IT’S ALL ABOUT SUNDAY 2023 Pre-Draft Edition Cannonball Run Chudley Cannons finally hit their target with first championship Dream Team Who makes the greatest IAAS Fantasy team ever ? QBs in Vogue Every team wants to lock down QB. What does that say about the position going into 2023?
Letter From the Editor Time to break out the spreadsheets and pray to the almighty Draft God that your wishes come true. It’s time for another year of IAAS football. Most of the time it’s pretty easy to pick out the easy topics to talk about. We’ve had new owners, new conference alignments, and new champions. But I’m not going to talk about that. It’s a bit boring to rehash the ol’ “rah rah let’s go get ‘em” routine. In fact, I don’t really have much to say this year. Like a half full dumpster on the campus of MSU, my team is just waiting to be set on fire. But that’s ok. I’m still here to have a good time until I decide to tankimeantrymyhardest. Whew. Almost got caught. ANYWHO that’s about all I have to say. Here’s a picture of a cat channeling my inner feelings about Kyle Pitts and Jameson Williams. Happy 2023!
the ultimate iaas team By Steve Wagner We have a good idea about who the studs are in 2023, but who were the best to ever do it? It’s time to assemble the greatest IAAS fantasy team of all time. We’re looking back at all performances starting at 2005. Quarterback: Patrick Mahomes (2018) - 433 points No surprise here. The mobile quarterback has taken over the format. What’s more impressive is what Mahomes did last season. He was just 10 points shy of matching his 433 point performance five years ago. Certified stud. Running Back: LaDainian Tomlinson (2006) - 412 points I cannot overstate what a legendary performance this was. No running back has come remotely close to reaching this number. It’s not even a content. LD was the fantasy GOAT during a period of running back domination. Wide Receiver 1: Cooper Kupp (2021) - 285 points This one surprised me a bit. I really thought the top fantasy wide out would of been Randy Moss. Kupp’s connection with Stafford really took him to the next level. Kupp won’t be the only Stafford receiver on this list either. Wide Receiver 2: Randy Moss (2007) - 280 points For 14 years, Randy Moss’s fantasy point record remained unbroken. The connection he had with Tom Brady for his short time in New England was like a Madden dream team scenario. Wide Receiver 3: Calvin Johnson (2011) - 256 points Megatron edged out Antonio Brown by one point to make this list. Apparently all you need to be a fantasy bombshell is to be an elite WR and have Stafford as your QB. Tight End: Rob Gronkowski (2011) - 233 points Gronk was the first tight end in our league to break 200 points. There’s only been two other guys to do that in this position. Jimmy Graham and Travis Kelce Flex: Shaun Alexander (2005) - 353 points Think about this. The two top fantasy running back performances happened in the first two years of this league. Those records haven’t been broken since. Defense: Baltimore Ravens (2006) - 239 points They’re the #1 defense of all time. They won a super bowl with Trent Dilfer in 2001. Ed Reed and Ray Lewis still had juice to keep tearing up the field. Kicker: No one cares. They’re the hawkeye of this team.
2023 League Survey BASED ON THEIR KEEPERS, WHO WILL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR. CHOOSE 6 100% 88% 88% 77% 77% 44% OUT OF THESE TEAMS, WHO WILL WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP? PITCH A TRENT RECEIVED THE MOST VOTES WHO WILL BE THE 2023 DARK HORSE TEAM? WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT POSITION IN FANTASY FOOTBALL RIGHT NOW? RB - 44.4% WR - 33.3% QB - 11.1% TE - 11.1% WILL THE LIONS WIN A PLAYOFF GAME? 66% 33%
2023 League Survey WHAT’S THE THEME SONG TO YOUR FANTASY TEAM? THE MAN THE KILLERS FAMILY MATTERS THEME SONG WE READY (REMIX) ARCHIE EVERSOLE DON’T LET ME DOWN THE BEATLES NOW I’M HERE QUEEN STRONGER, FASTER DAFT PUNK SHINY JERMAN CLEMENT SEVEN NATION ARMY WHITE STRIPES DOOMSDAY MF DOOM WHAT’S YOUR HOT TAKE FOR 2023? JAGS will not make a trade with the Crackers Bears finish ahead of Vikings and Packers Once again this year’s winner will be someone other than an original league member QBs are now more important than ever -- especially in this league. If you don’t have one who puts up points, you’re behind the 8-ball. Scoring points matter. Kirk Cousins will be benched at some point during the season for Jaren Hall of Nick Mullins. Sam Nalli will win a championship within 4 yours due to his aggressive trading. The draft won’t matter. The same teams that made playoffs last year will make them this year on the backs of only their keepers. ?
A few good QBs By Steve Wagner For the longest time, the IAAS was a league dictated by how good your keeper running backs are. If you didn’t happen to have a projected top-five guy then you should already throw in the towel. Wide receivers in the top tier were easy to find and tight ends weren’t considered. They still aren’t (with the exception of a few unicorns). But in 2023, a tide has turned. The value of one position skyrocketed. The quarterback finally gets their due. Drafting a quarterback in fantasy was like sending your mom a card for Mother’s Day. You need to do it eventually, but it’s ok if you put it off until the day before. Sometimes you wait so long that you drive it over to her house the day after Mother’s Day and make up an excuse because you forgot. Either way, you did your job and you can go back to being a lazy kid on the couch. The quarterback position has been so benign in fantasy due to the lack of “boom potential.” You can draft the best QB in the NFL in the second round, but he will probably give you a total of 50-60 more points over the course of the season compared to guy who finishes as QB 10. And that guy can be drafted in the 10th round. The value just wasn’t there. Why fantasy quarterbacks are positioned to dominate 2023 Michael Vick and his motivation to keep moving on the field.
There were a few guys who broke this mold. The elusive mobile quarterback. Michael Vick paved the way for this style of play and put up monster games. It wasn’t out of the question for Vick to put up 30-40 points in a week. Yet, the toll on his body made it impossible for him to stay healthy. The same could be said about Robert Griffin III when he entered the league. Big scrambles led to an instant win in fantasy. But both of those quarterbacks would fade out of favor since guys like Drew Brees were still putting up 400 point seasons. Offensive coordinators would need more time to figure out a scheme. I can’t tell you when the code was finally broken, but I can point to one player that shows the change in mentality. Jalen Hurts spent most of his 2021 year as a fantasy stud with his mobility on the field, but his throwing ability was horrendous. Hurts would only put up 9 fantasy points in the first three quarters, and then suddenly go off for 35 in the fourth during garbage time. That’s not a roller coaster you want to be riding every week in a fantasy match-up. There were a lot of questions going into 2022 about his viability. Would his throwing improve? Will his decision making get better? More importantly, will his team scheme specifically for him? The answer to all those questions in an empathetical yes. The continued success of Jalen Hurts reassured the fantasy world that multi-dimensional quarterbacks are the way of the future. Over half of the IAAS held onto their starting QB as a result of strong and crucial the position currently is. A traditional quarterback who scores between 20-25 points on average in a given week isn’t good enough anymore. You need someone with the potential to crack the 30 mark. And it’s a lot harder to do that when you aren’t running the ball. It’s also a lot harder to make up for missing points in an era where a position like running back is now done by a committee of guys. It’s time for the fantasy quarterback to claw their way out of the junk pile, and into the fantasy relevancy once again.
2022 IAAS ALL-TECMO TEAM TE Travis Kelce Web Warriors WR Justin Jefferson Pitch A Trent QB Patrick Mahomes Chudley Cannons DST Eagles Scott’s Tots WR Davante Adams Pitch A Trent RB Derrick Henry CHudley Cannons K Justin Tucker Hasty’s Cursed Crackers WR Tyreek Hill Scott’s Tots FX Josh Jacobs B-Red’s Renegades
2022 IAAS HIGHLIGHTS 1,519 TOTAL SEASON POINTS 1,416 Total Points Against Great Lakes CHAMPION Big Six champion iaas rookie of the year
Live Draft Love September 3rd 7:10 PM Dave and Buster’s Livonia 19375 Victor Pkwy, Livonia, MI 48152
Note from the editor - Steve Battagin will be referred to as “New Steve” or “Not as Cool Steve”
Cannons avoid misfire to win first title By Steve Wagner There’s a tradition for some of us that attend the IAAS draft in person. Each year we look at the board and talk about the surprises and reaches of the draft and reassure one another that our choices “weren’t all that bad.” And like clockwork you can always expect one of us to say “Man, the Cannons look really solid this year.” I think Mike Kerry is Mr. Consistent when it comes to drafting. He’s willing to wait and let other people make mistakes by making aggressive trades during the draft, and selects the players of value who drop to him. And while that doesn’t give the Cannons a high enough ceiling some years, it does keep the floor at a competitive level. Yet being competitive isn’t good enough some years. You can’t limp into a playoff run and expect to run the table. Mike’s also knows how that feels. The Cannons were starting to see the signs of weakness in their game as the trade deadline neared. In order to compete against favorites like Pitch a Trent and the Web Warriors, the Chudley Cannons would have to a championship trade. Which by definition in the IAAS means you trade for Derrick Henry. Henry provided the extra boost needed to push the Cannons into the playoffs and score upset wins in both the wild card and semi-finals. Mike Kerry deserved this championship. He’s another owner in IAAS who’s been denied opportunities in this league due to stacked teams and terrible moves by other owners (I’m pretty guilty of that). It’s nice to see another new face sitting at the top of IAAS.
WIN BIG AND CASH IN WIN BIG AND CASH IN You’re not just competing for a shiny trophy in IAAS. There’s some serious cash on the line for our league winners. IAAS Champion: $220 2nd Place: $110 3rd Place: $55 Regular Season Points Title: $25 Great Lakes Conference Champion: $110 Big 6 Conference Champion: $110 Toilet Bowl Winner: Pick 3.13 (non transferable) and waiver priority
hot grim summer: 2023 HATE PREVIEW By The Grimace Hey everyone. Let’s get real for a second. Go ahead and pull up a chair. We’re entering a safe space where all opinions are accepted and it’s a judgment free zone. I’ll even turn my hat backwards so you know I’m telling the truth. You see, my therapist said that holding on to hate as you get older isn’t healthy. She says that we should lean on our friends when times are tough and use them to help lift our spirits up. And then I told her about how none of you fuckers sent me even one happy birthday text after I gave y’all an awesome new milkshake this summer. She said “fuck those ungrateful assholes” so that’s where I’m at in life. So as I sit here laying on a beach getting my Grim on, I’ve jotted down some thoughts about all of you... my bestest buds. Some of you are still new. One of you is even newer. What a great time to be in the league. It’s so great to see Dan and Jason giving new owners the same broken down car that’s been passed around since Becky left for college. Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll be the one to finally fix it. See you at 4-10 in the standings: Hasty’s Cursed Crackers - I don’t think you understand Lois. These picks I got for trading George Pickens and Rhamondre Stevenson could get me anything. They could even get me a guy like George Pickens or Rhamondre Stevenson. Brandon’s Blitz - Your team has real “dad stepping on LEGOs” energy about it. Not to mention you keep holding onto JuJu and saying “I can fix him you guys. He’s going to be fine this year.” B-Red’s Renegades - A tragedy in three acts. Act 1 - get trade overturned because of imbalance. Act 2 - trade for star running back that was involved in said unbalanced trade. Act 3 - Don’t even start said running back and lose to the worst team in the league when they only scored 43 damn points, costing them their only shot at the first overall pick. I AM NOT STILL RESENTFUL ABOUT THIS AT ALL. *SCREAMS INTERNALLY* Chudley Cannons - It’s nice to know that the strategy of “I forgot to draft good running backs so here’s all my money for Derrick Henry” still works in 2023. I was worried it might take skill to win a championship. Some Insane Ninjas - I got a plan. What if... we don’t keep the best quarterback in the NFL and then draft him back onto our team later. Why would anyone EVER want to draft Patrick Mahomes in the first? I’m a God damn genius. Someone call the Nobel committee. Pitch A Trent - Ever see that scene in the office where Kevin is desperately trying to carry his chili and then he spills it everywhere? It’s a funny scene. No real reason to bring it up. I just wanted to think of something happy because your team biffed it. Web Warriors - “Quarterbacks aren’t important” says the guy who then proceeded to draft two in the top 4 rounds. Can’t wait to hear him say “that Bijan Robinson sure looks terrible” and then do a subtle arm pump thinking he fooled everyone. Good job buddy. Flick of the Switch - Nice to meet you... Todd? Jeff? Tyler? You look like a Tucker. You’ll have to forgive me. We get so many new people taking over the condemned houses around here that I can’t keep their names straight. Scott’s Tots -You know what screams “Locker Room Leader?” Jail time and suspensions. Alvin Kamara can’t get hurt on the field if he’s safe behind bars. Goalpost Master Generals - Son, I think it’s time to give you the talk. When a team owner fails during their first season they get feelings. Especially when the town bicycle comes over to visit. You don’t have to ride the bike. Sometimes you can wait for the bike to throw away that cool baseball card in the spokes that you always wanted and pick it up for free. Stop trading with Da... I mean the town bike. Just Another Guy - Josh Jacobs said he was going to run to the store for some milk and ended up not coming home. Four years later you see him playing in the park with his new family being the dad (I mean running back) we all thought he could be.
2022 DRAFT RECAP A look back at the entire 2022 draft
ROUND 1 Pick 1 - Ray Finkle Breece Hall, RB Stop the presses! Top RB rookie prospet goes first overall! There was no surprise with Hall going at the 1.01 this year. Kid had a great combine and landed on a team where he could be the day 1 starter. Snatching up Hall instantly gave Finkle an exciting player to build around over the next few years and try to make a playoff push. Yet, a surprise injury to the young RB sidelined him for the second half of the season. Hall was on pace to end they year as a top 5 fantasy RB. Let’s hope he repeats that effort in 2023. Pick 2 - Cursed Crackers Mike Williams, WR Usually you can expect rookies to always go early in our drafts. Not this year. With an abundant amount of veteran talent hitting FA in the offseason, it’s no surprise that Mike Williams would go second overall. He was the best veteran WR out there and had a proven record of producing reliable points for a team trying to make the playoffs. Williams had several big games early on before he got sidelined with injury. He had a tough time rebounding back and ended up not meeting the lofty 1.02 expectations. Count this as a “meh” selection. Pick 3 - Just Another Guy Ezekiel Elliott, RB Former top 5 fantasy running back “Zeke the Freak” Elliott goes off the board right after Williams. Many pundits speculated that Elliott wouldn’t have any gas left in the tank to put up another monster year. Turns out, they were half right. Elliott produced stable numbers. You could count on him for double digits most weeks. He didn’t have any games where he popped off due to the Cowboys usage of him (on top of Dak getting injured and politics with Pollard waiting in the wings). If we re-did this first round again, I think Zeke could still go in the first round. Just not in the first 5 picks.
Pick 4 - Chudley Cannons Patrick Mahomes, QB Well, this was a surprise. Not the pick, but the fact that Mahomes was even available to be drafted. There was some shock waves around the league when we saw Mahomes was let go of. Mike made the wise move and swooped in to pick one of the best fantasy QBs out there at fourth overall. I’d argue this was the best pick of the entire draft. Mahomes finished the season as QB1 and helped take the Cannons to their first championship. He’s a keeper in IAAS for a very long time. Excellent pick. Pick 5 - Some Insane Ninjas Skyy Moore, WR I tell Ray this every year, but him and I always seem to target the same young WRs. He just takes them earlier than I do. I was a bit surprised that Moore went before Drake London, given that physical build of London and skill set being more refined. However, I can’t knock the reasoning. Moore was drafted by a Super Bowl favorite and is a very talented route runner. He’s got excellent hands and excels in the slot. Ray just forgot one thing... Travis Kelce still exists. There’s nobody who gets fed the ball more on the Chiefs than Kelce. Fantasy WRs suffer because of this. Doesn’t matter how good they are. A bit of a reach here. We need more out of Moore to hit his Skyy high potential. Pick 6 - Ray Finkle Drake London, WR What do you do when you just drafted the top running back prospect in the draft and then the top wide receiver prospect falls to you 5 picks later? You don’t think and make the pick. London has excellent skills and great athletic ability to go with his football IQ. There was no debate that London had the best chance to be a year 1 contributor in fantasy football. Could he continue the trend of rookie wideouts giving explosive performances (Chase, Jefferson)? No. He can’t. And it wasn’t 100% his fault. The Falcons QB situation is really bad. It’s also hard to catch balls when your coach loves running it more. Hope for more out of London in year 2, but keep an eye on how good his QB will be. Pick 7 - Pitch A Trent Kenneth Walker III, RB Hey. Give me one of those young RBs with a number in their name. They’re usually pretty good, right? Yes. Yes they are. Kenneth Walker was the RB I liked the most in this draft. His landing spot was a lot better in my opinion, and he’s built like a tank. The man a proper “UNIT”. He eats his Campbell’s Chunky Noodle Soup. The fact that Phil him was a major reason why he had a 12-2 run in 2022. I don’t know if year 2 is going to be as good just because the passing game looks to be more in play, but I really think Phil came out biggest winner behind the Mahomes pick.
Pick 8 - Just Another Guy Gabe Davis, WR I’m going to call this section “Hype Train Express. Next Stop, Over Expectations Land. Choo Choo”. Gabe Davis was one of the most hyped up offseason guys. You couldn’t go anywhere without someone going “he’s going to break out. He’ll win you a championship. My wife won’t love me unless I nail this prediction”. I liked him too, just not LIKE LIKED him. I think he’s going to be the new Brandin Cooks in our league. Guy will put up a top 25 performance by the end of the year, but no one will notice. Like a Father’s Day card with some scratch-offs in it. Pick 9 - Cursed Crackers George Pickens, WR Look at that hype train go! George Pickens was another guy I was really excited about going into 2022. He made a huge splash in the pre-season and everyone wanted a slice. Then the regular season started and the Steelers had to play big boy football. I think we all know where this goes. The Steelers were just bad last year. They didn’t know what their identity was until later on in the season. By then. Pickens was just trying to reel in some balls to stay at a fantasy WR3 on your team. He might be more of “year 2” guy. Especially if his QB takes a big step forward. Hope it works out, but in 2022 this was kind of a bust first round pick. Pick 10 - Chudley Cannons Marquise Brown, WR We’ve reached the caboose of our hype train. Hollywood Brown is one of the most over-hyped players. I’ve never seen a guy who just lets out a wet fart in response to you saying “he just needs the right team to spread his wings”. I’ll give you that the first six weeks of the season were awesome. Hollywood was putting up double digits. Then, like clockwork, he got injured for 1/3 of the season. When he got back onto the field, he was a ghost of himself. I honestly don’t know what to think of this pick. If he kept up the performance he had in the first part of the season, then I’m eating crow for all the insults I just wrote. Yet, I don’t think I’ll ever be a believer in him. Meh pick. Pick 11 - Just Another Guy JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR We’ve reached the “well, that was certainly a first round pick” portion of the draft. JuJu Smith-Schuster is like the ex-girlfriend who never goes away. Keeps calling you up to hang out and watch a move, and suddenly it turns into weird hand stuff. Looking at the pool of available WRs left I can understand the reasoning in this pick. His QB was now Mahomes. But like Skyy Moore, he isn’t going to get the ball as long as Travis Kelce is healthy and on the field. He’s a safe WR3 who can sometimes be a WR2. You can find those guys anywhere.
Pick 12 - B-Red’s Renegades Devin Singletary, RB In a sea of running backs, Devin Singletary exists. I think that’s about all I can say for his performance. He’s just a guy. There were a ton of running backs you could swing for the fences on, but Singletary was the safest one available. And like said in my evaluation of the JuJu pick, you can find “safe” guys later in the draft. First round is all about hitting big. This was not the Deebo pick you made last year. I will give you the benefit of the doubt. It’s hard making the last pick in the first round (not an insult). You’re kind of left grasping at the leftovers of the guys how might hit big, but they have a way lower floor. You should of at least danced with one of those, and not the safe choice. ROUNDS 2-5 Round 2 1. Treylon Burks (FINK), 2. Darren Waller(GENS), 3. Jameson Williams (PURP), 4. Chris Olave (CHC), 5. DeVonta Smith (SIN), 6. Jalen Hurts (WEB), 7. Joe Burrow (PAT), 8. Darnell Mooney (SCT), 9. Dallas Goedert (PAT), 10. Hunter Renfrow, (RED), 11. Dameon Pierce (PAT), 12. Chase Edmonds (RED) Round 3 1. Dalton Schultz (SCT), 2. Rhamondre Stevenson (SIN), 3. Allen Lazard (JAG), 4. Melvin Gordon (CHC), 5. T.J. Hockenson (SIN), 6. Isiah Pacheco (WEB), 7. DeAndre Hopkins (PAT), 8. Brandin Cooks (HCC), 9. Tony Pollard (JAG), 10. Amari Cooper (CHC), 11. Trey Lance, (HCC), 12. Miles Sanders (RED) Round 4 1. James Cook (FINK), 2. Russel Wilson (GEN), 3. Kenneth Gainwell (HCC), 4. Rashaad Penny (CHC), 5. Kadarius Toney (HCC), 6. Christian Kirk (WEB), 7. Mike Gesicki (RED), 8. Tyler Allgeier (SCT), 9. Kyler Murray (WEB), 10. Matthew Stafford (BLITZ), 11. Robert Woods (FINK), 12. Buffalo Bills D/ST (RED) Round 5 1. Aaron Rodgers (FINK), 2. Dak Prescott (HCC), 3. Jalen Tolbert (HCC), 4. Garrett Wilson (CHC), 5. Tom Brady (SIN), 6. Kareem Hunt (PAT), 7. Tyler Lockett (SCT), 8. Dawson Knox (FINK), 9. Russell Gage (FINK), 10. Alexander Mattison (BLITZ), 11. James Robinson (GEN), 12. Derek Carr (RED)
ROUNDS 6-10 Round 6 1. Kenny Golladay (WEB), 2. Zamir White (GEN), 3. Darrell Henderson (HCC), 4. Trevor Lawrence (CHC), 5. Baltimore Ravens D/ST (SIN), 6. Nico Collins (WEB), 7. Kenny Pickett (JAG), 8. Christian Watson (PAT), 9. Tua Tagovailoa (PURP), 10. Jahan Dotson (RED), 11. Chase Claypool (JAG), 12. Chuba Hubbard (RED) Round 7 1. Justin Tucker (HCC), 2. Cordarrelle Patterson (HCC), 3. D.J. Chark (WEB) 4. Marquez Valdes-Scantling (CHC), 5. Evan McPherson (SIN), 6. Los Angeles Rams D/ST (FINK) 7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers D/ST (PAT), 8. San Francisco 49ers D/ST (SCT), 9. Nyheim Hines (PURP), 10. DeVante Parker (BLITZ), 11. Tyler Boyd (PURP), 12. Alec Pierce (RED) Round 8 1. Hunter Henry (HCC), 2. Irv Smith Jr. (GEN), 3. Robert Tonyan (JAG), 4. Zach Ertz (CHC), 5. Marlon Mack (SIN), 6. Pat Freiemuth (WEB), 7. Tyler Bass (PAT), 8. Kirk Cousins (SCT), 9. Isaiah Spiller (PURP), 10. Cole Kmet (RED), 11. Hassan Haskins (BLITZ), 12. Daniel Carlson (RED) Round 9 1. Matt Gay (FINK), 2. Ryan Succop (GEN), 3. New England Patriots D/ST (HCC), 4. Khalil Herbert (CHC), 5. Corey Davis (SIN), 6. Rachaad White (WEB), 7. Dallas Cowboys (PAT), 8. Brian Robinson (SCT), 9. Justin Watson (SIN), 10. Indianapolis Colts D/ST (JAG), 11. Mac Jones (GEN), 12. Romeo Doubs (RED) Round 10 1. Michael Gallup (FINK), 2. Gus Edwards (GEN), 3. Jakobi Meyers (SCT), 4. L.A. Chargers D/ST (CHC), 5. New Orleans Saints D/ST (SIN), 6. Albert Okwuegbunam (WEB), 7. Justin Fields (PAT), 8. Darrel Williams (SCT), 9. Michael Carter (PURP), 10. Matt Ryan (JAG), 11. Mecole Hardman (PURP), 12. Washington Commanders D/ST (RED) SUBSCRIBE TO THE BEST FANTASY MAGAZINE
ROUNDS 11-14 Round 11 1. Raheem Mostert (FINK), 2. Denver Broncos D/ST (GEN), 3. Harrison Butker (SCT), 4. Clevland Browns D/ST (CHC), 5. Jameis Winston (SIN), 6. Green Bay Packers D/ST (WEB), 7. Tyler Higbee (PAT), 8. Marvin Jones (SCT), 9. Ryan Tannehill (PURP), 10. Cincinnati Bengals D/ST (BLITZ), 11. WIll Fuller (HCC), 12. Rondale Moore (BLITZ) Round 12 1. Zach Wilson (FINK), 2. Jarvis Landry (GEN), 3. Matt Prater (JAG), 4. Jake Elliott (CHC), 5. Julio Jones (SIN), 6. David Njoku (WEB), 7. J.D. McKissic (SCT), 8. Josh Palmer (SCT), 9. Pittsburgh Steelers D/ST (PURP), 10. Robbie Anderson (BLITZ), 11. K.J. Osborn (GEN), 12. Jamaal Williams (PAT) Round 13 1. Miami Dolphins D/ST (WEB), 2. Jerick McKinnon (GEN), 3. Wan’Dale Robinson (JAG), 4. Davis Mills (BLITZ), 5. Mark Ingram (SIN), 6. Brandon McManus (WEB), 7. Noah Fant (JAG), 8. Philadelphia Eagles D/ST (SCT), 9. Van Jefferson (PURP), 10. David Bell (BLITZ), 11. Cameron Brate (SIN), 12. Donovan Peoples-Jones (BLITZ) Round 14 1. Khalil Shakir (PAT), 2. Ronald Jones (GEN), 3. Parris Campbell (PURP), 4. Sammy Watkins (BLITZ), 5. Zack Moss (JAG), 6. Deshaun Watson (BLITZ), 7. Evan Engram (PURP), 8. Odell Beckham Jr. (FINK), 9. Gerald Everett (PURP), 10. Dustin Hopkins (BLITZ), 11. Rodrigo Blankenship (PURP), 12. Carson Wentz (BLITZ)
TEAM HISTORY Player Position QB Justin Fields RB Christian McCaffery RB Tony Pollard WR DK Metcalf WR A.J. Brown Owner: Dan Hasty Years in the league: 17 keepers 2006 2022 Record All-Time Record 8-6 153-83-2 Division Titles Points Per Season 8 1,351 Playoff Appearances 14 Playoff Record 17-10 Historic Franchise Players Larry Fitzgerald, Julio Jones, Aaron Rodgers Cursed Crackers 2010 2016 2017 Another year, another appearance in the playoffs. A slightly retooled locker room opens the path for the Cursed Crackers to rebuild on the fly while still competing for championship every year. Christian McCaffery, A.J. Brown, and DK Metcalf make their return and expect to compete for top 10 finishes in their positions. Tony Pollard is a nice short term addition since he is on a decent offense and spent years waiting for his shot behind Zeke. Fields is an interesting hold as well. He’s been something of a media darling this offseason. The fact that he’s a dual threat QB makes him even more enticing. Let’s just hope the bears offense cleans up their mistakes from last year. The Crackers face some tough competition in their quest for a fifth title. Pitch A Trent and the Chudley Cannons are both favored to go deep into a playoff run with their keepers. You don’t want to be left out in the cold fighting for that wildcard spot in 2023.
TEAM HISTORY Position Player RB Travis Etienne Jr. RB Rhamondre Stevenson RB Aaron Jones WR Mike Williams WR George Pickens Owner: Brian Barteld Years in the league: 9 keepers N/A 2022 Record All-Time Record 4-10 48-76-2 Division Titles Points Per Season 1 1,156.1 Playoff Appearances 2 Playoff Record 2-2 Historic Franchise Players Josh Jacobs Just another guy 2022 was another season Brian would like to forget. The division shakeup didn’t help Just Antoher Guy out either. Maybe that’s why Brian was willing to part with Josh Jacobs, who went on to put on a fantasy clinic. The JAG running back trio of Travis Etienne, Rhamondre Stevenson, and Aaron Jones is pretty solid. Especially with so many NFL teams shifting to RBBC. They have three dependable starters at that position. Wide receiver is a different story. JAG has changed up their keepers in the position several times throughout the years. They come into 2023 with two new keepers at WR in Mike Williams and George Pickens. One vet, and one second year starter. There’s a lot to like in Pickens game, and he’s someone to really keep an eye on during the first six weeks. Williams is where I’d be concerned. He’s a solid starter who disappears for long stretches due to injury. I think there’s at least one more good year left in him before the downward slope begins. I just don’t know if he was worth the price. While JAG only has two picks in the first three rounds, they do have a combined total of five in rounds four and 5. Getting some good value with those seven picks could put JAG right into the hunt for a wildcard spot.
TEAM HISTORY Position Player QB Joe Burrow RB Kenneth Walker III WR Stefon Diggs WR Justin Jefferson WR Davante Adams Owner: Phil Trent Years in the league: 5 keepers N/A 2022 Record All-Time Record 12-2 36-34 Division Titles Points Per Season 1 1,295 Playoff Appearances 3 Playoff Record 0-3 Historic Franchise Players N/A Pitch A Trent Damn it Phil. You were the chosen one. Pitch A Trent was the dark horse pick of IAAS last year to win the championship. A 12-2 regular season record was enough to make anyone throw away doubts behind this team. It’s just unfortunate that they ran up against a surging underdog who would go on to win the title. Joe Burrow’s second season was enough to prove that he’s a legit QB1 in fantasy football. He has targets all around him and a great offensive line. PAT also landed a gift of a pick in the first round of the draft last year with Kenneth Walker. The rookie RB was a Big 10 stud in college who didn’t have the glitz and glamour of Breece Hall, but people who watch is tape knew he was worth a shot. But those two alone aren’t why I love this team. PAT’s WR room is something every team dreams of having. Stefon Diggs, Justin Jefferson, and Davante Adams are cornerstone players. The fact they are all on one person’s team is disgusting. I don’t see any reason why PAT shouldn’t make playoffs. Winning the division will be difficult now that he faces a team loaded with Derrick Henry. In my opinion, it’ll all come down to how healthy his lineup can stay.
TEAM HISTORY Position Player QB Patrick Mahomes RB Derrick Henry WR Amon-Ra St. Brown WR Chris Olave WR Garrett Wilson Owner: Mike Kerry Years in the league: 13 keepers 2022 2022 Record All-Time Record 8-6 88-93 Division Titles Points Per Season 3 1,259.2 Playoff Appearances 5 Playoff Record 3-4 Historic Franchise Players Keenan Allen Chudley cannons Mike Kerry saw what Pitch a Trent was doing and said “hold my beer.” Mr. Consistent finally broke the drafting glass ceiling he was stuck under and won his first championship. And he did it without having to give much up. Amon-Ra St. Brown is the only returning keeper for you. Think about that for a second? In one year, you changed up your team dramatically. How did that happen? Well, let’s first talk about Patrick Mahomes. He was gifted on a silver platter to you in the draft thanks to some keeper decisions that were made. Next, Chris Olave fell to you because Purple Drank traded up to take Jameson Williams in stead for a future stash. Olave has looked pretty good so far. Garrett Wilson also turned out to be a nice selection. The biggest prize might be Derrick Henry. Aggressive trades for stud RBs at the trade deadline are the recipe for success in this league. Is a repeat possible? I don’t see why not. The Chudley Cannons are only missing their first round pick in 2023. There’s ample opportunity to sit in the draft and wait for some valuable win-now players to drop to the cannons at the end of each round. I expect to see them in the playoffs once again in 2023.
TEAM HISTORY Position Player RB Dalvin Cook RB David Montgomery RB Isiah Pacheco WR CeeDee Lamb WR Tee Higgins Owner: Sam Nalli Years in the league: 1 keepers N/A 2022 Record All-Time Record 5-9 5-9 Division Titles Points Per Season 0 1143 Playoff Appearances 0 Playoff Record 0-0 Historic Franchise Players N/A Goalpost Master Generals Well, it could of been worse. 5-9 isn’t something to write home about, but the Goalpost Master Generals got through their first season without finishing dead last. That’s a good thing. Now they have to figure out their locker room. Let’s talk about the elephant in the room first. Dalvin Cook. It’s not looking good. RBs who hold out going into a season have some trouble getting started. Le’Von Bell is the best example of this. Cook still hasn’t signed to a team. The longer this goes on, the bigger the need at RB will be for the Generals. At least you’ll have Isiah Pacheco and David Montgomery to hold down the fort. CeeDee Lamb continues to be a guy we expect big things out of. He’s hit those number to an extent, but I think there’s another step to be taken. The safest keeper on your team is probably Higgins. Wasting one keeper spot on a “dead player” is never good. Take it from me. I do it all the time and still haven’t learned. If Cook doesn’t sign soon, then I think you’ll have a repeat of last year.
TEAM HISTORY Position Player QB Lamar Jackson RB Breece Hall WR Kadarius Toney WR Keenan Allen TE Mark Andrews Owner: Steve Battagin Years in the league: 0 keepers N/A 2022 Record All-Time Record N/A N/A Division Titles Points Per Season N/A N/A Playoff Appearances N/A Playoff Record N/A Historic Franchise Players N/A Flick of the Switch Hey everybody, I’m new in town. Steve Battagin is the newest owner of this team that’s been searching for their first championship. The good news is that he’s inherited a pretty solid squad. Running backs should be young when you’re starting a rebuild. That’s why Breece Hall is pretty exciting to own. As long as there are no lingering effects from his injury last season, Hall should instantly establish himself as an RB1 in IAAS. Lamar Jackson is another easy keep since mobile QBs are in high demand. Mark Andrews is also guy you hold onto since points at TE are hard to come by. But let’s take a minute to talk about WR. Keenan Allen was a Chudley Cannon for many years. In fact, I have a hard time not thinking of him with that orange crest on his nameplate. We all know what Keenan Allen is. There won’t be any surprises with him. I do think you should be worried about potential drop off. He might be a one-and-done hold. Kadarius Toney is another interesting choice. I have no idea what to think of him or any WR on the Chiefs. He’s dynamic when he isn’t injured or too busy running his mouth. But like WRs for the Patriots, I’m going to need to see it before I believe it.
TEAM HISTORY Position Player RB Miles Sanders RB Rachaad White WR Chris Godwin WR JuJu Smith-Schuster WR Gabe Davis Owner: Brandon Pisarski Years in the league: 16 keepers 2014 2022 Record All-Time Record 2-11-1 100-121-3 Division Titles Points Per Season 2 1,177 Playoff Appearances 6 Playoff Record 10-4 Historic Franchise Players Odell Beckham Jr. Brandon’s Blitz 2015 2020 Brandon saw how much fun Purple Drank was having trying to rebuild a team and said “yeah, give me some of that.” 2022 might of been the worst performance in team history. Just two wins for someone who won a championship two years ago and had Derrick Henry on their team. So what’s changed? Everything. Miles Sanders and Rachaad White are the two guys leading your backfield. You decided to reunite with JuJu Smith-Schuster because “why not” and Chris Godwin is still a starter. Gabe Davis is kind of exciting if he finally takes that step everyone though he would last year. You secured the 1.01 and should have a rebuilt squad to make some magic happen. I’ll hold judgment on your team until after the draft and see how it shakes out. It’ll be a lot better than what I see written here at this moment.
TEAM HISTORY Position Player QB Josh Allen RB Alvin Kamara RB Joe Mixon WR Tyreek Hill WR Tyler Lockett Owner: Kristen Bachert Years in the league: 2 keepers N/A 2022 Record All-Time Record 6-7-1 14-13-1 Division Titles Points Per Season 1 1,397 Playoff Appearances 2 Playoff Record 2-2 Historic Franchise Players N/A scott’s tots Who needs a winning record in the regular season? Kristen defied the odds and sneaked into the playoffs last year to go all the way to the championship game. She also knocked out her husband’s team (who had a 12-2 record) along the way. I’d hate to be him. Josh Allen is sick. No question about it. In an age where mobile QBs are now mandatory in fantasy football, you have one of the top guys. Joe Mixon is still a guy you can depend on at RB and will be a RB1 again. Tyreek Hill is also a top five WR and you probably have a few good years left out of Tyler Lockett. Alvin Kamara is complicated. He’s out for at least 3 games because he likes to throw hands (clearly not as bad a gambling AM I RIGHT!?!) and he’s getting up there in age. We might be seeing the last year of top-tier fantasy production out of him. Keep an eye on him if you plan to make a magical run like last year. You might have to make some moves early.
TEAM HISTORY Position Player QB Jalen Hurts RB Nick Chubb RB Jonathan Taylor WR Christian Watson TE Travis Kelce Owner: Jason Bachert Years in the league: 17 keepers 2007 2022 Record All-Time Record 12-2 153-83-2 Division Titles Points Per Season 10 1,385.2 Playoff Appearances 14 Playoff Record 24-11 Historic Franchise Players Adrian Peterson, Arian Foster web warriors 2011 2012 2018 There we go. The Web Warriors are back in the playoffs with a 12-2 regular season. You can’t expect Jason to miss three years of playoffs with his team. Four of his five keepers are all-stars. It’s dumb. Jalen Hurts figured out how to play football in a year and is now a top three QB in fantasy. Nick Chubb and Jonathan Taylor are fantasy studs and Travis Kelce is the ultimate meat head that defines the “set it and forget it” mantra for the TE position. The Warriors decided to move on from Terry McLaurin and get younger at WR with Christian Watson. The Web Warriors are stocked with picks. Jason is pretty solid with his draft strategy every year I expect this team to win at least 10 games with this keeper lineup alone. The important X factor in all of this is if Jonathan Taylor and Nick Chubb decide to not try as hard due to the feud between RBs and owners in the NFL.
TEAM HISTORY Position Player RB Cam Akers WR Jameson Williams WR Calvin Ridley WR Brandon Aiyuk TE Kyle Pitts Owner: Steve Wagner Years in the league: 13 keepers 2013 2022 Record All-Time Record 4-10 89-100-4 Division Titles Points Per Season 1 1,215.6 Playoff Appearances 4 Playoff Record 5-3 Historic Franchise Players Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green PURPLE DRANK JUICE HATERS Oh my God, they killed Grimace. Last year was a nightmare for the Juice Haters. One pick in the first five rounds of the draft spelled disaster out the gate. Not to mention that injuries and terrible on-the-field performance by almost all the keepers made the Haters play from behind every week. I wouldn’t call this a keeper lineup. It’s more of a “who’s still standing” approach. The Haters welcomed back Cam Akers after a late season resurgence and are willing to see what this year holds for him. The same can be said for Jameson Williams. Injury and suspensions are putting the young WR on a short leash. Kyle Pitts go injured after a slow start to the season due to a new QB and coach. That left Brandon Aiyuk to be the only bright spot on this team. Calvin Ridley was acquired via trade to see if he can spark some life into this team in 2023. Because we all know how the Haters love guys who gamble and get suspended. The Haters have the 1.02 this year and plenty of picks. Let’s see if they can make this team worth watching in 2023.
TEAM HISTORY Position Player QB Justin Herbert RB Austin Ekeler RB Josh Jacobs WR Ja’Marr Chase WR Deebo Samuel Owner: Brandon Redmond Years in the league: 13 keepers 2022 2022 Record All-Time Record 9-5 82-96 Division Titles Points Per Season 1 1,235.5 Playoff Appearances 5 Playoff Record 3-5 Historic Franchise Players Ezekiel Elliott, Austin Ekeler B-red’s renegades It’s not so easy when you’re drafting the last pick of each run. The Renegades found a way to make the playoffs again after a championship performance in 2022 and a refresh at running back. They weren’t as deep as the previous year, but there’s a lot to be excited about going into 2023. Let’s look at the returning talent. Justin Herbert joins a class of QB keepers that prove it’s important to have premium talent on the snap. Austin Ekeler might be older, but he’s still an RB1. New addition to the running back room is Josh Jacobs. Trading for him was an excellent decision. Looking at the WRs, Ja’Marr Chase and Deebo Samuel bring high scoring potential with a stable floor. It’s a great set of keepers that’ll keep the Renegades in contention for the next few seasons.
TEAM HISTORY Position Player RB Najee Harris RB Saquon Barkley WR Cooper Kupp WR Jaylen Waddle WR DeVonta Smith Owner: Ray Brown Years in the league: 13 keepers N/A 2022 Record All-Time Record 6-8 88-122 Division Titles Points Per Season 0 1,200.5 Playoff Appearances 5 Playoff Record 2-5 Historic Franchise Players Saquon Barkley Some insane ninjas Well, maybe getting rid of Mahomes wasn’t such a good idea. The Ray had another solid draft, but losing out on picking Mahomes back up was a major hit. It was a major risk for Some Insane Ninjas. One I don’t think I’d take. Like other teams in the league, the Ninjas have an interesting situation brewing at RB. There’s been a lot of grumbling in the NFL at this position, with guys like Barkley and Harris at the center of it. Barkley ended up signing a 1 year deal, but there’s no telling what will happen next year. Cooper Kupp is still an excellent WR, but the shine is starting to fade from his performance two years ago. I wouldn’t worry about it. Jaylen Waddle and Devonta Smith are both excellent young prospects looking for larger performances this year. With the right draft, I think the Ninjas could be the dark horse team of 2023.
Post draft issue coming 1-2 weeks after draft day... probably.