Special guest author: Kushal
Tangent Corner
Has any team won the BFFL championship with a QB / WR stack? A cursory look from 2023 back to 2009 shows that not a single championship winning team had a QB and a WR from the same team starting. Is this simple correlation or causation? Year after year GMs run the QB / WR stack and it pays dividends in the regular season but not in the post season.
No team has ever won the BFFL championship with Tom Brady as the starting QB. I call it the Buffalo effect. Every season right around the fantasy playoffs, Tom Brady without fail would have one of his worst games of the season in an away game at Buffalo in weeks 14/15.
The Draft Grade Process
In the early years of BFFL there would be many surprises during the draft. We’d get some massive reaches in the early rounds. We would also see blatant homer picks in the first round. Those days are long gone, the GMs of the BFFL no longer make those types of mistakes. Instead we get to see many different strategies and approaches with a well informed group of GMs. These draft grades are simply a snapshot of how a team’s draft went based on ADP data from various fantasy data sources and personal bias. A team that takes maximum risk could easily make a championship run, they could also crash out and miss the playoffs. Nothing is set in stone. A team isn’t going to lose the season just because of a few misses in the draft, it just makes winning that much more difficult.
Pool of the Dead: A
In a non PPR league, can WRs carry a team to the promised land? The Pool of the Dead certainly believes it’s possible. The WR corps is the best on any roster in the league. Justin Jefferson and Mike Evans are the clear top 2 WR1s. Brock Bowers is the #1 pass catching option his team, Garret Wilson is the primary target on his team. That is 4 top pass catchers. The Broncos defense will be producing at a TE level on fantasy as well. Especially with the new offseason signings. The only weakness is bench depth and the question of Jarred Goff. Everyone knows Goff had a great season last season. This season he’s going to be playing more games away from Detroit. Goff’s dome vs outdoor splits are quite poor. He’s also lost the architect of that offense in Ben Johnson. Can he repeat last season’s performance? It is unlikely. If he does just enough to get by and limits his turnovers, the Pool of the Dead will be in a great spot. They could easily shore up the RB position with some trades too.
Jedi Knights: A-
Balanced team composition that mixes upside with some proven contributors. Herbert should have a much better season this year, Chargers spent draft capital on WRs and his favorite target Keenan Allen is back. I expect him to outperform his ADP. Gibbs and Pollard provide a solid RB corps to anchor the weekly scoring. Gibbs has tremendous upside, but it remains to be seen how he will be used now that Ben Johnson is no longer calling the shots. Pollard should have a more productive season this year as Tennessee might have an actual QB playing for them. Smith-Nijba, George Pickens and AJ Brown are WRs with upside. Pickens and Smith-Nijba should both fare much better this season. I expect Brown to be similar to last year in production but maybe a slight regression. The bench has some fliers! Blue could easily take over as the starting RB in Dallas and is worth the roster stash. Caleb Williams could easily finish as a top 5 QB if he can figure out the Ben Johnsonm offense. Just look at Goff’s numbers with Ben calling the shots. Tillman is a great WR3 and Addison is going to be in the mix once his suspension is done. The one flaw with this team is their defense. Commanders are the oldest roster in the NFL. They had many lucky breaks last season, hard to see how they will be an effective unit scoring wise this season. Rams are a much better fantasy play as their young defensive line is capable of generating sacks.
Isla Sorna Raptors : B+
In the tangent corner I mentioned how the double stack of QB/WR has never won a championship. But is that true for RB/WR? In theory this makes a ton of sense, find the best fantasy offense in the league and draft as many players from it as possible. The Raptors have the 2 best options from the Bengals, the defacto #1 WR in Jamar Chase and a dynamic RB in Chase Brown. The drawback? They also are starting the Bengals defense. Starting 3 players from the same team is incredibly risky. If the Bengals have a great game, the Raptors will probably win. If the Bengals lose, they could lose a lot of production. The good thing is the Bengals throw a ton so this could be a moot point. Tre Mcbride is a great TE value and is in the mix every game for Kyler Murray. Deebo is the best value on this roster. I expect him to have a bounce back season and return to form with the Commanders. The bench has good depth with Allgeier (RB2 with RB1 upside) and the Bills defense. At last we come to Bo Nix, like Jaden Daniels, he too will hit the sophomore slump. Will he overcome the slump? NFL defenses adapt every season and he is in a tough AFC West vision facing the Chiefs and Chargers twice. If Nix and the Bengals do good, the Raptors will be tearing it up in the North.
Cloud 9: B
Cloud 9 is a perennial powerhouse of the BFFL. This team dominates the regular season, and is still hungry for that elusive 1st championship. Might need to check the record books to confirm if this is the highest winning % team throughout league history. (It would be nice if some GM wrote the wiki). This year they’ve gone back to the well with Lamar Action Jackson at QB. Paired with the stud Bucky Irving, you’ve got a solid foundation. Rounding out the RBs you’ve got Henderson, Stevenson , and some other backups. The back up RBs on the bench could be good attrition plays down the line, but until then will most likely be riding the bench. The biggest concern for this team is at WR. Odunze is set to thrive in the new Ben Johnson led Bears offense, but Davante Adams? He might have his favorite QB Jimmy G throwing him the ball again. It’s no secret that Matthew Stafford’s back is ailing him, can he make it the full season? Hard to say. It’s a risk. Mark Andrews should be good for the stack, but is he going to get the same amount of looks? The Ravens offense has many mouths to feed, good thing they were averaging 30+ a game last season. This team will be more formidable once Rashee Rice comes back from his suspension. Until then look for Lamar and starting RBs to start clobbering. If Lamar plays with a chip on his shoulder for missing out on MVP, Cloud 9 is going to rocket to the top of the North.
Sacramento Wolf Pack: B+
Last season was one to forget for the Wolfpack, they finished with their lowest win total in franchise history with just 1 win. This is a franchise that will be looking to turn it around. The team’s roster is more balanced with proven talent and risk.
I’ll be the first to say, I was quite surprised with Drake Maye in his rookie campaign. He has the makings of a competent QB with upside. But given that this is his second season he could easily regress. The QB sophomore slump is real. Even talented QBs like Lamar Jackson have fallen to it. One difference here is that Maye has an all new coaching staff with actual coaches. If Maye limits his turnovers (last season 3:2 TD:INT ratio), he has upside. Jeanty could be finishing in the top 5 RBs. Pete Caroll loves to run the ball and he favors a bell cow approach vs RBBC. Jeanty could be in line for a massive workload. A rookie RB being drafted this high is a risk but one that is worth taking. Kenneth Walker (another Pete Caroll RB) is a proven runner with a shaky injury history. I believe it’s a missed opportunity that this team did not secure Walker’s backfield running mate Charbonet. Xavier Worthy should have a big season as he will be the main WR target for Mahomes, especially with Rice missing 6 games. Shakir is a solid WR2. Matthew Golden is going to have a great rookie season. Of all the speedster WRs he’s the first one with a good pair of hands. I am expecting him to be in the Wolf pack’s starting line up later in the season. Lastly, Puka Nacua. The stud WR1 carried the Rams offense. Matthew Stafford’s back could be a lingering injury that flares up all year long. If that happens, Jimmy Happy Feet Garoppolo will be the QB. Puka at his current ADP was a bit too high and expectations should be tempered. If Stafford soldiers through then Puka should continue to perform at the top 5-10 of the league. Wolfpack will be in the mix for the FFC West division lead.
Game of Zones: B
This team could easily make a deep playoff run if their risky picks pay off. Drafting CMC early in the first round is a given. No one wants to pass on him but the question lingers on everyone’s mind. Can he finish a whole season? If CMC finishes the whole season, this team is going to excel to new heights. There’s another risky play on this team , Tyreek Hill. Will he make it the whole season? More importantly will his starting QB make it past week 3?
Both of these high profile players carry tremendous risk, but as they say, the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. To offset some of this there is stability to be had at WR, and RB2. Pacheco should get most of the carries in KC (barring the occasional sniping by the KC RBBC). Lad McConkey is going to have an even better season this year. He’s got Keenan Allen opposite him and Herbert looks to be in the best form he’s been. Just don’t over react from week 1 Brazil nonsense and all will be well. (Side note: The NFL needs to stop with these half assed international game efforts). No one likes to talk about special teams and fantasy defenses but they are an absolute x factor in the league. Will Lutz is going to get many kicking opportunities and the Texans defense is a solid unit that scores many fantasy points. They should have drafted Brian Robinson as the insurance policy for such a high value pick like CMC.
Philippine Garbage Dumps: C
A new season and no draft day trades from PGD. This team is the kingmaker of the league, 6 out of the last 8 champions have won only after trading with PGD. But what is the strategy being employed by PGD to win a title for themselves? Holding onto the first round pick should certainly help. The RB duo on this team is a healthy balance of maximum risk and proven talent. Jonathan Taylor is an excellent running back and has been taken in the first round last few seasons, I expect Taylor to have a good season. It’s hard to not talk about the Colts QB situation in the context of Taylor. Having Daniel Jones as the starting QB could potentially help Taylor. Jones may siphon off a few yards here and there with his scrambles and designed runs, but ultimately if he can effectively move the ball, it will make Taylor’s life much easier. If Danny Dimes plays well, Taylor will have an even better season. Devon Achane is volatile. He can gash a team for 3 TDs in a single half or he could miss 5 weeks straight. The Dolphins offensive skill players all have 1 trait, pure unadulterated , blistering speed. What they don’t have is durability. If Achane stays healthy, PGD will be running buck wild. If Achane misses multiple games, Slam Ball will be cashing in that Ollie lottery ticket.
Chris Olave is a talented WR, there is no doubt about it. But who is his QB? Spencer Rattler is already being favored as the first QB who will be benched this season. Olave will only be as good as his QB. Jakobi Meyers is another WR that is in flux. He had a great season last year but is in the midst of a contract dispute. Raiders denied his trade request so he’s gearing to play. With an upgrade at QB with Geno , he should have a strong season. DJ Moore was already thriving last season but there were some major miscues. The man literally stepped off the field in the middle of a play. If Ben Johnson can get Caleb Williams dialed in, he could be a great WR1 value.
Homer bias aside, Brocky Purdy is under rated. He is going to have an excellent QB for PGD. Stafford on the other hand is a risky back up with all of the uncertainty around his current back issue. Will the Jets defense be as effective without Saleh calling the shots? Bench has some good depth with Chargers, Mooney, and Godert.
Lots of uncertainties but if things go the way PGD hope, they’ll be in the mix for FFC West.
Elk Grove Spartans: B
If we do well this season it was all because we drafted from the couch this year. If we do poorly this season it’s because all you bastards took our fantastic value picks.
Slam Ball 2k25 – A
Can a team afford to go late on a QB in this era of mediocre QB play? That question will be answered with this year’s Slam Ball 2k25 roster. Trevor Lawrence is a risk. He’s been streaky and has made poor decisions with the ball. With Liam Coen taking over for Jacksonville it’s possible Trevor bounces back to post a career high season. Just look at what Liam did with Baker Mayfield running the offense. It’s not like the Jaguars have a lack of talent at the offensive skill positions. We’ve seen it all too often where young QBs who are drafted by poorly run franchises are put in a position to fail. A change in coaching and staff can be just what Trevor needs.
This team’s loaded at WR and RB, iIt’s an embarrassment of riches. Derrick Henry continues to defy all expectations and can dominate once again. If only the Ravens coaching staff wouldn’t keep pulling him out for obvious passing play situations. It’s simple, give him the damn ball and let him destroy the opposing defense. Henry was the #1 RB on the Spartans draft board this season for a reason. Drake London is a steal in the second round, a talented WR who managed to produce with Kirk Cousins at QB. He should build on the previous season and thrive. Tee Higgins and Jameson Williams?! Excellent value for both. Both are in high flying passing offenses that will throw a ton. Jordan Mason is a legitimate RB talent, he should do well with his opportunities at RB2 and is known to break off long runs. This is one of the best starting rosters in the league.
Also, it should be worth mentioning that this team holds not 1, not 2, but 3 RB backups on the bench. Each of these back ups is a lottery ticket that could become a RB1. Allen could easily replace Breece. Ollie could replace Achane, and Charbonnet will probably replace Walker in 3-4 weeks. Quite slammin.
Gandalf The Goat: B-
Gandalf was left searching for the finest leaf in the valley when Josh Allen was drafted earlier. Employing a double RB strategy this team is fielding Josh Jacobs and Breece Hall. Paired with a surging Joe Burrow, it could be the same foundation Gandalf has used in previous championship seasons. The WR corps is not as good as some other situations but there are some excellent values to be had. Ricky Pearsall, Cortland Sutton, and Diggs should be the weekly starters and have upside. The concern is for Diggs who is much older and is coming off of a serious injury. For standard scoring he may not produce the yardage needed. Breece Hall is also a talented prospect but has consistently failed to deliver for his ADP. Could this be the season that he puts it all together? Or will Allen take over the starting job? This team’s fortunes will rely on the arm of Joe Burrow. Burrow had his career best season last year and didn’t even win an MVP. This is the reality of having a stellar season on a losing team. The situation is the same as last year, Bengals defense is horrid, Burrow will be forced to throw, throw, and throw some more. But can the offensive weapons of the Bengals stay healthy? They enjoyed some sublime injury luck last season. If Joe Burrow and Jacobs run it back to last season’s form, Gandalf will be in the mix. The Steelers defense is also a points generating machine with TJ Watt healthy. Dicker will have plenty of kicking opportunities too, just keep expectations tempered for Brazil.
Moore on the Run – B+
Jayden Daniels, will he be the first QB to break the sophomore slump? Moore On the Run certainly thinks so. Daniels had a phenomenal rookie season that propelled the Commanders from the depths of mediocrity to an unbelievable upset win over the Lions.
A sophomore slump regression is expected, but he just might be the exception. Terry Mclaurin resigned so that is a big step in the right direction. Alvin Kamara is 30+ years old, but he is still the most reliable part of a weaker NO offense. He’ll get plenty of volume and should provide a stable floor. Ceedee Lamb is going to be finishing in the top 5 WRs. Dallas’ defense will be worse without Micah Parsons. I’m expecting them to be down in games and have to throw in volume. With George Pickens arriving this also makes things easier for Lamb. Defenses won’t be able to just always throw a double or bring safety help. If Pickens succeeds, Ceedee will have another stellar season. Swift is reliable at RB and should get plenty of work in the RBBC structure that Ben Johnson likes to use. Just look at Gibbs and Montgomery’s production in Detroit. Micheal Pittman should be a good WR2/3, gets steady targets. Jalen Waddle is a risk/x factor. If you’ve read my thoughts on any of the other Miami WRs you know I view them all as a risk. Not only does Waddle have a history of missing games with injury, his QB situation is delicate. If Tua stays healthy and plays most of the season, Waddle will be an every week WR1. This bench holds some key back up RB lotto tickets, the biggest one being Brian Robinson. A missed opportunity from Game of Zones is not getting the insurance policy on CMC. Neighbor Nic has the policy and will cash it in should CMC miss any time. Remember last season? The 49ers used a carousel of RBs, each one getting a massive workload and putting up RB1 numbers. Of all the RB lottery tickets this was in my opinion, the most valuable. Could be a good trade asset as well. Between Daniels, Kamara, Swift, and Lamb, this team has a solid foundation to build on. If they catch a few breaks they’ll be in the mix in a loaded East division.
Mahomies’ Deezflated Nuts – C
Running backs that have more than 300+ touches have a 50% chance of missing games the following season. This is a widely quoted statistic that has no basis in reality, its anecdotal at best. Saquon Barkley is right at home in Philly, if he even matches 80% of what he did last season, these nuts will be inflated. With the departure of Ben Johnson, its unclear how the backfield workload will be split between Gibbs and Montgomery. If Monte still gets the goal line touches, he’ll be a great value. Laporta flashed earlier last season, but his workload and role in the offense will also be unclear. Hockenson was a great value TE in previous seasons but how will he do with JJ McCarthy? A rookie QB needs a TE outlet, so it could work. Starting two TEs is not without some level of risk. Terry Mclaurin signed his extension so that’s great news he should be Jayden’s #1 WR target. Just hoping he doesn’t have rust from missing training camp. Jake Moody is going to single handedly take years off of 49ers fans’ lives this year. Here’s hoping that Moody is Goody.
At last we get to the QB, Patrick..Mahomes. The magic is no longer there. Nor are the vaunted passing numbers. Mahomes finds himself with weaker offensive weapons than in seasons past. Kelce is a distraction, older and slower. His #1 weapon is going to miss the first 6 games with a suspension. It’s hard to see Mahomes replicating the numbers of years past, but if he’s able to get TDs off of passes to his RBs, he’ll still have a good floor. The other problem is the Chiefs’ schedule. They are in a tough division and will face quality defenses. In order for the Nuts to be in the mix in this division, Mahomes and the twin TEs will have to produce.
Uur UPS : B+
Two words, Tush Push. They still haven’t outlawed the damn play! Jalen Hurts should continue to produce for fantasy with a rushing floor buoyed by the butt smashing play. If Bijan Robinson lives up to his ADP this team is going to be in the playoffs. It’s never easy taking a player at #2 overall, let alone trading up to get him. It’s a risky move that could pay massive dividends. Given that this league is not PPR it’s hard to know if Bijan’s standard production will match his ADP. If the hype is real and Pennix is not mediocre (looking at you Kirko), Bijan just might be that guy.
Marvin Harrison Jr had an uneven rookie season but flashed for some massive games. He’s now had a full offseason and has…massive gains? He’s put on a ton of muscle. Not sure how this will affect his play this season. Either he’ll be winning every jump ball or he won’t be getting much separation. The talent is there. Devonta Smith is a fantastic value. He gets plenty of targets and is able to thrive lining up opposite AJ Brown. It wouldn’t be right if this team didn’t have a TE, they have one of the most talked about prospects from this year’s draft. Tyler Warren set a record in the Big Ten for most catches by a TE with 104, finishing first nationally in catches for a TE as well. Great pick late in the draft. Also, shout out to Younghoe Koo, solid kicker. The Chiefs defense is good, but they’ve got a tough schedule. Their young secondary should generate points via takeaways but the bigger concern is can they generate pressure to get sacks?
Bruce Almighty: B-
The reigning 2 time BFFL champion begins the title defense with a balanced roster. The Cowboys are a dog water organization, but their inept management could produce fantasy points for Bruce. Dak Prescott is going to be forced to throw the ball a ton, he also has 2 legitimate WRs to throw to now. Dak could have a good season but he also has some interesting home / away splits when playing outside of the dome. James Conner just keeps scoring TDs. Every year people write him off as too old. He single handedly rolled the Cardinals past the 49ers where not a single defender could bring him down. He’s a good value for RB, Arizona also has an easier schedule to start the season. Aaron Jones will be an RB 2, he won’t get the bulk of the carries but could still produce in the passing game. It will be interesting to see how the carries are split with Mason. Amon Ra St. Brown was the key cog of the Lions’ passing machine last season. Can he do it again? Cooper Kupp was once the #1 WR in the league, can he do it again? The success of this team will rely on Kupp outplaying his current ADP with his new QB Sam Darnold. Brian Thomas should continue to do well even if Lawrence occasionally sails one over his head. Jauan Jennings could also be a massive steal. He just signed his contract, but he’s missed some training camp. If Jennings plays and is healthy he is a legitimate WR1. Just look at the dominant performances he had last season. He is Brock Purdy’s go to 3rd down target, its 3rd and Jauaan for a reason. If the WRs run it back, the champ will be going for a 3rd.
Dr Jenious: C
One of the things that has been great to see in our league is GMs employing different strategies. Sometimes they work exceedingly well, others result in a losing season. The Doctor has reviewed the patient feedback from last season and has gone the way of the Hero RB strategy. With our league’s flexible roster settings you can run many different formations. Similar to the Pool of the dead this team is going for a stacked 1 RB 4 WR set. The WR talent is a 50/50 split of known talent and explosive rookie potential. Perfectly balanced. Nico Collins is the #1 target for CJ stroud, the Doctor is counting on the stack to pay dividends. DK Metcalf will be the undisputed #1 target for a QB who is mostly washed but can still throw a killer deep ball, which happens to be Metcalf’s specialty. McMillan would be leading all the targets in Car with a Bryce Young led offense that looked great in preseason. Egbuka is another 1st round rookie talent with potential. He may not be the top target on the Bucs, but will certainly benefit from having Mike Evans draw the primary coverage. The only concern with this team is the RB position. Going with a 1 RB 4 WR set assumes that the single RB that is on the roster is a solid RB1. As of the current depth chart, Omarion Hamptton is not the starter. Najee Harris is going to start. How long will that last? Anyone who’s seen Najee Harris knows he played behind a terrible offensive line. If Harris struggles early then the rookie Hamptton should get the starting role. CJ Stroud followed up a stellar rookie season (23 TD, 5 INT) with a woeful sophomore slump. The 20 Touchdowns were not moving the needle but the 12 interceptions were brutal. Defenses keyed in on his game and tendencies, he will need to up his game this season. If he can expand his game and also add in some dynamic running, he will be a great starter. This team will go as high as its rookies and QB can go. The bench also holds key back up RBs to many prominent starters around the league. Should an RB on another team go down, they may have to call the Dr.
Da Moons Huge Craters: B-
Baker Mayfield threw 16 interceptions last season but that was buried under the mammoth 41 TDs thrown. Both Jarred Goff and Baker had their career best seasons last season. Both have lost the architects of their respective offenses. Can Baker maintain the same form with a new system? That will be one of the biggest questions for this team. Starting the season without Godwin certainly won’t help, but with Godwin allegedly coming back sometime after week 5, it’s possible. The RB backfield is the bedrock of this team, James Cook just keeps on scoring. Every season it looks like he might drop off and he just scores more TDs. With the Bills offense continuing to do well, Cook will eat. Kyren Williams is a talented runner no doubt, but the Stafford back issue lingers over the entire Rams offense. If Stafford misses major time and Jimmy Happy Feet Garapollo is the starting QB, expect tough sledding for Kyren as he’ll be facing 8 man boxes. Calvin Ridley is a fantastic value, he should have a rebound season and return to form this season. He has an actual QB throwing him the ball (at least if we believe the pre season and training camp reports). The Vikings defense will produce many fantasy points, the Brian Flores run unit is a mainstay and should be the starting defense all year. Especially with the points awarded for 4th down stops, Minnesota led the league last season in opponent 4th down conversions, allowing only 37% to be converted. Kyle Pitts. Will this finally be the season he becomes relevant? Its improbable, but not impossible. If Kyle Pitts delivers as he was supposed to every previous season, a massive win for the Craters. This team will need Baker to be as good as (if not better) than last season to make some noise.
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