Week 1: And... Here... We... Go....

 Rejoice! The Fantasy Season is finally here, and after the summer we have had, this is worthy of celebration by itself. We at MFFL Studios have never been as we were to here Scott Hanson's voice than Sunday at 1pm as he delivered us his Octobox of kickoffs with the famous NFL Redzone phrase, "7 hours of commercial free football start now!"

While spending entire Sundays sunk into the couch and refreshing the Yahoo Matchup tab has returned as usual, a few new features have been introduced to our weekly fantasy routine, including the brand new scoring feature: Defensive Schemes. The first week seemed to go over fairly smoothly, apart from a couple hiccups that were swiftly fixed, so a great thanks to our team for administering the new Matchup Google Sheet and keeping us all up to date. 

Along with all the joy of NFL and Fantasy Football returning, we also get to see our first look at our rosters and make actual gameplay based judgements on each player. With this of course comes the first edition of this season's MFFL Power Rankings.

Power Rankings: A strength based ranking of the roster of each team based on recent performances and outlook going forward.

1. Scoregasms: GM Brody and the Gasms' scored 11 TDs to kick-off the season. While that surely isn't sustainable each week, the fact that they have already hit the ground running does not bode well for the rest of the competition.
2. Tittsburgh Feelers: CMC leads this team, but GM Matt is loaded with playmakers at every position, leaving the Lockdown option against CMC a very risky decision for opposing managers. Furthermore, the Feelers were 2nd in the league in scoring while having QB Rodgers on the bench...
3. DTDB Irish Assassins: If QB Josh Allen stays hot after his week 1 start, GM Connor and his Green Ninjas will be a terrifying opponent with a well balanced starting lineup. Even still, a few key depth pieces outperformed as well, promising for stable success throughout the season.
4. Mr. Nice Guy: Although GM Grafton has some serious depth worries with not a single bench skill player surpassing 5 points, a core of RBs Dalvin Cook and the newly crowned Jonathan Taylor will be able to lead the way for the short term. 
5. Action Jackson: If GM Kelly could solidify his RB2 and Flex positions, the Jackies could easily be a top 2 team in the league. With an elite duo of WRs, Lockett and Hollywood, to go along with RB Eze, it will be "easy" for this team to punish opponents going forward. Not even to mention Action Jackson himself at the helm...
6. Top 2 Not 2: Despite being leveled by key injuries heading into the season kickoff, GM Ian was able to put his WR depth on display this past weekend with breakouts from both WR Watkins and the Rookie Ruggs III, to support RBs Henry and Carson who led the way. What will be a well balanced team with the return of WRs Evans and Sutton in the coming weeks, the Two Timers will have a very legit chance of living up to their name.
7. Romanian RAPOs: Although a disappointing start to the season in terms of overall starting lineup performance,  GM Michael and the RAPOs boasted a feasible optimal score of 125 points, good for top 5 in the league, while missing WR Golladay. If they could just figure out how to pass the ball...
8. Don't Even Schmatter: Underperformances at 8 of 9 starting positions does not bode well for this team's early season strength score, but who cares. a solid group of backups help GM August to stay cool, since this ranking really doesn't mean anything at all. 
9. Fantasy Football Team: The Team performed this weekend and their manager had thoughts on the game. They also have a bench of players. And injuries.
10. Belicheck Yo Self: With one of the weakest depth options in the league, underperformances at both the RB and WR positions is extremely worrisome for the Yo Selfs, who will need to do some serious self evaluation as RB Sanders still doesn't sound healthy enough to make an impact.
11. Bigpapihugetime: Unfortunately, there was nothing huge about GM Kurt and his Papis' week 1 performance. However, with a fearsome foundation at RB with Gordon III and Drake, they are certainly not locked into the bottom half of the rankings going forward. WR inconsistencies could hold this team back from the upper ranks however. 
12. Covid's Warriors: The piss poor start to the season from GM Dominic and his disease at least had some glitter of WR Hopkins and RB DJ playing outstanding on their new teams. However, two major injuries to leaders WR Thomas and RB Conner leave this team in shambles as they scramble to find replacements. #Yikes

While these rankings are definite and entirely accurate, it is still just week 1, so don't completely overreact. Turnaround performances in week 2 and onward could completely mix up the rankings. Although Dom is the worst team in the league confirmed. We at least no that much for sure. While GM Dominic was disappointed with his team's poor performance, a handful of other managers could share in his pain, starting their campaign with an unfortunate loss. Let's take a quick dive into what transpired this past weekend.

Matchup Highlights: 

• Fantasy Football Team (1-0) defeats Don't Even Schmatter (0-1) in Monday Night nailbiter by 1 point.

A mediocre Thursday Night start to the season from Schmatter stars QB Mahomes and TE Kelce was compounded into Sunday as 6 other Schmatter players underperformed expectations. GM Darren of The Team was equally disappointed as his team got off to a slow start on Sunday with only RBs Kamara and Ekeler surpassing double digit points. Leaving all the deciding action for Monday Night Football, WR Juju surged for a 20 point game for GM August and the Nihilists while QB Big Ben matched his production with 28 points to give The Team the lead heading into the final game of Monday Night. Needing 6 points from Tennessee Defense, GM August only got 4, dropping to 0-1.

• Scoregasms (1-0) explode for 58 point rout over Romanian RAPOs (0-1).

Everything that could have gone right for GM Brody, did this past weekend. Chef Russ was cooking Sunday with 4 TDs while both WR Davante Adams and RB Josh Jacobs ATE with multi TD games of their own while also each eclipsing 100 yards from scrimmage. Despite having the league leaders in both rushing and receiving yards with RB CEH and WR Julio Jones, there was not much GM Michael could do as the points just kept on coming from his opponent. A disappointing 0 TD performance from QB Goff sealed the defeat WR RB duo Brown and Brown combined for 40 points on the bench. While an unfortunate start to the season, the high production from skill players will bring promise into the upcoming matchups for the RAPOs while GM Brody and the Scoregasms will look to continue their hot start in week 2.

• DTDB Irish Assassins (1-0) edges past Action Jackson (0-1) in electrifying QB shootout.

GM Connor and GM Kelly brought the big guns into this battle as QB Josh Allen and QB Lamar Jackson went toe to toe for their respective teams, each finishing with 34 points on 3 TDs. The rest of the Jackies were led by star RB Ezekiel Elliott and WRs Hollywood and Lockett who combined for 52 points but were ultimately let down by the rest of the supporting cast. Contrastingly, the Green Ninjas had 6 players overshoot the 10 point barrier with TE Mark Andrews and Baltimore Defense making the difference in the victory by combining for 37 points. Both teams will be looking however to build on their strong week 1 performance while also hoping for improvement at their 2nd RB slot as both Chubb and Bell threw cold water on their team's season kickoffs. 

Weekly Awards:

• Oh Boy! Play of the Week:

Battling a slew of Week 1 injuries at the WR position, GM Ian took the shot at a Thursday Night glory play in WR Sammy Watkins, and oh boy did it pay off. Catching 7 balls for 82 yards and finding his way into the endzone, WR Watkins led the Two Timers receiving corps with 17 points en route to a slim 10 point victory over GM Dominic and Covid's Warriors. Excellent play GM Ian!

• Murphy Mixup:

GM Michael was faced with a difficult start/sit decision on who to roll out for his RB2 behind Rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire. With RBs Malcolm Brown and fellow Rookies, Cam Akers and James Robinson, all available to start, GM Michael chose RB Kerryon Johnson instead, who got 1 point on 7 carries. Meanwhile RB Brown shined on the bench for 2 TDs and 27 points while RB Robinson dominated touches in his Jaguars debut for 12 points himself. While neither would have singlehandedly saved GM Michael and the RAPOs from GM Brody and his rolling Scoregasms, leaving a near 30 point play on the bench is never a good feeling, especially when a single point dud started over him.

• WTF Waiver Wire:

The Waiver Wire was intense early Wednesday morning with 2 Free Agent RBs available filling in for their injured counterparts. RB Nyheim Hines and RB Benny Snell Jr. went for $30 and $25 respectively with over half of the league bidding on each player. The highly coveted RBs went for a hefty price as GM Kelly and GM Grafton each spent at least a quarter of their season's FAAB allocation. They will both be hoping for their new acquisitions to make immediate impacts as plug and play RBs as it remains to be seen whether the FAAB splurge was worth it.

• Crackhead of the Week:

GM Darren of the Fantasy Football Team drafted RB Bryce Love with the final pick of his draft. Leading up to the start of the season, he dropped him for RB Chris Thompson, before picking RB Love back up 4 days later in exchange for WR Raeger. Holding him for only 3 more days, GM Darren dropped RB Love once again for Kicker Boswell, all to end up dropping his original addition RB Thompson Wednesday morning. RB Love is once again available on Free Agency and GM Darren is surely itching for another hit of his beloved Washington RBs. 

• Defensive Coordinator of the Week:

GM Kurt orchestrated a QB Spy defense against opponents GM David and the Yo Selfs in order to contain mobile QB Murray. Limiting QB Murray's 92 rushing yards by 75%, GM Kurt played by far the greatest possible scheme against GM David, resulting in an 8 point total deduction. This total was nearly double any other scheme effect that GM Kurt could have chosen, and although it was not quite enough to secure the victory, it was surely a great start to the brand new defensive scheme feature for the Huge Times. 

As week 2 approaches, we have our first Rivalry Week of the season, where wins against opponents mean much more than just another tick in the victory column. Our Wildcat Matchup of the Week is the ever colorful matchup between GM Connor and DTDB Irish Assassins (1-0) and GM Darren and his Fantasy Football Team (1-0).  This storied rivalry has seen many clinical victories by GM Connor in recent years, most notably the back to back victories in the final week of the 2018 regular season in a must win matchup against Darren, before GM Connor emerged victorious over GM Darren once again in the playoffs, knocking out Darren once again in the first round. This matchup here already has the hints of potential playoff implications as the only matchup with two (1-0) opponents. With a cupcake matchup for QB Josh Allen against Miami's nonexistent rush defense, expect GM Connor to get out to an early lead as QB Allen does his best Cam Newton impression as he gouged Miami for 75 rushing yards and 2 TDs. A potential shootout between the Cowboys and Falcons could also inflate the scores early on Sunday as WRs Cooper and Gallup for the Green Ninjas will battle against WR Kupp for The Team, playing against a porous Philly secondary. The difference this weekend could come in the health of starting TE Kittle for GM Darren as opposing TE Andrews promises to be a problem on GM Connor's side. This one could come down to the wire as RB Kamara will be left alone on Monday Night to launch a comeback for The Team. GM Darren will just be hoping the rest of his team did enough to give RB Kamara a fighting chance to top rival GM Connor.

That is all we have for the first edition of the 2020 Weekly Wrap-Up. Good luck to all the teams as we head into week 2 and onwards. And to all my fellow (0-1) managers,  the night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming... maybe.