that they were building for the coming years by accumulating premium picks. Jimmy and Frank have the only two rosters that who average twenty-six years old or younger (btw, league average across all 180 players is 27.2 years old).

On the flipside, teams clearly gunning for this year are the Jammers and Buffy. Jammers are the de facto favorite to win it all this year while Roger has long known been an opportunist to mine undervalued veterans. Interestingly, the Jubas, last year's champion, have found a way to stay relatively youthful despite a championship-now caliber team. Lei and Roger are potentially facing a narrowing window (they also have the oldest keeper core, Vu's also up there) at 28+ years old...makes sense to see the push this year.

Another interesting look to examine each team's youth is to look at their first five picks.  The first five picks are often times most important and signals likely starters or high potential keeper players.  Jimmy and Jon drafted youngest early. In fact, Jimmy's first 5 picks averaged the ripe old age 22.4 years old - go class of 2017! Jon's sent muddy messages by trading for multiple keepers early but kept his draft varied with an emphasis on youth early and experience later. Interestingly, Frank, who despite openly voiced his intention for this year to be a rebuilding year, mined youth only towards the end of the draft.  Roger and Ping went with the most veteran heavy with their top picks.

Late Season Look: Inscrutable Drama Kings

It's nine weeks into the season, with only four more to go. Let's take a look at the potential playoff picture and how our teams are doing so far this season yeah?

Tiiite End Jammers (9-0)
Lei’s team is undefeated, leading CTDB with a per week average of 136.2 points, and they are facing the softest schedule so far — opponents only score 82.1 points against them. Oh yeah, Jammers have eclipsed 160+ points once and 170+ twice. Their closest call was a 99.8 - 95.5 WK2 matchup versus Fat Jubas, but since then it’s been smooth sailing. Are we looking at the future champs? It's been a loooong time since this franchise was relevant, perhaps stretching all the way back to their 2003 championship. We're excited to see what they can do, over a decade later.

They have two top five RBs in DeMarco Murray and LeVeon Bell, plus the top three WRs in Antonio Brown, Demaryius Thomas, and Jeremy Maclin. (Has that ever happened before? Top three position players all on the same team?!) Mike Wallace, Keenan Allen, DeAndre Hopkins, and Percey Harvin can barely get off the bench. And oh yeah, despite the loss of Robert Griffin early on, Russell Wilson has stepped in more than admirably. This could be the most dominant CTDB team in awhile, and Jammers aren’t only the strongest contenders around, they could challenge for an undefeated season with only four weeks left to go.

LA Buffy (7-2)
In most seasons, Roger’s 7-2 record would be enough to have him leading Inscrutable Drama Kings. Still, it’s been a great bounce back season after going 4-9 last year. He’s got the second highest scoring team in the league at 108.0 points, is riding a six game win streak, and Buffy's WK12 matchup with Lei could be all that stands between the rest of CTDB and Jammer’s undefeated season. Roger is on fire recently, having put up 156.9 and 121.5 points the past two weeks. Great time to get hot!

It hasn’t been easy either, as GM Roger has to juggle his lineups quite frequently. Yes, Matt Forte has been a rock, but Arian Foster is on-and-off injured, AJ Green has been plagued by missed games, and of course there was the loss of Victor Cruz. Not to mention the lost season from Wes Welker. The likes of Reggie Wayne, Matt Asiata, Brandon LaFell, and Delanie Walker have really had to step up. The good news is that Andre Ellington is going to get to show his stuff while Foster potentially sits. It looks like Matthew Stafford, and a dash of Joe Flacco, will be leading this team into the playoffs. How far can coach Roger push them?

Dirty Birds (5-4)
If this team were in Spunky Misunderstood Division, they would be sitting atop those standings, as they’ve got more PF than anyone on that side of the ledger. Instead, while Dirty Birds are averaging 100.7 points, third in the league, Jon’s team has been pounded to a 1-4 intra-division record. With only four games left, they have the upper hand on a post-season spot, but that could slip away quickly.

All of this middling success has happened without the suspended Adrian Peterson, and LeSean McCoy hasn’t really performed up to last year’s standard. With a thin running game, Dirty Birds has turned to the air, unleashing Andrew Luck to the league leading tune of 34.8 ppg. Rob Gronkowski has found his dominant form again too, so it’s mostly been a Luck and Gronk show. Pierre Garcon, Julian Edelman, and Larry Fitzgerald have been around to fill out the receiving corps but it’s rising star Sammy Watkins who has Birds’ fans excited — even though he’s only put up 26.1 points for the team so far. If a running game can be found, the Birds could find themselves with another wild card playoff appearance.

Chunky Monkeys (4-5)
It’s been a tough year for last year’s champion. A title defense is never easy, but there’s no way Evan could have anticipated do a decline to below 0.500. The Monkeys are coming off three straight losses and now a post-season perth is in serious jeopardy. I mean, last week’s 27.6 - 133.3 pounding by Tiiite End Jammers was quite the insult. Yes, it was during a particularly harsh bye week, but two zeros, two negative scores, and a 0.7? Ouch!

The good news is that Monkeys are only one game back and have Philip Rivers leading them — stellar this season excepting last week’s -0.8 outing. Rivers has Julio Jones and Randall Cobb as an excellent one-two receiving punch, and somehow Torrey Smith has been steadier than either Calvin Johnson or Michael Floyd. I mean, Megatron has just been, well, injured. The running game is theoretically in good hands with Jamaal Charles and Giovani Bernard, although Bernard’s recent injury is coming at a bad time. This team is still a contender on paper, but the champs gotta get into the playoffs before they can even dream about repeating.

Athena Nike (3-6)
Well, Frank’s second season isn’t exactly going better than his first. Technically Athena Nike have one more win that last season already, and they aren’t the worst team in the league by record, but Nike is averaging a pathetic 72.9 points per game, by far the lowest in the league — the next lowest is 90.9 ppg. It looks like this team is headed straight to the Toilet Bowl, where it’ll face an uphill battle to get a top pick.

The good news is that Aaron Rodgers has returned to top form, re-establishing his franchise quarterback status. Young receiver Allen Robinson has been a nice free agent find too. And um, that’s it for the good news. C.J. Spiller is on injured reserve, Montee Ball hasn’t played since WK5, Ray Rice is suspended (and dropped), Josh Gordon also sitting idle. First rounder Cordarrelle Patterson, the second overall pick in 2015, peaked in the first week of the season. Basically it’s been a mess this year and Frank will have to scrap everything and rebuild. Maybe Markus Wheaton will be a keeper next year, he’s on a two week double digit streak! Okay, that's not exactly exciting...

Late Season Look: Spunky Misunderstood Geniuses

Battle Angel (5-4)
For a winning team, Vu sure hates playing at home. Battle Angels are 1-3 at home and 1-4 on the road. After a trip to last year’s Super Bowl, Vu was likely hoping for another shot at a championship. Technically, they are in great position as leaders of Spunky Misunderstood Geniuses, but the advanced stats tell us that they could just as easily fall out of the playoff picture. They aren’t notably better than any of the other four teams in the division — according to PF — but could be reigning simply due to facing the softest schedule so far.

Drew Brees has fallen a notch behind the top quarterbacks, but he’s still one of the better QB fantasy options. The real lifesaver this year has been Golden Tate, who has stepped in for Calvin Johnson in Detroit admirably, and has found himself putting up 85% of what Megatron averaged. T.Y. Hilton has also been spectacular, with some huge numbers recently. Both have clearly supplanted Andre Johnson as the most effective receiver Angel. What this team is lacking is a running game. Ryan Mathews is injured, Reggie Bush was cut, Shane Vereen was picked up off the scrap heap, and it’s been Darren Sproles “leading” the way. Sproles has been an occasional special teams delight but he hasn’t put up double digit points since WK2. At least that’s better than Vernon Davis, who has all but disappeared since WK1. Still, maybe Brees and Tate is enough to give Angels another division title?

Gang Green (4-5)
The Greenies was feeling great after two big wins to start the season, until a five game losing streak brought them back to reality. However, a two game winning streak was enough to bring them right back into the playoff hunt. Gang Green is scoring just as much as Battle Angel, 98.4 ppg, but they’ve just had the misfortune of playing the second toughest schedule in the league so far at 106.4 points against. Interesting note: Outside of Battle Angel, every team in Spunky Misunderstood has a higher PA than PF.

Peyton Manning has been a one man army for Greg’s team. He’s the one averaging 33.0 ppg, he’s the one tossing the ball to Julius Thomas, and he’s basically carrying this “gang.” Alfred Morris has been erratic, as has Brandon Marshall, and they’re the #3 and #4 point scorers on this team so far. Mohamed Sanu has been coming on of late, and he could give this team another good target for Peyton to throw to. The recent return of Mark Ingram has been promising too, as Ingram has come out of nowhere to become a fantasy force when healthy. Overall, this team is going where Peyton goes, and if just a few players can step up, Green’s first post-season berth since 2009 could be in the cards. Four years! Has it really been so long Greg?!

Philadelphia Phreaks (4-5)
The lowest scoring team in Spunky Misunderstood hasn’t been the worst, as coach Ping has managed to scrap together a decent record despite a lack of firepower. Phreaks haven’t cratered during any week this season, which is good, but they also have only had a few weeks of timid explosiveness. That’s okay though, as slow and steady can take them into the playoffs in this division. A big WK10 matchup with Gang Green could go a long way toward determining if Ping will make the post-season for the third time in a row. Once there, anything can happen!

Of course, losing starting quarterback Nick Foles to a broken collarbone could really hurt the Phreaks. Then again, while Foles was leading this team in scoring, there are literally three free agent QBs out there right now who have averaged more points than him this season. So, losing Foles could actually lead to an upgrade! The running game is in good hands, as Marshawn Lynch and Ahmad Bradshaw are both top seven RBs. Denard Robinson has even been coming on recently for a potential three-back attack. What this team desperately needs is someone to pair with DeSean Jackson on the outside. Jackson has been dynamite as advertised, but Keenan Allen has regressed this season, and Brandin Cooks is proving to be only an every other week option. Also, RIP for Doug Martin, his days of fantasy relevance are officially over. Despite all this, we predict coach Ping will ride his strong stable of running backs and a long ball passing game into the post-season.

Fobsters (3-6)
The Fobs stumbled out of the gates with three straight losses but have managed to go 0.500 since. They are only one game out of a playoff spot and have the chance to face all four of their division foes over the last month of the regular season. They might have to win three of those matchups though, which could be a tall order. The good news is they had a five week run where they consistently scored 94+ ppg, with three century games. The Fobs can do this…

After a difficult start, Tom Brady is back to being terrific. It looks like he’s gearing up to talk down all his critics and he’s got Jordy Nelson and Dez Bryant ready to help him. Heck, even fat Eddie Lacy is rounding into shape finally, and rookie Kelvin Benjamin has taken over Steve Smith Sr.’s early season starting position. That’s five quality players, enough to make a strong push. It would be nice if Zac Stacy wasn’t undergoing a sophomore slump/collapse, but GM Jimmy had the foresight to grab Tre Mason. Of course, this was supposed to be the time when 2015 first overall pick Bishop Sankey should step in. But Sankey hasn’t even hit the field for the Fobsters, which has to make him one of the least productive #1 picks we’ve ever had. Still, angry Brady has enough weapons to push for a post-season appearance, or he’ll be tasked with giving Fobsters back-to-back Toilet Bowl wins.

Fat Jubas (1-8)
Wow, two years ago this team was our champions, after coming off repeat Super Bowl appearances, and four straight Division Finals showings. Have Fat Jubas ever suffered through a season this bad? They’re on a five game losing streak, their lone win was a 85.0 - 83.4 WK4 victory over Battle Angels, and they have the worst record in the league. Digging a little deeper though, it just seems like this is a cursed season for Jubas. They haven’t been awful at scoring, but they’ve lost by margins of 3.4, 4.3, and 1.1. That’s just bad luck. Still, Jubas should prepare for their first Toilet Bowl apperance, as they haven’t missed the playoffs since 2009, a year before the Toilet Bowl was instituted. Exciting!

Most one win teams can point the finger at injuries or underperforming stars. That hasn’t really been the case as Jimmy Graham, Vincent Jackson, and Alshon Jeffery have mostly maintained their status. All three haven’t been as good as last season, but no abrupt drop offs happened. Eric didn’t have any keeper running backs and early rounders Joique Bell and Shane Vereen haven’t exactly worked out. The latter was cut early and now it’s down to seventh rounder Jeremy Hill to fit the one back offense. Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick have mostly split QB duties, with neither getting the starting edge, despite Kaep outscoring Newton two-to-one so far. The undisputed gold lining in this lost season has been Emmanuel Sanders, who not only leads Fat Jubas in scoring — only two other teams have a non-QB lead scorer, the other is Fobsters — but justified his keeper status and then some.

Playoff Look

With one more week to go in the regular season, its time to look forward at the playoff picture (and also a quick look back at the year that was).

Inscrutable Drama Kings
This division is set.  The resilient Monkeys proved once again that they are one of the deepest teams in the league, even with three keepers offering little to no production (Julio and Randall are out for the year and Trent might as well be).  However, with the emergence of Josh Gordon, Giovanni Bernard and a supporting cast including Torrey Smith, Harry Douglas and Shane Vereen, the Monkeys continue to be one of the best teams in the league evidenced by the best record and the most points scored.  In the first round, it'll be the Dirty Birds vs the Jammers.  I'ts important to note that its been over four years since the Jammers have made the playoffs and even their last appearance in 2008 was somewhat of the backdoor variety given they made it with a losing record.  The 2013 Jammers however are geared and ready to go.  Assured a winning record this year, the Jammers are a top 3 scoring team -- all this without Percy Harvin who will be back for the playoffs.  Get ready for the Jammers!

Spunky Misunderstood Geniuses
There is slightly more mystery in the SMG division.  The Jubas control their own destiny at this point.  Win and get first round bye.  If the Jubas lose, they do own the tie breaker against the Phreaks but will come down to points scored for Battle Angels.  With a tie in their head to head, it will come down to how they do this week.  They are at a virtual tie right now in points scored on the year which makes it rather easy if the Jubas lose -- outscore the other team and secure first round bye.  In this scenario, there is a chance the Angels can sneak into the top seed but they need the Jubas to lose and to outscore the Jubas this week.  Keep in mind the Jubas are playing non-perennial powerhouse, the Fobsters.

Early Season Look: Spunky Misunderstood Geniuses

Fat Jubas (4-2)
The defending champs have in the bottom half of the league for Points For but they've faced the softest schedule in the league so far. That has been enough to elevate Fat Jubas to the top of Spunky Misunderstood Geniuses, as usual. Jubas went 7-6 last year and won the division so it may not take much more for them this season. It's been relatively simple for this team so far this season: score over 100+ and win, otherwise they lose. While quarterback Cam Newton has been hit or miss early on, his main target, TE Jimmy Graham, has been the best non-QB in fantasy -- although Graham's WK6 line of zero points and an injury could be a painful speed bump for Jubas.

Despite a running back stable that includes Chris Johnson, Darren McFadden, and Darren Sproles, it's actually been Knowshon Moreno who has put up the most running back points for this team. His 76.0 points scored as a Juba almost doubles Chris Johnson's 42.8 points. Moreno has elevated himself to the third best RB in the land. Heck, Sproles and Danny Woodhead have both outperformed Johnson and McFadden on the season.

Jubas' passing attack has rotated through deep threats Eric Decker, Vincent Jackson, and early season flash Julian Edelman. Now it looks like Alshon Jeffery could be added to the mix, as he gives Killer Cam another home run target. If Newton can find some consistency and Moreno can keep up his excellent season, the Jubas could soon be on the fast lane toward another Super Bowl appearance.

Philadelphia Phreaks (4-2)
The Phreaks have faced the toughest schedue in the division but have emerged strong. They scored over 100+ in four wins, and got smashed in their two losses -- Buffy put up 149.60 points against them in WK4. Overall however, they are in a great place as they've put up 141.90 and 122.80 so far this season. The trio of Robert Griffin III, Marshawn Lynch, and DeSean Jackson have been stellar. RG3 has been declining a bit recently, but he's still a top option. And Lynch is a top five running back while DeSean Jackson is averaging 17.7 points, good for #3 WR/TE. And now we have Justin Blackmon returning from suspension, totaling 48.1 points in his two games! Behind those two is T.Y. Hilton, who hasn't fully become a fantasy force, but his boom/bust games are perfect as a third receiving option, replacing the fading and aging Anquan Boldin.

It doesn't even matter that Doug Martin and Steven Jackson have been disappointing. Martin's high score this year has been 14.4 points while Jackson hasn't played since WK2. It would be nice if one of them came back to fantasy relevance soon, but the Phreaks aren't hurting for points, and they have a stellar 4-0 home game record. We want to see the Phreaks win a division title so we're hoping RG3 picks it up and Blackmon stays monster forever!

Battle Angel (3-3)
It's been a season without drama for Vu. They opened up 0-2 and then righted the ship with a mini two game winning streak. Each of their games have pretty much been decided by the end of Sunday and they've only played one close game -- a 7.8 point loss to Phreaks in WK5. Any team led by Drew Brees will have some explosive moments, but how's the rest of the team stacking up? Well, Reggie Bush has emerged as a top ten running back, with three games of 20+ so far. Even dinged up, he's been the best non-Brees player for Battle Angels by far. Vu's team doesn't have much behind Bush -- unless you like Daryl Richardson, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Willis McGahee, or the recently dumped Ryan Mathews -- so they line up in the run-and-shoot.

Vernon Davis is coming off of a gigantic 180 yard and 2 TD game, but he'll have to have a few more apperances like that to elevate the top end of the this receiving corps. Andrew Johnson has been catching tons of balls, but no touchdowns hur this value. And behind those two it's Brian Hartline, Mike Williams, and a dash of Golden Tate. Keeper Greg Jennings has been a non-factor. We'd like to see Brees surrounded by another great talent, but for now it looks like Vu will just have to keep riding him and trying to stay afloat in freshly competitive Spunky Misunderstood Genius division. Bonus: A 2004 early season look at this division, with Battle Angels on top!

Gang Green (3-3)
I was at Greg's house this weekend when he said, "I have to have the worst fantasy record with Peyton Manning as a quarterback." I mean, seriously. Manning has been averaging 39.1 points per game, and even taking out the gigantic 64.9 point WK1 game, he's still averaging 34.0 points. The Greenies are leading the division in scoring but some of that is a mirage as they put up an impressive 163.1 points in WK5.

With Peyton throwing touchdowns just about every time he backs up, it's been a bonanza for his tight end, Julius Thomas. He's overtaken fellow breakout candidate TE Jordan Cameron and he's currently #10 on the WR/TE rankings. And let's not forget Brandon Marshall, how's been in double digits in five of his six games, with three huge games. Marshall is pushing to be a top five WR/TE shortly. And there's even more behind them, as Hakeem Nicks and Mike Wallace have had their moments too. Plus James Jones, who is hurt but had two twenty point games already. There's a strong argument to be made here for Greg having the best WR corps around.

And his running attack isn't horrible. Frank Gore has been steadily serviceable at 12.0 points per game. Of course, first overall pick David Wison has been a gigantic flop but it looks like Stevan Ridley is ready to return to action. That can only add to a Greenie attack that shouldn't need much more to get some more wins. After starting off 1-3 -- yes, even with Peyton -- Greg's team has two nice wins under their belts and could easily take that streak much further.

Fobsters (2-4)
Well the good news is that the Fobsters should eclipse their three wins from last year. The bad news is that they're still in last place. After losing their last seven games last season, Jimmy's team isn't exactly showing us much fight. If anything, they're worse. They're currently the worst offensive team in the league and thus their league average PA has been enough to send them packing often. They've only gotten past the century mark once this year -- a thrilling 114.7-113.1 WK4 win over Gang Green -- and that doesn't bode well for their remaining matchups.

The problem starts up top, as Tom Brady hasn't been his incredible self. He's averaged less per game than luminaries such as Ryan Tannehill, Andy Dalton, and Alex Smith. Jimmy would have been better off just starting Tony Romo from the start, as Romo has been averaging 27.5 points to Brady's 18.9 points. Romo is the starter now, showing us that Jimmy has ceded the point. This team has a huge hole at running back, as first rounder Lamar Miller has flopped hard, and Joique Bell isn't the answer now that Reggie Bush is back. The hope is that rookie Eddie Lacy's recent flashes, on the strength of twenty-three carries in his past two games, will give Fobsters some semblance of a running game.

The receivers here are have been good. Dez Bryant actually leads Fobsters in points scored -- by quite a bit -- and Jordy Nelson and Antonio Gates aren't too far behind. Nelson has actually been the fourth best WR/TE and he's been in double digits every game he's played. Dwayne Bowe is having an off year, as he likes to do, but as a fifth option, slotted behind rookie Kenbrell Thompkins, he can just rot. Assuming Romo gives this team a jolt of energy and Lacy comes through, Fobsters isn't so far behind that they can't make a push. However, they need to start stringing some wins together soon or it's another Toilet Bowl for them!

Early Season Look: Inscrutable Drama Kings

Chunky Monkeys (4-1)
It's no surprise that the Monkeys are atop the league in wins and Points For. With a roster that boasts premium players at every position, Evan's team is once again a juggernaut. Last year's 8-5 finish seems like the low end for this year. Jamaal Charles has been the best running back in the league and even though Trent Richardson has been tragic, it hasn't exactly hurt the run game. (Coach Evan has put Richardson on the bench for WK6.) The passing game has been stellar as Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, and Randall Cobb serve as an awesome unit. Semi-backup Torrey Smith has stepped up his game too, providing double digit games every week for the first time in his career. At quarterback,  Michael Vick has gotten the bulk of the starts -- spelled by a touch of Russell Wilson -- and when Vick's played, he's been stellar.

All this and up-and-comer rookie Giovani Bernard is on the bench, biding his time. Plus Evan has Josh Gordon, who could transform into a top tier option soon too. The Monkeys have scored at least 110+ points each week, and their one loss was when Buffy went for 127.4 points in WK1. This is our early season favorite guys, as usual. UPDATE: Looks like Julio Jones is possibly out for the year! That'll hurt, especially with Megatron on the mend, but Gordon should be able to approximate some of Jones' numbers. Losing a top tier player may not hurt the Monkeys all that much, much to the chagrin of the rest of the league.

Dirty Birds (4-1)
The Birds won five games all of last season and barring a historic setback, they will match that total shortly. After dumping 152.0 points in WK1, the Birds have been over the century mark in three of their next four weeks, and a win in WK by 0.6 points gave them the confidence to start thinking about the post-season. All this despite facing the second toughest schedule so far. The Birds have been land bound this year, paced by the awesome running attack of Adrian Peterson and LeSean McCoy, who combine to average 39.9 points per game, and are #2 and #3 on the RB rankings. With Matt Ryan providing steady leadership, and keeping his starting edge on Andrew Luck, the Birds have righted a ship that went far off course last season.

And even though Larry Fitzgerald hasn't exactly bounced back as expected, the almost all tight end receiving corps of the Birds have given Matt Ryan enough quality targets to keep defenses respectable. Jordan Cameron, drafted by Buffy but inexplicable cut -- perhaps after being mocked in the draft review -- has turned out to be a savior for Dirty Birds as he's filled in the gap left by Rob Gronkowski. Rookie Tavon Austin has been slow to start, to put it mildly, but with the strongest running game in the league, the Birds are poised to challenge for the division lead. Finally.

Tiiite End Jammers (2-3)
Like the Birds, the Jammers were 5-8 last year, and were at the back end of the division. They were pounded by the harshest schedule last year so this year's decent schedule is a respite. They've gone over the century mark three times -- two wins plus a loss by 0.7 points -- but have really bad the other two weeks. This team is still a bit in flux. When everything is going right, it's big games by from the receivers -- Demaryius Thomas, Antonio Brown, Marques Colston, Pierre Garcon -- and a revitalized Fred Jackson and DeMarco Murray. The latter two are the #5 and #6 RBs in the league right now, which has to be an early season surprise. They've stepped into the breach to fill in for a disappointing Maurice Jones-Drew. And should one of them falter, rookie Le'Veon Bell is on hand to pound in some touchdowns.

Add it all up and the Jammers have two top six RBs and three top thirteen WRs. So why all the instability? Well, all fingers point to Colin Kaepernick, who has been averaging 17.2 points per game, but after a 40.8 point WK1 explosion, he's been pretty wretched. Backup Andy Dalton is still on the roster, but he can hardly be trusted to step in and do much better. For now, the Jammers will rely on their boom-bust offense and hope Kaepernick returns to his late 2012 form. All in all, the Jammers are in the mix and much better off than last season.

LA Buffy (2-3)
Ouch. After two straight Super Bowl appearances -- with one win -- Buffy probably hasn't seen a losing record in some time. They lost two games all of last season but are already at three this year. Are they in a tailspin? Are the fans losing hope? Short answer: Hardly. Four of their five opponents have gone over the century mark this season and Buffy still boasts an above average PF. They've hit some rough patches when they don't go over 100+ points but are consistently high scoring. Buffy has been a contender for too long to fall off so quickly. Sure, Arian Foster and A.J. Green are off to slow starts -- and Danny Amendola has been injured -- but Wes Welker and Victor Cruz are picking up the slack as the #5 and #6 WR/TEs. And Matt Forte is averaging 17.8 points on his way to becoming a top four running back.

We're pretty sure there are better options than the somewhat flailing Eli Manning out there right now, but Roger never worries about that position and heck, Sam Bradford -- one of three QBs on Buffy's roster -- has been putting up top ten QB points. No seriously. he's #8 with 24.5 points per game. We are wondering why Jared Cook and Matt Schaub are on this roster though. And how much does Roger regret cutting Jordan Cameron to pick up Ben Roethlisberger back in WK1?!?

Athena Nike (1-4)
Well, this is no good. Our new owner, who came into the season with talent everywhere, has stumbled to a 1-4 record and is on a four game losing streak. Ante Up lost five games all of last season. What gives?  Well, before we look at Frank's roster, we cant overlook scheduling, which has dealt Athena Nike opponents who have averaged 128.54 points per game. At 642.7 PA, Nike has over 20 ppg more than his next closest PA competitor. Nobody can consistently win versus that -- we've seen it before. Still, it's safe to say that Athena Nike hasn't exactly been putting up their best efforts. In fact, they are the lowest scoring team in the league so far, by a small margin. Just about every player on the team has been slow to start or a disappointment. Aaron Rodgers started the season off with 34.0 and 47. points but then went on bye and returned with only 37.1 points total in two games. Good, but only top five good, not best player in fantasy good.

The only receiver of note has been Cecil Shorts, who is barely a top twenty option. Roddy White has been a mess -- no double digit games yet -- and Steve Smith and Emmanuel Sanders aren't the answers. But heading into the season, this team was hoping to ride a stellar running game anyway. How'd that work out? Well, Ray Rice has bookended two nice games with three injured ones. That's not good. Alfred Morris has been outscored by Pierre Thomas, Bilal Powell, Danny Woodhead, and the list could go on. And let's not get started about C.J. Spiller, who hasn't been anywhere close to the gamebreaker from last season. Spiller has 41 points on the season, for an average of 8.2 points. Ouchies. The good news is first round draftee Montee Ball has been stellar… Oh wait. The good news is that backup QB Philip Rivers has found his fantasy relevance again -- he's outscored Rodgers so far -- but that doesn't help since he's not going to play except during the bye week or a Rodgers injury. The punishing schedule has to let up, but is Frank out of the playoffs already?

Grading the 2013 Draft

Wonderful draft everyone! Efficient and speedy. We have a new owner, after many years of no changes. We welcome Frank and might have given him a good grade just to make him happy.

1. Fobsters
With no returning running backs on the roster, Jimmy was in desperate need of people to hand the ball off to. Selecting third overall, he might have found a solid option in Lamar Miller. He'll have to hope that rookie Eddie Lacy and Rams' time share Zac Stacy emerge quickly, otherwise the Fobsters are going run-and-shoot behind Tom Brady, Dez Bryant, Dwayne Bowe, and Jordy Nelson. We're not sure why he kept Antonio Gates here, but maybe that's the type of decision making that led to their three win season last year. After opening with three RBs, the Fobsters swung for the WR fences by going for Cordarelle Patterson, Malcolm Floyd, and Kenbrell Thompkins. All of them will given plenty of time to develop behind a strong receiver core. It's all about looking forward for the Fobsters this season as they try to dig out of the gutter. Again.
Grade: C+. We like Miller but everyone else needs time to show their stuff.

2. Dirty Birds
GM Jon decided to let Matt Ryan walk this off-season and tied his fortunes to Andrew Luck moving forward. However, Ryan is back on board after being selected in RD2. He and Luck will have a new target, with electrifying rookie Tavon Austin picked at 1.04. Austin will be a nice complement to a (hopefully) resurgent Larry Fitzgerald and a (hopefully) returning Rob Gronkowski. With Adrian Peterson and LeSean McCoy already manning the backfield, Jon still went for young RBs Chris Ivory and Johnathan Franklin early -- plus McCoy handcuff Bryce Brown was selected late. Having taken care of the run game, the Dirty Birds brought on Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten, perhaps to showcase in an eye opening three TE set. Greg Little will play talented long shot behind everybody.
Grade: B+. Getting Austin is a coup, the TEs will hold the fort, and all the young RBs will have time to develop.

3. Gang Green
With Peyton Manning and Brandon Marshall now his biggest stars, Greg's team had a huge transition year last season. Frank Gore and Stevan Ridley are fine contributors, but Hakeem Nicks is always dinged up. After winning the Toilet Bowl, in comes first overall pick David Wilson, another Giant. Wilson was taken ahead of all the rookie RBs, and his promise could be greater too. He'll have plenty of opportunities to have a breakout year. Greg went heavy on the the receivers, with James Jones, Mike Wallace, Denarius Moore, and Sidney Rice on board. That should be enough to upgrade his receiving corps plenty. We don't see Mark Ingram contributing much but Joe Flacco could step into the void if Manning gets hit hard and goes down…forever.
Grade: A-. If Wilson is as good as advertised, this is a good draft. We think Jones and Wallace will help a lot.

4. Tiiite End Jammers
Another bridesmaid year for Lei, as he gets to select #2 again, after successive losses in the Toilet Bowl. Last year's pick yielded DeMarco Murray -- who can kindly be labeled a disappointment even if he's been kept for 2013. This year Lei took rookie Le'Veon Bell, who is positioned to become the Steelers' battering ram. Bell's Lisfranc injury could prevent him from getting off to a fast start, but he was a solid choice. Bell and last round pick Ronnie Hillman could overtake Murray for RB#2 duties. The Jammers have a star in Demaryius Thomas, and Antonio Brown should get as many receptions as he can handle out of the slot. Marques Colston was a keeper and Lei added Pierre Garcon, Miles Austin, Kenny Britt, and 2012 keeper Percy Harvin to the roster. All four have injury issues, but that should be okay with the receiving depth on this team. Lei started the true QB run in RD4 with Colin Kaepernick, hitching his wagon to last season's rising star. Even if Kaep stutters this year, there are plenty of waiver wire options available at quarterback, and the Jammers will enter the season with just the tattooed man at the helm.
Grade: C+. Dinged for all the injury risks, although we think Bell was the right rookie running back to invest in.

5. Battle Angels
Vu's team has lacked a running game for awhile and they finally threw in the towel and just kept Drew Brees and four receivers: Andre Johnson, Mike Williams, Greg Jennings, and Vernon Davis. Youngsters Josh Gordon and Golden Tate shouldn't have a problem breaking into the rotation if things go right. The question is who will run the ball. The answer: Reggie Bush, Ryan Mathews, Daryl Richardson, and BenJarvus Green-Ellis. That's a cobbled together stable of RBs if we ever saw one. We don't believe in Mathews, semi-like Richardson, and know there's not much upside for Bush and Green-Ellis. The hunt continues for a franchise back, the last of which was arguably DeAngelo Williams. That 2008 Super Bowl win seems like a long time ago for this franchise…
Grade: B-. No risks, no reward, unless Daryl Richardson comes through.

6. Philadelphia Phreaks
The Phreaks are officially out of the gutter, with two winning records in the last three seasons. Just one year ago, their keeper core was Michael Vick, Marshawn Lynch, Mike Wallace, DeSean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin. Last year's draft brought Robert Griffin III on-board, along with Doug Martin. What an upgrade!  Steven Jackson as a Falcon was rightfully deemed a keeper too. With a solid running back threesome, Ping turned his attention to his receivers, drafting rookie DeAndre Hopkins, rising T.Y. Hilton, old vet Anquan Boldin, and young'uns Chris Givens and Justin Blackmon to shore up the receiving group. Injury prone Ahmad Bradshaw was worth the six round pick, but he'll likely not have to be pressed into duty. Grabbing Matt Stafford to back up RG3 was also a nice move, as Stafford could be a top QB again, and we know how fragile Griffin might be. Solid!
Grade: B. Nothing fancy, just useful pieces and an eye toward the future.

7. Athena Nike
With Jae's Ante Up out the door, Frank is back in the league after more than a decade hiatus. Saddle up the pony, Athena Nike rides again! (They went 4-9 in 2000.) Last season's late season trade netted Ante Up too many keepers, so Frank had to choose between C.J. Spiller, Alfred Morris, Roddy White, David Wilson, Danny Amendola, and Cecil Shorts to keep along with franchise stalwarts Aaron Rodgers and Ray Rice. Ultimately he went with Spiller, Morris, and White. Due to time constraints, Athena Nike was unable to turn the other assets into draft picks. With running back more than set, Frank still couldn't resist taking Broncos rookie Montee Ball with his first draft pick. After that, it was all receivers, as Rodgers will need multiple targets to throw to. Shorts is back, Steve Smith is here, and either Vincent Brown, Robert Woods, or Emmanuel Sanders could emerge as starter worthy. Last rounder Bernard Pierce was a necessary Rice handcuff. Here's to Frank returning to Catch the Damn Ball! Why'd you leave us last time? Hunh?! $$
Grade: A-. Ball could start, and Shorts and Smith should be high level plug-ins.

8. Chunky Monkeys
With a fearsome keeper core of Jamaal Charles, Troy Richardson, Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, and Reggie Cobb, you'd think this team didn't need anyone to lead it. Evan had the choice of keeping Matthew Stafford or Colin Kaepernick and ultimately decided to dump both. Good move, QBs are way too deep. As it turned out, the Monkeys will ride into 2013 with Russell Wilson at the helm -- with Michael Vick in the wings if necessary. Kaepernick and Stafford went a few picks before Wilson, and we're wondering if Evan might regret passing on Tony Romo. With the rest of his draft, Evan went for potential. Rookie Giovanni Bernard in the first round, Shane Vereen in the second, perpetual breakout candidate Torrey Smith in the third, and intriguing Michael Floyd in the fifth. We love the selection of Ben Tate, stealing Buffy's handcuff for Arian Foster.
Grade: B+. Is it hard to draft when your team is super loaded? It can't be, right?

9. Buffy
After two Super Bowl appearances in a row, Roger kept the same core for two years running -- something only he and Fat Jubas did this off-season. Arian Foster, Matt Forte, A.J. Green, Victor Cruz, and Wes Welker will be around for another ride. Adding Danny Amendola and Reggie Wayne gives this team fantastic depth at the receiver position. We're actually a bit angry that Amendola dropped to Buffy. With this RD3 and RD4, Roger shocked the crowd by going Seahawks defense and Stephen Gostkowski before finding a quarterback. Some analysts were stunned but really, with a QB crop this deep, why bother getting one unless you already have a franchise level type on-board. We don't see a problem going DEF/K before QB this year. What we are curious about is why select Matt Schaub over say, Joe Flacco or Josh Freeman? Luckily, Roger got an awesome deal for Eli Manning in RD8 and we think he'll end up being the eventual starter. Danny Woodhead can play some third downs, but we had to Google TE Jordan Cameron to figure out who he was. Does he have an outside shot at being an Antonio Gates for Norv Turner in Cleveland? Maybe Roger know something. Also, drafting two defenses? Now you're just trolling us Buffy!
Grade: C. Zigged when everyone zagged. Genius or crazy?

10. Fat Jubas
As we said up above, the Jubas was one of two teams to carry over all their keepers from 2012. This doesn't mean they're the best team on paper though, even if they are the defending champions and have gone to the last two Super Bowls. They are good, to be sure. Cam Newton is a beast, Vincent Jackson returned to form, and Jimmy Graham is a great tight end -- but not more than a number two receiver. However, it's hard to put Chris Johnson or Darren McFadden as top tier running backs anymore, so the Jubas could be in for an interesting defense of their title, even as they try to find eventual replacements. Eric's grabbed Darren Sproles and Eric Decker with his first picks, and both could become starters right away. Decker, especially, will be a nice addition. Receiver Stevie Johnson was horrible last year but could have value if he can bounce back. We don't think much of Rashard Mendenhall's chances in Arizona, but he could be an okay option if needed. Andre Brown is a similar type of back, a short yardage pounder, and he'll likely ride the pine. Looks like this season's repeat chances are in Cam's hands!
Grade: B. Picking late and getting quality contributors such as Sproles and Decker. We like it.

Division Finals Previews

Fat Jubas (7-6) vs Philadelphia Phreaks (7-6)
The Phreaks dispatched the Battle Angels pretty easily in the first round. In fact, some pundits were hoping for a record level blowout, as consistently freshing the scoreboard showed that at one point, Ping's team had 100+ points to Vu's twelve or so. Now the Phreaks will face off against Fat Jubas, in a Stanford mini-bowl to determine who'll get to go to the final round.

Last week, the Phreaks had Robert Griffin III, Doug Martin, Mike Wallace, and Jeremy Maclin all eclipse the twenty points scored mark. Sitting on the bench was Marshawn Lynch and his 30.8 points too -- subbed out for Bryce Brown. Clearly this team is firing on all cylinders at just the right time. Aside from figuring out which two RBs to start, Coach Ping will keep a careful eye on RG3's status. It's likely he could miss this crucial matchup and if that's the case, there is currently no backup quarterback on the roster.

As for Fat Jubas, the reigning Spunky Misunderstood Geniuses champ, this could be the first step to a back-to-back Super Bowl showing. Having been in this exact position last year, the Jubas know that they'll need to put a great week together to fend off their challenger. Luckily, franchise QB Cam Newton has picked up his game at just the right time -- averaging 42.0 points over his last three games -- and he'll lead the way. The receiving corps for Jubas is a little suspect right now, as Jimmy Graham and Eric Decker have been erratic, while Vincent Jackson has a boom or bust pattern. The ground game featuring Chris Johnson and possibly a just returned Darren McFadden could also be dicey.

In fact, are we more excited about the underdog Phreaks than the Fat Jubas?! If RG3 can get onto the field, he will cancel out Cam's contributions, and the could lead to a historic win for Ping and his long suffering fan base. We're calling it right now: upsetsville, Phreaks to the Super Bowl!

Buffy (11-2) vs Chunky Monkeys (8-5)
In a huge game between our past two champions, there's more than the usual at stake in this divisional championships. The last time these venerable franchises faced off in this round was back in 2006, when the Monkeys annihilated Buffy 128-70 -- Roger took a 2004 matchup. However, times have changed, and Buffy has been the odds on favorite to repeat as champion since WK1.

Evan is looking to put up a stiff fight though, after throwing up a nasty 130.5 points and avoiding the incredible defensive effort put forth by Ante Up. With every player, save his kicker, putting up double digits last week, there's some concern that the Monkeys have peaked already. Then again, the team is on a six game winning streak and has been over 120+ points each time during that span. The Monkeys are more likely hot at just the right time. The Matthew Stafford to Calvin Johnson connection is back in a big way, and Trent Richardson and Jamaal Charles are doing just enough on the ground to keep the defenses honest. The game will likely be won depending on if Reggie Wayne, Julio Jones, and/or Pierre Garcon and Randall Cobb can get some big games in. Evan will have to decide which WRs to use outside of Megatron, as he's got a lot of dpeth at the position.

As for the defending champs, Buffy has stumbled a bit of late, if you can call going 2-2 after nine straight wins "stumbling." They still averaged over 100+ over those four weeks, so this matchup is guaranteed to be a high scoring affair. Arian Foster leads a run-and-shoot attack featuring AJ Green, Victor Cruz, Danario Alexander, and Wes Welker. Matt Forte could be subbed in for one of receivers but he's not necessarily better than any of them, as he's been very inconsistent this year. The key for Roger's team is if Joe Flacco or Andy Dalton can keep up with Stafford, even a little. Coach Roger has been going with Dalton for the stretch run, but now Flacco is doing slightly better. Having waited on a QB during the draft, could this finally be when not having a single franchise level signal caller hurts Roger? Sources indicate that the decision will be Dalton, so the groundwork is set for fireworks coming out of the Inscrutable Drama Kings Stadium. Our prediction? A win for Chunky Monkeys, as Evan gives 110% to prevent a repeat championship by Buffy. For pride!