Week 6 #PowerRankings - NC State Fair New Food Comp!

Week 6 #PowerRankings - NC State Fair New Food Comp!

With the NC State Fair starting up this week, I thought I’d do another NC State Fair food comp. But since I took all the good foods a few years ago, I figured I’d do a New Food Comp. Evidently, this year there are 73 new foods featured at the fair (https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/ncstatefair/2024/attractions/newin24). Although I have not tried any of these new foods, I have chosen one per team to use as a comp, using my imagination to guess how the new food would taste. For you FFNUTHANGers going to the State Fair this year, you can try some of the new foods and share your thoughts.

1. MyRavensStackIsntWorkingOut (Eric) (4-2) [1]

Eric finally gets a big game out of Bijan Robinson, whose schedule looks pretty cush for the next 4 weeks. If Bijan continues to produce, and if Mark Andrews continues his scoring streak, Eric’s team will be even more potent, it will be in prime position to continue winning, and it will eventually take the #1 spot in the league standings, which it deserves.

NC State New Food Comp: Cowboy Bites

Out of all the new foods I looked at, this would be the one I’d want to try the most. Smoked white cheddar cheese mixed with brisket, rolled in panko and deep fried? Yes, please - give me all of them.

2. Breece Mode (Haji) (2-4) [2]

After a few down weeks, Haji’s team pulled together an impressive Week 6, with Breece Hall and Deebo putting up big numbers and Josh Allen, Chuba, and MPJ adding some solid contributions. Chuba looks really good in spite of Carolina’s woes, and it sounds like Jonathan Brooks won’t return as soon as I hoped, so I would expect Chuba to continue putting up high-end RB2 numbers. It’s TBD how Amari Cooper will look on a new team, but he’s generally been a boom-or-bust player, so I’m not sure if he’ll be any more reliable on the Bills. Haji’s TE situation is still not great, but I think that’s irrelevant given how strong the rest of his team is.

NC State New Food Comp: Barbecue Bacon Queso Sandwich

This sandwich looks solid. Take something good - BBQ sandwich - and add bacon and queso? Yes, please. You might get polarizing opinions from the new school vs. the BBQ purists, but let the controversy begin! Haji’s team has looked good on paper pretty much all season. The controversy has come with the lack of wins and poor performances in Week 4 and 5. But in spite of being 9th in league standings, his team is still 3rd in Points For. Regression to the mean is bound to happen, and regression to converting BBQ purists to adding bacon and queso to their sandwiches is bound to happen. Maybe.

3. 第六 (Abraham) (3-3) [3]

Abraham’s team looked good in Week 6, thanks to 30 points from Chris Godwin. That’s not sustainable, but Abraham will take it along with the win. Jordan Love’s 33 points should be more sustainable, especially in the next 2 weeks against easy defenses. Olave might be out for a bit, but it’s not like he was doing much for Abraham the past few weeks. Bigsby should be a good play this week and with Kyren returning from bye, Abraham should put up another strong Week 7 showing. 

NC State New Food Comp: Deep Fried Ribs

Sometimes, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel or do something crazy fancy to make something good. Just deep fry some ribs and add some sauce and you’re golden. Abraham’s team has had its ups and downs, but overall it has just been solid. With some unfancy but productive pieces on his team, he’s earned 2nd in Points For this season, and is poised to compete for the #1 spot down the road.

4. Run It Back! (Gabs) (4-2) [4]

Gabs’s team had a respectable showing in Week 6 but ended up with the loss. The Davante Adams trade should help give Brock Bowers more targets, but will likely eat into Garrett Wilson’s targets. Gabs has bought into the Adams hype though, picking up Aaron Rodgers in hopes of re-living the old days (hit me up Gabs - I can make the Rodgers-Adams stack happen for you again). Gabs actually has a really strong team with lots of depth, but just hasn’t put together a boom type of week yet. And that might just be the formula that works for him.

NC State New Food Comp: Sweet Cheese Pie

Sometimes, you just have to keep it simple. The sweet cheese pie looks like something you could get at a normal restaurant that would taste good. Gabs doesn’t really have super exciting players, but he’s gotten the job done with an above-average scoring and a 4-2 record. His team is 1st in Standard Deviation Rankings, meaning it’s been the least boom-bust, and it has just been solid all around. Nothing flashy here, but still tasty.

5. Kraft Mac Salad (Andrew) (3-3) [10]

Andrew has put together 3 straight weeks of respectable points, stringing together a 3-game winning streak, earning Week 6 #HighScore and a big bump up in the rankings. Derrick Henry has been absolutely ridiculous, and with the return of AJ Brown and the development of chemistry between McLaurin and Daniels, Andrew has started to find a nice groove. Even with Justin Fields potentially being benched, CJ Stroud looks like he can take the helm at QB. There are still some holes that need to be patched, particularly at RB2 and TE (although now it’s hard not to start Kraft now), but Derrick Henry is beastly enough to continue carrying Andrew’s team.

NC State New Food Comp: Candied Oatmeal Pies

Yes, this looks weird, but I can see it working. Why? You’ve got your tried and true Little Debbie’s Oatmeal Pies driving the whole thing, all you have to do is add a layer of sweet crunchiness on the outside, and you’ve got yourself a new fair food. Andrew’s team is powered by tried and true Derrick Henry. The added sweetness added from AJ Brown, DJ Moore, Terry McLaurin, Justin Fields, and company (whenever they are actually playing well) is just icing on the cake (or cookie), so to speak. But the whole thing is driven by Derrick Henry. Without him, things may start to fall apart.

6. I am not sacko! (Jeff Chen) (3-3) [6]

Jeff Chen’s team posted respectable numbers in spite of his Week 6 loss. David Montgomery got paid, and his role in this offense looks to be pretty secure. JK Dobbins continues to roll, and George Kittle has emerged as the best TE in FF so far this season. Jeff’s wait on Drake Maye might end up working out, since he’s playing a bottom-of-the-barrel Jacksonville team this Sunday. So, Jeff’s team is looking better than it did 6 weeks ago, but I still consider it middle-of-the-pack given his inconsistent WR production.

NC State New Food Comp: Glazed Donut Coffee Float

This looks like diabetes in a cup. Donut-infused ice coffee over vanilla ice cream, topped with a donut hole and more ice cream? To be honest, just looking at the picture makes my head hurt on a sugar high. But I bet if I tried this, I would enjoy it. At least until I started jumping off the non-existing State Fair walls. Jeff’s team did not look good (in my estimation) to start the season - it made my head hurt. But I’ve given it a chance, and I’ve learned to like it. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if after the initial sugar and caffeine high to start this season, Jeff’s team comes crashing down, because, well, science.

7. Unicorn QueenZ (Tim) (5-1) [7] 

I lucked out again with a win this week against Jeff Lin’s struggling team, but I’ll take the W to add to my 5-game win streak and enjoy this #1 spot in the standings while I can! I’m hoping this Davante Adams trade will breathe new life into him (it’s already miraculously healed his hamstring) and help him produce at WR2 levels. But my RB situation is still pretty tenuous.

NC State New Food Comp: Big Bacon Wrapped In Cheese On A Stick

It sounds simple, and it is simple, but it works. It might be lacking in quantity, since it’s just cheese and one slice of bacon on a stick, but I’m sure it’ll be a crowd-pleaser because who doesn’t like cheese and bacon? My team hasn’t been putting up the points to justify #1 in league standings, but it has gotten the job done and has made it to the top. It might not be exotic, and I might not be a lot to look at, but sometimes fried bacon and cheese is all you need.

8. Love thy Naber (Jeff Lin) (3-3) [5]

I feel like Jeff Lin’s team needs to be ranked lower - he’s scored fewer points than everyone except Aaron in the past 2 weeks, and has fallen hard with this 3-game losing streak. However, his strong first 3 weeks have offset the terrible last 3 weeks, and I think brighter days are ahead for Jeff after he weathers this storm. Tank Dell should continue to produce with Nico Collins out for a while, Malik Nabers should return to form, Cooper Kupp should be back, TJ Hockenson will eventually return, and Aaron Jones looks good when healthy. Jeff has just been hit with bouts of bad luck the past 3 weeks, and hopefully things will start to turn around for him.

NC State New Food Comp: Mema Mia

This is too much going on in one bun. It all sounds pretty good - deep fried spaghetti with meat sauce, cheese, and slaw on a garlic parmesan bun. But it’s too much. You try to take a bite of this on the bun, and everything will fall out of the bun. You might as well dump the spaghetti, sauce, etc. into a bowl and eat it separate from the bun. Jeff’s team has been like that this season - looked good to start, but it was too much goodness in one bun, so halfway in, everything has just fallen apart.

9. Terrific Tortoises (David) (2-4) [8]

David just can’t catch a break - with Jordan Mason injured and possibly missing time, he was forced into an Isaac Guerendo waiver pickup. The good news is Nick Chubb should be returning soon, and Cleveland will likely rely on him (assuming he stays healthy). Tony Pollard has looked like a solid RB2. We’ll see if Josh Downs can return (hopefully with Joe Flacco instead of Richardson), but Wan’Dale Robinson has been surprisingly consistent as a low-end WR2. David is 10th in Points For, but I’m somewhat optimistic with the return of Nick Chubb, so I’ll keep him at 9th in the Power Rankings for now.

NC State New Food Comp: Turducken Burger

This thing looks solid - turkey, duck, and chicken on a bun with a bunch of toppings. It sounds decent, looks decent, and will definitely be filling. But then the more I think about it, the more I feel like it’s mostly for show and not actually for substance. Turkey burgers and grilled chicken sandwiches are generally dry. I’ve never had a duck burger, so maybe that helps add some fattiness. But I would still expect this sandwich to be disappointing. David’s team looked pretty decent on paper to start the season. But then without CMC to start the season and now with Rashee Rice gone, his team has been disappointing and has seemed more show-over-substance. Hopefully that’ll turn around, if he can somehow change that Turducken Burger into an actual burger.

10. Maybabyboo (Laura) (2-4) [11]

Laura puts together another impressive scoring week on the backs of Joe Mixon and D’Andre Swift. She would have done even better with Purdy’s bench points, but Geno has been more consistent so I can understand why she started him over Purdy. With James Cook possibly set to return and Kelce coming back from the bye, I like Laura’s chances of continuing this momentum into Week 7 against a struggling Jeff Lin, even with Swift on bye.

NC State New Food Comp: Red Velvet Glazed Funnel Cake Chicken Sandwich

Red velvet cake funnel cake as buns and fried chicken in the middle with sweet syrup and hot sauce. This perfectly describes Laura’s team because I can’t tell what her team is. In Week 1, her team scored 3rd in points, followed by 11th in Week 2, 11th in Week 3, and then 12th in Week 4. Then it explodes with 2nd in points in Week 5 and this past week put up a respectable 4th in points with her 2nd win. Is it good or is it bad? I can’t tell - each week will probably be different, and she might have to be ok with that. Is this Red Velvet Glazed Funnel Cake Chicken Sandwich sweet or savory? I can’t tell - each bite will probably be different, and maybe you just have to be ok with that.

11. Spider Pig (Luke) (3-3) [9]

It continues to be tough sledding for Luke, as he drops his 3rd straight loss and slides to 9th in Points For. It’s promising to see Caleb Williams improving, and if DeVonta Smith can stay healthy, he’ll be a big contributor. I’m not sure if the big FAAB spend on Ray Davis will move the needle much for Luke, though. It feels like the hot start to Luke’s season was just a mirage, and reality is now sinking in.

NC State New Food Comp: Chamoy Pickles

Flavored pickles wrapped in fruit roll ups and stuffed with candy, sprinkles, and takis chips dipped in chamoy sauce and tajin seasons. Sometimes, you read about something and then you look at something, and you think: “That looks nasty.” And it probably is nasty. But then someone tries to convince you to try it. Against all logic. So you try it. Maybe the first bite is tolerable - you get mostly fruit roll up and candy. And maybe you’re adventurous enough to try a 2nd bite. Then you immediately regret it. Luke’s team has been that this season - looked nasty, is nasty, but somehow he tried to convince us to give him a shot. Beginning of the season looked ok. Good, even. But now? No thanks.

12. choubacca (Aaron) (2-4) [12]

Aaron’s team is in bad shape. I don’t know what’s going on in Dallas, but it’s not looking good. CeeDee has had some passable weeks, but he hasn’t been the league-winning WR Aaron was expecting. Aaron will have to continue waiting on Tua’s return before Tyreek can return to relevance. His RB situation is looking worse by the week (although Alexander Mattison at least has secured the starting job in Las Vegas). Things have gone south for Aaron and he hasn’t been able to adapt quickly enough to right the ship. Now he’s 12th in the league standings, and has the lowest Points For by 50+ points. Eek.

NC State New Food Comp: Dill Delight Funnel Cake

What in the world is this nonsense? Who thought it would be a good idea to take a classic fair food like funnel cake with powdered sugar and add ranch dressing and dill pickles?? Get this nonsense out of the fair - it doesn’t belong. They decided to take a good thing (funnel cake) and destroy it with pickles. Aaron has taken a good thing (his team with Tyreek Hill, CeeDee Lamb, Sam LaPorta) and destroy it with his managing (lack of) skillz. Ok, that’s being a bit harsh - sorry, Aaron. But for real his team looks like funnel cake with pickles: disgusting.

Week 5 #PowerRankings - Hawaiian Food Comp Edition!

Aloha from Hawaii! This week’s #PowerRankings came late and will be short and sweet, but with inspiration from being in our country’s 50th state, I’ve decided to do a Hawaiian Food Comp because the food here is delicious.

1. MyRavensStackIsntWorkingOut (Eric) (3-2) [1]

Welcome back, Mark Andrews!.. as the 3rd most productive TE on your own team. 41 points from Lamar Jackson is nice though, #1 QB in FF right now. Maybe Eric won't need a Ravens stack, he just needs Lamar.

Hawaiian Food Comp: Kalua Pork

This classic Hawaiian dish is probably what most people think of first when they think of Hawaiian food - it’s the main event at a luau and usually a hit with any non-vegetarian.

2. Breece Mode (Haji) (1-4) [3]

After a strong start to the season, Haji’s last 2 weeks have been looking suspect. In spite of Chuba being a solid piece, the rest of Haji’s team hasn’t been able to put it together. However, no team has really made a strong case to be up here based on consistent performance the last 2 weeks (except maybe Jeff Chen or Andrew’s team..), so Haji’s team kind of ends up here by default.

Hawaiian Food Comp: Spam Musubi

Spam Musubi is delicious. It’s hard to mess up rice, Spam, and seaweed. It’s a superior grab-and-go food that meets all of your basic dietary needs. So what’s wrong with it? Why can’t you just eat Spam Musubi for every meal? Haji’s team has been a similar conundrum - it’s got all the ingredients needed for a good team. Then why does it have a (1-4) record and is sitting at 11th in the standings? Has the Spam gone bad? Is that even possible? Is too much of a good thing turning into a bad thing? Who knows.

3. 第六 (Abraham) (2-3) [4]

It seems like Abraham’s been one step ahead of the rest of us in terms of picking up next week’s waiver RBs - a few weeks back picking up Braelon Allen and more recently picking up Roschon Johnson. He had the patience to keep Tank Bigsby, too. His team didn’t look so great to start the season, but in spite of the Week 5 loss, it’s been on a roll as of late.

Hawaiian Food Comp: Loco Moco

Loco Moco is basically rice, a hamburger patty, gravy, and a fried egg. At first sight, it doesn't look super appetizing. But then you take a bite and you understand why people like it. As Joey Tribbiani would say, “Rice? Good. Hamburger? Good. Gravy? Good. Egg? Good.” Abraham's process has been sound, all of his ingredients are solid, and although the team didn't start the season looking sexy, it has hit the spot and gotten the job done.

4. Run It Back! (Gabs) (4-1) [6]

Gabs’s team has been solid in spite of some QB woes. He’s made some good calls on unproven players, including Tyrone Tracy this week, and it’s gotten him to 2nd in league standings. His Points For is middle of the pack, but his team looks decent with the core of Kenneth Walker, Brock Bowers, and Brian Thomas (who he has yet to start) - which sounds weird when you repeat it out loud.

Hawaiian Food Comp: Malasadas

Malasadas are basically jelly-filled donuts that at first appearance seem like imitation donuts - what’s the big deal, there are plenty of jelly-filled donuts on the mainland. Well, malasadas are different. The texture of the dough is superior, the flavors of the jelly are superior, and it’s just overall a delicious experience. Gabs’s team has not appeared all that impressive at first glance, but sitting at (4-1) and #2 in the standings means he has a superior team, at least at the moment.

5. Love thy Naber (Jeff Lin) (3-2) [2]

Jeff Lin’s team is in a free fall. Injuries came all at once for his team, and the future is looking a little tenuous for Jeff, at least in the short-term.

Hawaiian Food Comp: Shaved Ice

Jeff Lin’s team started the season off so well, like the top of a shaved ice - covered in condensed milk, toppings, and syrup - so delicious. But by the time you get to the bottom of the shaved ice, it has melted into watery syrup. Jeff's team has melted into watery syrup.

6. I am not sacko! (Jeff Chen) (3-2) [8]

I’m not sure how he’s doing it, but he’s doing it. Jeff Chen continues to dominate his foes, this time slaying Luke with 43 points from Joe Burrow. Nico’s health will have an affect on Jeff’s short-term outlook, but Jeff has proven his team deserves respect.

Hawaiian Food Comp: Poi

I know there’s a whole island of people that like this stuff, but I just don’t get it. It’s just mashed up taro, right? It doesn’t look all that appetizing, doesn’t taste all that appetizing, but I guess it has some nutritional value. It’s like Jeff’s team - it doesn’t look all that good, but there’s been some value in it. I still don’t get it, though.

7. Unicorn QueenZ (Tim) (4-1) [10] 

Although my team is #1 in the league standings, I’m still not convinced it deserves to be much higher in the rankings. I do like the trajectory that JaMarr Chase and Jayden Daniels have been taking, and Brian Robinson has been more than a pleasant surprise. I’ll keep riding Kareem Hunt until the wheels fall off, too. I don’t know how sustainable all of this will be, but I’m going to enjoy this moment while it’s here.

Hawaiian Food Comp: Saimin

Saimin is basically an inferior cousin to ramen. Don’t get me wrong, Saimin is still good. But if you ask me which I’d prefer, it’s ramen 10/10 times. Ramen tends to have a more flavorful broth and more interesting toppings. My team feels like an imitator, not a true contender. It’s still good and gets the job done, but I think there’s better out there.

8. Terrific Tortoises (David) (2-3) [7]

David miraculously survived his bye-pocalypse / bye-mageddon with some deft waiver moves and much help from Joe Flacco. How his team will fare moving forward is still unknown, but I have confidence in David to continue to figure things out.

Hawaiian Food Comp: Chicken Long Rice

I’m not an expert, but Chicken Long Rice feels very basic. I get that it’s comfort food, but it’s just bean noodles with chicken and some garnishes. It feels like you just took some leftovers or whatever was in the fridge and put together something just to say you had a meal. It has felt like David has scoured his fridge to try and put something resembling a team together due to so many unforeseen circumstances. The result has been very basic and underwhelming, but it still counts as a team.

9. Spider Pig (Luke) (3-2) [5]

Luke’s team got embarrassed by none other than Jeff Chen’s team in Week 5. I think brighter days are ahead with Saquon back in action, but this one will sting for a while now that Jeff has bragging rights over Luke.

Hawaiian Food Comp: Poke Bowl

Supposedly the cuts of fish they use for poke bowls are generally the end cuts or the parts that are less desirable compared to the prime sashimi cuts. Luke has taken the inferior cuts of fish (provided by Yahoo autodraft) and have somehow mixed them together with some shoyu and delicious toppings to make a (3-2) bowl of poke. 

10. Go DJ that’s my CJ (and AJ) (Andrew) (2-3) [11]

Andrew’s team still doesn’t look pretty, but it got the job done in Week 5. The Tucker Kraft pickup and start was nice, as was the Trey Sermon pickup (even though Rhamondre and Rico did pretty well on the bench). Hopefully DJ Moore can continue to produce, in which case I could see Andrew’s team continue to ascend.

Hawaiian Food Comp: Mac Salad

Mac Salad is solid. But it’s not a main dish, it’s a side. Andrew’s team has not felt main-dish worthy for much of the season. Even though his last 2 weeks have been a big improvement, I think it still has a bit to go before it proves it belongs in the main dish category. For now, it’ll still be a solid side dish.

11. Maybabyboo (Laura) (1-4) [12]

I do feel 1% bad for beating Laura, especially since she got the 2nd highest score in Week 5. But as she alluded to, at least she now knows her team can score this many points, and hopefully this will be a foreshadowing of things to come. I do think Travis Kelce, James Cook, Darnell Mooney, and Christian Kirk should continue to provide stability that Laura can build off of.

Hawaiian Food Comp: Lau Lau

Lau Lau is basically meat (pork and / or fish) wrapped in taro leaves and steamed. First off, it doesn’t look that great - it’s just a big steamed green wrapped piece of something. Secondly, I’ve found it can be hit or miss - I’ve had some good and I’ve had some bad. The good can be moist and flavorful, the bad can somehow be dry and bland. Laura’s team hasn’t looked the best on paper, and has also been a mixed bag of good and bad, depending on the week.

12. choubacca (Aaron) (2-3) [9]

Aaron’s team continues to unravel as his star players aren’t so star anymore. He had what looked to be such a strong team to start the season, but after 5 weeks, he finds himself competing for the lowest in Points For.

Hawaiian Food Comp: Halo Halo

If you’ve never had it before, Halo Halo is a Filipino dessert made of crushed ice, evaporated milk, and various fruits, beans, and toppings. It’s actually very colorful and appealing to the eyes, but I’m not a fan. The random textures and flavors all mixed together doesn’t work, in my opinion. Aaron’s team looked very appealing to start the season, but as the season has progressed, it’s turned out to be pretty disappointing.

Week 4 #PowerRankings - 🧢 Edition

Sometimes you just have to admit when you’re wrong, and that’s what I’m doing this week with the #PowerRankings 🧢 Edition. Isn't that what kids these days call it? Cap no cap. Anyways, I went back on the previous #PowerRankings to see when I made bad predictions or gave bad advice, and decided to lay it out this week. 

1. MyRavensStackIsntWorkingOut (Eric) (2-2) [2]

Eric’s team lost, but his team scored the most points of the top-tier teams in our league, so it gets a slight bump up in the rankings. Mark Andrews is a problem, though. I would have expected Eric to go harder for a TE in waivers, or maybe trade for one, but he may be rolling the dice another week, waiting for the Andrews breakout. Alternatively, it could be triple zeroes. The production Eric has been getting from Kamara, Lamar, Diggs, and co. have been enough to keep his team scary, though.

🧢: “He should be set at QB with Lamar Jackson, and I do like the Lamar-Mark Andrews stack to boot. But his WRs are turrible. Stefon Diggs would have been a great WR1 a year ago. Now I’m not even sure I’d want him as a WR2 or Flex. George Pickens is in what looks to be an awful Pittsburgh offense, and Ladd / Jameson / Adonai are all unproven.”

I was wrong about Mark Andrews, but I was also very wrong about Eric’s WRs - Stefon Diggs and George Pickens have done well for him so far, hence the #1 ranking.

2. Love thy Naber (Jeff Lin) (3-1) [1]

Jeff Lin had a dud week with zero from Pitts and sub-par production from his QB and RBs. It looks like he may have to keep rolling with Pitts for now, but I expect his other options to do better. Starting Andy Dalton at QB is bold, but probably wiser than starting Caleb Williams.

🧢: “Having 2 rookie WRs as potential starters - in Harrison and Nabers - could be dangerous (lots of boom-bust potential)”

I wasn’t super sold on either Harrison or Nabers, but they’ve both been anchoring Jeff’s team so far this season (minus Harrison’s slow Week 1). They’ve been pretty consistent, too - especially Nabers - his target numbers are ridiculous.

3. Breece Mode (Haji) (1-3) [3]

This week felt like a fluke week for Haji’s team. Breece Hall, Josh Allen, and even Devin Singletary should bounce back, so I fully expect Haji’s team to recover from this down week. Justin Jefferson is still awesome, and Chuba will continue to produce for at least 3-4 more weeks, if not for longer.

🧢: “he struggled to draft a reliable RB2 or TE. While Singletary and Hubbard are current starters on their respective teams, those teams aren’t very good.. so getting reliable production from them is questionable.”

I was dead wrong on Singletary and Hubbard - well, maybe half wrong about Hubbard. Both have provided solid RB2 / Flex production for Haji, and have turned out to be one of his stronger suits.

4. 第六 (Abraham) (2-2) [8]

Congrats again to the Week 4 #HighScore - it feels like Abraham’s team is starting to click on all cylinders with Kyren and Gibbs being super reliable RB options, Kincaid being as good of a TE as you’ll get right now, and his WRs continuing to produce. With Jordan Love back in the fold, I think Abraham’s stock is trending way upwards.

🧢: “But Jordan Love is a head-scratcher for me. At $5, I feel like Abraham could have gotten him in the draft if he really wanted him. But maybe Abraham sees something I don’t?”

Love was injured in Week 1 and out a couple of weeks, but he looks legit - keeping him for $5 should prove to be a good deal for Abraham.

5. Spider Pig (Luke) (3-1) [4]

Luke’s team got hit with some injuries to Devonta Smith and Ekeler, forcing him to start Iosivas. But I don’t think Mahomes is the QB Luke needs to be starting moving forward. Could we really be looking at a Darnold-Addison? 

🧢: “Luke got screwed by Yahoo Autodraft.”

I still have no idea how Austin Ekeler is still a thing, but DeVonta Smith, Jordan Addison, and Zach Charbonnet have all contributed to Luke’s success so far. Maybe Autodraft isn’t so bad after all..

6. Run It Back! (Gabs) (3-1) [6]

Gabs pulls out the win with an impressive performance by Kenneth Walker. Diontae Johnson has been getting a bunch of targets with Dalton at QB, and Brian Thomas Jr probably shouldn’t be hanging out on Gabs’s bench anymore. The potential Jonathan Taylor injury is cause for concern, but that Bucky Irving stash provides some insurance. The jury still seems to be out on Aaron Rodgers and Garrett Wilson, though.

🧢: “The biggest weakness is at TE, where an unproven rookie Brock Bowers may end up being Gabs’s Achilles Heel.”

I was wrong about Brock Bowers - even though his production has slowed down recently, he looks to be as good of a TE in fantasy as any right now.

7. Terrific Tortoises (David) (1-3) [5]

I genuinely feel bad for David. I guess Rashee Rice hasn’t officially been ruled out for the season, but to have David (wisely) designate Rice as a keeper and to see the potential Rice had for becoming one of the best WRs in fantasy this year makes it all the more devastating. Losing Rashee Rice puts a damper on David’s future outlook, but if he can somehow survive this week’s bye-pocalypse, I think his team will still be ok. To try and keep it positive, his team’s Points For remains middle of the pack, so his (1-3) record doesn’t reflect how many points his team has been putting up.

🧢: “I can also see Rashee Rice paying dividends at his keeper value, but I may have leaned towards trying to keep Ja’Marr Chase, even at an elevated value, to secure that monster RB1+WR1 combo.”

I was skeptical about Rice, but he has returned much better value than Chase so far this season. Rest of season is TBD.

8. I am not sacko! (Jeff Chen) (2-2) [11]

It’s hard to keep Jeff Chen’s team near the bottom of the rankings after it scored the 2nd most points this week. And he did it off the back of Nico Collins. I’ll admit that his team is stepping up and looks better than it did pre-season. 

🧢: “I mean, I guess Nico Collins is a good value at $18 but he’s not a shoo-in to be a bonafide WR2, either. But again, no one on Jeff’s team is really a shoo-in to be a bonafide AnyPosition2.”

I was wrong about a lot of things regarding Jeff’s team, including Nico. I didn’t expect David Montgomery to do so well, and was bearish on JK Dobbins as well.

9. choubacca (Aaron) (2-2) [7]

I’m surprised Aaron was able to pull out a win with Tyreek Hill on the bench, but CeeDee Lamb stepped up alongside James Conner and Zach Moss. Tyreek Hill’s status will be TBD depending on who is playing QB in Miami, but if Aaron can continue to get production from Jauan Jennings, he may be able to hold on until (if) Tua returns. But as it stands right now, Aaron’s outlook doesn’t look great.

🧢: “Overall, Aaron should have a pretty solid start to the season.”

I had Aaron’s team ranked #1 at the beginning of the season, but for various reasons (Tyreek, Rachaad White, LaPorta-Potty), it has been underperforming.

10. Unicorn QueenZ (Tim) (3-1) [9] 

I lucked out this week with Luke’s team putting up a dud week. I think I have to get over Kyler and just put Jayden Daniels in there no matter what from here on out. Having McBride and Davante out didn’t help, but honestly I think my team might hit an upswing with the rise of Daniels, Jayden Reed, and Xavier Worthy. Still not sold, though, so I’ll keep my team lower in the rankings - it more accurately reflects my low Points For versus my (3-1) record.

🧢: “I had some #regretz drafting Davante Adams again - as Jeff alluded to, you’d think I’d learn from last year. But the difference is he was my WR1 last year. Having paid WR2 price for him, I think I can live with his volatility.”

Davante Adams was a bad decision.. Unless maybe he gets traded?

11. Go DJ that’s my CJ (and AJ) (Andrew) (1-3) [12]

I didn’t think Derrick Henry still had it in him. With his monster performance and a solid showing from CJ Stroud, Andrew’s team was able to climb out of Sacko position for now. The problem is sustainability - without AJ Brown, it’s hard to see where Andrew gets consistent weekly production outside of Derrick Henry.

🧢: “Andrew’s WRs are his strong suit, with AJ and DJ anchoring that corps. McLaurin will be a really good Flex play, and that’ll give Andrew some time to evaluate JSN, Doubs, and Shaheed.”

Andrew’s WRs haven’t been terrible given the circumstances, but definitely aren’t his strong suit anymore, with AJ Brown injured and DJ Moore and Terry McLaurin underperforming.

12. Maybabyboo (Laura) (1-3) [10]

Laura’s team had a rough week. Perhaps it was better that Andrew’s team ended up doing so well, because all those bench points probably wouldn’t have led to a win anyways. The season is far from over for Laura, especially with Kelce likely being the biggest benefactor from Rashee Rice’s absence. Her bench points should also provide some hope that at least her team has the potential to put up points on any given week. Joe Mixon’s return should also help.

🧢: “Cut: D’Andre Swift - I know he’s a starting RB in the league, and with RB depth being so shallow, it’s hard to cut someone like that. But he just feels like a wasted roster spot. The fact that Laura is willing to start Cam Akers over him should say something.”

Let’s just say I’m glad Laura didn’t end up cutting Swift.