LOSERS SYCANO MORE! LOSERS SYCANO MORE! N K D N EWS THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE NKD FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE https://league-page-sandy-delta.vercel.app/ JULY 2023 | ISSUE ONE
Bishop Sycamore Bishop Sycamore Championship MVP CeeDee Lamb - 21 points 11 Catches 100 Yards 9.09 YPC Top Preformers: Stefon Diggs - 320 Saquon Barkley - 283 DeVonta Smith - 254 Regular Season Stats: Record - 7-7 (4th) PF - 1827.05 PA - 1984.55 Dak Prescott | Saquon Barkley | Ezekiel Elliot | CeeDee Lamb | Stefon Diggs | Mark Andrews | DeVonta Smith | Brian Robinson | Cameron Dicker | Jarrett Stidham | Carson Wentz | Chase Edmonds | Miles Sanders | Samaje Perine | Greg Dortch | Courtland Sutton | Julio Jones | K.J. Osborn | Tyler Boyd | Jauan Jennings | Darren Waller | Austin Hooper | Mike Gesicki | Justin Tucker
CCOONNTTEENNTTSS COMMISH LETTER ALL PRO TEAMS 2023 DRAFT REVIEW ART OF THE DEAL NKD AWARDS 2022 POWER RANKINGS PRE-SEASON RANKINGS RECORDS & HISTORY 1 NNKKDDAAWWAARRDDSS GGMMSSPPOOTTLLIIGGHHTT:: 2022 JJaassoonn--BBiisshhoopp SSyyccaammoorree 22002233DDRRAAFFTTRREEVVIIEEWW 2022 SEASON RECAP & 2023 SEASON OUTLOOK CHICAGO, IL 60606 [email protected] WWW.NKDNEWS.COM 3 5 7 16 19 27 31 41
I had written an in depth, exhaustive welcome message, but then I realized you all are going to do things to me during the season that isn't going to make you deserve the work I put into the opening monologue. In lieu, I have put my welcome through ChatGPT and asked it to filter it down to a level simple enough for everyone in the league to understand. So, without further adieu, your 2023 Fantasy Football Commissioner Letter! Subject: Fantasy Football Fun! Hey all! Let's play again. I'm the boss. Thanks, friends! Have fun online. Draft is cool. Stay in touch. Thanks, pals! Game on! Now for my own words: You all suck and so do your teams. The fact that my team has a championship before 92% of you is shameful and you all need to evaluate your skill. Of ice of the Commissioner Tink B. Tonk, Jr. League Commissioner & GM of the L.A. Noire 2021 League Champion 2
Done a J? I've been there. Don't sweat, we've got you covered! Done a J? I've been there. Don't sweat, we've got you covered! 111---(((888000000)))---NNNEEEWWW--- MMMOOONNNIIITTTOOORRR IIHHAAMMMMEERRDDEESSKKTTOOPPSSAANNDDII CCAANNHHAAMMMMEERRDDOOWWNNYYOOUURR NNEEWWDDOOWWNN--PPAAYYMMEENNTTSS JJAASSOONN""TTHHEEHHAAMMMMEERR""GGIILLLLMMAANN Not responsible for loss of life, limb or balls while Doing A J. www.THEHAMMER.com
1 Team All-Pro st 4 RB1 RB2 WR WR WR TE QB FLX
2 Team All-Pro nd 5 RB1 RB2 WR1 WR2 WR3 TE QB FLX
Reviewing the 2023 Rookie Draft 6
Bishop Sycamore BBlloocckkeerrss 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 In pick 1 of Jason's 2 picks in the 2023 draft (courtesy of the the Waldew Valley Naked Cowboys, who finished last), he takes 2022's second highest rated rusher, tallying 18 rushing TS, 1,575 rushing yards and forced 104 missed tackles. His new team, Atlanta, earned the highest rushing grade in the NFL in 2022 with an excellent run blocking scheme installed by coach Arthur Smith. Smith led a dominant rushing attack with the Titans led by Derrick Henry, and the blueprint is likely to be the same now with Robinson. We see the first WR come off the board to Proace, even with Jeudy and Bateman in the wings. JSN is an excellent routh runner who outplayed both Chirs Olave and Garret Wilson when the trio played together at Ohio State. The landing spot in Seattle isn't ideal as all WRs outside of Mercald and Lockett only had 75 targets combined last year. However, the Seahwaks threw 136 passes to TEs last year and spent most of the year in two-TE sets which is likely to change. If Metcalf and Lockett stay healthy all year, JSN is likely a WR4 at best, but he has enormous upside if either miss time. With the Huskies needing additional WR depth, quick emergence of JSN is sorely needed. Detroit was a running back stat-factory last year, leading the NFL with 27 RB touchdowns while ranking 5th in RB in carries and 9th in RB targerts. That should continue. Gibbs was an elusive three-down player at Alabama, totaling 10 touchdowns in 12 games with 6.1-yard rushing and 10.1-yard receiving averages last year. He profiles like Jamaal Charles: a fast, lean runner with very good receiving skills. If Swift averaged over 13 PPR points in each of his first three years in Detroit, Gibbs should too Addison is an explosive route-runner and separator out of USC who will likely slot into Adam Thielen's vacated targets. Over the past two seasons, Addison averaged 98.7 yeards and 1 TD per game as his team's top target. Now he moves to a pass-heavy offense where Justin Jefferson will be drawing all the coverage. Despite his smaller frame, Addison has 80-catch, 1,000 yard, 7 score potential for as long as he is operating opposite Jefferson and that likely starts in the 2023 season. Hopefully the Trash Pandas' GM gets impatient and ships him off as the team continues to build up their roster 7 Trash Pandas Huskies
CClleevveellaanndd KKiicckkeerrss Trash Pandas Syndrome 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 After proclaiming he would win the championship, JC finds himself in ownership of the number 5 pick, and he takes Kincaid. The Bills took Kincaid 25th overall and the expectation is he will be used as a big slot reciever. At Utah, Kindaid finished 2022 with 70 catches, 890 and 8 TDs. The Bills have been searching for and underneath slot option for Josh Allen ever since the departure of Cole Beasley; and Kincaid could slot in as that option while fellow TE Dawson Knox plays as more of an in-line blocker. However, there is a good chance Kincaid's production takes time to develop which is fine with the Heat as he has a couple more than serviceable TEs Johnston profiles like new teammate, Mike Williams, as both are big-bodied recievers drafted in the 1st round of the NFL Draft who have had some separation and route-running question marks. Williams averages 71.7 yards per game at Clemson, and Johnston averaged 73 at TCU. Both Williams and Keenan Allen being on the older side and having their own injury issues, Johnston might get his chance to shine as early as this season. The Kickers have solid WR depth, so we'll see how long they'll allow him to develop before moving him, if they do. Miller has a complete three-down profile at 5'11" 215lbs and forces missed tackles and creates yards after contact at rates that are wise to bed on. In 2022, Miller ran for 1,399 yards and 17 TDs helping his Horned Frog make it all the way to the National Championship Game. With only 16 receptions his senior year, Miller hasn't shown much as a pass-catcher and could be limited to early-down work. At only 21 yearls old, he has time to develop as he waits his turn behing newly signed Jamaal Williams and soon-to-be suspended Alvin Kamawa ... a fine upside stash for the Trash Pandas to wait on. Regardless of landing spot, RB Zach Chabonnet is an excellent value for the Syndrome at 1.08. We don't know how Pete Carroll will emplot his rookie alongside Kenneth Walker as it's not often a team uses a 2nd-round pick on running backs in back-to-back years. Charbonnet showed better passing-gane skills in college than Wlkaer and is a bigger back, so it is possible by the end of the year that the rookie is handling the majority of the highvalue touches. Early in the year, it's likely a 1A/2A situation, with Walker in the lead role. Charbonnet is a north-south thumper, but has movement skills and long speed that sneaks up on defenders. Should Walker miss any time, Charbonnet will become one of the few bellcow backs in the league. 8
Huskies Mililani Monarchs 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 At 6’0″, 200 pounds, Rice looks the part of a modern NFL receiver. He has above-average speed and elite burst. His senior season saw him post a dominant 30.6% target share, catching 96 passes for 1,355 yards and 10 touchdowns. That’s the good. The bad is Rice didn’t have that mega-dominant season until his senior year. And he did it at SMU — a nonPower Five conference. So, the competition wasn’t strong, and he was older than everyone. The good news for Rice is the Chiefs’ depth chart is easily climbable. As things currently stand, the Chiefs’ top two receivers are Kadarius Toney and Marquez ValdesScantling. In three-receiver sets, it will either be Justin Watson, Richie James, or Moore. After losing out on Kincaid a few picks earlier, securing TE Michael Mayer at 1.10 is an excellent consolation prize for the Noire. Mayer was the 3rd TE selected in the NFL draft and should compete with Austin Hooper for targets vacated by Waller in Las Vegas. At Notre Dame, Mayer did nothing but produce as he caught 180 passes for 2,099 yards and 18 TDs. He's not the most agile TE, finishing 2022 88th in YAC/rec while also running a 4.7 40-yard dash. but that's not his core competency. He's just an all-around good TE who does offer above average route running. He will get separation against LBs and be a size misbatch for DBs at 6'4" 249lbs. It might take a few years, but Mayer will be a solid stash With Isaiah Spiller out of the picture, Achane thrived in his final season for the Aggies, rushing for 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns while catching 36 passes for 196 yards on 44 targets. Now will that same level of workload follow him into the NFL? Absolutely not. But what will follow Achane is his world-class speed, and I don’t mean that lightly. He blazed a 4.32 40-time and, during the summer of 2022, ran the 200m and 20.02 seconds. For context, that’s the same time as multiple-time Olympic medalist and World Champion Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake. While he’ll never be a workhorse-style RB, if Miami provides Achane around 10+ opportunities per game — with a handful of them being targets — he’ll unquestioningly be a fantasy starter. A Senior Bowl standout, Mingo pairs NFL size (6’2, 220) with high-end athleticism. He won with strength and body positioning at the college level but needs to tidy up his route running to take off as a pro. He ultimately projects as a long-term starter for top pick Bryce Young. He averaged 15.7 yards per catch for his SEC career, including 16.9 his final season at Ole Miss. Then he ran a 4.46-second 40 time at the Scouting Combine and notched 89th-percentile measurements in the broad and vertical jumps -- at nearly 6'2 and 220 pounds. So what's not to like? Mingo caught just 39 passes across his first two college seasons. He seemed on his way to a breakthrough junior year before a foot fracture disrupted things. Given Carolina's WR room, he'll have enough room to flourish. 9 CClleevveellaanndd KKiicckkeerrss
MICHAEL WILSON Round 4 - Pick 12 Sycamore MR. IRRELEVANT 10 Stanford
Q. Johnston D. Achane T. Bigsby X. Hutchinson T.Dell D. Washington S. LaPorta 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 Q. Johnston D. Achane T. Bigsby X. Hutchinson T.Dell D. Washington S. LaPorta 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 J. Smith-Njigba R. Rice I. Abanikanda D. McBride 1.02 WR 1 1.09 WR 6 3.01 RB10 4.05 RB12 Q. Johnston D. Achane T. Bigsby S. LaPorta 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 Q. Johnston D. Achane T. Bigsby S. LaPorta 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 Q. Johnston D. Achane T. Bigsby S. LaPorta 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 Q. Johnston D. Achane T. Bigsby 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 Q. Johnston D. Achane T. Bigsby 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 Q. Johnston D. Achane T. Bigsby X. Hutchinson T.Dell D. Washington S. LaPorta 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 Q. Johnston D. Achane T. Bigsby 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 Q. Johnston D. Achane T. Bigsby S. LaPorta 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 1.01 WR 1 11 Cleveland Kickers Waldew Valley Naked Cowboys Kill Devil Hill Saints Cocksville Blockers Kansas City Huskies Palm Spring Heat Garden City Trash Pandas Downton Abbey Syndrome Golden State Glizzy Gobblers Los Angeles Noire Mililani Monarchs Bishop Sycamore
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THE LEAGUE 14
THE OF THE ART DEAL 183 That's the amount of trades that have been processed since the league started in 2021. It all started with the Huskies sending Allen Robinson to the Trash Panda's in exchange for Noah Fant. Both have moved teams since then. There's plenty of methods to trading. While trades can be controversial, they are essential to building a winning football team. Everyone has won and lost a trade. We've all made bad trades (See Stefon Diggs and a 1st for JuJu). We've also all made good trades. What does your reaction to a trade stem from? Are you mad that you didn't make an offer first? Are you angry at the system? Angry at the "sucker?" Not everyone is a lying salesman trying to cheat you of your savings. A willingness to trade is the most important quality a General Manager can possess. Trades can swing a season and make a career. Here are the four trade commandments: The worst thing you can do is make is initial offer that immediately turns off your opponent. Build rapport with your trade partner. That way, you can get better information on what they desire. If you hear them complain about a certain player you like slumping, your ears should perk up. A lot of trading is not in the ask itself, but the state of listening and trying to add value. If you can deliver that value, that's when it's time to speak up. 1) KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING 2) KNOW YOUR OPPONENTS AND KNOW THEIR TRADE PERSONALITIES 2) KNOW YOUR OPPONENTS AND KNOW THEIR TRADE PERSONALITIES Knowing the trade personalitites of each GM in the league can go a long way. Some GMs love to trade, some don't. For the GMs that love to trade, it may be smart to start off with some important data, like "Did you know your running back position has produced the 10th fewest points in the league?" Maybe that GM would consider trading for your red hot running back. For the tentative GMs that don't like to counter, you have to start off with an attractive offer, maybe even an overpay. Maybe a GM LOVES ADP as an indicator of a player's value. Offer that GM someone you feel is overvalues. It's not difficult to figure out the trade personalitites of most GMs. 3) DON'T BE AFRAID TO COUNTER Most GMs don't open with their best offer. The worst thing you can do is say no and move on. There's a dance to trading that isn't a simple yes or no. It's not important whether the first offer is accepted or not (it's usually not). The reaction is the most important part. Maybe it was a good offer at the wrong time. Maybe it was a good offer, but the wrong trade piece from your team. The offeree should keep an open mind and realize there is probably a benefit to exploring a counter offer. Or at the very least, telling the offeror what you're looking for and letting the offeror counter his own initial proposal with a better proposal. 4) IT'S OKAY TO BE WRONG The ultimate goal is to win the league. As we've discussed, trading is an important aspect of sustained success. Losing a trade is okay. A lot of times, losing a trade leads to successful trades in the future. You never want to be known as a rip-off artist. You should absolutely want your opponents to thing they can win a trade. Ideally, all trades would be a win-win, but that's just not how it works. By losing some trades or overpaying in the short-term, you'll be welcomed as more of a neutral dealmaker in the future. Trades take time and effort. You won't always win or find GMs willing to negotiate. Stay patient and couteous because in the long run, trading is an essential key to success. As Garret would say, "Trading is fun!" 15
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Most Improved GM Pete - Golden State Glizzy Gobblers With a 2021 record of 6-7 and a bottom 4 finish into a 2022 record of 10-4 and Midwest Division Conference Champions Most Accurate GM JC - Palm Springs Heat With a league-leading start/sit accuracy score of 86.1% to close out the season Worst GM Waldo & Garret - Columbus Naked Cowboys Failed to put up more than 80 points a round in playoffs and despite playing the worst scoring offense in the toilet bowl, placed last in the league N K D N EWS 2022 End of Year Awards 18
19 DANGER CLOSE PRODUCTINS Dangierolsy close to the action DCP is a turnke esports solutons company working with gaming publishees, rights holders, brands, and teams to provide prodction, broadcast, tornament, and program design. We bring 10+ years of experience, reletionships, a deep understanding of consumer cultur, and production expertese to manage publisher's esports operations top down through a holestic solution that meets the indevidulized needs of game publishers, competitors, and fans. DCP is a turnke esports solutons company working with gaming publishees, rights holders, brands, and teams to provide prodction, broadcast, tornament, and program design. We bring 10+ years of experience, reletionships, a deep understanding of consumer cultur, and production expertese to manage publisher's esports operations top down through a holestic solution that meets the indevidulized needs of game publishers, competitors, and fans.
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I W A N T FOR U.S. ARMY I W A N T FOR U.S. ARMY YOU N E A R E S T D I S C O R D D M 23
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N K D N EWS 2023 PRE-SEASON RANKINGS 1 Palm Springs Heat 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Golden State Glizzy Gobblers Cleveland Kickers Kill Devil Hills Saints Bishop Sycamore Downton Abbey Syndrome Los Angeles Noire Mililani Monarchs Garden City Trash Pandas Waldew Valley Naked Cowboys Cocksville Blockers Kansas City Huskies 30
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ARCHIVES The ALL-TIME LEAGUE RECORDS Most Wins in a Season Most Points in a Season Longest Win Streak Biggest Scoring Week Heat '22 - 11 Heat '22 - 2093.05 Heat '22 - 9 Syndrome '22 - 217.70 Most Losses in a Season Least Points in a Season Longest Losing Streak Lowest Scoring Week Cowboys, Huskies '22 - 10 Saints '22 - 1440.75 Blockers '22 - 6 Blockers '22 - 58.20 40
Champions Hal of 2021 2022 2021 2022 41
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Glizzy Gobblers Saints Bishop Sycamore Naked Cowboys Syndrome Heat Noire Heat Heat Bishop Sycamore Saints Trash Pandas Glizzy Gobblers Noire 170.75 182.25 159.25 174.10 217.70 151.80 167.35 191.90 179.45 156.45 180.75 168.20 177.30 178.15 WEEKLY SCORING LEADERS WEEKLY SCORING LEADERS 2 0 2 2 44
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