2022 - The co-host's (not so) triumphant return

 Hello and welcome to another episode of the LOC Report! Commissioner Stubbs is reunited at long last with the co-host himself Chris Leach after his couple of weeks absence, as he delivers his verdicts so far on this still young 2022 LOC season, recapping week 3 and previewing week 4.

2022 - We're Onto Week 3

 Welcome to another episode of the LOC Report! Commissioner Stubbs is joined once again by Coach Taylor to recap all the happenings in the LOC, looking back at week 2 and giving a live build up to week 3

2022 Power Rankings: Week 3

Hello, once again! Welcome all to another Sunday edition of the Power Rankings, courtesy of your EDOTLOCCA and his disorganised social life. So, Week 3, what have we missed so far. Half the league is at .500, we’ve got a division leader as the 7^th overall seed, and the top seed has scored more than twice as many points as the bottom seed. So, nothing out of the ordinary really. Ahh, it sure is good to have the LOC back. Read on, fine folk.

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12. Burdettinators (0-2) – Down 2

Another bad week for a team that looks like offseason hype was comfortably misplaced. Breece Hall getting more involved was the major positive, but he needs to get more of a hold on the Jets backfield to repay his draft position. I’m sure things will improve but, for now at least, they are justifiably bottom of the pile.

11. Tom’s Tyrants (0-2) – No Change

Last week, I said they weren’t actually that bad in the loss. This week, they were. They would have gotten blown out of the water by their opponents anyway, but having a middling DST as the high scorers was just plain bad to see. The only reason they didn’t go bottom is thanks to the graciously poor effort from Coach Burdett.

10. Mariota Kart (0-2) – Up 2

Firstly, new favourite name, period. In fact, I’m going to go ahead and say this one can’t be topped. Secondly, they had a much better Week 2. They didn’t get the win, and the bench leads you to question the depth, but they are trending back in the right direction. David Montgomery and Javontae Williams touch counts could well be the key.

9. U R Gould (1-1) – Down 2

Better performance, opposite result, exactly how things are meant to go in fantasy land. The team was more or less split down the middle, some big times performances, some no shows, one literal no show. If they’d been healthy, you can’t help but feel they may have picked up a win here. More importantly, they need to start seeing more from top selection, Cook. Didn’t deserve to drop, but had two undefeated teams below them *shrug*.

8. Napolitans (1-1) – Down 2

Big performance from Tyreek, if there are more of them in the bank, we’ll be laughing. Hurts also has a look of a QB who is going to supersede matchups. With Kirk and Dotson, outperforming Higgings, Pitts and even Harris, this is a strangely built roster. Though, they look ready for the fight in a competitive division. Also didn’t deserve to drop, please see above.

7. IKSAN (2-0) – Up 1

Not their most impressive week, but they netted another win to stay undefeated. Still a lot of question marks across the roster but it will be nice to see Amari Cooper recapturing some Dallas types vibes. Exactly the same stat-line in Week 3 as well, what are the odds!? See, if we were PPR, I wouldn’t be able to say that, another reason to stay far away. Yay, media propaganda!

6. Patistan (1-1) – Down 2

Hmm, big difference for key men Adams and Jefferson. And, in what was certainly a winnable week, no one else was able to make the difference. I am far from ringing alarm bells, and they sit atop a division which doesn’t scream world-beating, but it will be interesting to see whether this becomes a team that blows hot and cold.

5. Bear Necessities (1-1) – Down 2

They got the win, a comfortable win, and they scraped to over 100 points. But, nearly half of that came from Lamar in what was, quite possibly, they least Ravens-esque performance I’ve ever seen. It was still a decent week all around, although the top pick RBs don’t appear to have fully regained the roles that earned them their high draft spots. They’ve dropped more due to good performances below.

4. Forge Flyers (2-0) – Up 1

Far from the perfect team performance, but Murray, Waddle and Chubb combined to make an effortlessly high score. They’re not necessarily the most deserving team of the 2-0 record thus far, but they also just put up 120 points without top pick Kamara. There is still a lot to come from this team.

3. Buccing The Trend (2-0) – Up 6

So, posting up a modest 140, and benching a 50pt player, is this the ultimate LOC flex? I’m not really sure what to say, other than that the Tua hate should probably slow down, the Lions are rockstars and Wentz…. Errr…. I dunno, these words all feel strange. Either way, Coach Taylor was clearly languishing below his place. I try not to overreact with weekly movements, but this had to change.

2. Gridiron Gang (1-1) – Down 1

Not a bad week, but came up against a stronger team. We may have seen some of their fragility in Week 2, with Josh Allen picking up a fair amount of slack and covering for his teammates. Kelce will bounce back, but we will wait to see what other strong contributors emerge on a consistent level.

1. The Dream Team (1-1) – Up 1

I said the first win was close, and it was an impressive one. Seeing Moore and Williams more involved is very encouraging, but Diggs is the superstar. This receiver heavy approach could be talked about for years if they all keep performing.

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Pretty turbulent for a Week 2 Power Rankings - what an exciting early season we must be having! Now, if everyone could try not to cause any upsets in Week 3, it is much easier to edit these articles when the ‘No Change’ count is nice and high. Thanks in advance.

2022 Power Rankings: Week 2

Good afternoon, coaches! It’s the second NFL weekend of the year and we have another full night of football ahead. It’s also the first week of the year where I’m late with my Rankings, start as you mean to go on and all that jazz. So, I shall not keep you eager beavers waiting any longer, let us see how you all shuffle around with some actual football under your belts. Rankings time.

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12. Pittsman (0-1) – No Change

No matter which side of the conspiracy debate you fall on, we can all appreciate the injustice that happened last week. We can also say that, with or without those extra 3 points, it wasn’t going to be a score worth celebrating. Add in losing Dak to the equation, and you can see why they haven’t managed to move up this week.

11. Tom’s Tyrants (0-1) – No Change

Week 1 wasn’t actually terrible. They lost, comfortably to a better team, but still put up a respectable score. Then TNF happened, and they started off Week 2 with an inactive kicker. Outrageous. Inexcusable. A terrible ambassador for the league. Lucky to cling on to spot 11, I for one would vote for them to have all LOC duties and responsibilities removed, with immediate effect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyway, enough messing around. If I got once laugh, I’m saying that was worth it. On with the Rankings.

10. Burdettinators (0-1) – Down 2

Sometimes, it’s hard to work out why a team lost. Other times, it’s hard to work out quite who you are most upset with, because your entire team sucked. This was not an example of the former. Wilson was alright, Henry still got a huge workload, Juju had a good target share, it wasn’t all bad. Watson may be in the doghouse for that drop for a little while though.

9. Buccing The Trend (1-0) – Up 1

Well, Tua didn’t answer too many questions, but he didn’t need to with those RB performances. Swift and Barkley were both electric, with CEH looking handy on the bench. It’s only one week into the season, but that looks encouraging. No one else laid out too much of a marker in Week 1, but they have time to work out the best starting roster.

8. IKSAN (1-0) – Up 1

I said they’d make me look bad, but it was mainly just down to Mahomes this week. He certainly doesn’t seem too affected from the loss of Tyreek Hill. Gibson and Carter both made good use of their touches, and if they can hold off respective rookies, this could be a very deep squad. It would be good to see more of CMC in the Baker era, is he still the game-changer?

7. U R Gould (1-0) – No Change

The term gypsy win is probably overused in this league, but this was the Tyson Fury of fantasy wins. Week 1, score in the 70s, win by a point, after a stat-correction. If that is a warning for the season, the rest of the league will hate playing them. It is hard to move them down after a win, but shaky QB play and losing Pittman (they’re top performer in Week 1) isn’t ideal and is certainly stopping any ascent.

6. Napolitans (0-1) – Down 2

A slightly DST-inflated score here? They were the Dolphins we were focused on with this roster. Hurts looked good, but Harris looked like he will face the same struggles as last year, without such a heavy usage. There is lots still to prove pretty much roster-wide. If Dotson can become a Wentz favourite target, he could be an absolute steal.

5. Forge Flyers (1-0) – No Change

Well, doesn’t matter how you win, as they say. Poor kicker and DST points actually make this week look worse that it was as well. Not to mention losing Mitchell halfway through the game. Anderson and Landry were nice additions, if Chubb and Hunt can both be weekly starters as well, they will be very happy with that result.

4. Patistan (1-0) – Up 2

Well, they more or less took shape as promised, big WR performances and solid play from Herbert. An impressive win in Week 1, with the heavy lifting done by Jefferson and Adams. I see no reason not to expect that to continue, so this could be a season of searching for the right complimentary pieces. Patterson exceeded expectations on the bench, but they were otherwise light there.

3. Bear Necessities (0-1) – Down 2

Well, that didn’t go quite as I expected. It was far from a bad week, but their strong core of RBs near unilaterally underwhelmed. Only AJ Brown really looked dominant for them, with his target share and usage no doubt a relief to Coach Stubbs Sr. Other than that, safe to say they left a lot on the field, we’ll see how Week 2 goes before overreacting.

2. The Dream Team (0-1) – No change

Up and down, could have been better, but could have been much worse for the defending champs. Safe to say, they would have liked to start with a win, particularly after posting over 100 points, but they should be happy that the WR heavy strategy is going to pay dividends in terms of points. No change for them yet, the first win shouldn’t be far away.

1. Gridiron Gang (1-0) – Up 2

Well, we mentioned the TE/QB high draft capital plays last week, and they look masterful so far. They couldn’t have had a better start to the season, with solid scoring across the board. Mike Thomas and James Robinson both also proved they are going to maintain huge roles in their offenses, potentially both draft day steals.

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Nothing too drastic in Week 1 then. Although, we also have a 50:50 split of winners and loser in the top and bottom half of the Rankings, so perhaps I’m just getting lenient. Check in again next week to have those and other questions answered!

2022 - And We're Away!

 Hello and welcome to another episode of the LOC Report! The 2022 LOC season has now officially kicked off with week 1 in the books. Commissioner Stubbs is joined by Coach Taylor to recap week 1, and preview week 2.

2022 - Let's Ride

 Here we are, week 1 of the 2022 LOC and NFL season, woo! In the official first in-season episode of the season, Co-Host Chris Leach and Commissioner Stubbs go through the 2022 full schedule and preview the first matches of the season in Week 1.

2022 Power Rankings: Week 1

Good evening, everyone! I had a simple plan for tonight; write Power Rankings. They somehow feel a little less meaningful since the news from Buckingham Palace, however. So, with the rain mercilessly beating at the windowpanes, and feeling perhaps more British than I’d ever thought possible, we turn to the west and to the land of hope and glory. We beckon a new NFL season and, more importantly still, a new LOC season, hoping it too is filled with that hope and that glory. How naïve we remain. For now though, on with the frivolities.

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12. Maxx Effect

Rule 1 of post draft Rankings: Auto-draft teams come at the bottom. They never look as bad on paper as they feel in the room though and, with the most ridiculously talented TE room ever assembled, they’re going to be a thorn some weeks. And, sporting a very well-received new moniker, Coach Nunn will relish climbing these Rankings – as he always bloody well does.

Rule 2: The rest of these Rankings are the analyst’s equivalent of 52 card pickup.

11. Tom’s Tyrants

Entering the team into the roster for the first time and seeing the waves of ‘Q’s that came with them more or less sums up their Ranking. The RB room looks very shaky to start the season (outside of No. 1 gift, Taylor), and it was meant to be the strength after heavy investment. So, this team could take a while to get going. We’ve heard that one before. Getting Brady late was a big bonus.

10. Buccing The Trend

Drafting a QB in fantasy is very easy. In fact, often it is waiting on one that is quite hard. If you enter the draft knowing you don’t want one particular QB, it is a fairly easy thing to avoid them. Well. Enter Coach Taylor. Waiting until 15 QBs had already been selected, Tua (once again) became the one. This could make their season, or it could crush an otherwise well-constructed team. I love the draft, it makes people do crazy things.

9. IKSAN

This feels like a trap team to me. It also feels like Coach Sherwood always plays this game with me, baiting me into ranking him too low and then making be look foolish. Luckily, I lost my dignity writing these Rankings far too long ago to care about silly things like that. Mahomes, Cooper, Deebo, Gibson, they were all players I was avoiding at their draft positions, almost certainly meaning they will come bargains. 

8. Burdettinators

Yet another classic Burdettinators team. Upside, hype, impact rookies. Boom, got the lot. What felt like slight reaches for Hall and Etienne have a good chance of looking like masterstrokes. Henry and Lamb will be relied on as the engines to keep the points churning whilst the others spark and flair. The grand plan didn’t work out for them last season, but this looks like a decent mix.

7. U R Gould

This is an upside team if ever I saw one. With a roster bereft of RBs outside the top two picks (both very good picks I might add), they’ll be hoping for some of these WRs to become target vacuums to avoid massive weekly flux. Pittman is the strongest bet, but Toney is also a dark horse. A title fitting to this team, and Coach in fact.

6. Patistan

Starting from a tough draft spot, Jefferson was a real win and Adams was a good example of BPA. Their WRs are very, very good, and should see high volumes of targets. The RBs provide less value at draft position, with mostly shared committee roles. This can work if the offense roles, but perhaps more WRs would have been the bolder move. Can’t knock Herbert at that spot, he has a realistic route to QB1.

5. Forge Flyers

Biggest shock? They didn’t switch draft spots, having earned the honour with an exemplar season last year, built from a strong draft. The draft spot led to tough decisions in the opening rounds, they stuck to their roots and favoured the RB strategy, despite some tempting receivers. My favourite RB they picked was actually Penny, in the later rounds. He, along with Murray, could help them get off to a fast start this season.

4. Napolitans

The fact that Kyle Pitts starts the season warming the bench tells you what you need to know about this team, they have great options. Harris, Higgins and Hill would probably have ranked fairly lowly on my first 3 round Rankings, far from safe bets. But the later picks of Kirk, Edmonds and Stevenson, all at good value, have them looking strong. If the Dolphins Offense looks like The Dolphins think it will, this team will be very good.

3. Gridiron Gang

The start of their draft probably didn’t go as they thought. In fact, Coach Stubbs Jr. has been fairly open about that. Having a TE and QB so early can cause questionable depth, but it can also mean you have an outrageous TE/QB combo that will be matchup proof. Robinson and Woods were two of my favourite picks of the draft, this team has great depth.

2. The Dream Team

 This is not just the best WR room in the league this season, it is the best one we’ve ever seen. I mean, I haven’t got the details in front of me, but it has to be right? They’ve also got the best QB room to back it up. The RBs aren’t currently atop their depths chart, but all have obvious paths to valuable touches, and the guaranteed touches will come from the receivers. From the back of the board, they’ve played this well. 

1. Bear Necessities

I think I can comfortably say that this is the strongest RB room in the league. As of right now, they have 4 RBs at the top of their depth charts and with guaranteed workload, dreamy stuff. And, it didn’t come at the cost of other high picks, with AJ Brown and Lamar Jackson still consuming high draft capital. If Brown has the same impact he had in Tennessee, watch out.

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And, there we have it. It’s still raining, and Week 1 Power Rankings are still a nightmare to try and put together with any ounce of confidence. If they carried more weight, I’d dedicate them to Liz, but instead I’ll just wish everyone an excellent season. Bring it on.