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.