Power Rankings: Week 4

Hard to believe after this week we'll already be a quarter of the way through the LOC season! But as we truck into Week 4, the LOC is developing its world renowned hot mess status where the power is blended up every week. How has it been blended this week? Read to find out.

Power Rankings

1. Bear Necessities, 2-1 (1): Yowzers. The best team in the LOC through 2 weeks looked like a completely different side in Week 3. 1 TD was scored across the whole team, on a week where everyone just decided to go on holiday at the same time. Better weeks are ahead, and I think this is a blip.

2. IKNAN, 2-1 (4): Coach Sherwood is quietly having a very nice season so far. Scoring a minimum of 90 points each week, they had a tremendous victory last weekend, and look poised to continue it. They've got options, and still haven't got Jamaal Charles back.

3. Gridiron Gang, 3-0 (6): The only undefeated team in the LOC, Coach Stubbs Jr. continues the best start to a season of his career. Another team yet to score under 90, they've scored over 100 in back to back weeks. While they lack punch, they've got a lot of depth, and their consistency has shone through so far.

4. The Dream Team, 1-2 (2): Bit of a down week for Coach Nathwani's side, and they're quite unfortunate to be sitting at 0-2. Their two spot drop is more about other teams looking good as opposed to them looking bad. I imagine they'll rebound and will definitely contend this year.

5. Burdettinators, 2-1 (5): After a good start to the season, Coach Burdett's side looks like they're standing on a bit less firm ground. Be that as it may, they remain one of the more consistent sides in the league, and despite some problems surfacing they should be able to overcome them.

6. Tom's Tyrants, 1-2 (3): There's no denying it, Tom's Tyrants are in a bit of a funk. But this is nothing new, as slow starts to the season are almost par the course for Coach Barnes at this point. Key players are under performing right now, and I can't see that continuing for much longer. It's just a waiting game until this team wakes up.

7. The Bunch, 2-1 (7): Coach Nunn has had a very strong start to the season, and it looks like they've shaken the retirement rust off nicely. The starting lineup has a lot of star studded names, and they're still without the greatest player of all time. Depth will be an issue during byes, but otherwise they're golden.

8. Patistan, 1-2 (10): Coach Allen didn't realise the LOC season started until Week 3. At least that's the story he should go with. Patistan finally showed up in week 3 as the team we all expected them to be. Naturally, they'll need to have another good week to prove it's not a blip, but I think they'll steadily work their way up these rankings.

9. Cash4Gould, 2-1 (11): We have to commend Coach Gardner on what he's been able to do through three weeks. A rookie coach stepping into the league in 2016 and having this kind of success is phenomenal. Consistency may elude them, but if they keep having weeks like they had last week, they'll move up quickly.

10. Forge Flyers, 1-2 (8): Losing two starting RBs in the same week has sucked the air out of Coach Leach's side a bit, but fear not. Were it not for a questionable decision to play Kenyan Drake over Hilton last week, they would have had a very nice week. This roster will be able to win games this season.

11. ADRZ, 1-2 (9): It has been a very slow start to the season for Coach Wells, but they finally got a win last week. However, they are still yet to top 100 points in this still young season. Key players could be starting to regain their form and this time might start to get going, but I want to see it before I believe it.

12. The Tuckfards, 0-3 (12): It has been an absolutely brutal start to the year for Coach Merritt. The highest point total they've notched is 93, and they only posted 68 points last week. This team has been ravaged by injury and poor play, but they have Gronk back now, and if Merritt can channel his inner Barnidge they can make a comeback.

2016: The Plot Thickens

The Co-Host makes a triumphant return to the podcast after his arduous quest of traffic and Ikea have been conquered! And with him, he brings a bag of rewards in week 3 recaps and week 4 previews. The Commissioner also talks a bit as well, but we know who you're all here for.

EDOTLOCCA's Corner: 2016.4 - Week 3

Hello one and all! What a week in the LOC, we had injuries galore, bench players vastly outscoring starters and, well actually this sounds like a pretty bad week. But all is fair in love and fantasy and after two weeks each division is represented by an undefeated, two .500s and a team that forgot to set their alarm clocks for September. I am going to take this opportunity to take a moment and light a candle (you can’t prove that I didn’t) as I offer my condolences to Coaches Leach and Merritt who aren’t allowed to have RBs and Coach Allen who isn’t allowed to have players, injuries are cruel things. Anyway, onwards and upwards!

Coaches Award

Here we have a very well balanced team that responded brilliantly to a loss last week and can consider themselves unfortunate to be sitting at 1-1. A well drafted team is currently boasting players who are severely outplaying their draft position in the likes of Latavius Murray and Jordan Matthews. Every cog is turning right now and this coach knows better than most to make the most of it while it lasts, well done to Coach Nathwani for winning the Coaches Award this week.

Honourable mention: Coach Stubbs Sr. really isn’t messing around, already leading the league in scoring by nearly 50 points with 272 after two weeks. Of course, the league record two week span does sit at over 400 points, so there is always room for improvement, ayy?

Wooden Spoon

Whilst it didn’t necessarily cost them the game this week, whenever your benched player (and earlier draft pick) outscores your starter nearly 5 fold, you are going to be a primary focus for this award. Coach Allen got it wrong by benching Rivers this week and, like I said, it may not have cost him the game, but it did kick off a good ol’ fashioned QB carousel in camp Patistan, and a yearlong headache for the aforementioned Coach Allen.

Bold predictions

And here we meet 0-12 (still better than the Lions), it hasn’t been a dream start and to be quite frank, I didn’t even come close last week. I of course blame the players and not my psychic powers, I expect all of them to up their games in response this week.

Cash4Gould vs. Forge Flyers: Coach Leach did the obvious thing in picking up A.P.’s backup, then he picked up the backup’s backup… Asiata goes for 3 TDs, like he does every other time he plays.

The Dream Team vs. Gridiron Gang: Coach Stubbs Jr. is sitting pretty with a 45 point lead going into Monday night, unfortunately for him that’s when Brees and Julio face off, with a sprinkling of Bryant just to rub it in.

Sidenote: Dez Bryant is projected to both rush for 1 yard and throw for 1 yard for The Dream Team, look it up. Fair play though NFL.com; that is bold.

Burdettinators vs. The Bunch: Burdettinators third starting QB of the year (it’s working out a lot better than it is for the Browns) is their best yet. Ryan will triple Fitzpatrick’s score and leave The Bunch in the dust.

The Tuckfards vs. Patistan: The most bitter of rivalries in the LOC and The Tuckfards just ran out of RBs, ideal. Melvin Gordon is playing the Colts, he will double the total score of the Tuckfards starting RBs combined.

Bear Necessities vs. IKNAN: A lot of rushing talent on display here, I see this game totalling 8 rushing TDs and generally big scores across the board.

Tom’s Tyrants vs. ADRZ: Coach Wells loves a good pass-catching RB. This weeks with both receivers facing tough matchups, his RBs will out-receive his WRs in fact.

Right, that’s your predictions folks and, ever the optimist, I am sure we have a good one or two gems hidden in there! Anyway, I wish you all luck in your week ahead and I hope you enjoyed the article! P.S. listen to the podcast, I’m in it. See you next week!

2016: The injury apocalypse has arrived

Hide your kids, hide your wife, the injury apocalypse has arrived in the LOC! Commissioner Stubbs is flying solo this week because the injury apocalypse has seemingly snared co-host Chris Leach as well, so enjoy this slightly shorter edition of the week recap and preview. Coach Barnes joins for the Coach Call.

Power Rankings: Week 3

Week 2 is in the books and the LOC season is now in full swing. Week 1 didn't turn up much in terms of waiver picks and overwhelming surprises, but Week 2 sure has. Injuries to key players, trends developing, and the location of where the power lays in the LOC is slowly becoming more evident.

Power Rankings

1. Bear Necessities, 2-0 (1): What do you do after a momentous week 1 win? Follow up with another of course. The highest scoring team through 2 games already looks well on their way to the Playoffs. They're probably not going to be able to sustain this hot start, but points are coming from everywhere, and Coach Stubbs Sr. has yet to even make a patented waiver add.

2. The Dream Team, 1-1 (3): After being the highest scoring loser in Week 1, Coach Nathwani promptly follows up with a Week 2 W. Just another solid week, and we could see two playoff teams emerging from the Portsmouth division. Like I predicted, this teams points would spread out more and end up at a similar total. They're on course for a fine season.

3. Tom's Tyrants, 1-1 (2): By all accounts, just a dreadful week for Coach Barnes. But they remain at 3 because they had some horrific match ups and I put this down to just a bad week. I have full confidence in a rebound, and they've also got some nice options on the bench.

4. IKNAN, 1-1, (5): Another case of a bit of a down week, but the points still coming in regardless. This team looks deep, plain and simple. Still without Charles, and Fitzgerald was even on the bench this week, they're looking like a strong team early on despite a so-so week 1.

5. Burdettinators, 2-0 (6): After a somewhat fortunate Week 1 victory, Coach Burdett followed up with a good Week 2 and another win. Now, they only had a few players go over 10 points last week, but they still managed to go over 100. Key performers didn't even get the points, and they left a tonne on the bench. This team will be just fine.

6. Gridiron Gang, 2-0 (7): Despite losing a player to injury early on, Coach Stubbs Jr. secures a second win, and Gridiron Gang are off to their best start in their 8 year history. All the players on the starting lineup didn't necessarily fire, but they have a plethora of options on the bench. They aren't going to light up the scoreboard, but they should be able to grind wins out.

7. The Bunch, 1-1 (4): A bit of a disappointing week after a promising Week 1 for Coach Nunn. Look, by all accounts it was just a bad week. Brown, Hill and Hyde majorly disappointed which was the reason for their struggles. While depth remains an issue, this starting lineup should be good enough to earn a decent amount of wins this season.

8. Forge Flyers, 1-1 (8): And just as Forge Flyers looked ready to appear in the top half of the power rankings again...They lose Peterson and Woodhead in the same game. It's another case of woeful bad luck for Coach Leach, but they do have options on the bench, so I think they'll be able to have good weeks. Also, the Jeff Fisher of the LOC also got an impressive win this week, congrats.

9. ADRZ, 0-2 (12): It's been a tough start to the season for the current champ. There have been points for this team however, so it's not all doom and gloom. While RBs are still an issue, this team has got some players at its disposal and I fully expect Coach Wells to rebound sooner rather than later.

10. Patistan, 0-2 (11): A brutal start to the season for Coach Allen, who has left the most fantasy points in his bench so far. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, it means the team is capable of scoring points. While this roster has certainly taken some dings since the start of the season, they should be capable of a rebound.

11. Cash4Gould, 1-1 (9): Unfortunately for Coach Gardner, this was the type of performance we saw coming before week 1. Look, it was an awful week, and while they're not always going to be as bad as that, this team is going to have to grind games out on a weekly basis. They've certainly got some names, I just wonder if they can find the consistency.

12. The Tuckfards, 0-2 (10): We've never seen Coach Merritt in a position quite like this before. Perhaps this is right where he wants us. But as of right now, his finger must be hovering over the panic button. They haven't shown a great deal through two weeks, and their only healthy RBs on the roster are West and Yeldon. But, they're still yet to get Gronk back, so expect a typical Tuckfards turnaround.

EDOTLOCCA's Corner: 2016.3 - Week 2

Good evening Lords of the LOC! Week one is in the history books and I am guessing that around half of us are pretty happy with how it went, but I can guarantee that every single one of us can’t wait to get stuck into Week 2! I am personally just loving the amount of love I am getting from podcast/power rankings teams, holding onto a respectable 2nd place power team and featuring in both marquee matchups. In return, (*spoiler alert*), I have written about neither Gridiron Gang nor Forge Flyers this week, so you guys can just skip to the Bold Predictions if you like. AH, nothing like a one way relationship. Right, for you other 9 coaches, on with the show!

Coaches Award

Sometimes I really struggle to hand out this award and sometimes I just sail through an imaginary checklist in my head. Who won their game, who scored the most points, who demonstrated great team depth and line up selection, who… ahhh I have already given it away. Coach Stubbs Sr. has made his intentions clear and smashed his way into 2016. The draft looks great and the team looks strong. Sure, 98-yard TDs are not weekly occurrences, but their most talented player is still waiting for his role-call, this team looks scary.

Honourable mention: Well, we were all (kinda) wrong, the Rookie Coach Gardner has merited the ASJ pick after he turned out to be one of the top scoring TEs of the week… with one target… one. Congrats to Coach Gardner, but the seasoned veteran in me is screaming don’t push your luck.

Wooden Spoon

Hmmm, here we have a coach who didn’t feature on this side of the article much last season, but even at this early stage the faintest of alarm bells is starting to ring. This team was RB light, very light, and now their only highly invested RB has started the season looking like the lesser half of a committee, kinda reminiscent of Paul Chuckle (#TeamBarry). ADRZ have not started the season how they wanted and Coach Wells must now be praying that Theo Riddick proves that Week 1 was no fluke.

Bold predictions

First things first, no predictions from last week were correct, 0-6 to start the season. Last year we got 3 predictions right all season, so this isn’t so shocking I suppose. It doesn’t sound too ambitious to beat 3 does it? Well, you have the honour of watching me try.

The Tuckfards vs. Forge Flyers: Roethlisberger has a history of burning the Bengals, but Newton is going to take burning opponents to a whole new level this week, putting up half of Forge Flyers’ points.

Burdettinators vs. ADRZ: Oh the matchups for Green and Beckham… when 50 points just doesn’t seem bold enough, we are hitting 60 here.

Bear Necessities vs. The Bunch: The two highest scorers from last week both top 100 points again, the top scorer? Seahawks D, because LA are that awesome.

The Dream Team vs. Patistan: Whose excited about McCown being back?? I heard you Coach Allen, Barnidge makes up for the zero last week with an 18 point performance.

Cash4Gould vs. IKNAN: Everyone just seems to have good matchups this week, the receivers for these two teams will top 600 yards between them.

Tom’s Tyrants vs. Gridiron Gang: This game is going to be real close, Tom’s Tyrants will be winning half way through the Monday night game, but a garbage time Chicago touchdown rains all over that parade and Gridiron Gang pip it.

Well, there they are, fresh, bold and ready to be right(ish)! In the meantime, I wish you all the best of luck for the week coming, let’s see some big scores people! Okay okay, I’m too competitive for that, Coach Stubbs Jr., let’s see all those big scores left on the bench, good man. See you next week!

2016: Opening Weekend and Wee 2 Preview

Co-Host Chris Leach rejoins the podcast after finally getting out of traffic to recap the opening weekend of the LOC season and look ahead to Week 2. We also have a dynamite coach call this week with none other than Corona Bowl V winner Coach Burdett.

Power Rankings: Week 2

Fantasy is back! And isn't it just grand? The opening weekend of the LOC was a terrific one. We had 2 games that came down to less than 10 points, a team going over 140 points, and a rookie coach beat a seasoned veteran for their first ever win in the LOC (not a bad debue). But now we turn to week 2 and the power rankings. Even though we have tape on all the teams now, we're still in a state of flux as far as ranking teams goes. However, there were some notable things that happened which have affected the following.

Power Rankings

1. Bear Necessities, 1-0 (5): In case you didn't guess, this was the team that went over 140. Just a great week. Jumping up from 5th, as I said last week Bear Necessities looks strong all over. It's a stable group of steady contributors that all fired in week 1. While this obviously won't happen every week, it's encouraging to see for the months ahead. Some bench options look viable too, and we all expect Coach Stubbs Sr. to add a waiver gem here or there. This could be the team to beat.

2. Tom's Tyrants, 1-0 (2): The game looked touch and go for much of Sunday, but in the end the result was never in doubt. Now, you're probably thinking "Luck accounted for over a third of this teams points, how are they 2nd"?. Well, I'll tell you. Luck had a great week, but his floor is probably still about half of what he did. The rest of the roster had a pretty mediocre week by all accounts, and I expect that to change, levelling out to strong weekly totals. 

3. The Dream Team, 0-1 (3): The only team to go over 100 and still lose, it was a tough week for Coach Nathwani. But good weeks will be here to stay. Though 2 players accounted for over half this teams points, I expect that to level out somewhat, and they'll have consistently good weeks. I have concerns about Bryant and the flex, but I think they've also got capable options on the bench. 

4. The Bunch, 1-0 (11): A big mover here, and I'm happy to admit when I'm wrong. Coach Nunn had the second highest side in week 1, and they looked terrific. Their team all had good-not-great weeks and still put up a great total. They lost Allen, which obviously hurts, but I think Willie Snead can pick up the slack to some degree. They'll have some down weeks, but (especially when they get Brady back), they should also have some great ones.

5. IKNAN, 0-1 (1): Our first faller here, and it was a frustrating week for Coach Sherwood. The QB underperformed, and their TE were abysmal, which were largely the reason for the loss. Yet they still put up a good score. I think this roster is really talented, and I can't see them dropping below what they posted this week very often. That being said, I'm not as keen on their upside as I was a week before.

6. Burdettinators, 1-0 (6): Burdettinators cling onto the 6th spot this week. Their QB and TE were woeful, and two of their star players didn't do much. Despite all that, they just brought home the win in a lower scoring affair. This might end up being a middling team for the length of the season, but I have no doubt they'll have some great weeks along the way.

7. Gridiron Gang, 1-0 (7): In classic Coach Stubbs Jr. style, they nearly lost a game by releasing a high scoring D 30 minutes before game time. They managed to outlast their opponent in another lower scoring affair, but I feel better weeks are ahead. Special teams were the achilles heel of this team last week, as were a lack of TDs. They've got options on the bench, and some starters will be better, so they should be in for some good weeks.

8. Forge Flyers, 0-1 (8): Unfortunately, the tough times continued for Coach Leach. They had a couple of bright spots in week 1, but a lot of players did not perform. I don't think that happens again (seriously, 7 of 9 players just had a real bad week), but I do have concerns about this team. AP might struggle without a competent QB, and the Titans offence could limit Murray. But I think the other players rebound for this coach in a big way.

9. Cash4Gould, 1-0 (10): Congrats to Coach Gardner on having the highest win percentage of all LOC Coaches, a perfect 100% at 1-0. They've made progress in dispelling my worries as well. Langford and Elliot look like a decent RB duo, while the WRs look strong. I think this team could struggle some weeks (mainly during byes, the bench is still a glaring weakness), but they should be able to get some wins this year.

10. The Tuckfards, 0-1 (12): Despite the loss, I like what I saw from the team. A team that raised a lot of eyebrows in the draft, the roster came together (sans their first pick). I'm still not sold on this teams season long potential, but let's give Coach Merritt some credit here, he always does manage to cobble together great weeks against the odds. This looks like your typical Tuckfards roster.

11. Patistan, 0-1 (4): A tough loss to take for up-and-comer Coach Allen, and their 1st pick will draw much of the ire. This team was carried by Winston last week (which may be a strategy going forward). Look, it was a bad week, but I think they'll rebound. I know they've made a big drop here, but that's because I need to see what Coach Allen does next. I have all the confidence that Patistan can rebound. 

12. ADRZ, 0-1 (9): The current champ had a rough week 1, but don't fret there is hope...sort of. I have huge concerns about the RBs. Freeman looks to be in a committee, and Bernard is going to be volatile. The QB will have better weeks, and I think the WRs should be counted on for decent weeks between them. The roster has a lot of potential, so don't be surprised if they move up the rankings in the coming weeks.

2016.2 - The Draft and Week 1

Hello gentlemen! It’s all starting to get very real here in the LOC; we’ve drafted, we’ve second guessed our drafts and now we are setting week one line ups, ready to second guess them as well. I don’t know about you, but I am so close to the edge of my seat I have actually spent most of the week sat on the floor. So here we have it, your draft recap/week 1 preview EDOTLOCCA’s Corner and, as promised to anyone who read last week’s edition, the mindless, subjective ramblings are back! It’s the LOC, it’s 2016, here we go people!

Coaches Award

So, the draft! Our first ever 100% turnout was a success in itself, but who had the most success on the day? This coach didn’t have the year he was hoping for last time round and I personally think some of that stemmed from the draft. This year he returned with more of a plan, clear player targets and a lot more pre-draft research to hand. This team is probably my top rated from the draft and the most balanced roster in the LOC – frankly gutted to have to play them twice. 2016 looks bright for Coach Allen and Patistan, well played sir!

Honourable mention: Coach Sherwood had another stellar draft and, more impressively, changed his 

drafting tactic from the very successful previous year. I think IKNAN are slowing turning into IKSAN.

Wooden Spoon

I could have picked my least favourite team here, but I am going to focus on individual draft picks instead. There are a number of contenders. Brady and Gould were reaches (large ones), but you can’t argue with team name related pick! Was Gronk a reach? Yes. But was it bold? Oh yes, and we do not condemn boldness in this article. And would I be keen on starting Shane Vereen in week 1? No I really wouldn’t, but Giovani Bernard was taken before him and that is a bit better. No, for me the least good (worst) pick of the 2016 draft was Austin Seferian-Jenkins, I really just don’t get one. So, sorry to rookie Coach Gardner, but it is always nice to win something I suppose…

Bold predictions

Right, you all know how this bit works after last year, I make some outrageous claims, they are all long and then next week I admit my mistakes and make some overly optimistic statements about how I will do better next week. So, without further ado…

The Bunch vs. Forge Flyers: Comeback WR off alert (obscure I know). Jordy Nelson outscores Keenan Allen in a single play however with a 50yd TD.

ADRZ vs. Gridiron Gang: This matchup has been won with a career day for a TE before and, as the last active player, I think Jordan Reed is going to ruin Coach Stubbs Jr.’s week, snatching victory despite a 20 point lead.

Burdettinators vs. Patistan: There’s nothing like rooting for your fantasy team and your NFL team at the same time, Coach Allen will be doing that with TD stacks from Winston to Evans, Coach Burdett will be somewhat bittersweet watching Beckham go for 150 yards and 2 TDs.

The Tuckfards vs. Cash4Gould: Rookie Ezekiel Elliot is going to have more fantasy points than every other starting RB in this matchup combined, and I don’t even think that is particularly bold.

The Dream Team vs. Bear Necessities: Julio and Dez remind us why WR heavy teams work, Bear Necessities can’t catch up with the 45 combined points they post.

Tom’s Tyrants vs. IKNAN: Charles is a no go and Lockett drops into the Flex position for IKNAN. A long TD pass results in IKNAN scoring over 20 points in a single play, that is pretty unprecedented right? Imagine the scenes.

There you have it people, the predictions are in and they are bold, let’s hope for some correct ones! In the meantime I am going to cut this outro short because the NFL season is about to start people! Everyone who has any Carolina or Denver players good luck to you or, if you are reading this post-game, my most sincere congratulations/condolences. P.S. For anyone who paid attention last week, all of my predictions from the mock draft were wrong, hence I'm glazing over it. See you next week!

2016: LOC Draft Recap & Week 1 Preview

It's the most fantasy footballiest time of the year! Week 1 is just around the corner, the LOC Draft took place last weekend, so you've got a hot episode for your ears today. Commissioner Stubbs is joined by Sophomore head coach Pat Allen to take a look at what happened at the LOC draft, and all the match ups for week 1.

Power Rankings: Week 1

Here's the weekly article you love to hate, back for another season. The Power Rankings are always divisive and inevitably vary person to person, but here is my take on where the LOC is right now. Instead of doing lengthy analysis for the first week (since there hasn't been a down of football, we really don't know anything yet), I'm simply going to say what I like, and what I don't like. Begin!

Power Rankings

1. IKNAN
What I like: The spreadsheet guru strikes again. Poised to pick up where he left off, Coach Sherwood has assembled a formidable starting lineup. I can't fault a single starter.

What I don't like: Other than Lockett (and maybe Fuller), I don't see a whole lot of upside on the bench. I'm not sure there's anyone on that bench who could develop into a decent starter.


2. Tom's Tyrants
What I like: The two time champ looks set to rebound in 2016. A stellar QB, and what should be a scary RB combo. They also have some fantastic bench options that could turn into weekly contributors.

What I don't like: I would class the WRs as good-not-great. TE could also be an issue.


3. The Dream Team
What I like: They've made the playoffs two years in a row, and that run looks like it could be extended. Brees is wildly inconsistent, but should have a good season. The receivers are incredible, and they have a solid starting TE.

What I don't like: The RBs are good-not-great, and could potentially struggle depending how their seasons go. The bench is also devoid of any fantasy relevance right now.


4. Patistan
What I like: Coach Allen's side look poised for a sophomore year leap. QR, RB and WR are all strong positions for Patistan. They've also got a plethora of high upside options on the bench.

What I don't like: TE could be ok, but I'm not convinced. The flex position is also an enigma.


5. Bear Necessities
What I like: After making the playoffs last season, Bear Necessities look to be in the hunt once again. Eli should be a good fantasy QB. The WR and FLEX positions look great as well, while they should have a great RB duo.

What I don't like: TE could be an issue, and the bench is #ungood. We all expect Bear Necessities to snag a few waiver players to solidify the team, but right now the bench is not in good shape.


6. Burdettinators
What I like: Burdettinators have a chance to steady the ship after last year. Palmer is a above average QB, the WRs could be the best duo in the league, and they have solid enough RBs.

What I don't like: A lot of risk of players getting injured or under performing on this team. I'd also class the bench as good-not-great.


7. Gridiron Gang
What I like: Gridiron Gang will be looking to finally punch back into the playoffs. Solid-not-great roster all around, highlighted by the RBs.

What I don't like: While this team shouldn't experience a considerable low, they also shouldn't expect any considerable highs. This team is also set up to exploit Coach Stubbs Jr's propensity to leave points on the bench.


8. Forge Flyers
What I like: After a few dark seasons, Forge Flyers could finally bounce back. Solid roster all through really. Great QB, solid RBs, and good WRs.

What I don't like: The starting lineup is solid but isn't going to explode. No one on the bench has upside or consistent starter appeal.


9. ADRZ
What I like: The current champ is out to defend his title, and might have an uphill climb. This team has star studded names throughout the roster, highlighted by a rock star TE.

What I don't like: Many of these star studded names carry more risk than season's past. Their RB corps isn't strong, and the bench is made up entirely of upside picks.


10. Cash4Gould
What I like: As with most Rookie coaches, Coach Gardner could face a difficult first season. They have an All Pro QB, a tantalizing rookie RB, and  potential top 10 WR,. They've also got some great upside picks on the bench.

What I don't like: There are a lot of question marks on the starting roster. Like ADRZ, if they need a bench player soon they could be in trouble.


11. The Bunch
What I like: The unretired coach is looking to build on last season. First of all, I love that he has Tom Brady (duh). The RBs have very high upside, and the WRs are among the best duo in the league.

What I don't like: QB until Brady gets back will be a big issue. The RBs also have a lot of downside. Probably has the worst bench in the league.


12. The Tuckfards
What I like: After missing the playoffs for the first time in 5 seasons, The Tuckfards will be looking to return to the promised land. He's got a good QB, two very high upside RBs, Brandon Marshall is a solid WR1, and an all star TE.

What I don't like: The RBs could face plant in a big way, and I don't think the team is strong enough to withstand that. The WR corps isn't great, neither is the bench.



Mock Draft Simulation (EDOTLOCCA's Corner: 2016.1)

The mock draft results to accompany all my modal tendencies! Few reaches and a few plummets, see how your team did!

	1	2	3	4	5
The Romosexuals	Gurley	Rodgers	Nelson	Woodhead	Gronkowski
Cash4Gould	Johnson	Robinson	Stewart	M. Jones	Decker
The Tuckfards	Peterson	Hyde	Marshall	Hilton	Bernard
Gridiron Gang	Elliot	Forte	Jeffery	Hill	Benjamin
Patistan	Miller	Hopkins	Mathews	Baldwin	Brees
Forge Flyers	Freeman	Bryant	Allen	Cobb	Ajayi
Tom's Tyrants	A. Brown	Green	L. Murray	Maclin	Ivory
Burdettinators	Charles	J. Jones	Evans	Edelman	Brady
Bear Necessities	Lacy	Newton	Rawls	Landry	Floyd
The Dream Team	Bell	Anderson	Cooper	Cooks	J. Brown
IKNAN	Martin	Beckham	Thomas	Wilson	Langford
ADRZ	Ingram	McCoy	D. Murray	Watkins	Palmer

EDOTLOCCA’s Corner: 2016.1 – Pre Draft Maths ‘n’ Stuff

Well, it sure has been a while! And now, just as some of you were no doubt wondering whether life was worth living in the dark abyss of the offseason, your EDOTLOCCA has returned! But it gets better, last season you sieved through pages of mindless, subjective ramblings for the occasional worthwhile conclusion, this time round I can offer you actual facts! Having learned from the true master of Excel, Team Ambassador Sherwood, I have devised a series of complex formulas and worked out who will prevail in this year’s draft, with maths!

Disclaimer: This will be the only edition that isn’t mindless, subjective ramblings. Also, this edition is largely mindless, subjective ramblings.
Anyway, on with the show.

Modal

Rights, let’s get the jargon out of the way. For those of you who have forgotten your primary school maths: ‘A number that appears most often is the mode’ (mathsisfun.com, 2016). I have trawled back through every draft in recorded LOC history looking for trends amongst the picks in the first 5 rounds. Looking at the modal picks, some interesting trends were uncovered:

Round 1: Every current coach in the LOC will modally pick a RB in Round 1, except one. Coach Barnes will more frequently pick a WR to start his roster.

QBs: Half of current coaches will modally pick a QB in Rounds 1-5, Coaches: Stubbs Sr., Burdett, Sherwood, Nunn, Wells and Allen. Of these, Coach Stubbs Sr. and Coach Nunn are the most trigger happy, taking a QB in the second round on average.

Balance: Three quarters of the league’s coaches will have at least two RBs and two WRs rostered by Round 5. Coach Wells and Nunn will only have one WR by this point however and Coach Burdett will only have one RB.

Back to backs: Five coaches will modally back up their first round pick with a second rounder from the same position. Coaches Stubbs Jr., Merritt, Nathwani and Wells will all go RB-RB, Coach Barnes will go WR-WR.

Maximum

But where is the fun in knowing averages without knowing the extremes? Again, I’ve pre-researched all the jargon for you: ‘The largest value is the maximum’ (mathsisfun.com, 2016). Here I have rated positions based on the modal picks, with RBs being the lowest, then WRs, QBs, TEs etc., and here is what we found:

Tried and Trusted: Four coaches have never drafted any position other than a RB in Round 1. That’s Coaches Burdett, Nunn, Nathwani and Allen.

TEs: Seven current coaches have called for a TE in Rounds 1-5. That’s Coaches Stubbs Sr. Stubbs Jr., Leach, Sherwood, Nunn, Nathwani and Wells. Coaches Stubbs Sr. and Leach have even ventured into Round 1 for their TEs.

QBs: Every Coach has at some point taken a QB in Rounds 1-5. Coach Allen is the only coach not to have drafted a QB in Rounds 1-4 however.

DEFs: Yes really, DEFs. Two Coaches in LOC history have drafted DEFs in Rounds 1-5. Coach Stubbs Sr. in Round 5 and, not to be outdone, Coach Merritt in Round 4 – I’m sure we can all enjoy that little nugget.

Teams

So, we have delved into the trends, but I know what you are all thinking, if only we had a simulated draft to put to all these figures. Well, ta-dah! Okay, you can’t see it here, but if you click the other link posted everyone’s first 5 round picks have been predicted from coach’s tendencies and based on current ADP (Average Draft Positions) from NFL.com. Cash4Gould were simulated using a modal pick from all rookie coaches.

(Click the link now, or this bit won’t make much sense)

General thoughts? Coach Nunn has assembled a true set of Galacticos with the depth of the Cleveland Browns’ practise squad, Coach Allen is tipping the Texans for Superbowl LI, rookie coaches may be better at picking balanced rosters than the rest of us and Coach Nathwani still loves suspended RBs (for some reason). I could go on, but remember this edition is about facts, not mindless, subjective ramblings.

Bold Predictions

Now, usually I finish the article with a series of bold predictions based on the matchups of the coming week. The more astute amongst you may realise there are no matchups in the coming week however. Far be it for me to let my fan base down, I have thought of a way around this. I have selected 5 names from the simulated draft above that will actually go to the listed team. Will I get any of them right? I doubt it, but it is a reason for me to say tune in next week to find out! See you in the regular season gentlemen!