2018 Power Rankings: Week 1

2018 Power Rankings: Week 1

Good evening LOC! Welcome to, not only the first power rankings of the season, but also the first to be personally conceived by your own EDOTLOCCA. And, just to put my own spin on things, power rankings will henceforth by compiled in descending order. Consider it a two pronged motivational attack: 1) everyone wants to know who is top, so you’re motivated to read on and 2) the lowest rank teams are now on a pedestal for all to see, so they’re motivated to prove me wrong!

Now, hot off what I would personally call our best draft yet; in a swanky new war room, with full attendance and with coach knowledge growing year on year, here are your post-draft power rankings leading up to week 1:

12. Bear Necessities

Unfamiliar territory for the experienced coach. This team can be summed up for me with a single question: other than David Johnson, are any of the WRs or RBs unequivocally atop their respective depth charts, and healthy, entering the season? Kelce is nice, but he is breaking in a new QB, Bear Necessities really need him to produce like last year.

11. Burdettinators

Another coach who would be expecting more. This teams upside is huge, but the floor is subterranean, Diggs might be the safest player on the team. Coach Burdett allowed himself to be seduced by upside, there are just too many reaches and dart throws and the flex position could be a nightmare week on week. This team will live or die by Watson at QB.

10. The Dream Team

When you start looking at teams to compile rankings and notice someone has already stashed 8 RBs, you sense an air of panic. Having said that, some solid WRs occupy the rest of the roster, but their upside is capped. The safe weekly floor that Brady and Ertz bring to the table saves this team.

9. IKSAN

FACT: it is impossible to have a team with Rodgers, Hopkins and Julio ranked in the double digits. Which is lucky, because the rest make for less pleasant reading. The starting RBs are subpar and the depth is bad, whilst running with Njoku as the only TE is risky entering week 1. This team needs its stars to shine bright, if only Bell was really still on the board in the third…

8. ADRZ

With the best streaming QB combo in the league, solid starting RBs and TE, this team has excellent foundations. The WR core may be the ultimate boom or bust group ever assembled, making them near impossible to rank, some weeks they will win games single handed, no doubt. Depth is lacking across the roster, meaning Coach Wells will need a good hit rate picking the boomers.

7. Cash4Gould

Another team built on upside, but with safer floors than the aforementioned. With the last slot in the draft, he will be relying on top picks Cook and Beckham to perform week in, week out. Good flex options will make for a hapapy selection problem and TE Graham could carry this team over the edge with double-digit TDs.

6. Southampton Narwhals

One of the better WR cores in the league from top to bottom, with some sneaky upside hidden on the bench. Elliott will be the driving force behind this team, but Ajayi could make for a surprising RB2 if he gets workhorse type carries. Luck is the talisman that could make this team great, but RB depth could be the Achilles heel.

5. The Tuckfards

I’m not sure if anyone could have dreamed for a better start to the draft, being handed Gurley, Thomas and Allen on a plate. Outside of that the RBs have capped upsides and the WRs have low floors, but all the pieces are there for a competitive, but very top heavy, roster. Eifert is a risk.

4. Patistan

After watching RBs evaporate before his eyes in a second consecutive year, Coach Allen kept his cool and rode the wave. Brown and Gronk are as good as it gets, complete gamechangers, but LeSean McCoy could be the key here. If McCoy plays a full slate, this team becomes a contender, with others capable of filling the RB2 slot.

3. Tom’s Tyrants

I’m going to keep this short and sweet: my draft went near exactly to plan and my rankings are the basis of these rankings, so it is hard to fit me in fairly. Having said that RB2 could be a problem and this is potentially the worst QB room in the league.

2. Gridiron Gang

The RBs are the key here, as was proved by the championship winning Forge Flyers last year, drafting three solid RBs to ride for the season can take you great places. There is upside in the WRs, but they come with risk. QBs and TE are solid. A very balanced team that highlighted Best Player Available mentality drafting. Also, the trade was fun.

1. Forge Flyers

Not going to lie, I really didn’t want to put the reigning champion top, but here we are. Following last year’s example, three RBs in the first three rounds was the clear strategy and it paid off. Caveat: they are not as good as last years group, but they are still pretty great. Low upside WRs and TEs has the potential to hold them back, but Russell Wilson was an excellent acquisition and this team will consistently have 100+ points set in their sights.

PS. Congrats for making it to the bottom and the intro will never be that long again, promise. Good luck!