Post Draft Power Rankings

With the draft now in the books, we are now in a position to generate some proper rankings that actually have a sound basis. What team comes out on top? You're about to find out.

Power Rankings.

1. Coach Barnes, Tom's Tyrants, 41-32 (4): This coach got the draft exactly right (something that is not out of the ordinary for them). They have the perfect mix of starters, depth and potential role players. They have every position locked down, and are capable of withstanding some injuries. They just need to hope their keepers pull through with their potential.

2. Coach Burdett, Burdettinators, 40-34 (1): This team has a lot of firepower in the starters no doubt, but I have some reservations about the flex and depth. Their core starters are so good it puts them in second alone, but I have worries about their flex & TE. Ertz is in a high power offense, but unproven and playing with a lot of big names. Gore and Welker are currently tipped for the flex, but both of them are ageing players who could disappoint. After that, the depth on their bench doesn't get me riled up. If an injury or poor play happens, they could be in hot water.

3. Coach Sherwood, IKNAN, 30-28 (2): A team with solid starters (albeit ones that won't set the world on fire) and capable depth, they are one of the most complete teams. They have a good stable of RBs, and capable WRs, while the QB and TE should service them well. If one of their bench players is forced into action for a considerable length of time issues may arise.

4. Coach Wells, ADRZ, 19-24 (3): Much like IKNAN, they are another team with solid starters and a capable bench. WR is an obvious strength for this team, which compensates for the lack of a star behind Lynch at RB. They also entrust their starting QB and TE positions to Stafford and Witten respectively, which is a fine spot to be in. The only issue is that second RB.

5. Coach Nathwani, The Dream Team, 20-23 (6): Another classic Dream Team roster, that has flashy players from top to bottom. That trait didn't pay off for them last year, but it did two years ago. They have some sexy starters, who are the flashiest group in the league. They will likely committee QB between Kaepernick and Newton, while their bench has more swag names like Rice, Colston, Maclin as Hunter. The reason they are 5th here is because we all know the flash guys tend to be more boom or bust.

6. Coach N. Stubbs, Gridiron Gang, 34-40-1 (7): From probably the sexiest team in the league, to the most bland and safe. Coach Stubbs clearly reverted to his early draft strategies of his first few years, drafting an ultra-safe team that might not light up the score boards. There is little distinction between starters and bench on this team (sans Thomas), and they will likely have a headache each week trying to pick the best guy (something they've struggled mightily with their whole career). Due to the bench being the best in the league, the plan is they will all likely put up similar points.

7. Coach D. Stubbs, Bear Necessities, 40-34 (8): Another classic Bear Necessities team, really good starters with a role playing bench who will make the occasional spot start. This team is clearly receiver heavy, and will likely trot out 3 receivers each week, supported by a strong QB and TE. Bush and Tate are capable RBs, but they will need a spot start from Woodhead and Ingram at some point. Let's not forget this coach's strength is their waiver moves as well, so this team can only trend up.

8. Coach Leach, Forge Flyers, 38-33 (5): This coach had a blinder of a draft considering the position he was in. They masterfully assembled a starting line up, but understandably the depth is highly questionable. They have a star TE, capable RBs, WRs and a good QB. Their depth is a serious problem however, as none of them are more than bye week replacements at best.

9. Coach Merritt, The Tuckfards, 44-32 (9): This team will end up getting 10 wins again somehow, but I'm still not a huge fan of this team. Their QB is amazing, as are their starting 2 RBs, but a lot of question marks surround the rest of the team. Their WRs are highly dubious, and they could end up losing them games this season, while their TE won't set the world on fire. They really need one of their bench players to go above and beyond to support the starters.

10. Coach Hunter, Obama's Llamas, 0-0 (10): Not being at the draft really hurt this team, as the auto draft is cruel. They have good WRs, but the rest of the starters are nothing more than ok at this point. They need some guys to step up for them (which could easily happen). Their bench is a problem however. After Romo, no one on that bench can be counted on for anything more than a bye week replacement. This is going to be a year of learning for Coach Hunter.

2014: Mock Draft Part 2

Co-host Chris Leach, Tom Barnes and Viv Nathwani join Commissioner Stubbs once again for the conclusion of the mock draft, which saw rounds 8-15. Did the mock draft reveal any interesting information before this Sunday's draft?

What To Expect When You're Expecting....To Draft....

So with the draft this Sunday, thought it would be good to do an article giving a low down on how the draft works and what to expect. Whether you are new or old to this league, we all know the learning never stops, and you always take any information you can get in order to stay ahead of the curve.

So, what to expect? Well you'll arrive at the venue of the draft, and when you do you'll have to ring me so I can let you in. I'll come down, meet you, and take you up to the conference room. Once there, you'll find your seat, and then you can start getting set up ready to draft. At your seat, you'll have all of your draft picks, a team place card, and a set of positional rankings (plus pens, bowls and a cup).

Before we start anything, you will need to submit your subs to the commissioner. Sadly, we aren't quite big enough yet to be funded with advertising, so for now we have to fund ourselves (don't worry, it's only £4 each this year).

We'll be going over some things to vote on pre draft, so we will have a small discussion and a vote (which will be on the new way of determining the draft order, removal of the 2nd reserve spot, and revisiting trade regulations). Once we've got the boring stuff out of the way, it's onto the pre draft entertainment, so you can just sit, watch, and enjoy the ride.

Once that's finished, it's time to draft. The commissioner will get up and announce each pick as and when they are submitted, and after each pick will say what team is 'on the clock' (currently picking). You'll have 90 seconds to pick a player (don't worry, there will be plenty of time between picks for you to keep track of things). When you're filling out the draft card, you have to write your team name, the name of the player, the position of the player, and the team the player plays for (you have your keeper players filled out already, so use these as a reference). Make sure you use the right draft card, as they are all numbered (a big whiteboard will have all the picks written on it and updated as we go along, so you'll be able to see what number pick we are on). Once you've filled out your card, you give it to the commissioner, and there it is! You've drafted!

Some other small things
- If the clock expires while you are picking, you don't lose the pick, the person behind you will pick first and then you get to pick (we will have some small flexibility with getting the pick in)
- If you want to trade with someone, you can stop the clock once per pick to discuss a trade with one team. If these talks fail you can still trade, but you can't stop the clock.
- Make sure you keep your rankings up to date as we go along by crossing out the players who are taken after each pick, if you try to draft someone who has already been taken, you have to wait until the team behind you picks a player before you can pick someone else.
- I appreciate we will be sitting in close proximity, but any deliberate attempt to find out what your competition is planning will be met with a punishment in the form of docked draft picks, so try to keep your eyes on your own rankings.


And that's it! If you follow these guidelines your draft will go smoothly and no doubt you'll have a great season!

Post Keeper Power Rankings

With the season now officially under way, and all teams now having a handful of players, we can see some early contenders and early pretenders. How will the rankings change from last week? You're about to find out.

 Power Rankings

1. Ollie Burdett, Burdettinators, 40-34 (3) - Boy, this team looks set for another title run already. And no surprises there. Their team was so stacked at the end of the season, pretty much any 3 players they selected would have made sense. They go into the draft in a very strong position.

2. Ben Sherwood, IKNAN, 30-28 (7) - Yikes. Another strong set. You know you're in good standing when you enter the draft with your flex player already sorted. A combination of 3 running backs who are minimum flex maximum RB1 is a very, very good place to be. While I think one of these guys will not live up to expectation, they will all likely be starters for the entirety of the season.

3. Nigel Wells, ADRZ, 19-24 (6) - One of the potential receiver heavy teams we could see this year (headlined by Johnson and Jeffery), has an RB1 in Marshawn Lynch supporting them. If Coach Wells plays his cards right he could be returning to the playoffs for a second year. They are without a third round pick due to a trade however, so they will have to have a savvy draft.

4. Tom Barnes, Tom's Tyrants, 41-32 (2) - The glass canon team of last season could be shaping up to be much the same this year. Two sophomore running backs and an injury prone (albeit world class TE) will either light up the scoreboard, or have a small ember. However, they have played the trading game and won big time this offseason, so this team could resemble a point generating monster.

5. Chris Leach, Forge Flyers, 38-33 (4) - Give this coach credit, he has accumulated a formidable set of 3 keepers, even if he paid a hefty price to do so. The most likely TE1, along with an elite WR and a solid starting RB has put Coach Leach in a good place walking into the draft. Whether that's how he is viewed and feels after leaving is another matter entirely.

6. Viv Nathwani, The Dream Team, 20-23 (8) - This team has flashy appeal (much like last season), but will this transcend into fantasy points? (...much like last season). With Peterson, Cobb and Allen this team could have swagger and post the scores that goes with it, or they could be that guy who boasts all the time and when you ask him to prove it runs with his tail between his legs. We will see in a few weeks....

7. Naithan Stubbs, Gridiron Gang, 34-40-1 (9) - This team was a hard one to gauge. Though the keepers are good ones, and very stable, they aren't stars. They are a bunch of WR/RB2's or FLEX players. It's not a bad place to be in (especially considering the picks they used to get them), but they are going to be relying on the draft to get some star power (star power some teams on this list already have).

8. Dave Stubbs, Bear Necessities, 40-34 (5) - This is an extremely risky team. They have the potential to be explosive, but 2 of the 3 also have the potential to not play for most of the season. It's a gamble, one that you'd think Coach Stubbs would avoid after his seasons have been ruined by injury the past few years. But who knows? Maybe they'll get lucky this year.

9. Phil Merritt, The Tuckfards, 44-32 (1) - The fall was swift and inevitable for The Tuckfards. For as good as this team was last season, they really didn't have many keeper candidates. What they have is very good (Charles and Murray), but they are down a 6th round pick, and another keeper over the rest of the league. Could this be the year that Coach Merritt falls off a cliff?

10. Ben Hunter, Obama's Llamas, 0-0 (10) - It's been a long road for Coach Hunter so far this offseason. Tasked with learning how fantasy works, and managing a team, he would have been very hard pressed to lift himself off of the bottom. Because he is in 10th doesn't mean he is in a bad position, quite the opposite. He has two very good WR's, but lacks a 3rd keeper, and will be looking for the most derelict position (RB) on draft day. This season will be filled with error and frustration, but Coach Hunter could easily surprise.

2014: Mock Draft Part 1

With the draft less than two weeks away, Commissioner Stubbs got together with co-host Chris Leach, Coach Nathwani and Coach Barnes to attempt an LOC mock draft. No picks were tipped in the making of this podcast...

2014: Keeper Reveal

Saturday the 9th, otherwise known as keeper deadline day in the LOC for the 2014 season. Join Commissioner Stubbs and Coaches Barnes, Sherwood, Merritt, Nathwani and Burdett for this exciting episode of the LOC Report, revealing each teams keepers.

Pre Season Power Rankings

Fantasy is right round the corner, the draft a mere a 2 weeks away, and the keeper deadline this weekend. With coaches scrambling to prep for the coming year, we'll take a look at who will be the best prepared, and worst, for the upcoming season.

Power Rankings
1. Phil Merritt, The Tuckfards (44-32). We slam this team a lot, his general managing skill is under constant scrutiny, but the coach does manage to get results. 4 playoff berths in a row, two Corona Bowls in a row, this coach is at the top of his game right now. But, as we have seen with all great franchises in our league, there comes a time when every franchise falls on hard times. This coach has staved it off for one season longer than most, can he buck the trend and do it again?

2. Tom Barnes, Tom's Tyrants (41-32). Tom's Tyrants had a mixed bag of a year last year. They were one of the most explosive teams, and also one of the worst. I think this coach goes with a risk averse strategy this year, which may sap some explosiveness but ultimately deliver a playoff berth. They too bucked the trend of league winners getting relegated two years later, but they did definitely have a down year.

3. Ollie Burdett, Burdettinators (40-34). It may surprise you that Coach Burdett is third on this list, but as we know no coach has ever repeated the next year. Every coach has made the playoffs in their next season, so this coach should be in for a good season. They had a combination of a good draft and supreme luck on the waiver last season, which they will be hard pressed to match, so perhaps a small down year is to be expected.

4. Chris Leach, Forge Flyers (38-33). Coach Leach quietly had a nice season last year. Narrowly missing out on the playoffs, Forge Flyers managed to win 8 games and finish in 5th. They are deficient in draft picks however, as some highly controversial divisions have been made by the coach in the offseason. Ultimately though, this coach is poised to build on his previous success.

5. Dave Stubbs, Bear Necessities (40-34). I put the elder Coach Stubbs here more out of belief than proof. It's been 4 seasons since this coach has had a winning season (2010). This coach is too good to go any longer without at least a winning season. They've been unfortunate with injuries the past few years, but team insiders report they will be ushering in a new era of players, so could surprise this season.

6. Nigel Wells, ADRZ (19-24). I have a fact for you here. In 5 seasons, no more than 2 teams each year have returned to the playoffs the following year. In 2014 only 1 team returned to the playoffs (The Tuckfards). Assuming we follow history, one of those teams will be Burdettinators. So there is a chance none of the other playoff teams return, and likely only one will. ADRZ achieved their 1st playoff berth last season, they will be facing an uphill battle to match that.

7. Ben Sherwood, IKNAN (30-28). Much of what was said about ADRZ applies to IKNAN also. IKNAN are a streaky team, having an up year one year, and a down the next. They have a good foundation, but we all know this coach doesn't put as much in as most do. They've proven they can have success, but they haven't proven they can do it consistently, which is Coach Sherwood's' next job on his to do list.

8. Viv Nathwani, The Dream Team (20-23). Coach Nathwani has had a tumultuous start to their LOC career. They struggled mightily in their first year (to be expected), achieved a playoff berth in their second year, and struggled mightily again last season. They favour a boom or bust strategy, which explains the streakiness, but they have a savvy GM who has the potential to assemble an expert team.

9. Naithan Stubbs, Gridiron Gang (34-40-1). The Curious Case of Coach Stubbs. Name of my next screenplay, and a fitting sub plot for Gridiron Gang's upcoming season. After being the most successful franchise in the first 3 years of the league, they've fallen on hard times the last two years. Some say Coach Stubbs can't compete with the competition of the present day LOC, but most believe this coach can't have another bad season. This season will be a telling one in the legacy of Coach Stubbs.

10. Ben Hunter, Obama's Llama's (0-0). Only at 10th due to circumstance. Naturally, any new coach to the league is going to have a steep learning curve. However, out of the 5 new teams that have joined since 2010, 2 teams have made the playoffs and 1 has won the Corona Bowl in their rookie season. It will certainly be a long, tough road, but I see no reason why Coach Hunter can't succeed in year 1.