TRADE 5: Deputy Has the Itis

Pawnee has passed their trading bug onto Deputy, who swings a deal with South Philly:

DEPUTY ACQUIRES: WR MARQISE LEE and RB MATT BREIDA
PHILADELPHIA ACQUIRES: RB TEVIN COLEMAN and WR ROBBY ANDERSON

The Rum Ham lost their top pick, RB David Johnson, for the majority of the season. At the same
time, the saw Marqise Lee ascend to the top spot in the hierarchy, giving the team a glut of viable WR options and a dearth at the RB position. While Chris Thompson has been dangerous in a scatback role and put up monster numbers through three weeks, the team had made clear that they were looking for a more prototypical bellcow, and was willing to move one of its starting wideouts to do so.

After a few weeks of flirtation with Tevin Coleman, the trigger was pulled during today's spate of exchanges. Technically second fiddle, Coleman has three-down back skill and healthy amount of touches in the leagues most dangerous offense. As is, he's starting-capable, with elite potential should something happen to his batterymate Dev Freeman (OAK) during the year. The team also gains Robby Anderson coming off a breakout performance to fill in for Lee. He doesn't profile to have the same floor in 2017, but the upside is there and the team definitely should improve its consistency.

Likewise, Coleman was mostly a spare part with DVH, where Carlos Hyde and Zeke Elliot were not going to be displaced. Now with Matt Breida joining Alfred Morris as clear-cut handcuffs, the team should feel very comfortable with its RB situation; Andre Ellington (acquired minutes earlier) profiles as a nice bye week fill-in for the time being, while also being fairly easily dispensable if another hole opens elsewhere on the vessel.

Marqise Lee substantiates the WR corps, and the 3-0 Van Halens have ease of mind about their RB situation; The Rum Ham have replaced their best player as best they can without crippling their roster's overall integrity. WIN-WIN!

TRADE 4: Pawnee Patient Zeroes

If not for the Pride, nobody would be getting any action.

PAWNEE ACQUIRES: RB BRANDEN OLIVER
DEPUTY ACQUIRES: RB ANDRE ELLINGTON 

Pawnee gains Branden Oliver  handcuff to their workhorse Melvin Gordon, while Deputy gains a more immediately useful back in Andre Ellington. Both players have shown flashes of productivity when given the opportunity, with the obvious downside being a proclivity for injury. Pawnee gains an insurance policy while Deputy maximized value on a backup while gaining the flexibility to move other parts. Solid deal!

TRADE 3: Cam New-Team

A third trade has been completed, all three involving the Pawnee Pride. This one involved Quarterbacks and Tight Ends.

PAWNEE ACQUIRES: QB CAM NEWTON and TE HUNTER HENRY

MAR-A-LAGO ACQUIRES: QB MATT STAFFORD and TE DAVID NJOKU

Cam Newton was selected to be the Grabbers starting QB, but after three tumultuous weeks and a questionable health designation, he has lost his spot to Kirk Cousins- and with Andrew Luck ostensibly nearing a return, the team might have seen this as an opportunity to movie him before the bottom falls out. 

However, the move hardly quells the quarterback controversy, as Matthew Stafford comes in return,  maintaining three valid quarterbacks on the roster. Cousins and Stafford will be quality matchup plays until Luck returns to health, when he theoretically offers the highest upside of the three. Stafford should make choosing who starts each week a good dilemma- and the team should be able to deal from a position of strength again if the fickle market gives them an opportunity.

Upside! That's what Cam Newton provides too. In 2015 he was the most dominant force in the game; since then, injuries and ineffectiveness have brought him to his knees a bit more than he'd like. With Drew Brees in the captain's chair, Pawnee will give the hulking and versatile weapon a week to collect himself before tabbing him to start during Brees' week five bye.

While the quarterbacks are on the marquee, the more practical exchange is of the tight ends. Hunter Harvey has produced one quality week, sandwiched between goose egg production. If he can draw some consistent targets he might be able to do a damn good Greg Olsen impression. Contingent upon a couple of IFs, but with tight end proving to be a volatile position early, the Pride will take the chance on Henry, who was with the team for stretches last year.

Mar-A-Lago gains a player that would profile as having a higher ceiling and a lower floor, though through three weeks the opposite is true: David Njoku has made positive marks each week and found the end zone in each of the previous two games. He's also been traded twice now, as teams look to take a chance on the rookie's top-end talent but don't want to be caught with a hot potato. He'll be given a chance to develop behind solid veteran Charles Clay for a few weeks before he needs to start in week 6. 

IX: Week Three Results

With three games played we have some differentiation to the standings now, as four distinct groups take shape: There are three undefeated teams at the top (HCM City, Deputy, and New York) followed by five 2-1 teams, two 1-2 teams, and four 0-3 teams at the bottom, including two former Larkspur Bowl Champs, South Park and Phoenix.

With ten games left there is plenty of time for things to turn around, but with seven wins the vital number (and eight to insure a berth) it is already nudging close to do or die time for those outside the top eight spots. Only six teams make the playoffs- falling three games back of that race leaves little margin for error.

Two more teams made the league's list of all time highest scores: Pawnee and HCM. Phoenix (in losing to Pawnee) just missed the pace, though the 8.15 margin of victory is the slimmest ever for a game on the list, and the combined 488.05 points is the second highest ever for a Larkspur Bowl matchup. The highest combined score ever remains 503.66 in the 299.38 to 204.28 trouncing Saskatoon delivered to HCM in week four last season. We've now added at least one team to the list in three consecutive weeks.

SCOREBOARD:

Week 3 Matchups

• Phoenix Uprising239.95Pawnee Pride248.10
  FinalRecap
• OAKWOOD DRIVER216.42HoChiMinhLeadFarmers242.42
  FinalRecap
• Hill Valley McFlys143.12Mar-a-Lago Grabbers155.03
  FinalRecap
• Deputy Van Halens213.68Binghamton Snipers201.27
  FinalRecap
• Savannah Petes185.02South Park Cows160.62
  FinalRecap
• Manitoba Moosecrew119.02South Philly Rum Ham194.84
  FinalRecap
• New York's Finest216.40Les Tres Petites205.95
  FinalRecap

POWER OUTPUT

1. PAW 248: Stefon Diggs and Kareem Hunt were completely unstoppable in this one, while Jordy Nelson and Marcus Peters were merely really very excellent.
2. HCM 242: The Lead Farmers are the best team in the league thus far, with a stellar offense paced by Gronk and swarm of disruption LBs led by Melvin Ingram. 
3. PHX 240: Brandin Cooks, Ryan Shazier, and Duke Johnson helmed a grand effort that only made a third consecutive loss that much tougher to stomach.
4. OAK 216: The top four in week three scoring all faced one another, and Oakwood is the other hard luck loser- despite the best efforts of Demarcus Lawrence and Tom Brady.
5. NYF 216: Winning twice with scores of 157 and 160, NY was 56 points more legit in this one, riding Todd Gurley, Sammy Watkins, and Odell Beckham to victory.
6. DVH 213: A thrilling finish spearheaded by Larry Fitzgerald and Zeke Elliot kept Deputy undefeated; Lots of BOOM (Clowney, Hyde, Baldwin) and BUST (Rivers, Crabtree, Doyle)
7. LTP 206: The offense was there and made up for injuries to Kelvin Benjamin and Tyler Eifert, but the only defensive players that showed up were EJ Gaines and Justin Houston.
8. BIN 201: Looked set to score their first ever W, but ended up being inched out late. Jordan Howard's return gives the team three legit starting runners in the stable.
9. RUM 195: Chris Thompson has replaced David Johnson without missing a beat, the diminutive back scoring huge in a feature role; Defense looked competent here!
10. SAV 185: The Petes rebound to 2-1 with a team effort and a couple of TOTW efforts in the secondary. RB depth could help them address their flex, currently in flux.
11. SPC 161: Meager returns from the skill positions put all the heavy lifting on Russell the Muscle- who performed more than admirably! But could not make up for six duds.
12. MAL 155: Winners of the week's worst matchup, there was DeMario Davis and Antonio Brown and not much else! But a win is a win and the Grabbers can rub two together now.
13. HVM 143: Eleven scored single digits, yet McFlys still had a chance to go to 3-0, if only one could deliver. They cut aformentioned DeMario Davis last week: he served revenge cold.
14. MMC 119: JJ Watt and Chris Hogan did their part, but that is the end of the superlatives for the Moosecrew, who drop their second straight and lack reliable weapons at this early juncture.

TEAM OF THE WEEK:

TRADE 2: IT'S HAPPENING

Lo and behold, a trade occurred: Pawnee lost Greg Olsen for a good chunk of time and was in need of a tight end; they managed to score a young running back at the same time. For New York they shore up their third RB situation and gain some depth at WR.

PAWNEE ACQUIRES: RB CHRIS CARSON & TE DAVID NJOKU

NEW YORK ACQUIRES: RB JACQUIZZ RODGERS & WR KENDALL WRIGHT

Pawnee acquires two rookies: David Njoku has a high ceiling as an athletic playmaker, and while his floor won't approach the consistent production G-Reg has offered in recent years, he offers an excitement quotient that only a few others at the position could reach. Perhaps the greater prize is Chris Carson, coming off a solid workload in week two. There's a lot of horses in the Seahawk backfield, but Carson is the youngest and healthiest and appears to be in pole position: If he can fortify a bellcow role, this trade becomes a coup.

New York's premier running back is Todd Gurley; They trotted out the ghost of Adrian Peterson in the first two weeks of the season while awaiting the return of Doug Martin, suspended until week five. Rather than roll the dice on Carson keeping the lion's share, they've insured themselves by getting Muscle Hamster's batterymate, Quizz Rodgers. With the primary role safely his for another couple weeks, the Finest will then either hope one takes the lead (or ride the hot hand) or wait for All Day Adrian to come back to prominence despite his advanced age and indiscernible role.

In Kendall Wright the Finest get a reclamation project, a failed first round pick that is being given another opportunity to live up to the hype; There is a lot of target volume to be had in Chicagoland, and if Wright can show himself to be the dynamic playmaker he was in college, he might sneak into WR2 territory this season. He's got a good angle to be a better flex option than Njoku, who was buried behind Jared Cook and Evan Engram in New York.

Be-Trade

Where are all of the trades? We have seen one exchange go down so far this season- a context heavy exchange of top running backs before week one. We're on the eve of week three and that's it. Last year there were three exchanges at this point. Five the year before that and four the year before that. In 2013 there were eight trades before week three! The league is as engaged and competitive as ever... and that is a major reason.

This is the list of trades coming into the year. It is stripped of many essential details- most trades make some sense at the time. The even swap, the preferential exchange is rare. Managers typically prefer their player to another's, and the risk of losing something valuable feels more dangerous than the potential of gaining something more in return. Usually there is a impetus for a move: injury, ineffectiveness, or a lack of depth going into the byes.

Furthermore, players are like stocks, forever trending. The very best players offer a higher floor and ceiling, but even they are rarely consistent for fifteen of sixteen weeks. Buying low, selling high- these are strategies that require a level of confidence fantasy rarely affords. A manager is often not rewarded for knowledge, but certainty. Taking on a volatile asset at the expense of something perceived to be safer is ill advised. Chances are mostly reserved for the waiver wire, where top notch priority is often conserved until a "can't miss" opportunity presents itself, while other teams are content to revolve around the back end of the line, shopping in the discount aisle.

The Larkspur Bowl is as hotly contested as ever, and fortune favors the bold. Playing a nice, safe, stick to the plan tactic could work skillful tinkering and a proper sprinkling of luck. But more likely, the winner will be the player who makes a decisive play and seizes the day against the shuffling horde. Winning by way of your own shrewdness, rather than letting the game break as it will- that is the reward at stake. Find the chance you want to take, pay the price, and reap the rewards.

IX: Week Two Results

After two weeks, the league breaks up into three obvious tiers: Five 2-0 teams, five 1-1 teams, and five 0-2 teams. No one has been sentenced yet; We will see 2-0 teams fall out of the playoff race, and 0-2 teams rise into contention. But for now, you are who your record says you are, and we see some unexpected teams at both ends of the spectrum: Oakwood and HCM City are in the top two spots- the Drivers have never been to the playoffs, and the Lead Farmers haven't been there since 2010. At the very bottom is Phoenix, who have been an installment in the semifinals seven years in a row but have lost to both Oakwood and HCM to start the year.

The trade winds have been quiet early in 2017, but as vessels become riddled with holes and begin to take on water, bailing via the wire unlikely to right the ship and turn it around in the next eleven weeks.

SCOREBOARD:

Week 2 Matchups

• Phoenix Uprising143.39HoChiMinhLeadFarmers208.82
  FinalRecap
• OAKWOOD DRIVER256.33Les Tres Petites168.10
  FinalRecap
• Pawnee Pride164.64Mar-a-Lago Grabbers198.27
  FinalRecap
• Hill Valley McFlys198.41Binghamton Snipers175.82
  FinalRecap
• Deputy Van Halens191.89South Park Cows173.12
  FinalRecap
• Savannah Petes218.01South Philly Rum Ham196.78
  FinalRecap
• Manitoba Moosecrew155.70New York's Finest163.32
  FinalRecap

POWER OUTPUT:

1.  OAK 256: Going green has been an enormous boost for Oakwood- the team had never done that before; 256.33 is the third highest LB score all time. This team is clicking early.
2.  SAV 218: After a pitiful start, this team reversed its fortune in week two by way of stifling defense; Could have been even better if Jerry Hughes had suited up!
3.  HCM 208: The only team in the top three both weeks, they have grinded out big points on the ground and on defense; add a layer of Gronk and they'll be a week to week beast.
4.  HVM 198: Another steady showing from the champs, who but for an early injury to Corey Davis scored double digits at every spot on offense this week.
5.  MAL 198: Grabbing a win on auxiliary systems on a down week from Cam Newton and Antonio Brown, MAL shows how good teams get it done weekly.
6.  RUM 196: Tough luck losers in week two despite Chris Thompson doing his best David Johnson impression, the move to the city of Brotherly Love has yet to bear fruit.
7.  DVH 191: In the 7 slot again, Deputy gets another respectable win at the demarcation line, with Crabtree, Clowney, Weddle and Hyde putting up diesel numbers. (What a law firm)
8.  BIN 175: Two good efforts, zero wins in Binghamton; An injury to top pick Jordan Howard hurt them this week and may linger going forward.
9.  SPC 173: There are plenty of decent options at second RB for the Cows, but no obvious top choice, and it may turn into a weekly bugaboo, as Thomas Rawls disappointed greatly.
10.  LTP 168: Holding tight at one roster move didn't hurt them in week two, but an injury to Tyler Eifert may force them to the well before a week 3 date with 2-0 New York.
11.  PAW 164: The higher the climb, the harder the fall; Pawnee's return to earth crippled Greg Olsen and Corey Coleman, leaves Jordy Nelson, Phil Dorsett, and Jarrad Davis questionable.
12.  NYF 163: Winners of circumstance rather than merit, New York goes to 2-0 with ODB getting healthier and Doug Martin's suspension ticking off. A good spot to be.
13.  MMC 155: Manitoba was poorly served by their RBs and LBs in week two, losing a very winnable game due to anemic production at both spots. 
14.  PHX 143: The most storied franchise in the league bottoms out, carrying too many hurt/ suspended/role players and getting meager returns from highly drafted IDPs.

TEAM OF THE WEEK:

IX: Week One Results

The first week of Larkspur Bowl IX has concluded, and we saw a wide range of scores in team's debuts, ranging from Pawnee's 249 point explosion (best in franchises history, seventh best all time) down to Savannah's lackluster 107 point effort. Overall scoring seemed to be depressed- besides the Pride, no team eclipsed 200 points, while only six managed 170 or more- traditionally the benchmark for a competitive week. Is this a new trend of parity, or merely a one week blip, attributable to muted mini camps and a lack of coherency? Time will tell!

We saw some major injuries occur, notably South Philly RB David Johnson (dislocated wrist, out 8-12 weeks) and SS Jonathan Cyprien (out a few weeks, hamstring), South Park WR Allen Robinson and SS Eric Berry (both lost for the year) and Manitoba lottery pick Kevin White (out for the year yet again) being some of the most noteworthy early casualties. New York's top pick WR Odell Beckham ended up missing week one with a high ankle sprain, as did Mar-A-Lago QB Andrew Luck who does not yet have a distinct time table set.

SCOREBOARD

Week 1 Matchups

• Phoenix Uprising153.95OAKWOOD DRIVER161.88
  FinalRecap
• HoChiMinhLeadFarmers195.70Mar-a-Lago Grabbers170.44
  FinalRecap
• Pawnee Pride249.14Binghamton Snipers183.14
  FinalRecap
• Hill Valley McFlys179.86South Park Cows165.77
  FinalRecap
• Deputy Van Halens167.63South Philly Rum Ham140.80
  FinalRecap
• Savannah Petes107.93New York's Finest156.77
  FinalRecap
• Manitoba Moosecrew180.43Les Tres Petites157.72
  FinalRecap

POWER OUTPUT

1.  PAW 249: The monster outing started with the arrival of Kareem Hunt, who notch 51 point in his debut, and ended with Stefon Diggs scoring 26 and Melvin Gordon 19+.
2.  HCM 195: This was HCM's first time winning their first tilt since 2013, when they beat Pawnee to start the year. Tyreek Hill returns to lead a dynamic offense.
3.  BIN 183: The LB's newest franchise availed themselves well in their first showing, but came out as hard luck losers. Now they face the defending champs in week two.
4.  MMC 180: It was the younger Watt that carried the defense, while the elder Watt carries the philanthropic burden. Deep bench affords the team some RB options.
5.  HVM 179: The champs start with a win despite two marquee names going on surprise hurricane bye week. Now they should have Jameis and Ajayi for the duration.
6.  MAL 170: A good offensive effort was spoiled by some lackluster linebacker play and a goose egg from tight end Hunter Henry. The depth at talent positions suggest better days ahead.
7.  DVH 167: The Van Halens need to address a bunch of holes on defense but their offense showed that it is legitimate from top to bottom, a good start and statement.
8.  SPC 165: The Cow receiving corps loses Robinson early, but Cooper Kupp should slot in nicely. They will still need more reinforcements ASAP if they want to contend. 
9.  OAK 161: A win! This is the first time the franchise has ever started 1-0, and it was by the skin of their teeth, on the back of a three TD performance from Mike Gillislee.
10.  LTP 157: Played with two men on bye in week one... and had a replacement for one on their bench. If that lack of attention to detail continues, it will be a long, bad season up north.
11.  NYF 156: Low score winners of the week, New York banks a W with only two offensive players breaking double digits: Todd Gurley and Big Ben. They will need more going forward.
12.  PHX 153: If the Uprising put no one behind center for week one, they'd have ended up being 1-0 to start the season. Instead they put Andy Dalton at the wheel and he scored negative ten.
13.  RUM 140: The David Johnson injury cripples a team that was built around him. Expectations are lowered for a team that has already missed the playoffs four years in a row.
14.  SAV 107: The Petes are banking on rookies McCaffrey and Mixon breaking out sooner rather than later. They'll need Eli to right the ship fast to have some leeway for patience.

TEAM OF THE WEEK:

LIX Conference

In the midst of the week one action, nine of the team's managers were able to convene for a friendly bit of patter, toasting Pete Allegretta's thirtieth birthday roast. Thirty years and Pete has still accomplished nothing of particular note other than being the loser in Larkspur Bowl VII.

He's a nice little man (who once drafted Kicker Nate Kaeding in the third round) and his Pawnee Pride are on pace to lead the league in points through week one, so perhaps he is aging like a fine wine. We'll see in four months!

TRADE 1: On Legality

After perhaps the most well drafted draft in Larkspur Bowl history, no team was in dire need at any particular position. No vital players went down with injury in the past ten days, no one's stock took a suddenly unexpected nose dive. It looked as if, until the games were played, we'd have the top of the rosters set in cement. 

Well, the first game DID kickoff before we got a deal, but it's still a transaction that goes into effect for week one: 

PAWNEE ACQUIRES: RB MELVIN GORDON

DEPUTY ACQUIRES: RB EZEKIEL ELLIOTT

The Indiana rivalry gains a new wrinkle, as the teams trade top running backs on the eve of their debuts. Melvin Gordon is a known commodity to the Pride, who rode his breakout last year to great regular season success; The team was unable to grab him in the first round (where the Van Halens snagged him at ninth overall) but then took a gambler on Ezekiel Elliot after the turn, 17th overall. The sophomore running back was, at the time, facing a six game suspension to start the year.

However, the discipline was put on hold by a court ordered injunction, which could last the duration of the season. Elliot was the game's #2 running back this year, and would appear to have the higher upside once again, should he play all sixteen games; He played 15 (to Gordon's 13) and outscored the latter by a substantial 89 points. Of course, his erratic behavior and the looming case don't put him out of the woods, and Deputy inherits that risk, now potentially transposed to later in the season.

The winner of this deal will be easy to determine at the end of the season. Suffice to say, with a one for one exchange of marquee talents, each team is happy with its reinvestment at the outset!

Kickoff's Eve

Yahoo! announced SKILL LEVEL ratings with no explanation of the criteria used.
But I thought this was a good opportunity to reintroduce everyone; We're all in the facebook group and should feel welcome to correspondence with one another!

2017 Season Preview: Trade Winds

We're in the slow period of time between the draft and the first week of the season. In the past this was a time for some big trades, but in recent years it has been a quieter time, as the later draft avoids injuries, and managers have done a better job drafting to avoid pressing need. Once injuries, ineffectiveness, breakouts, breakdowns, and byes come into play, we should see the hot stove fire up, and trades cooking.

Still, until we get some real numbers on the board, prognostication is our only source of speculation. So we'll take a look at some of the players teams might be willing to move, and some of the spots where the depth chart might be in need of an upgrade.

Hill Valley McFlys

The defending champions have lackluster ratings across the board, but are chock full of upside plays and breakout candidates, with a deep bench of useful assets that just need a little patience and care.

NEEDS: The team needs a willing trade partner! With so many guys coming back from injury, early returns will showcase value.

EXCESS ASSETS: Once the RBs and WRs produce, the team will likely have some guys to move- or the tough choice of dropping a name brand bust early on.

Phoenix Uprising

The Uprising have eight RBs on the roster, but none of them is a clear cut every week starter at this point, as they'll have to ride the carousel once again.

NEEDS: The team's flex is underwhelming as they wait to see if Mike Williams can get healthy, or Josh Gordon can get reinstated.

EXCESS ASSETS: Of all those RBs, Bilal Powell is the one guy with obvious upfront value. The team could move him and roll the dice each week.

Manitoba Moosecrew

The Moosecrew will entrust Derek Carr with an offensive fully stocked with weapons, including the vaunted ACϟDC connection.

NEEDS: The team did not invest heavily in proven defensive players, with low grades at LB and S. Those positions tend to be well stocked though, and free agency may give them free solutions.

EXCESS ASSETS: There's plenty of flex options, as Chris Hogan and Kevin White are viable WRs and Julius Thomas and OJ Howard should be credible TD threats.

Pawnee Pride

The Pride gambled on Ezekiel Elliot early in the second round- how much he plays (and when he misses) will determine a lot about their season. They're okay at RB regardless of what the projections say.

NEEDS: This has the makings of another scary offense, though only Jordy Nelson is a proven red zone threat.

EXCESS ASSETS: Aside from Zeke, the team has plenty of nice flex options, and will also likely try to put Stafford or Brees on a fickle QB market at some point mid-season.

Deputy Van Halens

With a strong triumvirate of running backs in Gordon, Hyde, and Coleman the team looks good at RB; There's some covert depth at WR as well, making this one team that should be pretty set at the skill positions on day one.

NEEDS: Except TE, where Jack Doyle is not much of a difference maker, offering an adequate floor and a low ceiling.

EXCESS ASSETS: If Alfred Morris takes advantage of early season opportunities, Hyde or Coleman could find themselves the centerpiece of a blockbuster that nets an elite TE. 

Binghamton Snipers

The league's newest team received a poor draft grade but actually should stack up pretty well across the board. The defense is unproven but full of upside, and Rodgers' teams are rarely bad.

NEEDS: WR. After Green there are three question marks and no depth. It's hard to see them improving substantially without a trade. 

EXCESS ASSETS: With three RBs that could start any week, plus Kirk Cousins riding pine, the team should be able to extract a WR once a QB or RB goes down elsewhere.

HCM City Lead Farmers

The Lead Farmers took Le'Veon Bell first overall, and he reported to camp and should be fully healthy and available coming into week one. He leads a stacked offense with no discernible weaknesses. 

NEEDS: The RB depth is not good. Carrying James Conner as a handcuff isn't a bad plan, but there is no bye week or Lamar Miller insurance currently on the squad.

EXCESS ASSETS: Jason Witten and Antonio Gates are oldies but goodies, dependable name brands that with a couple good weeks early could be in demand on the trade market.

Philadelphia Rum Ham

Moving to South Philly, the team took Matt Ryan with them, although at a much higher cost. David Johnson is a cheat code.

NEEDS: After Johnson there's no clear 2nd RB. Danny Woodhead has been hurt, and Chris Ivory's role is muddled. They'll be looking for an early season breakout to claim as their own.

EXCESS ASSETS: If Crowder, Thielen, Lee and Stills all get off to good starts, they may be able to swing one around for a RB2 to a WR needy team.

Mar-A-Lago Grabbers

The Grabbers have a really dynamite set of WRs, but will be looking to carousel at RB; if CJ Anderson or Paul Perkins can reach bellcow status this will be a complete team and a scary opponent.

NEEDS: The team could really use a sudden Antonio Gates retirement to maximize Hunter Henry's opportunities?

EXCESS ASSETS: Once Andrew Luck comes back, he will be a coveted asset- or the team can hand him the reins and move Cam Newton. Moving one of them could be a championship maker.

Savannah Petes

The team rode ill gotten draft plans to their best grade ever, and despite low marks at QB, Eli Manning carries obvious and considerable upside. They're counting on a pair of rookie RBs.

NEEDS: The TE position is in flux; Eric Ebron still has a ton of potential, but limited practice time hurts his chances of reaching it anytime soon. 

EXCESS ASSETS: With a glut of upside at skill positions, some early season breakouts could fatten the wallet considerably.

South Park Cows

The Cows had a clunker of a season following two top showings. This year's team should not be overlooked.

NEEDS: WR. Cole Beasley and Ted Ginn are both acceptable flex plays, but neither is an ideal WR3. 

EXCESS ASSETS: The team is flush with sneaky good RB depth, with five guys that could slot into the starting lineup without showing any achilles. Moving one for a WR could be priority in the early going, though South Park tends to beat their own drum.

Toronto LTP

A nice draft grade last year didn't keep LTP out of the standings cellar. The team already has a lot of injuries, plus Willie Snead's suspension hurting their depth.

NEEDS: They need bounceback years from Hopkins, Benjamin, and Eifert, or else they're gonna need a whole new set of downfield weapons.

EXCESS ASSETS: If everyone produces early, Snead's return may make a quality WR expendable. 

New York's Finest

NYF grade well at WR, but below average at all other offensive position. The team has ten players on bye week 8, consolidating its losses to one week but stronger for it the other three months of play.

NEEDS: There's no RB safety net during Doug Martin's three week suspension; If Gurley or All Day go down, they'll be jammed up.

EXCESS ASSETS: Landon Collins is could be moved for a top offensive weapon if needed, and replaced on the cheap.

Oakwood Drivers

The Drivers had a solid draft receiving high marks at six of nine positions; However, they're weak at the skill positions and their bench has minimal obvious upsides.

NEEDS: WR. Jarvis Landry, Emmanuel Sanders, and Randall Cobb all lack the size to be counted on as red zone targets, so they'll need to  rely upon volume. 

EXCESS ASSETS: If one of the team's three Patriot RBs can claim the lion's share early the team will be able to use their bench on some lotto tickets, or move perhaps move dependable veteran Matt Forte.