Week 4: The End of the Beginning

Hello and welcome back to the Weekly Wrap-up, Week 4 edition! A quarter of the Fantasy Season has flown by and GM Brody has still yet to win a game. Don't panic just yet though, there is still a long ways to go until the Dansky Bowl, and sneaking into the playoffs is still a possibility for all teams. Others have wasted no time in rushing out to a 3-1 record. Interestingly enough however, with the fall of GM Kurt and the Huge Times, there are no longer any undefeated teams remaining. This is the fastest the league has ever had no undefeated teams remaining, as other years had stretched to 6, 8 and even 9 consecutive wins to start the season. This will make for a jam packed playoff race as the entire league is separated by only 3 games. Of course this doesn't mean everyone will have the same outlook regarding the upcoming weeks, as other teams are on the rise despite their poor record while some top teams might not be all that their record says they are. And for that, let's dive into the power rankings.


Power Rankings:

1. Bigpapihugetime: Despite suffering their first defeat of the season, GM Kurt and the Huge Times still hold a commanding lead in the Points category, more than 50 points than 2nd place on the season.
2. Kraft Beer: Even with multiple injuries to top players, GM Ian and the Krafties have put up 119 points or more in all 4 weeks so far. Talk about a high floor! Our previous Power Rankings Committee's Ranking of the Krafties in 7th was blasphemous and they have all been fired for such poor and idiotic performance. 
3. Tittsburgh Feelers: A solid victory over the top dogs, GM Matt has put up back to back 117+ point victories for the Feelers and will be looking to continue that trend. 
4. The Juice is Loose: While his recent trade with GM Ian may have backfired this previous week, it still remains to be seen whether GM Kelly made the right decision in getting rid of RB Chubb. Nevertheless, a strong core of RB Cook and WR Allen is enough to remain inside the top 5 of the Power Rankings, for now.
5. Mr. Nice Guy: THE PEOPLE'S CHAMP IS BACK! Even with the defeat, GM Grafton has bolstered his lineup with wise waiver wire additions as per usual, and followed his week 3 league best performance with the 2nd most points in the league in week 4.
6. Belichick Yo Self: A tenacious team that continues to improve, however WR Adams turf toe might ground their early lift off into the upper tier of the power rankings.
7. The Underachievers: GM Dom boasts a 2-2 record but is ranked here merely because of the recent failures of everyone in the bottom half of the rankings. Only a single week has gone over 110 points (week 3 123 point defeat) but he has scored above a 100 in 3 straight matchups.
8. Miking Mikes: GM Darren and the Mikes have adopted the same strategy as The Underachievers, respectable and consistent scoring, but a capped ceiling. A recent trade will hopefully spark some higher numbers for them in the coming weeks as GM Darren adds RB Gurley to his group while also resigning franchise legend, WR Marvin Jones.
9. Romanian RAPOs: A dumpster fire was found outside the RAPOs facility this weekend, and GM Michael will need to put it out with a much stronger performance in Week 5.
10. Leprechaun Soldiers: GM Connor has been wheeling and dealing as of late, and the return of RB Gordon has given the locker room a strong sense of optimism, but the Leprechauns have not eclipsed 100 points since Week 1
11. Scoregasms: With GM Brody's top players struggling with injury and lack of production, this team has question marks all over the roster and needs a win FAST. Their trade for Kittle to lock up the TE position might help them do just that, but problems prevail.
12. 5 Year Plan: GM August has yet to put up a 100 point performance this season and is dead last in points scored by a 40 point margin. Managers from across the league should expect plenty of terrible trade offers in the coming days from the schemer himself. A schemer trying to control his little world.

Matchup Highlights:

We will now take a quick look back at the previous set of matchups before diving deep into this upcoming week of Rivalry Matchups. First, let's look into last weeks Wildcat Matchup of the Week, where Belichick Yo Self (3-1) upset The Juice is Loose (2-2) with a 20 point victory. WR Adams burned his name into the field Thursday Night with 22 points before going down with a toe injury, but fellow WR Kupp took it from their, securing 19 more points and the victory for GM David. QB Jackson and RB Cook were stellar in the losing effort for the Juice Boxes, however a disappointing debut from newly acquired WR Allen was detrimental in the devastating defeat.

Kraft Beer (3-1) exploded to 135 points to knock off Mr. Nice Guy (1-3) in a high scoring shootout. While both QBs disappointed, combining for 40 total points, the rest of the players on both rosters were electric. CMC vs Fournette was a wonderful RB showdown between two 2017 draft class studs, as they both hit high in points but low on their runs, with punishing broken tackles, combining for 420 all purpose yards, and blaze it they did. The Defenses on both teams also locked down, combining for 11 sacks and 7 turnovers in their matchups. The difference in this one came from newly acquired RB Chubb for the Krafties, who rumbled to a league high 38 points on 3 TDs.

Bigpapihugetime's (3-1) undefeated run was cut short by Tittsburgh Feelers (3-1) who won late Monday Night thanks to Pittsburgh Defense shutting down the Bengals. Key in the victory was TE Hooper who outscored opposing TE Olsen 15-1. 

Romanian RAPOs (1-3) followed none of Coach Ed's instructions on how to pass a ball as they did not ROLL through the competition, and the projections were not ACCURATE as they completely shat the bed this past week with the worst performance of the league so far with 69 points and only 1 total TD. GM August and 5 Year Plan (2-2) were awarded the victory despite scoring only 93 points of their own.

Miking Mikes (3-1) comfortably defeated Scoregasms (0-4) despite RB Carson's dominative effort. RB Conner finally put together a peak primetime performance for GM Darren and the Mikes on their way to their 3rd victory.

The Underachievers (2-2) snuck by Leprechaun Soldiers (1-3) in a nail-biting 102-99 grudge match. RBs Gurley and Gallman performed well for the Leprechauns, combining for 43 points, but were evenly matched by WRs Sutton and Landry for the Let Downs. GM Dom was instead forced to rely on lowly TE Cook and the Dallas defense to launch a 10 point Sunday Night comeback, which barely got there, thanks to a few clutch sacks and an interception for the defense to clinch the victory. 

Weekly Awards:

• Oh Boy! Play of the Week:

After star RB Saquon fell to injury, GM Ian did not wallow in his sorrow for long. He instead launched a blockbuster trade that landed RB Chubb to serve as a primary replacement for Saquon in order to keep a star studded backfield for the Krafties. In his debut, RB Chubb rambled for 38 points on 3 TDs and 165 rushing yards as he led his new team to victory. 

• Murphy Mixup:

Frustrated with the recent poor performances from his WR, GM Michael got caught chasing the points as he started WR Valdes-Scantling over WR Woods. Woods erupted for 21 points on 15 targets, outscoring the combined total of all 3 of the starting WRs by nearly 10 points. Woods would have been the highest scoring player for the RAPOs in a disappointing week but was instead left on the bench.

• WTF Waiver Wire:

GM Matt picked up the Pittsburgh Defense for a $3 bid as he bought a victory with their 21 point performance Monday Night to seal the deal as he and the Feelers knocked off the previously undefeated Huge Times.

• Crackhead of the Week:

GM Grafton inspired this award, and he gets the honor of being the first ever to win it. Late Sunday Morning, Grafton was checking over his fantasy team and noticed starting WR McLaurin was declared OUT with an injury. On his bench was RB Darrel Williams who would be a serviceable replacement in the FLEX position as teammate RB Damien Williams was still out with an injury of his own. However, WR Jeffrey had already played Thursday Night in the FLEX position and was locked in place leaving GM Grafton without the option of adding RB Williams into the starting lineup, leaving his 17 points on the bench in the defeat. Rookie mistake. 

Rivalry Week Preview:

Our first round of Rivalry Matchups kicks off this Thursday as managers will match up against fierce friends and competitive companions. After 4 weeks, managers have been able to get their feet wet with their teams, and should now be comfortable diving deep into their matchups. We have already witnessed this trend, as 4 trades have transacted in a matter of days after it took nearly 2 months for the first trade to get through. 

Our first rivalry matchup pits fellow Maniac Leaders against each other. Reigning Champion: GM David and Belichick Yo Self (3-1) take on GM August and 5 Year Plan (2-2). While both have achieved a fair amount of success in the MFFL throughout their careers, the fellow cofounders are coming off of vastly different seasons from last year. While GM David is looking for the league's first ever repeat, GM August is looking to return to the playoffs after participating in the Dansky Bowl in 2018. Both franchises will be eagerly anticipating the matchup where bragging rights mean almost as much as getting another tally in the win column in a rivalry that extends far beyond the fantasy field, but onto the Volleyball Court and Mariokart race track as well. Expect franchise RBs Elliott and Henry to be ready to roll for both teams in a high scoring affair. GM August will finally reach the 100 point threshold but surprise start WR Chark will be the difference in this one as he outscores Juju for GM David to win the Oh Boy! Play of the Week Award, and the victory. 

GM Dom and GM Ian are rivals both on the Fantasy Field and on the real field at Honeycutt. Both are HAA HOF QBs in their own right and have combined for over 1000 career passing yards, which is pretty impressive considering the field is about 50 yards long and there aren't 16 game seasons. While evenly matched on the real field, Fantasy has proved to be a bit more lopsided, as GM Ian and Kraft Beer (3-1) have been much more successful as a franchise, hoisting the (damnit Augie we really need a name for the trophy because I refuse to call it the Lim Party trophy) X trophy back in 2016 while GM Dom and The Underachievers (2-2) failed to make the playoffs last year after suffering an MFFL Championship defeat the year prior. WRs Lockett and Boyd should both be exciting to watch this week as they have favorable matchups, but a stifled RB Fournette will limit the upside for the Krafties while RB Bell breaks loose after his Bye Week to give the Let Downs a lift up. QB Mahomes will give a brief lead on Sunday Night for GM Dom but RB Chubb will steal the victory late Monday Night as the Krafties extend their win streak to 4. 

GM Connor and GM Matt are another pair of founding members of the MFFL who have found similar success in the Fantasy Realm as they have on the Frisbee Golf Course. Which is, not much... at least in recent memory as both Leprechaun Soldiers (1-3) and Tittsburgh Feelers (3-1) failed to make the playoffs last year during the first season of the 6 Team Playoff Structure (the true sign of an elite Fantasy Football League where only greatness can make the playoffs). Both teams will be looking to make a return to the playoffs this season, and that starts with a pivotal matchup this week. A pair of TEs that have gone through a bit of a hot streak will continue as both Dissly and Hooper will do their share for their respective teams, while a pair of RBs battling injury may prove to be the difference. Between newly acquired RB Conner for the Leprechauns and the up and down RB Mack, the one who can battle through the pain might give his team the victory as the rest of the matchups appear to balance themselves out. Pay attention to RB Gordon's snap count this week as his workload could be pivotal in giving GM Connor hopes for a victory. Even if he disappoints however, expect Connor to remind everyone about how he won the championship in its first season with 10 teams (with 8 of them making the playoffs).

GM Michael and GM Darren have an interesting friendly competition within the Fantasy Realm, where both managers want to see the other succeed, but never to do better than themselves. A rivalry extending back to middle school where they were "soccer buddies" and in high school where the consistently argued against Mr. Nolan's presumptions in TOK class. They also both lead HAA in all time tackles and Volleyball nets jumped into (although GM Darren certainly spends more time lying in the sand than anyone) however have not translated their off-field success into MFFL. Both Romanian RAPOs (1-3) and Miking Mikes (3-1) have failed to win a playoff game in 3 straight seasons, with GM Michael's only ever playoff victory coming in the league's inception in 2015 while GM Darren has still yet to win one. Both will be looking to return to the playoffs this year and put an end to that streak, and a win this week will be vital in achieving that goal. Newly acquired RB Gurley will put up a successful start for the Mikes in his debut, but will be overshadowed by QB Wilson and WR Woods on Thursday Night, while WRs Odell and Thomas will look to break out of their slow starts to be the difference for their respective teams. Fireworks could light in the FLEX position this week as MVS and Gore both have the potential to steal the show as their teammates at the position battle injuries, freeing up opportunities for them to shine. 

GM Kurt and GM Kelly are two owners of franchises who's history could not be more different. GM Kelly and The Juice is Loose (2-2) have easily been the most disappointing franchise, having been the only team to never make the playoffs in MFFL history. Furthermore, they have only 7 total wins in their franchise history. GM Kurt and Bigpapihugetime (3-1) on the contrary have been a staple of success since their entrance into the league during the 2016 expansion. GM Kurt has made the playoffs each of his 3 seasons in the league and has even won the trophy. This season however, the gap between these two expansion teams has been tightened. GM Kelly has finally constructed a competitive roster that is worthy of  top 5 Power Ranking status and this week will be a testament to a changing tide as WRs Allen and Diggs break out of their recent slump to make the Juice Boxes bubble towards a victory. While WR Cooper faces a tough Green Bay secondary and RB Ingram a stout Pittsburgh front 7, WR Godwin will continue to soar to make this matchup interesting. RB Cook will look to torch the New York Giants Defense, but will that be enough to give GM Kelly an ever meaningful victory on rivalry week? Meh, I dunno.

Finally, to close out the Rivalry Week Matchups we have two Millbrook Soccer Teammates who were a part of the league's constitution, in what started as an ongoing conversation, between games of Mafia, at Millbrook's Summer Soccer Camp. Both GM Brody and GM Grafton had essentially no Fantasy experience before the League's inception, and certainly showed it, as they were the only 2 teams to not qualify for the playoffs in 2015. However, both managers have grown immensely since that inaugural season, having both created two of the top season campaigns in league history, 12 wins each in 2017 and 2018 respectively. While neither has won the coveted trophy, a win this week will be much needed as both teams have gotten off to slow starts and have already fallen behind in the playoff race. Expect WR Hopkins to finally stop disappointing Scoregasms (0-4) fans in a big performance against Atlanta but to be overshadowed by WR Evans in a giant performance for Mr. Nice Guy (1-3). CMC will give a large lead to the Nice Guys but there might be some room for newly acquired TE Kittle to just maybe steal a victory Monday night for GM Brody's climax of the season.

That should do it for the Weekly Wrap-up this week. Good luck to all teams and may the force be with you in all of your rivalry matchups. Also as a bit of a bonus, there is a new challenge for this edition of the Weekly Wrap-up. As usual, I have hidden a couple references to various pieces of pop culture within the report. The first person who texts me with a found reference from this Weekly Wrap-up will get bumped up to the top of the Waiver Wire Priority List. This list only goes into effect when there is a tie between two bids (if Team A, #7 on priority list, and Team B, #11 on priority list, both bid $5 on a player, Team A will win the player since they are of higher priority for the tiebreaker.) This award doesn't really mean much in terms of swinging the balance of power within the league but could be a fun little thing to do. FYI: the may the force be with you reference does not count since I do that nearly every week and it is obvious. I mainly just wanted to see if my references are even being found or if I do too good a job at hiding them within the reports and you guys think I come up with all of these things on my own. Have a great rest of the week and power through to the weekend where football will return again! Let's continue making our 5th season of MFFL our best season yet!