Power Rankings - Week 6 (Midseason Special Retrospective)
Oct 20, 2020 14:57:42 GMT -5
Falcons GM (Andy), Titans GM (Ricky), and 2 more like this
Post by Panthers GM (Jesse) on Oct 20, 2020 14:57:42 GMT -5
At the regular season midway point in Legacy I thought it would be fun to look back at how standings have changed since it the end of week 1 and take a step back to see how some of the division/wildcard races were taking shape. The NFC in particular looks brutal, and some very good teams seem likely to miss the dance. The AFC also has a competitive wildcard race, but the real race there is to see if anybody can catch up to the Dolphins and Raiders. At the top (bottom) of the list, the race for 1st overall rages on with three teams yet to eat a W.
Biggest ranking gain since week 1: 4 Way Tie (BAL, GB, NE, WAS) (+6)
Biggest ranking loss since week 1: Chicago Bears (-11)
32. (-1) Indianapolis Colts (0-6) (Week 1 Rank: #30)
Currently leading the pack for the #1 pick, the Colts are vacant on offense. Including the QB positions, the Colts best offensive dynasty pieces might just be Eno Benjamin and Josh Oliver, who have combined for zero points this year.
31. (-1) Cincinnati Bengals (0-6) (Week 1 Rank: 25th)
There’s probably no bottom 5 team better positioned to burst up these rankings next year than the Bengals. With 3 1st round picks and a roster jammed full of young guys on long contracts, the Bengals need some more of these guys to break through as viable pieces. Inject a roster full of young emerging talent with some early round picks and you have the makings of a team with potential down the line.
30. (-1) Minnesota Vikings (0-6) (Week 1 Rank: 22nd)
Perhaps a surprising 0-6, the Vikings actually have quite a few players who get stats (especially on the defense). This is another team loaded with draft picks, but only one 2021 1st round pick on the books currently. If the Vikings can put in a B+ draft next off season they’ll be competitive in their division, especially if Darnold gets a real coach.
29. (+3) Cleveland Browns (1-5) (Week 1 Rank: 31st)
Another draft pick empire (3 1sts, 3 2nds), the Browns have a handful of defensive pieces to play with next year. As it stands they’re one of the teams still in competition for 1st overall, but with the unfortunate win this week they’re probably looking at a top 5 instead.
28. (-2) San Francisco 49ers (1-5) (Week 1 Rank: 23rd)
2020 is what it is for the 49ers, who cares though. The 49ers are going to have a truckload of cash and a handful of superstars to build on this offseason. During the drafting of these rankings, Tua Tagovailoa was named the Dolphins week 8 starter. D’Andre Swift also broke out this week. Raise your hand if you’d be happy to build around Tua, Barkley, Swift and Claypool?
27. (+3) Houston Texans (2-4) (Week 1 Rank: 32nd)
One downside to the Texans is they have very little in the bank for the 2021 draft. They still have plenty of young stars to work with, but some very savvy moves will need to be made for the Texans to compete next year. That said, Laura is a skilled veteran GM and those moves can be made if she wants to compete.
26. (+3) Arizona Cardinals (2-4) (Week 1 Rank: 28th)
The Cardinals need to make some serious moves around Patrick Mahomes. He’s under contract until 2024 and they need some more pieces if they want him to lead them in this rough division. They’re a good offseason away from being tough.
25. (-1) Buffalo Bills (2-4) (Week 1 Rank: 29th)
Still too talented to be ranked this low, the Bills haven’t been able to float anywhere near the top of their potential despite the Josh Allen, James Robinson, Miles Sanders, Keenan Allen, Patrick Queen led chariot. That chariot also starts Trevon Wesco at TE. Let’s see what Junior can do to end the season.
24. (-1) Chicago Bears (3-3) (Week 1 Rank: 13th)
The Bears are building for the 2022 offseason, evident by the firesale of current assets for the better part of a month. They have 4 1st and 4 2nd round picks in 2022. They could look pretty bad the rest of this year and in 2021, then I suppose the reinforcements arrive. At best, they’re 2 years away from being this years 49ers.
23. (-2) San Diego Chargers (2-4) (Week 1 Rank: 20th)
Time to toss the towel in on 2022 for the Chargers. Week 1 saw a promising roster ready to make some moves in a positive direction, but with Ryan Fitzpatrick being benched and Dalvin Cook currently injured, the Chargers are cooked. It’s a perfectly fine roster and a good GM capable of resetting the roster a bit this offseason. For now, the better the 2021 pick the better.
22. (+5) Kansas City Chiefs (3-3) (Week 1 Rank: 27th)
The Chiefs scored over 200 points this week. That’s the kind of thing you celebrate as a GM who’s rebuilding, especially one with no QB. The Chiefs have FIVE 2021 1st round picks. Five. As long as they find a QB and a RB with those picks, they’re going to be lethal soon.
21. (-3) Denver Broncos (3-3) (Week 1 Rank: 24th)
The Broncos season has been one where they’ve beat bad teams and took hard losses to playoff tier teams aside from their statement win over Tennessee. The Broncos arrow is pointing up, but the hard loss to Las Vegas this week likely sealed 2020’s fate unless they can grind out some tough wins to push for a wildcard. Better days are ahead.
20. (-3) Dallas Cowboys (2-4) (Week 1 Rank: 14th)
The fantasy football gods can be cruel. A solid Cowboys team has dropped to 2-4 with a deep hole separating them from paths to a playoff spot. With injuries piling up, the Cowboys failed to top 100 points this week against the division leading Football Team.
19. (-6) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-4) (Week 1 Rank: 16th)
The Jaguars have been a roller coaster to follow this season so far. They seem to play to their opponents’ level every week (Week 4: 3 point loss to Houston, Week 5: 1 point loss to Las Vegas). And the Titans are beginning to run away with the AFC South. They have a core, and they clearly have what it takes to put up nice stats, but some more depth building will be necessary for the Jaguars to take the next step.
18. (-2) Baltimore Ravens (2-4) (Week 1 Rank: 26th)
It’s so satisfying to see a GM like Nate make moves to try to improve mid-season. A tough, close loss to Steelers officially puts them 2 games behind them for the division, but there’s enough talent to make a 2nd half run for the Ravens. Recently added Nyheim Hines and (hopefully) emerging Lamical Perine could team up with Crowder, Jones, Ruggs and Deebo for a pretty darn good offense behind Rodgers. This is a way better team than 2-4 would indicate.
17. (-1) New Orleans Saints (3-3) (Week 1 Rank: 16th)
Sure they’re a lot of fun for me to closet root for this year, but the Saints are a team nobody is excited to play. This is a squad extremely capable of jumping up and punching you in the nose with quality starters everywhere and a lot of room to grow with guys like KJ Hamler, MVS, Mike Williams and Alexander Mattison all probably more talented than their statlines typically indicate. It’s still going to be a very tough sell to make the playoffs in a brutal NFC, but they just might do it if a few of these teams begin to slip. The Saints are currently a game over Tampa Bay in their division despite averaging 50 fewer points a game.
16. (+6) Detroit Lions (4-2) (Week 1 Rank: 21st)
The Lions are sitting atop their division at 4-2. That’s a good place to be at the midway point. What scares me about this team is I believe they’re running about as hot as the roster can run. What I mean is, the concerns I laid out in week 2 about a week RB/LB roster and a lack of solid, reliable playmakers remains true. The fact is though, this Lions team fields a complete roster every week. Sometimes in a league this deep and tough that’s half the battle. A resurgent champion Green Bay team is hot on their heels.
15. (+4) New York Jets (4-2) (Week 1 Rank: #8)
As predicted in the week 1 rankings, the Jets don’t have the top end production to be considered a top 10 team right now. What could change that is if Dobbins and Kelley get more run in the 2nd half, as both have proved to be capable backs when given the opportunities. Devin Singletary also appears to have earned his starting role
14. (+6) Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) (Week 1 Rank: #15)
The Steelers have proved to be a pretty middle of the road team this year, but one that has a pretty good shot at making the AFC playoffs as division champions. A strong defense and an offensive unit that’s only gotten murkier as time has gone on mean the Steelers probably are who they are at this point.
13. (+2) Green Bay Packers (3-3) (Week 1 Rank: #19)
The Packers looked dead in the water at 1-3 two weeks ago, they are now sitting at a much prettier 3-3 after some savvy trades to improve their 2020 outlook. The path to the playoffs for Green Bay likely resides in an NFC North championship over the currently 4-2 Lions. Getting Ekeler back sooner than later would be a massive push towards that title.
12. (-5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-4) (Week 1 Rank: #4)
Sitting at 2-4, the Buccaneers (5th Overall in points) realistically need to win out the year to make the playoffs as a wildcard or potentially NFC champions. Luckily for Tampa, who have yet to play a bottom half team, their schedule lightens up immensely in the 2nd half with non division games against Baltimore, San Francisco, and Arizona.
11. (-1) New England Patriots (4-2) (Week 1 Rank: #17)
The fall from Prescott to Dalton looked massive last night, and the Patriots felt it with a 6 point loss to the Dolphins, perhaps the last game the Dolphins will play without CMC and Michael Thomas. The Patriots and division rival Jets are both currently set as wildcard entrees in the AFC, with no other non division leading AFC team holding 4 wins.
10. (-7) Seattle Seahawks (4-2) (Week 1 Rank: #12)
The Seahawks too an L week 1 and have been a bit of an enigma ever since. Currently 13th overall in league scoring, the Seahawks blew a tire in week 6, failing to score even 100 points without Wilson, Lockett and Waller. Still fairly well positioned for a wildcard run, the RB situation needs to sort itself out if the Seahawks are going to make noise this year. An emergence from Corey Davis or TY Hilton would aid that effort greatly as well.
9. (=) Tennessee Titans (4-2) (Week 1 Rank: #7)
The Titans have officially, finally, put some real distance between themselves and their division. As predicted week 1, this team runs through Zeke Elliot and Lamar Jackson. They still need some more reliable wideouts to emerge from the primordial soup they have in that room, Keelan Cole currently sits on 90 points and is leading that effort. The Titans should make the playoffs at this point as long as they stay healthy. Can they compete with the Raiders and Dolphins?
8. (=) New York Giants (4-2) (Week 1 Rank: #9)
The Giants are fielding a shallow but powerful offense and a good, not great defense that combine for strong stats every week. Currently engaged in an all out dogfight with their division rival Eagles and Football Team, perhaps the thorn in New York’s side is that their two losses were to those two teams. With the 2nd half of the season on deck, the Giants need all hands on deck to ensure they aren’t one of the dangerous NFC teams that misses the dance.
7. (+5) Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) (Week 1 Rank: #10)
The Eagles have struggled for consistency on offense this year, mainly on account of players like Jimmy G, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Nick Chubb (INJ) not compiling the stats the Eagles need to make consistent noise week in and week out. A recent trade of emergent TE Dalton Schultz for some LB and CB help could make a big difference in Philadelphia.
6. (+1) Atlanta Falcons (4-2) (Week 1 Rank: #5)
One interesting thing about the Falcons, especially considering they are genuinely one of the uppercrust teams in Legacy, is their defense has underperformed this year. Aside from Hicks they could be getting a lot more production from the players they have. Kamara, Amari Cooper and Allen Robinson have hid a lot of that as they’ve destroyed competition thus far and contrubutions from Hollywood Brown and surprise producer Malcolm Brown. Rookie RBs Cam Akers and DeeJay Dallas haven’t contributed much on the young season. After a week gimme versus Cincinnati, the Falcons face the Bucs, Rams, Panthers, Seahawks and Saints. Yowch.
5. (+1) Washington Football Team (6-0) (Week 1 Rank: #11)
My week 1 notes on Washington centered around the fact that they’d need a to start 5 WRs a week to make up for having only rookie Jonathan Taylor and TE Jonnu Smith (Plus his backup) at the other skill positions. Two things have happened there: The wide receivers proved worth their salt (Especially Evans and Boyd), JT and Jonnu have been studs at their positions, and Blaine pulled off some trades to bring more quality starters to the room (Jarvis Landry and Rex Burkhead). The Football team struggles to put up eye popping weekly totals, but they never bust. They currently sit on a 2 game lead over the 4-2 Giants and Eagles.
4. (+1) Carolina Panthers (4-2) (Week 1 Rank: #6)
The Panthers are a good team with blowup potential. They can’t count on scoring 250 a week, they seem to either get around 200 or break the bulb on the carnival strength test with two weekly scoring leads and one of two 300 point games in Legacy this season. The engine of Carolina has been the RB stable of Aaron Jones, Mike Davis and rookie Antonio Gibson. With Mike Davis soon to lose his lead back duties, Carolina will need more from players like DJ Chark and his fellow wideouts.
3. (+1) Miami Dolphins (5-1) (Week 1 Rank: #3)
In a long and winding road that forced our resident riverboat gambler to make due without two of the top 5 names in Dynasty football (Michael Thomas and Christian McCaffrey) the dolphins have done what they’ve needed to do, they’ve hung tough and survived to a sparkling 5-1 record. This isn’t the prettiest offensive team in the league, but things look a lot rosier when the other guys get to lean on CMC, MT and Adam Thielen.
2. (=) Las Vegas Raiders (6-0) (Week 1 Rank: #2)
Setting the tone for the AFC, the Raiders exploded onto the scene in week 1 by leading the league with 262 points. The picture of consistency, the Raider’s low water mark on the season is 210.05. The Raiders also lead the league in “late stat correction” wins with two! Consistency is the name of the game with the Raiders and with one of the lightest schedules in the league the rest of the way they may finish 12-0.
1.(=) Los Angeles Rams (6-0) (Week 1 Rank: #1)
The Rams have dominated everybody this season en route to one of two undefeated seasons thus far. Their deep cast and breakout rookie performances from CEH and Laviska Shenault and weathered the storm thus far and they really have to be seen as he obvious super bowl favorites halfway through the regular season. Well done, Frank!
Biggest ranking gain since week 1: 4 Way Tie (BAL, GB, NE, WAS) (+6)
Biggest ranking loss since week 1: Chicago Bears (-11)
32. (-1) Indianapolis Colts (0-6) (Week 1 Rank: #30)
Currently leading the pack for the #1 pick, the Colts are vacant on offense. Including the QB positions, the Colts best offensive dynasty pieces might just be Eno Benjamin and Josh Oliver, who have combined for zero points this year.
31. (-1) Cincinnati Bengals (0-6) (Week 1 Rank: 25th)
There’s probably no bottom 5 team better positioned to burst up these rankings next year than the Bengals. With 3 1st round picks and a roster jammed full of young guys on long contracts, the Bengals need some more of these guys to break through as viable pieces. Inject a roster full of young emerging talent with some early round picks and you have the makings of a team with potential down the line.
30. (-1) Minnesota Vikings (0-6) (Week 1 Rank: 22nd)
Perhaps a surprising 0-6, the Vikings actually have quite a few players who get stats (especially on the defense). This is another team loaded with draft picks, but only one 2021 1st round pick on the books currently. If the Vikings can put in a B+ draft next off season they’ll be competitive in their division, especially if Darnold gets a real coach.
29. (+3) Cleveland Browns (1-5) (Week 1 Rank: 31st)
Another draft pick empire (3 1sts, 3 2nds), the Browns have a handful of defensive pieces to play with next year. As it stands they’re one of the teams still in competition for 1st overall, but with the unfortunate win this week they’re probably looking at a top 5 instead.
28. (-2) San Francisco 49ers (1-5) (Week 1 Rank: 23rd)
2020 is what it is for the 49ers, who cares though. The 49ers are going to have a truckload of cash and a handful of superstars to build on this offseason. During the drafting of these rankings, Tua Tagovailoa was named the Dolphins week 8 starter. D’Andre Swift also broke out this week. Raise your hand if you’d be happy to build around Tua, Barkley, Swift and Claypool?
27. (+3) Houston Texans (2-4) (Week 1 Rank: 32nd)
One downside to the Texans is they have very little in the bank for the 2021 draft. They still have plenty of young stars to work with, but some very savvy moves will need to be made for the Texans to compete next year. That said, Laura is a skilled veteran GM and those moves can be made if she wants to compete.
26. (+3) Arizona Cardinals (2-4) (Week 1 Rank: 28th)
The Cardinals need to make some serious moves around Patrick Mahomes. He’s under contract until 2024 and they need some more pieces if they want him to lead them in this rough division. They’re a good offseason away from being tough.
25. (-1) Buffalo Bills (2-4) (Week 1 Rank: 29th)
Still too talented to be ranked this low, the Bills haven’t been able to float anywhere near the top of their potential despite the Josh Allen, James Robinson, Miles Sanders, Keenan Allen, Patrick Queen led chariot. That chariot also starts Trevon Wesco at TE. Let’s see what Junior can do to end the season.
24. (-1) Chicago Bears (3-3) (Week 1 Rank: 13th)
The Bears are building for the 2022 offseason, evident by the firesale of current assets for the better part of a month. They have 4 1st and 4 2nd round picks in 2022. They could look pretty bad the rest of this year and in 2021, then I suppose the reinforcements arrive. At best, they’re 2 years away from being this years 49ers.
23. (-2) San Diego Chargers (2-4) (Week 1 Rank: 20th)
Time to toss the towel in on 2022 for the Chargers. Week 1 saw a promising roster ready to make some moves in a positive direction, but with Ryan Fitzpatrick being benched and Dalvin Cook currently injured, the Chargers are cooked. It’s a perfectly fine roster and a good GM capable of resetting the roster a bit this offseason. For now, the better the 2021 pick the better.
22. (+5) Kansas City Chiefs (3-3) (Week 1 Rank: 27th)
The Chiefs scored over 200 points this week. That’s the kind of thing you celebrate as a GM who’s rebuilding, especially one with no QB. The Chiefs have FIVE 2021 1st round picks. Five. As long as they find a QB and a RB with those picks, they’re going to be lethal soon.
21. (-3) Denver Broncos (3-3) (Week 1 Rank: 24th)
The Broncos season has been one where they’ve beat bad teams and took hard losses to playoff tier teams aside from their statement win over Tennessee. The Broncos arrow is pointing up, but the hard loss to Las Vegas this week likely sealed 2020’s fate unless they can grind out some tough wins to push for a wildcard. Better days are ahead.
20. (-3) Dallas Cowboys (2-4) (Week 1 Rank: 14th)
The fantasy football gods can be cruel. A solid Cowboys team has dropped to 2-4 with a deep hole separating them from paths to a playoff spot. With injuries piling up, the Cowboys failed to top 100 points this week against the division leading Football Team.
19. (-6) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-4) (Week 1 Rank: 16th)
The Jaguars have been a roller coaster to follow this season so far. They seem to play to their opponents’ level every week (Week 4: 3 point loss to Houston, Week 5: 1 point loss to Las Vegas). And the Titans are beginning to run away with the AFC South. They have a core, and they clearly have what it takes to put up nice stats, but some more depth building will be necessary for the Jaguars to take the next step.
18. (-2) Baltimore Ravens (2-4) (Week 1 Rank: 26th)
It’s so satisfying to see a GM like Nate make moves to try to improve mid-season. A tough, close loss to Steelers officially puts them 2 games behind them for the division, but there’s enough talent to make a 2nd half run for the Ravens. Recently added Nyheim Hines and (hopefully) emerging Lamical Perine could team up with Crowder, Jones, Ruggs and Deebo for a pretty darn good offense behind Rodgers. This is a way better team than 2-4 would indicate.
17. (-1) New Orleans Saints (3-3) (Week 1 Rank: 16th)
Sure they’re a lot of fun for me to closet root for this year, but the Saints are a team nobody is excited to play. This is a squad extremely capable of jumping up and punching you in the nose with quality starters everywhere and a lot of room to grow with guys like KJ Hamler, MVS, Mike Williams and Alexander Mattison all probably more talented than their statlines typically indicate. It’s still going to be a very tough sell to make the playoffs in a brutal NFC, but they just might do it if a few of these teams begin to slip. The Saints are currently a game over Tampa Bay in their division despite averaging 50 fewer points a game.
16. (+6) Detroit Lions (4-2) (Week 1 Rank: 21st)
The Lions are sitting atop their division at 4-2. That’s a good place to be at the midway point. What scares me about this team is I believe they’re running about as hot as the roster can run. What I mean is, the concerns I laid out in week 2 about a week RB/LB roster and a lack of solid, reliable playmakers remains true. The fact is though, this Lions team fields a complete roster every week. Sometimes in a league this deep and tough that’s half the battle. A resurgent champion Green Bay team is hot on their heels.
15. (+4) New York Jets (4-2) (Week 1 Rank: #8)
As predicted in the week 1 rankings, the Jets don’t have the top end production to be considered a top 10 team right now. What could change that is if Dobbins and Kelley get more run in the 2nd half, as both have proved to be capable backs when given the opportunities. Devin Singletary also appears to have earned his starting role
14. (+6) Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) (Week 1 Rank: #15)
The Steelers have proved to be a pretty middle of the road team this year, but one that has a pretty good shot at making the AFC playoffs as division champions. A strong defense and an offensive unit that’s only gotten murkier as time has gone on mean the Steelers probably are who they are at this point.
13. (+2) Green Bay Packers (3-3) (Week 1 Rank: #19)
The Packers looked dead in the water at 1-3 two weeks ago, they are now sitting at a much prettier 3-3 after some savvy trades to improve their 2020 outlook. The path to the playoffs for Green Bay likely resides in an NFC North championship over the currently 4-2 Lions. Getting Ekeler back sooner than later would be a massive push towards that title.
12. (-5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-4) (Week 1 Rank: #4)
Sitting at 2-4, the Buccaneers (5th Overall in points) realistically need to win out the year to make the playoffs as a wildcard or potentially NFC champions. Luckily for Tampa, who have yet to play a bottom half team, their schedule lightens up immensely in the 2nd half with non division games against Baltimore, San Francisco, and Arizona.
11. (-1) New England Patriots (4-2) (Week 1 Rank: #17)
The fall from Prescott to Dalton looked massive last night, and the Patriots felt it with a 6 point loss to the Dolphins, perhaps the last game the Dolphins will play without CMC and Michael Thomas. The Patriots and division rival Jets are both currently set as wildcard entrees in the AFC, with no other non division leading AFC team holding 4 wins.
10. (-7) Seattle Seahawks (4-2) (Week 1 Rank: #12)
The Seahawks too an L week 1 and have been a bit of an enigma ever since. Currently 13th overall in league scoring, the Seahawks blew a tire in week 6, failing to score even 100 points without Wilson, Lockett and Waller. Still fairly well positioned for a wildcard run, the RB situation needs to sort itself out if the Seahawks are going to make noise this year. An emergence from Corey Davis or TY Hilton would aid that effort greatly as well.
9. (=) Tennessee Titans (4-2) (Week 1 Rank: #7)
The Titans have officially, finally, put some real distance between themselves and their division. As predicted week 1, this team runs through Zeke Elliot and Lamar Jackson. They still need some more reliable wideouts to emerge from the primordial soup they have in that room, Keelan Cole currently sits on 90 points and is leading that effort. The Titans should make the playoffs at this point as long as they stay healthy. Can they compete with the Raiders and Dolphins?
8. (=) New York Giants (4-2) (Week 1 Rank: #9)
The Giants are fielding a shallow but powerful offense and a good, not great defense that combine for strong stats every week. Currently engaged in an all out dogfight with their division rival Eagles and Football Team, perhaps the thorn in New York’s side is that their two losses were to those two teams. With the 2nd half of the season on deck, the Giants need all hands on deck to ensure they aren’t one of the dangerous NFC teams that misses the dance.
7. (+5) Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) (Week 1 Rank: #10)
The Eagles have struggled for consistency on offense this year, mainly on account of players like Jimmy G, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Nick Chubb (INJ) not compiling the stats the Eagles need to make consistent noise week in and week out. A recent trade of emergent TE Dalton Schultz for some LB and CB help could make a big difference in Philadelphia.
6. (+1) Atlanta Falcons (4-2) (Week 1 Rank: #5)
One interesting thing about the Falcons, especially considering they are genuinely one of the uppercrust teams in Legacy, is their defense has underperformed this year. Aside from Hicks they could be getting a lot more production from the players they have. Kamara, Amari Cooper and Allen Robinson have hid a lot of that as they’ve destroyed competition thus far and contrubutions from Hollywood Brown and surprise producer Malcolm Brown. Rookie RBs Cam Akers and DeeJay Dallas haven’t contributed much on the young season. After a week gimme versus Cincinnati, the Falcons face the Bucs, Rams, Panthers, Seahawks and Saints. Yowch.
5. (+1) Washington Football Team (6-0) (Week 1 Rank: #11)
My week 1 notes on Washington centered around the fact that they’d need a to start 5 WRs a week to make up for having only rookie Jonathan Taylor and TE Jonnu Smith (Plus his backup) at the other skill positions. Two things have happened there: The wide receivers proved worth their salt (Especially Evans and Boyd), JT and Jonnu have been studs at their positions, and Blaine pulled off some trades to bring more quality starters to the room (Jarvis Landry and Rex Burkhead). The Football team struggles to put up eye popping weekly totals, but they never bust. They currently sit on a 2 game lead over the 4-2 Giants and Eagles.
4. (+1) Carolina Panthers (4-2) (Week 1 Rank: #6)
The Panthers are a good team with blowup potential. They can’t count on scoring 250 a week, they seem to either get around 200 or break the bulb on the carnival strength test with two weekly scoring leads and one of two 300 point games in Legacy this season. The engine of Carolina has been the RB stable of Aaron Jones, Mike Davis and rookie Antonio Gibson. With Mike Davis soon to lose his lead back duties, Carolina will need more from players like DJ Chark and his fellow wideouts.
3. (+1) Miami Dolphins (5-1) (Week 1 Rank: #3)
In a long and winding road that forced our resident riverboat gambler to make due without two of the top 5 names in Dynasty football (Michael Thomas and Christian McCaffrey) the dolphins have done what they’ve needed to do, they’ve hung tough and survived to a sparkling 5-1 record. This isn’t the prettiest offensive team in the league, but things look a lot rosier when the other guys get to lean on CMC, MT and Adam Thielen.
2. (=) Las Vegas Raiders (6-0) (Week 1 Rank: #2)
Setting the tone for the AFC, the Raiders exploded onto the scene in week 1 by leading the league with 262 points. The picture of consistency, the Raider’s low water mark on the season is 210.05. The Raiders also lead the league in “late stat correction” wins with two! Consistency is the name of the game with the Raiders and with one of the lightest schedules in the league the rest of the way they may finish 12-0.
1.(=) Los Angeles Rams (6-0) (Week 1 Rank: #1)
The Rams have dominated everybody this season en route to one of two undefeated seasons thus far. Their deep cast and breakout rookie performances from CEH and Laviska Shenault and weathered the storm thus far and they really have to be seen as he obvious super bowl favorites halfway through the regular season. Well done, Frank!
