LBXIV: WEEK SIX

Lightning round to catch up: Jersey falls to 5-1 and the undefeated dream ends for the fourteenth consecutive year. Behind them, three teams (Hill Valley, Ohio, and Manitoba) keep their head above water, and then full half the league sits at .500 with only Carmel (2-4), Pawnee (1-5), and South Philly (1-5) in the dumps.

Week 6 Matchups

 

• Phoenix Uprising187.92Carmel RudyTuesdays167.40
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• Binghamton Snipers180.80Mar-a-Lago Treason169.06
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• Deputy Van Halens203.10NJ Sanitation Crew182.70
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• Hill Valley McFlys268.08South Park Cows169.11
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• HoChiMinhLeadFarmers205.99Manitoba Moosecrew174.65
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• Pawnee Pride162.87Savannah Petes180.32
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• South Philly Rum Ham150.96Tommy’s Boys170.30
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Strill quiet on the trade front. Mar-A-Lago picks up Deon Jackson and he immediately stars, giving the wire a special sheen, but the tried and true kingmaker has always been wheeling and dealing! Also, a tie at placekicker- we're going to a kickoff.

TEAM OF THE WEEK (WK 6)

• QB JOE BURROW (OTB) - 32.40 PPOINTS
• RB DEON JACKSON (MAL) - 25.40 POINTS
• WR JA'MARR CHASE (SPC) - 33.20 POINTS
• TE MARK ANDREWS (SPC) - 23.20 POINTS
• DL JONATHAN ALLEN (MAL) - 21.05 POINTS
• LB DEMARIO DAVIS (MMC) - 23.50 POINTS
• CB SHAQUILL GRIFFIN (DVH) - 23.50 POINTS
• SS CJ GARDNER-JOHNSON (PAW) - 23.75 POINTS
• PK WIL LUTZ (MMC) & RYAN SUCCOP (JSC) - 14.00

TRADE 2: Shuffling the Deck

Earlier this week Carmel and Phoenix swapped players ahead of their pivotal week six matchup. It's their second trade of the season, accounting for 100% of the league's trading activity to date- concerning volume for a league that has historically thrived on blockbusters. Like their previous swap, this deal is minor in nature:

CARMEL ACQUIRES: RB MICHAEL CARTER

PHOENIX ACQUIRES: WR HUNTER RENFROW

The Rudy-Toos saw Khalil Herbert play on Thursday then had James Conner officially ruled out, so they were in need of an immediate stopgap to platoon with Austin Ekeler. In Carter they're getting a veteran who has a defined (if somewhat mitigated) role on his team's offense, and vultured a pair of touchdowns last week. Not a world beater and not any every week starter (unless something were to happen to Breece) he'll look to do damage to the team that drafted him in the eleventh round.

Phoenix adds Carmel's fifth round pick in Renfrow, albeit one that has wrapped disappointing results around a concussion. Now on a bye, the Uprising will hope that his role expands moving forward, as bye season and injuries add up. At his best Renfrow is a scrappy slot receiver that relies upon volume to add value, the arrival of Davante may cap his upside. 

LBXIV: WEEK FIVE

Week six is already underway, but lets quickly recap where things stand after five weeks:

LBXII's champions from New Jersey remain unbeaten, pushing it to five in a row with the league's highest point total substantiating their claim. The only team within a game of them? The defending champions from Manitoba. It's a new era in Larkspur, where the old powers have faded and newer teams are competing for their second trophy.

The league's three game winners are a mix of veteran contenders (Hill Valley, South Park) and upstarts building on last year's playoff appearances (Mar-A-Lago, Ohio) to round out the playoff field, and leaving more than half the league under .500 at this juncture.

The lack of trades this season owes to many factors, not least of which is a communal patience instilled over time. Still, with bye weeks now in play, the effort to exchange rather than add from a fairly barren wire should ramp up as each week ekes closer to do or die.

Week 5 Matchups

 

• Phoenix Uprising171.25Mar-a-Lago Treason287.61
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• Binghamton Snipers147.16HoChiMinhLeadFarmers174.73
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• Carmel RudyTuesdays205.26Pawnee Pride113.96
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• Deputy Van Halens260.47South Philly Rum Ham168.34
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• Hill Valley McFlys181.65NJ Sanitation Crew238.40
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• Manitoba Moosecrew177.76Tommy’s Boys154.98
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• Savannah Petes189.24South Park Cows179.62
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Mar-A-Lago put together a top five score in trouncing Phoenix, with Josh Allen and Gabe Davis proving a dynamic duo. Meanwhile Deputy (in the run up to their Head Coach's nuptials) delivered a whopper as well- a savvy start of swiss army knife Taysom Hill clinching a vital W while dropping South Philly to 1-4, a cellar they share with Pawnee. With eight wins the 'magic number' for securing as playoff spot, it will take something close to perfection for either team to make a run in 2022.

TEAM OF THE WEEK (WK 5)

• QB JOSH ALLEN (MAL) - 41.66 POINTS
• RB AUSTIN EKELER (CRT) - 40.60 POINTS
• WR GABE DAVIS (MAL) - 37.50 POINTS
• TE TAYSOM HILL (DVH) - 38.41 POINTS
• DL MAXX CROSBY (SAV) - 21.00 POINTS
• LB DAVID LONG (PHX) - 21.00 POINTS
• CB BYRON MURPHY (SAV) - 25.00 POINTS
• SS DESHON ELLIOT (SPC) - 34.00 POINTS
• PK JUSTIN TUCKER (SAV) - 17.00 POINTS

LBXIV: WEEK FOUR

Only the Jersey Trashers remain undefeated, a perfect 4-0 after pounding the Petes, who lose despite an all-time day from Tight End TJ Hockenson. Hill Valley and Ohio fall to 3-1, while South Park and Manitoba bounce back to the same record. 

Scrapping for the sixth seed in the early going are three 2-2 teams: Binghamton, Mar-A-Lago, and Phoenix haven't done themselves any favors in the season's first month, but at least they do not have holes to climb out of.

That leaves six teams at 1-3, none of which should be counted out, but each of which will need to be much better over the next two months if they want to punch their ticket to the dance.

Week 4 Matchups

 

• Phoenix Uprising180.60Pawnee Pride211.33
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• Binghamton Snipers223.57Tommy’s Boys200.60
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• Carmel RudyTuesdays178.86South Park Cows196.41
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• Deputy Van Halens193.70Manitoba Moosecrew199.01
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• Hill Valley McFlys184.48South Philly Rum Ham196.89
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• HoChiMinhLeadFarmers167.04Mar-a-Lago Treason182.95
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• NJ Sanitation Crew231.06Savannah Petes198.10
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We're in our final week before the byes begin- injuries are starting to take their toll on rosters, and yet we still have only seen a single minor trade, with Week Five already underway. Everyone is challenged with sending out at least one trade offer to get a conversation going- maybe it goes nowhere! YOU NEVER KNOW UNTIL YOU GO.

TEAM OF THE WEEK (WK 4)

• QB TOM BRADY (SAV) - 27.50 POINTS
• RB JOSH JACOBS (JSC) - 39.40 POINTS
• WR JUSTIN JEFFERSON (JSC) - 29.90 POINTS
• TE TJ HOCKENSON (SAV) - 42.00 POINTS
• DL JONATHAN ALLEN (MMC) - 27.00 POINTS
• LB FRANKIE LUVU (PRH) - 33.15 POINTS
• CB L'JARIUS SNEED (BIN) - 17.50 POINTS
• SS JORDAN POYER (SPC) - 28.00 POINTS
• PK BRETT MAHER (HVM) - 15.00 POINTS

LBXIV: WEEK THREE

Now we're cooking! Three weeks and only three undefeated teams remaining: Hill Valley, Ohio, and New Jersey top the standings followed by three 2-1 teams: South Park, Manitoba, and Phoenix. Of the top six, all but the Tommy Boys have won the Larkspur Bowl's Silver Chalice at least once; Of the other eight teams (six of whom sit at 1-2) only one team has a championship to their name, the 0-3 Pawnee Pride.

Week 3 Matchups

 

• Phoenix Uprising175.93South Park Cows151.66
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• Binghamton Snipers163.15Deputy Van Halens176.92
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• Carmel RudyTuesdays181.02NJ Sanitation Crew235.66
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• Hill Valley McFlys210.41Manitoba Moosecrew171.80
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• HoChiMinhLeadFarmers175.00Tommy’s Boys238.60
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• Mar-a-Lago Treason228.60Pawnee Pride167.16
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• Savannah Petes179.04South Philly Rum Ham173.28
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Only three teams broke the 200 point mark in week three, which makes it one of the lowest scoring weeks on record. A lot of that owes to breakouts from bench players and from players currently on the wire- but destined to be claimed or added in the near future.

The Trade Market remains tepid, but as teams buy or sell early returns and injuries pile up, expect to see transactions flying. Making an offer as a conversation starter is always an option- a lowball might kill discourse, but a genuine offer, even declined, can lead to fruition for both sides.

TEAM OF THE WEEK (WK 3)

• QB LAMAR JACKSON (CRT) - 37.52 POINTS
• RB DERRICK HENRY (MAL) - 25.90 POINTS
• WR DEVONTA SMITH (OTB) - 35.30 POINTS
• TE MARK ANDREWS (SPC) - 26.70 POINTS
• DL MAXX CROSBY (SAV) - 24.50 POINTS
• LB ROQUAN SMITH (HVM) - 29.90 POINTS
• CB JALEN RAMSEY (DVH) - 20.00 POINTS
• SS JEVON HOLLAND (MAL) - 27.50 POINTS
• PK YOUNGHOE KOO (BIN) - 12.00 POINTS

WEEK TWO: HCM DEFEATS DVH

We have our first overturned result of the 2022 season, with HCM City evening their record at 1-1 and vaulting up to seventh at the expense of the Deputy Van Halens, who fall to twelfth place at 0-2.

The review tweaked the scoring for Deputy Defensive players Myles Jack and Danielle Hunter, with Jack actually gaining four points before Hunter lost 7.5 on a misattributed Sack/TFL/Tackle. A crushing blow for the Van Halens, who nabbed the #2 seed last season with a 9-4 record. The Lead Farmers will look to build momentum with the win as they pursue their third berth into the Larkspur Bowl, and their first win following losses in LBXII and LBIX.

TRADE 1: Eazy Coco Exchange

For the third year in a row, Carmel makes the first trade of the season, and for the second year in a row, their partner is Phoenix, as the teams exchange flex depth.

CARMEL AQUIRES: WR COREY DAVIS

PHOENIX ACQUIRES: TE EVAN ENGRAM

The Uprising started Cole Kmet in their first two games and his stat line came up snake eyes, a pair of zeroes. Putting a plea up on the trading block, Carmel offered Engram, who has put up volume results over the same time frame, catching 11 balls on 12 targets for 74 yards. They're not eye popping numbers, but he appears to offer the healthy safety net that Kmet's splatter could not.

In return Carmel gets Corey Davis, who was WR31 in 2020 and has shown a propensity for big plays in each of his first two turns in 2022, scoring 12.2 and 17.9 while confined to the Phoenix bench. The two players were drafted as neighbors: Davis going 275th overall and Engram 287th overall, so, we're looking at a pair of high pedigree veterans with the potential for a breakout season- or at least a contributing role at a position of need.