2023 - Power Rankings Week 13

 2 games to go folks - TWO! We had yet another riveting week of LOC and NFL football alike in Thanksgiving week, and I have had enough pumpkin pie to put me off it until next Thanksgiving. The Playoff race is white hot now as well with 7 teams still in firm contention - what does the Commish make of all this? Read on to find out…

-

12. Art Attack (4-8) - down 5: And thus ends the berserker Coach Nunn side of the 2023 LOC season. Losing Andrews was a blow, but losing Taylor for the rest of the regular season is a death knell. It’s unclear when/if Higgins will return, so this leaves Prescott as the lone reliable player on this team, supported by Kittle, Diggs and Kelce. Freiermuth looks like he’ll be another nice helping piece, but this team is back to a low floor and a capped ceiling. To add salt to the wound, they were officially eliminated from contending for the division last week. 

11. Tom’s Tyrants (4-8) - up 1: And my birthday gift to you Coach Barnes is lifting you off the bottom (definitely because of your teams progress and not another falling beneath you). With Love’s recent play QB may not be an issue for this team, but he is inconsistent. Beyond that only Allen, Cook and Robinson are consistent contributors - with the latter two not necessarily setting the world on fire. Kupp hasn’t given this team the shot in the arm it needed, and there’s not much else exciting here. Will Reich’s firing help Thielen? Perhaps - perhaps not. Either way, it’s not going to substantially help this team. 

10. Buccing The Trend (2-10) - no change: I don’t really know what to write about this team that I haven’t already said. They are what they are. Tua is on an offence that is one of the best in the NFL, but the TDs seem to flow heavily through the run game vs the passing game. The rest of the team is ok contributors - so the ceiling isn’t too high here and the floor is hovering above sea level. Long since eliminated from traditional playoff contention, the chances of them avoiding the tied worst LOC season in history are on the wrong side of questionable. 

9. Bear Necessities (3-9) - down 3: It’s just been one of those years for Coach Stubbs Sr, not helped by a laissez faire style that would even be a bit too far for Coach Nunn. Now owners of an 8 game losing streak (yikes), I retract my previous statement that they are likely to pick up a win or two to close the year, as they just find ways to lose games. Brown hasn’t benefitted from Murray’s return, and Puka has clearly taken a step back since Kupp returning (not helped by his health). Only Bijan and Deebo are solid options here - Lamar is boom or bust. 

8. U R Gould (9-3) - no change: Coach Gardner-Beddoes missed a golden opportunity to clinch a playoff spot last week (granted they are still likely to do so). To make matters worse, the team’s output was putrid, and even if their point repellant powers were active they’d have probably still lost. The team is thin, with Brown being the only great option at their disposal. Everything else is middling. Purdy is a good QB to have, but he’s going to have games like last week where he only throws the 1 TD. To quote the Co-host on the podcast, if this team does make it to playoffs they will likely be found out quickly. 

7. IKSAN (7-5) - up 4: Now on paper this team is up 4, but it’s more about what has fallen behind them as opposed to who they have overtaken. A solid week last week yes, but this team still feels like it’s on shaky ground. It’s a bit of a rag tag bunch - a bunch that is certainly capable of having nice days, but you kind of have to hold your breath. Evans leads the way, Sutton is a bright spot too, and Kirk and Ekeler can chip in - beyond that it’s a gaggle of streamers. I think we’re running out of time for Mahomes to change what he (or more aptly, his receivers) has been for much of this season - but of course if anyone can, it’s him. 

6. Forge Flyers (4-8) - up 3: I think Coach Leach has his mojo back, and he’s officially picked up the mantle from Coach Nunn for berserker team down the stretch. Downing the number 1 seed last week in impressive fashion, they’re going to end the year on a positive note. They’re getting production out of the QB room, Henry and Stevenson are a serviceable core, Aiyuk has been great, Ridley has finally got going, and then they’re finding production from their 5th streamer each week. We can’t overlook the Cowboys D on this team as well, who have been by far and away the highest scoring D this year. Hide your women and children, this team is pillaging. 

5. Great Scott (7-5) - down 2: big big win against the division leading Dream Team last week, which was an absolute must win game to keep Coach Scott’s divisional and traditional wildcard playoff hopes alive. And their reward - a 2 ranking drop in the power rankings. This is a combination of some other teams outlook perhaps looking a bit better, and some doubt I have on this team. Lawrence’s resurgence has been big for this team the last couple of weeks - we hope it’s here to stay but you can’t take it for granted. They still have a very good starting lineup, but I just can’t shake the feeling that in a given week 1-2 of them will let him down. The lineup is Chase, st brown, mostert, white and Gibbs. Why am I keying on this so much? Because there is nothing on the bench other than fellow Miami running backs, who at best are like for like to other playoffs in the lineup, or at worst muddy the picture. It’s definitely still a dangerous team, but I think they could be quite volatile. 

4. Burdettinators (7-5) - up 1: huge win for Coach Burdett last week, overcoming a 40 point deficit, and effectively keeping their divisional and traditional wild card playoff hopes alive. Hurts is a stud, and Williams return to the team has come at the absolute perfect time. The rest of this team is a bunch of solid options top to bottom, having that flexibility week in week out is a great thing to have. Now the star power of this team is still lacking and that prevents them from really going much higher here, but they can be consistently very good to close the season, and that’s nothing to sniff at in the unpredictable fantasy game we play. 

3. Patistan (9-3) - up 1: lots of big wins around the LOC last week, for Coach Allen it rescinded his lead of thr Southampton division and ownership of the number 1 seed. Great QB room, and a roster of great options to turn to each week. Similar to Burdettinators, I don’t think any of them are necessarily elite, but they’re all very good. What does really boost this team though (and this is the reason they’re above the 2 teams below them) is that Justin Jefferson is returning. Now, of course we don’t know what he’ll look like with Dobbs, and he may not coming flying out the gate, but the potential impact he could have on this team here could be season defining. 

2. The Dream Team (8-4) - down 1: As it transpired Coach Nathwani wouldn’t have officially clinched with a win last week - and to make matters worse do now face some competition again for the division after a loss. Further to this, are there some small cracks starting to emerge in what has been a brilliant team? They remain flashy, with a very high ceiling on their boom and bust roster (though the bust floor is fairly high still). But I’m just scanning down here, could Herbert start to have some wobbles down the stretch? What’s going on with Etienne lately? It was hard to envision the jets offence getting worse, but it has and this is affecting hall. Warren finally made a start for them, but Najee has had a resurgence and a coordinator change perhaps muddies the picture. All of these players are still capable of blow up performances, but suddenly the bench is looking more unpredictable as well. It’s a solid group, but a tough one to predict which player will turn up in a given week. I’d be absolutely shocked if they didn’t make the playoffs still, but maybe just maybe, they’re not the world beaters they have been for much of the season. 

1. Gridiron Gang (8-4) - up 1: I could no longer keep my team from jumping up to 1. Now the highest scoring team by 145 points, coming off the highest scoring week of the season, my team is in very good stead. The RB room may be the best in the league, and now has the addition of Zack Moss who for most teams would slide in as a starter but for mine is a luxury depth piece. This may be only a short term impact, but there are other solid players to round out the roster as well. The knocks are Cooper who is in flux in the wake of the Watson injury, but Walker or Flacco may aid that situation. The Lockett trade has been ok but he remains inconsistent, and hill is a nice depth piece but as we know, unpredictable. 

-

And there you go, quite a lot of change this week as we enter the crucial period of the LOC season. We have 7 teams with 7+ wins currently, which is not a common occurrence. This week we may start to see teams clinching depending on what results happen, and there are some mouthwatering playoff race changing matchups on the docket too. Buckle in everyone, it’s about to get bumpy!

2023 - Gobble Gobble

 Hello and welcome to a Thanksgiving week episode of the LOC Report! Happy holidays to all, the Co-host has returned from his charitable endeavours to recap week 11 and preview week 12 with the Commish, which essentially feels halfway done at this point with all the games we've already had!

2023 - Power Rankings Week 12

Happy Thanksgiving! The Thanksgiving edition of the Power Rankings is here, and we have a bountiful week of NFL and LOC football for you. 3 games on the day itself and the first ever Black Friday game to go with the normal LOC slate. We're only 3 games from the LOC Playoffs too, and the playoff picture is getting spicy folks - with more teams now being officially eliminated from contention in the traditional wildcard and division race. Will we get a correspondingly spicy power rankings to match? Read on to find out. 

-

12. Tom's Tyrants (4-7) - no change: Fantasy is give and take - though it is rarely even in that regard, giving some teams more, and taking more from others. It has certainly taken from Coach Barnes over the last week. Losing Burrow for the season, now Kupp is banged up, Wilson might somehow have a QB downgrade, and outside of Allen, Cook and Robinson the team is pretty barren. On the plus side, Coach Barnes can enjoy his birthday and the Thanksgiving turkey whilst turning his focus to next season. This is one of the teams officially eliminated from the division and traditional wildcard. 

11. IKSAN (6-5) - down 4: After winning 2 crucial games the floor fell out from Coach Sherwood's team at the worst possible time. To make matters worse, Jones is injured (again) - albeit seems to have avoided severe injury. Ekeler however looks more and more like he's running with a piano on his back. His current line-up as of writing features Mattison and Watson - neither of which should be anywhere near a playoff teams starting line-up this season. On top of that, Mahomes is being let down by his receivers and it's killing both the Chiefs and IKSAN. This team is 2 games behind in the traditional wildcard and the division - but IKSAN face a severe points shortage in comparison to much of the other playoff teams, so it will be hard to turn it around from here. 

10. Buccing The Trend (2-9) - up 1: Heyyy ohhhh! Now that's what we call in the fantasy business positive fantasy regression! Coach Taylor didn't concede an obscene amount of points for once, and put in a solid performance as they have done on multiple occasions this year. Whilst long since eliminated from the traditional wildcard and division, with a win last week they stave off setting a new record for the worst start to an LOC season, and can now at worst tie the worst seasonal record. Look, it's still not a stellar roster, but Barkley proved he can still pop up (which I didn't think he could at this point in the Giants season) - Jacobs may be able to do the same, and others on this roster can pop up too. They may yet win a game or 2 more to close the season. 

9.  Forge Flyers (3-8) - up 1: What happened last week? Another team with an upset win last week - and in fine fashion! Don't expect the score line to be repeated again, but they could certainly be a berserker team over the last 3 weeks here. Another team now officially eliminated from the traditional wildcard and division, Coach Leach is freewheeling as I predicted - the QB room is rebuilt, the Hunt trade provides another usable option, and he's got players certainly capable of having a nice day. Let's see if last week was a flash in the pan or the beginning of a trend. 

8. U R Gould (9-2) - no change: The new #1 seed checks in at 8 without moving. They also hold the longest active win streak in the LOC with 5. And they (checks notes) still have the fewest points conceded in the league, to go with the 6th most scored. Yes yes, I acknowledge the fear factor. You know what else? This team is 1 win, or losses from certain other teams, away from guaranteeing a playoff berth. But I'm not going out on a limb saying this is probably the weakest amongst the playoff seeded teams. Purdy has been playing well and they have Fields in the wings, but beyond Brown there is no reliable skill position - that's not to say there's some useful players here - but you don't want 4 just "useful" players week in week out. Still, once you get to the dance, anything can happen... 

7. Lazy Townsend (4-7) - up 2: See, seeeee! I've been in on the berserker coach Nunn side for weeks now, and it came through with a nice win last week. Unfortunately they lost Andrews along the way, and Higgins no longer has Burrow - but hey, 4 of the 5 skill positions are still really good, to go with a Dak Prescott who has been really good of late. There's enough here for them to reliably compete down the stretch, and believe it or not they're mathematically still alive for the division (but not the traditional wildcard). Let's see what Coach Nunn has in store for us over the last few weeks. 

6. Bear Necessities (3-8) - no change: Still the owners of the longest losing streak in the LOC, a number that now stands at 7, they were hard done by not breaking that streak last week - all while playing a bye week player. It's a great shame, this certainly has the look of the team that should be firmly in the playoff hunt, yet they're eliminated from the division and traditional wildcard, and are not realistically in the race for the points forward wildcard either. Depending how much they tinker with the team will dictate their effectiveness to close the year, but they should at the very least be competitive, and it would be mildly surprising if they ended the year with a ten game losing streak. 

5. Burdettinators (6-5) - no change: Coach Burdett has quietly dropped 4 of his last 5 games, also 5 in the last 7, after a white hot 4-0 start. No one can be surprised with the raft of injuries they've suffered - and in all honestly, they've been a little unfortunate in their opposition in a lot of the games they've played as well. Looking at the team, it all rests on Hurts, Swift and Ford. There's a lot of complimentary options to go along with them, but they've not been contributing a good deal for Coach Burdett of late. At 6-5 however they are still firmly entrenched in the playoff race, and sit a mere 37 points out of a playoff spot - which isn't much over 3 games. 

4. Patistan (8-3) - down 1: Coach Allen drops their first game in 3 weeks at an inopportune time, losing grip of the division - but still finding themselves in the wildcard spot with a 2 game buffer. Another team where it's very hard to see them not making it at this point. A slight knock down here due to losing Walker for some period of time, and with it looking like Jefferson's return won't come until at least week 14. Fortunately they have Charbonnet (which actually with the heightened workload might be an upgrade over Walker). They could be deadly come the playoffs. 

3. Great Scott (6-5) - up 1: Another one of the playoff hopefuls on the wrong end of an upset last week, Coach Scott's team turned in a good performance with Trevor Lawrence actually showing up for once - typical. There's some interesting dynamics with this team right now - Chase has lost Burrow, so what will he be? Achane is injured again (at least for the short term), but if anything this clarifies the backfield and makes Mostert a better option. The rest of the team remains strong - Gibbs is finally delivering on his draft capital. They are vying for probably the points forward wildcard though, currently holding that position, as they are 2 behind in the division and traditional wildcard after dropping 3 on the bounce. 

2. Gridiron Gang (7-4) - no change: After a missed opportunity to take the lead in the division a week before, they didn't slip up again, beating their father no less and placing a slightly better grip on the division. Remaining the highest scoring team as well, this is another one of the teams knocking on the door of playoffs. The new OC in Buffalo may well be what saves Allen, the Bills, and potentially my season. Dell has been a revelation, and the trifecta of Monty McCaffrey and Pacheco is back. They have enough options to play with behind this to make a strong line-up top to bottom each week. 

1. The Dream Team (8-3) - no change: Coach Nathwani had 1 foot in the playoffs last week, with a win and other divisional losses they now have the other foot in. Given their points lead this might be enough to help them close the door - another win this week certainly would. It feels a little bit like it's Viv's world and we're all living in it at the moment. Singletary went from the waiver and into the line-up seamlessly. Whilst not all the key players are bulletproof, it doesn't really matter when there's ones next to them blowing up. We could be looking at the next entrant to the 2x win club, only a couple years after their first. 

-

And there you have it - hope the power rankings go down nicely with your pumpkin pie. A little bit of wiggle at the top, and some rearranging at the bottom. This week doesn't pit many playoff teams against each other, but that means we'll be on upset watch again. Best of luck folks, gobble gobble!

2023 - Power Rankings Week 11

 With Thanksgiving swiftly on the horizon (not to mention the LOC Playoffs being all to far off either), what better way to celebrate the season than with the Week 11 Power Rankings! The Commish is back to write them for you this week - let's see how much I disagree with my former self! We have quite a clear playoff picture emerging, so in theory not too much...

-

12. Tom's Tyrants (4-6) - down 2: Now, Coach Barnes has been a little hard done by by the timing of me writing the article this week. Coming off a week where they had the highest score, you may raise an eyebrow as to why they have now descended to the bottom. Well, whilst the Allen and Robinson blow ups were nice to see (for Tom, not for me) they can't be relied upon - and now team captain Joe Burrow will  miss the rest of the season. The resurgent play of Burrow is much the reason Tom's Tyrants has had a semblance of competitiveness in most games this season - and the waiver QB market is bleak, making their rest of season prospects quite dark.

11. Buccing The Trend (1-9) - up 1: Coach Taylor is lifted off the bottom due to forces unrelated to him and his team. To make matters worse, he is now tied for the worst ever start to an LOC season (GG started 0-9 in 2018 before finally getting a win in week 10). Certainly not the side of history you want to be on. Fortunately for Coach Taylor, there are still 4 games left providing him ample opportunity to avoid setting a new worst season record of all time (2-12). The opportunity may be there, but can the team capitalise upon it? Well - they're probably going to need some luck. This team is just bereft of star talent. Tua and Smith highlight the side, but whilst they can have blow ups they arent' consistent. Jacobs and Barkley only have floor at this point, and there are some players who can contribute around this - but they also could just disappear. 

10. Forge Flyers (2-8) - up 1: Another week, yet more bench points - but the QB room is remade with Howell and Murray. At what point does Chris just swap in his bench over his starters once he has made his mind up, to play into the bench points narrative? The Hunt trade should help as he has been a lock for a TD a week for over the last month, and there are still some solid players on this team which should allow them to be competitive in the last few games of the season. 

9. Penninggu (3-7) - down 1: TE FC rattled off a nice win with 100 points to boot last week - however they get knocked down a peg here - similar to Tom's Tyrants, this team lost Mark Andrews for the rest of the season in the Thursday night game. This is a fairly thin team beyond the starting line-up, combined with Burrow going down and clouding the outlook of Higgins (who is missing time due to a hamstring anyway) those losses are enough of a blow to knock them down one entire sport. Prescott's recent form has buoyed them, and with also losing Watson for the season they'll need that to continue. 

8. U R Gould (8-2) - up 1: Since I can't quantify the weird juju this team casts on their opponents, I place their ranking purely upon their actual roster. Otherwise they would arguably be 1 on this list. Just a reminder - circa 300 points less conceded than the highest conceding team. Yet to concede 800 points through 10 weeks (I'll let you do the math on that one). It's weird having an 8-2 team here - but I wake up each morning asking myself the same questions: what is the meaning of life? What do I want for breakfast today? How does Coach Gardner-Beddoes keep getting away with it and what shaman or witch do I need to see to obtain his aura? Anyway - back to the team itself. Look, they have a solid QB in Purdy, Brown is a stud, but beyond that it's just a lot of guys, some may have ok weeks, some may not. They've been hugely bailed out by D and kicker of late. Fields is returning, but it's hard to quantify the impact of that. If the curse doesn't continue I think they'll quickly be found out - but they're almost guaranteed a trip to the playoffs at this point. 

7. IKSAN (6-4) - no change: With another crucial win this team remains in the hunt - we shouldn't be surprised at Coach & GM Sherwood's ability to keep this team sniffing around the playoffs - but it would be remiss of me to point out they are somewhat fortunate in their opposition like U R Gould, albeit to a lesser extent. Still, Mahomes, Evans and Ekeler form a nice core here - Sutton has bewilderingly been a TD machine this year, and Jones and Kirk are solid contributors. They're perilously thin behind this however - given they're currently on the outside looking in in the playoff race, they will need some things to fall their way. 

6. Bear Necessities (3-7) - no change: A better week last week, but the loss streak is extended to 6. They've got off to a hot start this week however so that could change. This team is still solid, but it's not as punchy as the teams above them on this list. Mixon's outlook now becomes murky with Burrow going down. Jackson has been woefully inconsistent, as has much of the rest of the team to be honest. Robinson is being used correctly now so that's a plus, they have some options on the bench too - but the Coach just isn't giving the team the attention it needs. A shame, as this is a team that could have firmly been in the playoff race - but lucky me, they might pick this week to disrupt the playoff contenders. 

5. Burdettinators (6-4) - down 1: Very much still firmly in the playoff race, it was unfortunate they had bye week hell last week otherwise they'd have likely got the W and be back to the top of the Winchester division. This team is definitely good enough to find themselves in a playoff spot come seasons end, but I think Coach Burdett will be the first to say they're not the best team in the league - but they are a good one. Outside of Hurts they just lack start power - but QB is arguably the best position to have star power. Swift is a solid option, Adams is seeing volume now which is nice, and to be honest nearly the entirety of the rest of the team are solid contributors. Despite losing 3 out of the last 4, they should definitely see some wins between now and the end of the season. 

4. Great Scott (6-4) - down 1: This team can certainly lay claim to having the best group of skill position players in the league - though they will likely have a softening of that with the imminent return of Herbert affecting D'Onta Foreman, as well as the impact the Burrow injury will have on Chase - that's enough to knock them down by 1. The return of Achane clouds the Dolphins backfield too - if which Coach Scott literally owns all of except Savon Ahmed. You have to figure though he'll have at least 1, if not 2, solid to great options out of that. But truly it's the QB situation which holds this team from going any higher. It cost this team a win last week, and will continue to hold their potential back. 

3. Patistan (8-2) - up 2: Sitting at 8-2 and the current occupier of the #1 seed, Coach Allen is looking good for a return to the playoffs. Despite being one of the streaming QB teams, at worse you'd have to say they're league average as Goff and Stroud are quite the combo. The skill positions are solid, and this team is about to get Justin Jefferson back - we don't know what version of JJ we will see with Dobbs, but it's hard to imagine Jefferson not being one of the starting 5 week in week out for Patistan. Don't look now, but this could be the year for Pat. 

2. Gridiron Gang (6-4) - no change: The Power Rankings gods have clearly seen through my guise of refusing to put myself at number 1 and bestowed the power rankings curse onto me anyway. Just as I wrote last week that my depth situation appeared to resolve itself, the Saints decided to not use the swiss army knife Taysom Hill that was giving their offence an edge, Watson goes down affecting the outlook of Cooper, and Allen craps the bed and gets his OC fired. Further, while Monty's overall score looked nice last week, a 75 yard TD hid some sins (as well as him telling Gibbs to go in instead of him for a goal line TD). Herbert's returning workload is unclear also. But, the overall team makeup and outlook is still quite good - whilst they're in a fight for the division, providing the team continues to score well they should at worst find themselves in the point forward playoff berth. 

1. The Dream Team (7-3) - no change: Coach Nathwani reigns supreme, and with each passing week I'm more and more convinced they'll win it all. In the drivers seat for the division, I think they're removing themselves from the argument of being the best team and may just be the best team. As mentioned on the pod, the boom bust, flashy nature of this team is very much there - but if 2 players go off on this team in a week that's enough to give them a good shot of winning - let alone if they all did. The bench is probably the strongest in the league to underpin the rest of the team as well. Unless something out of the blue happens to them I don't see them being unseated for the 1 spot here. 

-

And there you have it - as I thought, not much wholesale change but a little bit of movement here and there. With fewer and fewer weeks remaining to the playoffs, after this week we may have more clarity on playoffs - as we will firmly start to see what the race for divisions and wildcards become. Good luck all!

2023 - The Commissioner's Address

 Hello and welcome to another episode of the LOC Report! It is a solo episode from the Commish today as the Co-host is busy raising money in a 24 simulator race for Children in Need - a noble reason to not be on the podcast. If you would like to donate the link is at the bottom here. But on the pod, the Commish will recap week 10 and preview week 11 for you as the playoffs edge closer.

https://www.justgiving.com/page/pheasantsracing

2023 - THE CO-HOST IS UNHINGED

 Hello and welcome to another episode of the LOC Report! The Commish is back and cannot wait to see what version we get of Co-host Chris Leach this week after last weeks fiery showing. Make sure you watch or listen to hear his wacky takes on the week 9 recap and week 10 preview, as bring you a pod on trade deadline day!

2023 Power Rankings - Week 10

 Hello and welcome back! Come on in and take a seat, your seat numbers are laid out before you below. Don’t give me grief if you’re sat near the back. With one day to go until the trade deadline it could potentially be risky to deliver the rankings now - though if history is anything to go off of any trades would involve me anyway, and whilst there are a few irons in the fire, nothing is close to materialising. And without further delay, the rankings!

-

12. Buccing The Trend (1-8) - No change: As they say, a leopard can’t change its spots. The had a decent enough week last week, but just conceded a ton (again). To make matters worse the dynamic duo of Barkley and Jacobs are both contending with horrendous offensive situations. There is very little else around them on this team to compensate, and Coach Taylor just hasn’t had the same touch with the waiver wire this year. I still believe they’re good enough to win a few games to close the year, but if things continue they could be on track for the all time worst season in the LOC. 

11. Forge Flyers (2-7) - up 1: Another ok performance by Coach Leach’s side last week, but they had the misfortune of facing off against a certain C.J. Stroud. There are shoots of optimism, and with a more free wheeling Coach Leach (which has always been when he’s at his best) could mean a better run to close the season. Hopefully Kyler will be the “third times the charm” for Forge Flyers QB room as well (that or Kyler may soon have a injury event that gives him a lot more time to play the new Call of Duty). This is enough for me to move them off the bottom.

10. Tom’s Tyrants (3-6) - down 3: I thought Coach Barnes had us all right where he wanted us. At 3-5, he was primed to kickoff one of the dramatic late season turnarounds we’ve seen from him multiple times before. And then the Tyrants lose a fairly winnable game in a key divisional bout. Burrow seems back to normal which is a plus, but outside of Allen and Kupp there is just nothing exciting on the roster, and even those two have cooled of late. It still wouldn’t surprise me to see a Coach Barnes turnaround, but the hill may be too steep to climb to make it amount to anything at this point.

9. U R Gould (7-2) - down 1: Oh the king is firmly back. A pretty grotesque week last week where they were completely bailed out by the Colts D of all teams (but credit is where credit is due, it was a great stream) and a low point output from their opponent. There is very little in the way of consistent and reliable options on this team right now, and they’ll have to be banking on AJ Brown, the special teams, defence and QB room to lead the way. Fields coming back could be a boost, or it could blow up spectacularly.

8. Thomas and Friends (2-7) - up 1: don’t look now, but Coach Nunn’s team have quietly notched 3 straight weeks of scoring 90+. Unfortunately for Coach Nunn they are 1-2 over those weeks, as they too have grappled with having a boat load of points dropped on them this year (2nd highest, one of two over 900 points conceded). I genuinely think TE FC could make some noise down the stretch though - their QB situation seems to have sorted itself out, and the full strength starting lineup is actually quite solid. Too late probably to make a playoff push, but they have the prime look of a berserker that could change the playoff race for others. 

7. IKSAN (5-4) - up 3: If you’re counting that’s 2 must win games Coach Sherwood has come through on now this season, picking up a crucial win against Great Scott last week to keep themselves in the playoff race and hold back a playoff potential. Not necessarily a surprise from arguably the best GM in the LOC. They’ve got another must win on the docket with fellow playoff hopeful Burdettinators this week. IKSAN are sort of the standalone middle ground team in the LOC right now, as everyone else is either above 6-3 or below 3-6. A finally vintage Ekeler and seemingly back to full health and role Jones couldn’t have come at a better time for them, and they have enough other options they can cobble together. It would shock no one if they found a way to the playoffs. 

6. Bear Necessities (3-6) - down 2: remember that reliable pick up truck I likened this team to in the power rankings last week? Yeah, the truck broke down, the engine caught fire, and it rolled off a cliff. This team is still decent, but it just doesn’t have the upside of the teams below on this list - and with quite a divide in records this year, that means most teams can probably just out muscle this side. But the floor should be enough to keep them competitive.

5. Patistan (7-2) - up 1: a top heavy last week lead be previous acquisition Stroud - but for me this just highlights the depth of this side, as he was playing due to Goff being on bye. This team is as deep as you’d like, but it does feel like the upside for a lot of these players has shrunk for one reason or another. Taysom Hill has capped their Saints players, Walker has been losing work to Charbonnet, and Taylor has seized the backfield from Moss. They’re still a good team though, and can certainly contend with any team in the league.

4. Burdettinators (6-3) - up 1: I really struggle with Coach Burdett’s team. Outside of Hurts there’s no stars on this team. Davante is the last man standing from Coach Burdett’s starter draft class, and they’d probably rather he went down over one of the others as he has just not produced of late. They have a lot of good options behind this either from later draft picks or the waiver which has been the lifeblood and is a great achievement by Ollie, but it just feels like the floor could fall out at any point. Until that happens though you can’t get away from them, as it hasn’t happened to this point.  

3. Great Scott (6-3) - No change: what a difference a week makes. The 5 game win streak is over, and Coach Scott went from the 1st seed to not even in a playoff spot. That highlights how competitive the race at the top is this year. And in fairness to Geoff, Ben caught him on a good week as he had many byes to deal with. Half their roster is on bye this week because of Miami (I’m only semi joking here), but otherwise they’re looking strong. Foreman and Gibbs profile to take a step back with the return of their respective running back mates though - but White may be stepping up. 

2. Gridiron Gang (6-3) - No change: I went from praying for 3 points to get the win last week, to having the highest weekly score with the Chargers dominant performance on MNF. Let’s not forget about Taysom Hill’s contribution either, or the fact that I was crazy enough to actually play him (even if my other choice Dell did slightly out perform him). But that comment I’ve previously made about lack of depth may be weakening - Hills usage may be here to stay as the Saints seem to be embracing the experience, Dell could be another usable piece, Monty is back and Herbert is coming off IR. If playoff Lenny hits I will be leaving a 5 star review for that crystal ball I ordered off of Amazon. 

1. The Dream Team (6-3) - No change: The Dream Team pulled the opposite of Great Scott last week - they stumbled past Bear Necessities with 70 points, yet got the win and seized control of the division. The boom and bust flashy nature of this team will cause this to happen sometimes, but the upside of this team is too great to ignore. Mitchell was a savvy use of waiver funds for a high upside, low risk gamble too. They’re one of 2 teams over 900 points at this stage and for good reason - it’d be quite the surprise if they don’t make playoffs. 

-

And there we go - quite a split league at the moment it feels like, but there’s intrigue in every division and still an interesting playoff race - one we’re not accustomed to either, as it’s more of the “who blinks first” variety where even one loss could prove costly. Let’s see what week 10 brings…

2023 Power Rankings - Week 9

 Hello and welcome back to power rankings corner, not to be confused with debate corner - opposite side of the room, no John Bercow’ here. Anyway - it’s the commish back again bringing you this weeks edition! I’m as surprised as you are, but our resident EDOTLOCCA has been frightfully busy of late, so I’ll be doing it again for at least the next few weeks. Apologies for the gap since the last article too, I’ve been a tad unwell. But anyway, let’s get to it!

-

12. Forge Flyers (2-6) - down 2: not to stick the knife in, but to be honest Chris would probably scold me himself if I didn’t put him here. To echo his analysis yesterday, the cupboard is just bare right now. QB injuries and players that have just disappointed have curtailed Forge Flyers 2023 season. The vast number of points on the bench certainly haven’t helped either, but to be fair Chris is also in the top half of the league in points against. Henry is the only reliable weapon this team has. I think a freed, gun slinging GM Leach could make this team a bit of a berserker down the stretch though. 

11. Buccing The Trend (1-7) - No change: HE’S DONE IT! THE MONKEY IS OFF HIS BACK! Congrats to Coach Taylor for notching his first, long overdue, win of the season. Conceding by far the highest points of any team on the season, the road has been rough and this team is better than the record - but equally their 7th highest points forward ranking is quite generous, as there’s a wide mark between them and 6th place, and they’re far closer to 12th than they are first. Scanning down the roster there is certainly a chance of a second half surge with a mostly healthy Barkley and a should be freed Jacobs, to go with lynch pin Tua. Behind that however is a fairly thin and inconsistent roster - but one that can turn up on its day. 

10.  IKSAN (4-4) - down 9: A 9 place drop is pretty meteoric, but it would have been more gradual if not for the wide gap between articles. A lot of my high ranking on this team was predicated on them getting healthy and play of certain players improving. The health aspect has come to fruition, but not only have struggling players not turned a corner, those players who have now returned are seemingly taking solidarity with the struggling players. Jones, Watson, Mattison just haven’t been firing - to make matters worse Mahomes is also in a funk, Ekeler has shown signs of getting going but hasn’t been overly reliable himself, and Evans, Kirk, Sutton and Meyers have been inconsistent. You could absolutely see them become World beaters, but this team just isn’t clicking at the moment.

9.  Thomas & Friends (2-6) - up 3: TE FC is a sneaky good team, but the upside is just capped - especially without an elite QB. JT, Swift’s boyfriend, Diggs and Mandrews is a rock solid core, and they have complementary pieces to go alongside them. Look, the reliance on TEs means the ceiling isn’t as high as other teams, but we see enough low scores in a given week that this team should be able to pick up wins as they should have a fairly steady floor. They could do with filling their last vacant bench spot however.

8. U R Gould (6-2) - No change: a very nice score last week and an impressive record to boot, but they are still massively benefiting from conceding points at a very low clip. The roster is good not great, with AJ Brown being the only real reliable star they have, with a handful of guys chipping in here and there. They’ve been good at the QB streamers of late and fields could be back sooner rather than later. Ultimately they’re in a good position and you can easily see a scenario where they end up in a playoff berth - but much of that is thanks to what has already passed;

7. Tom’s Tyrants (3-5) - up 2: I have no idea what to do with this team, so the 7th spot feels fitting. One week they’re up, the next they’re down. The team on paper is honestly pretty star studded, between Kupp, Burrow and Allen - and they have solid serviceable guys like London, Thielen, Wilson and Robinson. I’m not sure what Cook is at this point, and playoff Lenny could suggest the Bills think the same. Ultimately this team will win some and lose some down the stretch - so yeah, guess 7th is right after all. 

6. Patistan (6-2) - down 2: this teams slight slide is more due to other teams jumping up as opposed to them falling back. From a skill position perspective this team is deep, but I would say not overly top heavy. That however means a steady flow of points with the ability to play matchups. QB is serviceable, so this is an all around pretty good team. Like U R Gould, this team has definitely benefitted from generous opposition with a low points against, as there are teams higher on this list which I think it’s fair to say are better but have worse records.

5. Burdettinators (5-3) - No change: Zombie FC has done a remarkable job to hold a wining record to this point given all the key injuries incurred, and for the first time this season has lost poll position in the division. They’re still very much in contention for the division however, as some good later draft picks and waiver moves have kept the cupboard just about stocked enough to compete. No, they’re not as deep or as strong as some others on this list, but this team can go toe to toe with any team in the league and have a good shot at coming out on top. 

4. Bear Necessities (3-5) - down 1: currently owners of the longest active losing streak in the league after Buccing The Trend’s win, the team on a 4 game slide comes in at 4. After starting 3-1 it’s been a lacklustre month, capitalised by a Coach not paying as much attention to the the team, which has probably contributed but isn’t entirely to blame. Still, this is a strong and dependable team. It’s not flashy like a Lamborghini or Ferrari, but it’s robust and reliable, like a RAM or a Ford Tundra. I don’t really know how better to analyse this team than that, so I’m just gonna leave it there.

3. Great Scott (6-2) - up 4: the 2nd biggest riser on this list and for good reason, as they currently possess a 5 game winning streak (longest active) and are the number 1 overall seed. I liked this team before but they’ve certainly kicked in to another gear of late with Chase speeding up, a savvy add of Foreman, and Gibbs being featured with Montgomery on the shelf. Some other solid options on the team and another smart add of Hubbard adds to the overall squad, a nice job so far by the rookie coach and GM. However, QB isn’t a strong point and Gibbs will take a step back with Monty’s return. Achane will return, but that perhaps muddies the waters again. Overall though this is a very good team primed for a good stretch run and a playoff appearance.

2. Gridiron Gang (5-3) - No change: Still at 2, and the reason is the same as before - lack of depth. At full strength this team would lay a strong claim to the best starting lineup in the league - but the bench is not overly inspiring. My penchant is picking through the trash heap and finding short term options (of which I’ve done so), but if this team suffers any serious injury to a key player it could dramatically change the outlook. They have had back to back wins despite being down Montgomery, and were a mere few points away from keeping their 80 point weekly score streak alive. Currently the leagues highest scoring team, if I keep picking right and continue to get points in the lineup over the bench this team should plough on. 

1. The Dream Team (5-3) - up 5: the biggest riser on the list and only one of 2 teams to be over 800 points, Coach Nathwani has potentially the most stereotypical version of his team ever. Herbert, hill, hall and Etienne ooze the flashy, blow up potential that Viv loves. Guys like Lamb, Davis, McLaurin don’t possess the same upside as the aforementioned, but are definitely cut from the same cloth. Even bottom of the roster guys like Wareen, Jeudy and Palmer could arguably be starters on other teams in the league, but are relegated to mere depth for this team. They’re not first in the division at the moment, but it’s hard to envision a scenario where this team isn’t in the playoffs, and perhaps the same can be said for Corona Bowl XV.

2023 - The Commissioner Lives

 Hello and welcome to another episode of the LOC Report! Apologies for the couple weeks absence, the Commish has been a bit under the weather, but he has survived and is back with Co-host Chris to recap Week 8 and preview Week 9 for you - and of course update the lay of the land since the last time.