Midseason Night's Dream... or Nightmare?

The conclusion of Week 7 of the 5th season of the MFFL marks the midway point of the Fantasy Regular Season (Augie, your plan is really heading into crunch time bro and not one of us is quite sure about what your plan actually is),  and while all managers venture together in unison into the second half of the season, the perspectives of last night's season solstice are completely personal. A night filled with fun poll making and misinterpreting what it means to be a midseason Fantasy MVP was also marked by relentless restlessness over a Weekly Wrap-Up that was running late (If you call this thing an article one more time Dom I'm banning you from the group chat for 1 day: Darren treatment). Furthermore, while managers from top tier teams could sleep blissfully with the promise of playoffs prancing in their head, managers of the bottom feeders spent the night tossing and turning in a trance of turmoil over Dansky Bowl dread. In order to properly embrace this embarkment into the league's second act, I wanted to make this Weekly Wrap-Up extra exceptional, and for that, we back track:

Midseason Review:

Having spent 7 games with their teams (and many months worth of futilely refreshing the My Team page in search of news on players or promising projections in Fearless Forecasts), managers around the league have gotten a pretty good understanding of not only their own players, but that of their opposition as well. Thus, marking the perfect time to designate some Midseason Manager's Choice Awards along with some other Fantasy Recognitions. The managers voted and the results were calculated, so here they are! 

• Bound for The Ballzac:

Our MFFL Championship Trophy finally has a name, and the managers voted on who is most likely to be fondling the Ballzac to keep it warm through the Winter: GM Ian of Kraft Beer (5-2) was the chosen one, wielding a terrifying trio of RB1s: Saquon, Chubb, and Fournette that may just let him run away with his 2nd MFFL Championship.

• Doomed for The Dansky:

In what very well could be a tragic repeat, GM Michael of Romanian RAPOs (2-5) led the votes as most likely to dress up for a 5K run. However, tied in the polls was fellow (2-5) leaguemate, GM August of 5 Year Plan, who sits in last both in standings and in point totals.

• Fan-Not-So-Favorite:

The league seems to have decided on a common enemy, as GM Ian was voted astoundingly as the Manager that others would least like to win the championship this year. Results on whether this widespread rooting against the favorite was tied to the hatred other managers have towards the 5th year GM were inconclusive as the question "How much do you hate Ian on a scale of 1-10?" was met with no definite mode.

• Playoff Pirate:

The manager most likely to pillage his way into the playoffs and potentially plunder a playoff victory away from a top seed was voted to be GM Grafton of No More Mr. Nice Guy (YES I LOVE THE NAME CHANGE, PEOPLE'S CHAMP FTW). Although sitting at a horrendous (2-5) record, the people formerly known as the Nice Guys are 2nd in total points scored and also boast the League's top RB in CMC who has already had his bye week and is still somehow #1. A lights out second half of the season will be needed for Grafton and his Meanies to have a realistic shot at sneaking into the playoffs, but if they do find a way in, opponents will finding it very difficult to kick them out.

• Terrible Trader:

There were really only ever 2 possible people this award could go to, and fittingly enough they get to share the recognition. GM August and GM Kelly were overwhelming winners in this poll despite having vastly different trade tactics (if you can even call them tactics). While August seems poised to Trade Rape anyone who bothers to respond with his outrageous offers, Kelly has been often criticized for his unawareness of the idea of balance within a trade and seeming far to willing to be the Trade Rapee. It's almost unbelievable these two haven't collaborated on a trade together, they seem like the perfect fit! But in all honesty, having negotiated with both of them recently, they are far too ridiculed and misunderstood and actually can offer some of the better negotiations. We make fun of a manager willing to be creative in create groundbreaking ways to trade while also condemning a manager who is open to entertain any offer and willing to take chances that may not always look reasonable to the popular opinion of the rest of the league. "If ever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."

• Midseason MVP:

While many names from various positions were brought up: league leading RB and first overall pick CMC, waiver pick up not bad for a RB Lamar Jackson, and GMs Ian and Kurt?; I would like to bring light to a few unrecognized stars that deserve their time in the spotlight: WR Godwin for Bigpapihugetime (6-1) leads all WRs with 118 points and only costed a 5th round draft pick. Another name that could be in the running for MVP late in the season as well is RB Cook who was taken in the 2nd round is 2nd leading RB on the season, not too far behind CMC. However, amidst the breakouts and superstars that have taken over as valuable assets, the undoubted midseason MVP is the New England Defense who was acquired in the 12th round and has put up the 9th most points in the league. Yes, that's including all players from all positions. They have 160 total fantasy points this season, CMC has 162...  

• Biggest Bust:

The great thing about this award is that it's not too late to turn it around for most of these players (at least that's what I tell myself every Sunday as I put on my clown makeup and slide Mixon into my starting RB slot). While Mixon was the consensus Biggest Bust of the season due to being the highest draft capital and being a trap start every week that hurts your team every week rather than someone that got injured or could be benched for other options, I want to highlight some other names so other managers can join in mourning. RB Gordon was the first pick of the 2nd round for GM Connor and that 4 week wait on the holdout has yet to pay off with a viable fantasy week. WR Juju was also a 2nd rounder and has suffered from truly abysmal QB play all season. RB Damien Williams is another top pick, injured and then lost his starting job. Not to even mention 2 top players in their positions just stopped playing football! WR Brown and QB Luck both were high draft picks that never even got to see the fantasy field. Even TE Howard is a bust worthy of recognition due to the amount of hype surrounding him all offseason. Hopefully there is something here to help all managers of struggling franchises channel their frustration. If my understanding of Fantasy Football is worth anything, expect Mixon to go bonkers next season for someone else's team just like Fournette. 

• A Sweet Confirmation:

To close out the Midseason Awards, one final poll question allows us to transition to the second half with a nice catharsis. The league agrees, GM Dominic is the worst manager in the MFFL according to 75% of its managers and fans (the other 25% are delusional confirmed). 

While we are still in the theme of looking back and reviewing, a brand new feature will slide perfectly into this week's wrap-up, making its long awaited debut! Play the drop Mike!

Trade Triumph or Tragedy: This brand new segment will take a look at some of the blockbuster trades that have transpired this season and take a look at how teams have faired. 

This segment couldn't start anywhere other than with the very first trade of the season heading into week 4. Frustrated with Freddie Kitchens poor offensive game plan and play-calling, GM Kelly placed RB Chubb on the trade block right when GM Ian just so happened to be in the market for RBs after losing RB Saquon to a multi-week injury. Kelly traded RB Chubb and WR Hardman for #1 overall WR at the time, Keenan Allen. While the trade fulfilled a need for both teams, the ramifications of the trade were felt around the league almost instantly. Week 4, RB Chubb exploded for 38 points for his new team Kraft Beer, giving GM Ian 3 RB1s upon the return of Saquon. Meanwhile WR Allen failed to surpass 10 points in his 4 games for the Juice Boxes. Whether this trade will become as infamous as last years Julio Schoolio remains to be seen, but there certainly is a clear and vast winner to this trade.

While certainly not a trade that shook the league like the former, GM Brody and GM Connor agreed on a week 5 trade that has seemed beneficial for both of them so far. Brody, just losing TE Henry to a lengthy injury was desperate for a TE and was able to acquire TE Kittle along with WR Fuller in exchange for WR Marvin Jones and WR Shepard. GM Connor used his new acquisitions to fund future trades while GM Brody has yet another 2 TE system at the helm ready to be unleashed. This looks to have been a fruitful trade for both sides involved.

GM Connor has certainly been wheeling and dealing this season, completing a league high 3 trades. Mere hours after acquiring WR Jones from Brody, he flipped the brief Leprechaun WR over to GM Darren and the Mikes. The full trade consisted of GM Darren swapping RB Conner and Thielen over to GM Connor in exchange for RB Gurley and a WR duo of Jones and Gallup. The WR duo offered Darren a high upside and promise of breakout for Gallup and of course the chance to have Marvin Jones on his team yet again. Unfortunately, Gallup suffered a knee injury that has inhibited his progress into fantasy stardom thus far. RB Gurley has performed mildly well for the Mikes but has also seen a drastic drop in workload as he battles knee injuries of his own, causing Darren to wisely keep hold of handcuff RB Brown. In contrast, GM Connor has enjoyed a solid 2 weeks from RB Conner as well as a WR improvement with WR Thielen although both of his new acquisitions are also battling injuries. This trade is a little too early to tell how each team has been affected, and whichever crew can get healthy the quickest could be enjoying the triumphs of the trade late in the season. 

Our final major trade of the first half of the season broke just hours before this article as GM Michael and GM Kelly came to terms on the largest trade in terms of player capital so far this season. 7 players were involved in the trade as Michael, desperate for starting roster improvements and any RB after RB Kerryon was sent to IR, acquired WR Allen and RBs Breida and Snell. GM Kelly in exchange acquired a mass hall of WRs Woods, MVS, and Anderson while also obtaining RB Mckissic who is in line for a larger share of the Lions backfield post-Kerryon in what will likely be a committee approach. Kelly gets a big improvement at WR depth to help replace WR Gordon who was just recently sent to IR as well, along with WR Kirk who has been battling injuries all season. WR Anderson's rest of season schedule looks very tasty just as long as QB Darnold's appetite wasn't spoiled from any recent ghost sightings. Meanwhile a stable WR in Woods and upside play in MVS gives GM Kelly the freedom from the Keenan Allen nightmare that has been dragging the team for the past 4 weeks. A trade that promises both teams to start anew and refreshed looks to have at least partially filled some glaring team needs on both sides and the new acquisitions will certainly be examined closely in the weeks to come.

BREAKING NEWS:

A developing story about trade negotiations has been leaked to MFFL Studios that is reported to be taking place between some of the teams stuck at the bottom of the table in an effort to launch their way back into the playoff race. Although details are still scarce as teams hold tight to their insider knowledge, it is being rumored to be a potentially groundbreaking trade of which the likes have never been seen before in league history. We will continue to monitor this development so be sure to check back frequently as well as follow our twitter account to make sure you don't miss the news when it breaks!

Now that we have had a healthy helping of harking back, let's take a look forward to the second half of the season and get a deep dive into the Power Rankings and Team Outlooks.

Power Rankings:

12) 5 Year Plan (2-5): GM August suffered from a epically slow start to the season as everyone except for RB Elliott has taken their sweet time getting into the swing of things. Key acquisitions at RB to acquire depth has been key to keeping this team afloat as both RB Hyde and Singletary offer promise and stability going forward while fellow RB Freeman may finally (don't count on it) be possibly ready to start helping out as a weekly performer. WR has been a complete shit show for the Stalinists all season and there does not seem to be any savior coming to save this WR corpse from the dead. Although, Metcalf could continue developing into his role while Moore could see an upgrade upon the return of QB1. GM August might need to throw the script away and start improvising if he hopes to save his season. 

11) Romanian RAPOs (2-5): All things seem to be going normally for GM Michael in fantasy, which is that everything is going wrong. The RAPOs first 6 picks in this year's draft are as follows: RB Mixon, WR Odell, RB Kerryon, WR Woods, WR Anderson, and RB Penny. That is about as hideous as it gets and Kerryon getting sent to the IR may just be the final nail in the coffin. However, QB Wilson has been the #1 QB on the season so far and has been the one bright light PASSING through the OPEN and gloomy sky. The latest trade may be exactly what the RAPOs might need to start ROLLING as a breakout from WR Allen and RB Breida as a Kerryon replacement may be just what they need to go close the 2 game gap on the playoff teams. Although, RB Mixon has somehow kept on getting worse and unless he and Odell make a miraculous recovery, this team will just be looking to escape the Dansky.

10) Leprechaun Soldiers (2-5): Another team that has been crushed by injuries and busts, GM Connor is maintaining spirits on the backs of heads up trades and waiver pick ups that have allowed for the acquisition of key players Conner and Thielen while also picking up RB Edmonds who could service as a short term pick me up for a team that desperately needs it. Apart from the success of Thielen, finding the end-zone for the rest of the Leprechaun WRs has been as scarce a find as a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. This team needs to get healthy and fast as 4 key players are injured while star TE Dissly was also recently sent to IR. Bright spots do still exist on this team as QB Watson can explode like no other at any moment while the upside still remains for a lot of these players. Gordon will need to start earning his new contract while more consistency from Ridley and Cooks while Thielen gets healthy will be essential for the Soldiers to power through towards their dim playoff hopes. 

9) Miking Mikes (5-2): GM Darren has enjoyed the easiest schedule this season by a landslide, conceding over 85 points less than any other team in the league over the year. Meanwhile, the Mikes have not been a high flying team themselves, as weekly points are often dominated by 1 player balling out while everyone else disappoints. WR Thomas has been exceptional as expected this season, and has enjoyed in part the assistance of rookie RB Jacobs (when GM Darren gives him the start) however the flex and WR2 positions have been a glaring problem all season. The reemergence of WRs Larry Legend and Marvin Jones are promising but not convincing while breakout prospect WR Gallup has not been consistently on the field to make an impact. Furthermore, RB Gurley will continue to be a headache with the missed practices and workload limitations have certainly capped his ceiling. Changes certainly need to be made on this team in order to compete for the Ballzac, but luckily GM Darren has crafted a first half record to withstand a few struggles before righting the ship as the Mikes head into playoffs.

8) The Juice is Loose (3-4): A new look Juice Box (still the same terrible taste!) has emerged after the mega trade has given newfound and much needed depth at the WR position in order to have consistent FLEX options that have high upside. The Vikings combo of Cook and Diggs will be pivotal for GM Kelly to stay in the playoff hunt as Diggs finally looks to be back to his old self. QB Lamar Jackson will also be important in the campaign as he must continue his epic season both on the ground and through the air. The question marks for this team however fall onto the RB2 position and TE, which have both been inconsistent throughout the season. TE Ertz may have regressed back to his mean away from his standout 2018 season, but should definitely be on pace for more than just 2 TDs like he is now. The performances of White and McKissic will need to be accurately punched as a few key start/sit decisions for GM Kelly could be the difference between the Ballzac and the Dansky.

7) Tittsburgh Feelers (4-3): The Feelers have not felt true success in weeks as they have not hit the 100 point barrier since week 4 despite earning a weak victory in week 6. This team has not had a WR2 all season, and the inconsistency of the teams top WR Golladay has not been sufficient to carry the load on his own. Meanwhile, RB Mack has been hit and miss while superstar RB Kamara has been struggling through a knee and ankle injury that has hindered him in a few matchups while also causing him to miss week 7. While the Feelers have the potential to really get their hands on a playoff spot, the reality hasn't been there to match as of late. A recent NFL trade has seen WR Sanu sent off to the Patriots which could jump him right into the gaping WR2 hole especially with WR Gordon on the IR for the Pats. If he can work into a consistent Flex worthy option and RB McCoy holds onto his starting job as the Chiefs' top RB, Tittsburgh could be celebrating a deep playoff run, but don't get your hopes up just yet.

6) Scoregasms (3-4): GM Brody has launched a 3 game winning streak that now has him and the gasms only a single game out of a playoff spot, thanks in large part to RB Carson who has been one of the most elusive backs in the league this season. The WR duo of H&H finally looks to be solidifying into the dynamic duo they were drafted to be, as Hopkins' slow start seems to be speeding up while Hilton has made the most of his new QB and seems to be healthy after his brief injury that leaked into the bye week. The unique 2TE system is being reestablished and its success could be crucial for GM Brody in continuing the win streak as there is not much depth on the team behind them. FLEX options are limited to pure backup RBs Williams and Edwards with a side of injured boom/bust WRs Fuller and Brown who have been booming on the bench and busting in the starting lineup. The core group on this team is strong, but the depth just isn't there to really pin the Scoregasms as a true playoff candidate just yet. 

5) The Underachievers (4-3): WR Hill finally comes back from injury and there goes QB Mahomes. The freak fantasy stack from last year has rarely been on the field together this season and that has certainly hurt GM Dominic and the Let Downs. WRs Lockett and Sutton have instead stepped up and have really boosted this team with high floors while also contributing to victories with big games with TDs as well. RBs Bell and Jones have been serviceable but will be looking to really explode as the Jets finally get to that ever preached about easy part of the schedule while the Packers offense looks to be firing on all cylinders with QB Rodgers on a tear. An interesting piece that could be the key if things go haywire is RB Howard who has really come to life in Philly and could earn the Let Downs a few big wins down the road. While they certainly have what it takes to be a playoff contender, they are still a few steps away from being a part of the Ballzac Trophy Favorites.

4) Belichick Yo Self (4-3): The reigning champions have enjoyed a solid first half of the season that has set them up well for a potential repeat despite a few concerns. That week 6 devastation lurks in the rearview mirror like the depression kitty ready to strike again at the mere possibility of a bust week. WRs Kupp and Chark have been both an incredibly consistent staple as well as an epic reminder of all that can go wrong. This same them continues onto the RB core as Henry and Lindsay threaten to explode each week but seem to inexplicably disappear on other weeks. Like I said two weeks ago, this team desperately needs WR Adams to return and bring true consistency to the team as although they have the highest ceiling in the league, playoffs are a 3 week ordeal. 1 bad week could be curtains and this team is screaming for a curtain call.

3) Bigpapihugetime (6-1): #3 on the Power Rankings is the lowest GM Kurt and the Huge Times have been all season. This is much more in large part due to the recent success of the two teams above them, however the outlook on the Huge Times has altered slightly in the past couple weeks. RB Johnson had been on an absolute demolition run since the start of the season but was suddenly halted due to an injury that he continues to be nursing. RB Edmonds exploded in his place, threatening to form a dreaded C word in the Arizona backfield. Furthermore, both Ekeler and Ingram have started to notice the other RBs on their respective teams as all 3 of the Big Papi RBs could begin to lose a bit of their once dominate workload. The WR corps on the Huge Times is still the greatest in the league however, as all 3 WRs: Godwin, Cooper, and Jones are in the top 5 of overall WRs for points this season. This team has every bit of a championship team and more and will certainly be one of the teams to beat in the playoffs. 

2) Kraft Beer (5-2): The Midseason MFFL Championship Favorite sits only at #2 on the Power Rankings. If GM Kurt boasts the greatest WR corps in the league, the RB title belongs to GM Ian and no one else. GM Brody has been muttering about getting Saquonified, tied up in the Fournette, and just straight up Chubbed, all week in anticipation of his matchup against the Krafties. His worry is rightfully placed as GM Ian may well have the most complete team in the league top to bottom. And he has the Patriots Defense... championship on lock.

1) No More Mr. Nice Guy (2-5): THE PEOPLE'S CHAMP! GM Grafton would much rather be atop the actual standings than the power rankings, but his team outlook may just get him into the playoffs even at 2-5 (This is almost all because of the name change). Since week 3, the Meanies worst game was 120 points. GM Grafton and the people formerly known as the Nice Guys have scored 120 points or higher for 5 straight weeks. CMC was on bye last week. This team is #1 in the power rankings yet is still somehow sneaky good. TE Waller finally found the end-zone, and did so twice in one game, which just screams TD overhaul while between Evans, Brown, Jeffrey and McLaurin; there is always a blow up performance in the starting lineup. If the fantasy gods are buying into the rebranding as much as we are at MFFL Studios, this could really be happening. 

Weekly Awards:

• Oh Boy! Play of the Week:

GM Grafton faced another incredibly difficult matchup in Week 7 as he was able to finally earn a close 136-122 victory Monday Night on the back of RB Michel. The best start of the week however came at the Defensive position where GM Grafton started the Jacksonville Defense to replace the Carolina Defense on bye. Jacksonville scored 17 points to contribute in the victory.

• Murphy Mixup:

GM Darren has a true love/hate relationship with his weekly start/sit decision, and as a result, routinely finds himself on the Weekly Awards page for better or for worse. This week was the latter as WR Marvin Jones was left on the bench where he exploded for 4 TDs and 35 points. Instead, WR Fitz got the start and plopped out 1 catch for 12 yards. In a close matchup that was decided by only 9 points, this was one of those lethal lineup blunders that has managers thinking "what if?" for weeks.  

• WTF Waiver Wire:

The TE merry-go-round is in full force as multiple managers opted to dip into the waiver wire for whathever they could find. Two managers even picked up and then dropped that same TE without even playing a single game with them. GM Ian of the Krafties picked up TE McDonald Wednesday Morning, but by Thursday afternoon, he was released back into the waiver wire wild. A brief rental was what GM Ian had to say about the transactions as they seemed to just be working him out at practice to weight their options. GM Kelly was even more efficient however, as he owned TE Howard for a solid 31 minutes before deciding he had seen enough. 

• Crackhead of the Week: 

GM Dominic earns this award for being scientifically confirmed at being the worst manager in the league. Congrats Dom. 

Wildcat Matchup of the Week:

In a perfect way to kick-off the second half of the fantasy season, the #1 team in the league takes on the #1 team in the Power Rankings. Bigpapihugetime (6-1) clashes with No More Mr. Nice Guy (2-5) in an electrifying matchup that is sure to erupt into a storm surge. GM Kurt will be missing a few key players on bye this week, leaving the heavy lifting to be done by WRs Godwin and Jones as they should set the tone early on Sunday. The "Secondary is Optional" Eagles defense will get lit up by QB Allen and WR Brown for the Meanies, while another Evans disappointment compared to the colossal numbers by Godwin will make things interesting heading into the later games. Between CMC and Michel, the Meanies will need some form of a storm as QB Rodgers will be threatening to steal it on Sunday night for the Huge Times. I don't know what the line is for this game, but I'm taking the over. 

That is all for this Weekly Wrap-Up! Hope you all enjoyed the midseason review and are as excited as I am for the second half of our best season yet! To get a bump up the Waiver Wire Priority List, just send a message my way about the one thing you are most excited about in the second half of the fantasy season. I'm personally most excited about Keenan Allen's Revenge. (Wow, I've been waiting to say that for 3 years). Thank you all for making this league absolutely incredible and somehow fun even though I can never win. Keep Pounding and may the Force be with you. (Yes, even you Dom).