BTBNE ROOKIE DRAFT BREAKDOWN ROOKIE DRAFT BREAKDOWN BASICALLY THE BEST NEWSLETTER EVER PLUS: LETTER FROM THE COMMISH DRAFT GRADES GM POWER RANKINGS STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE GM SPOTLIGHT AND MORE PLUS: LETTER FROM THE COMMISH DRAFT GRADES GM POWER RANKINGS STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE GM SPOTLIGHT AND MORE IS S U E 0 1 MAY 2 0 2 3 THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF BASICALLY THE BEST LEAGUE EVER 2022 RECAP 2022 RECAP 2023 OUTLOOK
CONTENTS MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 01 07 2023 DRAFT REVIEW 29 77 BTBLE AWARDS GM SPOTLIGHT: 2022 NICK D A Championship is the ultimate reward but don't forget about these minor accolades. We sat down with Nick D to reflect on his championship season and outlook for 2024. 2022 SEASON RECAP & 2023 SEASON OUTLOOK 02 03 04 06 07 21 29 37 45 70 77 92 COMMISSIONER'S LETTER 2023 LEAGUE TEAMS 2022 SEASON RECAP BTBLE ALL-PRO TEAMS 2023 DRAFT REVIEW ARCHIVES & RECORDS BTBLE AWARDS BTBLE PRO BOWL RESULTS AGM RECAP GM POWER RANKINGS GM SPOTLIGHT BTBLE HALL OF FAME btble2.wordpress.com
LETTER FROM THE COMMISSIONER The Slush Fund is Claimed! The 11th season of BTBLE was one for the ages, as we saw Nick D claim the slush fund by becoming the first repeat champion in league history. Nick D came into 2021 as one of the most snake-bitten teams in terms of the disparity between his regular season success vs. the playoffs, but 2021 and 2022 both ended with him hoisting Basically the Best Trophy Ever. Our 2022 season had other highlights too, of course. Ty made his first playoff appearance since 2017 (and won a game, too!), Chris was the top-scoring team for the second time in four years, and we saw someone end the season with both the 1.01 and 1.02 for the first time. The offseason has been spicy as well. We had some intense discussions that have culminated with the league voting to convert to Superflex starting in 2025. A similar move to Tight End Premium scoring failed by a single vote, thanks to Brad the mastermind. We had our first draft consisting solely of rookies, and it was a blast despite some early technical snafus. The previous league record for trades during a draft was four, set last year, and we doubled that up with eight! Guys were wheeling and dealing even late into the 4th round which was awesome to see. Overall the league is in great shape and 2023 should be another memorable season! Evan S. Commissioner of BTBLE and GM of the Sister Kissers MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 02
LEAGUE TEAMS MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 03
THE 2022 SEASON The "Startup Draft" Not quite as legendary as the 2021 draft, the 2022 draft was more of a grind. This draft represented our "startup draft": each team came in with 8 keepers and then we drafted for 15 rounds, thus setting the foundation for dynasty glory for years to come. For the second straight year The Fantasy Football Team picked 1.01 and went RB again, adding Breece Hall to go along with 2021 1.01 Najee Harris. Hall looked amazing for the few games he played, but quickly succumbed to the dreaded ACL tear. Receivers flew off the board after the 1.01, with just one other RB being taken in the top 10 picks: James Cook to Run CMC at 1.05. Slush Fund Mooney took Skyy Moore at 1.06 one pick ahead of Garrett Wilson; oof. Sad's Lucky Buck surprisingly went with Adam Thielen at 1.09 with both Jameson Williams and Ken Walker on the board, a move that was questionable at the time and looks no better in hindsight. Being a 15 round draft there's too much to discuss in detail this little blurb, but there were some highlight moments for sure. The Allen Carsons Project went all-in on collecting all the Green Bay pass catchers. The Sister Kissers went heavy on the youth, and one year later they are still rostering exactly one (1) of their 15 picks. The Killing Fields (since rebranded to To Infinity and Bijan, which they how will be referred to henceforth) invested heavily in WRs, Sunday Funday did the opposite and collected mid RBs, Sad's Lucky Buck drafted the oldest team possible, and the Wagons scored one of the steals of the draft with NFL touchdown leader Jamaal Williams at 10.05. MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 04 As usual, BTBLE had a barrage of trades during the season - 33 to be exact, just shy of the 2019 record of 36. Things started off with a bang, with To Infinity and Bijan moving Derrick Henry to Sunday Funday right off the bat for a 2023 1st. King Henry didn't last long with Sunday Funday, being later moved to the Allen Carsons Project. Similarly, the Sister Kissers' offseason acquisition Jonathan Taylor was quickly moved for a package including D'Andre Swift. Oof. BTBLE also saw a three-way trade involving QBs Lamar Jackson and Justin Fields. Tyler Lockett was moved twice, and some other big name WRs to switch teams were Drake London, Michael Pittman, DeAndre Hopkins, DJ Moore, Brandon Aiyuk, and Mike Evans. Trades Close Games and Big Losses The 2022 season saw 16 50-point wins, including ones in both the first and second round of the playoffs. Weeks 5 and 6 saw Run CMC notch them back to back vs. the Sell Outs and To Infinity and Bijan, and the Sister Kissers repeated that feat in Weeks 9 and 10 vs. Sunday Funday and the Sell Outs. Overall, the Sell Outs suffered five 50- pointers (including three of the first four weeks) and Sunday Funday four. Our closest game of 2022 was a Week 2 tilt between Hard Knox Life and The Fantasy Football Team, won 130.82-129.78 by Hard Knox Life. The Fantasy Football Team's score was the second-highest of the week, one of several such 2022 results that likely led to extra game vs. league median being voted in for in 2023.
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 05 The 2022 regular season was the first in BTBLE offering a bye week for the #1 seed, which added some drama to the proceedings. Slush Fund Mooney raced out to a 9-0 record, which combined with their trophy-wining streak to end last year nearly saw them break the league record for most consecutive wins. That record is 13, set by the Sister Kissers across the 2012-13 seasons, and Slush Fund Mooney 's streak ended at 12. They can take consolation in that they did indeed earn that coveted bye week, ending with an 11-3 record. Elsewhere, Hard Knox Life, Run CMC, and Sad's Lucky Buck all ended at 10-4, with both Hard Knox Life and Run CMC finishing with more points than Slush Fund Mooney but not being able to match their win total. GREATEST HITS finished 9-5 and scored just a single point less than Hard Knox Life. The Allen Carsons Project produced an 8-6 record after starting 2-5, making their first playoff appearance since 2017. And the Sister Kissers snuck into the playoffs as the 7th and final seed, also at 8- 6. The Fantasy Football Team and the Wagons, both strong contenders early on, missed the playoffs. The Wagons actually started 5-0 before an utter collapse. And the league had three rebuilders (To Infinity and Bijan, the Sell Outs, and Sunday Funday) who were basically the league punching bags all year. Regular Season 2022 Playoffs With the league's first bye week under their belt, Slush Fund Mooney got to sit back in Week 15 and watch the carnage. Hard Knox Life easily dispatched the SIster Kissers by a score of 147.5- 103.38, the Sister Kissers' third straight loss in the first round. GREATEST HITS crushed Sad's Lucky Buck 149.24-82.88, a result that had seemingly been preordained for weeks. In the third game of the first round, the Allen Carsons Project shockingly upset one of the favorites, Run CMC, by a score of 118.46-101.32. Run CMC will have to wait another year to try to bring down that elusive first championship. When the dust settled from Round 1, we had our defending champion Slush Fund Mooney rested coming off a bye, power teams GREATEST HITS and Hard Knox Life, and the upstart Allen Carsons Project. Both games were pretty close, especially compared to the first round. In the end the Fund and the HITS prevailed, with the Fund ousting the Allen Carsons Project 119.60-102.38 and the HITS sending Hard Knox Life packing with a 116.46- 105.70 win. Thus the 2022 championship was set: defending champion Slush Fund Mooney vs. 2020 champion GREATEST HITS. Both these teams have had brutal luck in the playoffs throughout their franchise history, but the cream seems to be rising to the top. Of course we all know what happened in Week 17: the infamous Damar Hamlin incident and the resulting chaos around the Bengals-Bills game. Fantasy leagues worldwide were caught scrambling on what to do and BTBLE had its own mini-drama. Thankfully the championship was already determined, but the $50 prize for "third place" was up for grabs. In the end the league went with the Week 18 scores of affected players, but nothing changed and Run CMC took down the money. More importantly, Slush Fund Mooney prevailed over the HITS 105.18-96.82 in a game that wasn't as close as it appears, since Joe Burrow finished with just 6.28 points thanks to the cancellation. And thus Slush Fund Mooney 's team name became a selffulfilling prophecy as they took down the $1100 slush fund and all the glory that comes with a championship.
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 06 2022 BTBLE ALL PROS 1ST TEAM ALL-PRO 2ND TEAM ALL-PRO POS QB RB1 RB2 WR1 WR2 TE FLEX FLEX PLAYER POINTS TEAM Patrick Mahomes 411.9 317.2 312.9 304.7 284.5 261.3 267.9 210.7 GREATEST HITS Slush Fund Mooney Run CMC Sister Kissers Hard Knox Life GREATEST HITS Slush Fund Mooney Wagons POS QB RB1 RB2 WR1 WR2 TE FLEX FLEX PLAYER POINTS TEAM Jalen Hurts 371.0 299.8 283.3 248.1 214.6 270.5 206.7 170.7 Hard Knox Life Allen Carsons Project Allen Carsons Project The Fantasy Football Team Sad's Lucky Buck Sunday Funday Sell Outs To Infinity and Bijan Josh Jacobs Derrick Henry CeeDee Lamb Amon-Ra St. Brown George Kittle Miles Sanders Jerry Jeudy Austin Ekeler Christian McCaffrey Justin Jefferson Davante Adams Travis Kelce Nick Chubb Joe Mixon
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 07 REVIEWING THE 2023 ROOKIE DRAFT
JAHMYR GIBBS 1.04 RB2 - TO INFINITY AND BIJAN This receiving dynamo led Alamaba in receiving in 2022 after transferring from Georgia Tech, racking up 44-444-3 to go along with 926 yards and 7 TDs on the ground. His 14.7% career target share is 93rd percentile for RBs. With top-12 draft capital thanks to the Lions, Gibbs is a surefire bet for volume, and his 4.36 speed should set him up for a ton of big plays running behind a mauling offensive line. BIJAN ROBINSON 1.01 RB1 - TO INFINITY AND BIJAN There was no doubt who would be the 1.01. The best RB prospect since at least Saquon Barkley in 2018, Bijan Robinson racked up 4,200+ yards from scrimmage, 41 TDs, and 60 catches over his college career. That includes a junior season of 1894 YFS, 19 catches, and 20 total TDs. Robinson was drafted 8th overall by the Falcons to be their new Derrick Henry, and he should get all the work he can handle right from Day 1. ANT Q H B O 1 - N S Y UN R D I A C Y H F A U R ND D A S Y ON 1.02 Anthony Richardson is quite literally the best athlete at QB in NFL history and went at 1.04 in the real draft to the Colts. His 4.43 40 yard dash is the 100th percentile for QBs and his burst score of 135.4 is 99th. In 2022 he rushed for 654 yards and displayed an uncanny ability to avoid sacks in the pocket. If Richardson can harness his immense talent and develop as a passer, the sky is the limit fantasy-wise. JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA 1.03 WR1 - SELL OUTS "JSN" missed most of 2022 with a hamstring injury, but in 2021 put up a legendary 95-1606-9 season playing alongside WRs Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. Predraft there were some concerns over his altheticism, but JSN ran 4.57 and performed incredibly well in the 3-cone drill; his Agility Score of 10.5 is 100th percentile for WRs. He did slip in the draft a bit, going 20th overall to the Seahawks, where he'll team with Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf to form one of the NFL's most formidable WR trios. MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 08
QUENTIN JOHNSTON 1.07 WR3 - SELL OUTS "QJ" got a dream landing spot, tied to Justin Herbert and with only aging Keenan Allen and Mike Williams ahead of him. Johnston was one of the only big WRs in this class, clocking in at 6'4" and 215 lbs., and he has an intriguing combination of aDoT and YAC. That YAC should serve QJ well in a Chargers offense that desperately needs playmaking after the catch. He's been criticized for body catching and for being a big WR that plays like a small one, making him a polarizing prospect. DEVONE ACHANE 1.05 RB3 - SAD'S LUCKY BUCK Track star Devone Achane went to a great landing spot in Miami, and his otherworldly speed (4.32 40 yard dash, 100th percentile for RBs) should be a beautiful fit in the Dolphins' outside zone scheme. Achane had only moderate production at Texas A&M, but capped his college career by demolishing LSU for 215 yards and 2 TDS on 38 carries. There are already rumors that Achane is putting on weight now that his track career is over, which should alleviate concerns about his stature (5'9", 188 lbs.). JORDAN ADDISON 1.06 WR2- RUN CMC Addison struggled a bit at USC in 2022, going for 59-875-9 after a Biletnikoff-winning 100-1593-17 2021 campaign at Pitt in 2021. Like many of this year's WRs, Addison also had a disappointing combine, running 4.49 at 5'11" and 173 lbs. That computes to just an 82.8 Speed Score( 19th percentile among WRs) and 118.8 Burst Score (37th percentile). Addison luckily won't be asked to be a WR1 in the NFL right off the bat. BRYCE YOUNG 1.08 QB2- THE FANTASY FOOTBALL TEAM Bryce Young's production in 2022 (3328 yards, 32 TDs) dropped dramatically from his monstrous 2021 output (4872 yards, 47 TDs) after he lost talents like Jameson Williams to the NFL draft. Young's WR situation in Carolina isn't great, so hopefully the Panthers can surround him with some weapons in the short term so he can reach his full potential. Young's slight size (5'10", 204 lbs.) leaves his best NFL comp as Johnny Manziel. Gulp. MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 09
ZAY FLOWERS 1.10 WR4 - HARD KNOX LIFE Zay Flowers lands in a nice situation in a Baltimore offense that should lean more pass heavy in 2023. Flowers put up a 78-1077-12 line in his senior year and is electric with the ball in his hands. He put up an impressive 46.7% Dominator rating in college (93rd percentile), although not delaring for the 2022 draft is a slight red flag. His 20.0 breakout age is only 63rd percentile. DALTON KINCAID 1.09 TE1 - TO INFINITY AND BIJAN Dalton Kincaid was the only TE to go in the 1st round of the NFL draft after Buffalo traded up to 25 to snag him. Kincaid played 5 years of college ball, scoring 8+ TDs in all four of his healthy seasons, and ideally he'll become the Bills' version of Travis Kelce. Unfortunately injuries prevented Kincaid from doing any testing at either the Combine or his Pro Day, but he did put up a 34.1% Dominitor in college (93rd percentile) to go along with 15.8 yards per reception (86th) and a 19.9 breakout age (82nd). KENDRE MILLER 1.11 RB4 - TO INFINITY AND BIJAN In 2022 Kendre Miller broke out with 1399 rushing yards and 17 TDs, and joins a Saints team with Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams at RB. Injuries prevented any pre-draft athletic testing (as well as participation in Saints rookie OTAs), and Miller had just a 5.4% target share in college (33rd percentile) and a 24.9% Dominator (51st), so there are definitely holes in his game. MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 10 CJ STROUD 1.12 QB3 - SLUSH FUND MOONEY CJ Stroud threw for 40+ TDs in both 2021 and 2022, and like Bryce Young now goes to a situation where the weapons are could legitimately be worse than what he played with in college. Pre-draft leaks about a low S2 test (whatever that is) started some rumors Stroud could slip, but in the end he did go 1.02 to the Texans. Coincidentally based on his BTBLE landing spot, Stroud's best athletic comparable is Joe Burrow.
2.01 | RB5 ZACH CHARBONNET 2.05 | RB6 TYJAE SPEARS 2.07 | RB8 TANK BIGSBY 2.02 | WR5 JONATHAN MINGO 2.06 | RB7 ROSCHON JOHNSON 2.08 | WR8 RASHEE RICE 2.03 | WR6 JAYDEN REED 2.04 | WR7 MARVIN MIMS 2.09 | WR9 JOSH DOWNS 2.10 | TE2 MICHAEL MAYER 2.11 | QB4 WILL LEVIS 2.12 | RB9 CHASE BROWN MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 11 2ND ROUND
3.01 | WR10 CEDRIC TILLMAN 3.05 | RB12 ISRAEL ABANIKANDA 3.07 | TE4 LUKE MUSGRAVE 3.02 | RB10 SEAN TUCKER 3.06 | TE3 SAM LAPORTA 3.03 | RB11 ZACH EVANS 3.04 | WR11 JAYLIN HYATT 3.09 | RB13 ERIC GRAY 3.10 | WR13 TYLER SCOTT 3.11 | WR14 TANK DELL MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 12 3RD ROUND 3.08 | WR12 KAYSHON BOUTTE 3.12 | WR15 MICHAEL WILSON
4.05 | TE6 LUKE SCHOONMAKER 4.07 | QB5 HENDON HOOKER 4.02 | RB14 DEWAYNE MCBRIDE 4.06 | WR16 PARKER WASHINGTON 4.08 | WR17 XAVIER HUTCHINSON 4.03 | RB15 EVAN HULL 4.04 | RB16 DEUCE VAUGHN 4.09 | RB17 CHRIS RODRIGUEZ 4.10 | WR18 TRE TUCKER 4.11 | WR19 AT PERRY 4.12 | WR20 PUKA NACUA 4.01 | TE5 DARNELL WASHINGTON MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 13 4TH ROUND
1.01 BIJAN ROBINSON RB1 1.04 JAHMYR GIBBS RB2 1.09 DALTON KINCAID TE1 1.11 KENDRE MILLER RB4 2.04 MARVIN MIMS WR7 3.04 JAYLIN HYATT WR11 4.02 DEWAYNE MCBRIDE RB14 SUNDAY FUNDAY 1.02 ANTHONY RICHARDSON QB1 2.02 JONATHAN MINGO WR5 2.03 JAYDEN REED WR6 3.01 CEDRIC TILLMAN WR10 3.02 SEAN TUCKER RB10 4.03 EVAN HULL RB15 SELL OUTS 1.03 JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA WR1 1.07 QUENTIN JOHNSTON WR3 2.11 WILL LEVIS QB4 4.05 LUKE SCHOONMAKER TE6 4.01 DARNELL WASHINGTON TE5 1.08 BRYCE YOUNG QB2 2.06 ROSCHON JOHNSON RB7 2.07 TANK BIGSBY RB8 2.09 JOSH DOWNS WR8 2.10 MICHAEL MAYER TE2 4.09 CHRIS RODRIGUEZ RB17 2.12 CHASE BROWN RB9 3.03 ZACH EVANS RB11 3.05 ISRAEL ABANIKANDA RB12 3.06 SAM LAPORTA TE3 1.05 DEVONE ACHANE RB3 2.05 TYJAE SPEARS RB7 3.07 LUKE MUSGRAVE TE4 4.06 PARKER WASHINGTON WR16 4.07 HENDON HOOKER QB5 1.06 JORDAN ADDISON WR2 3.08 KAYSHON BOUTTE WR12 4.08 XAVIER HUTCHINSON WR17 1.10 ZAY FLOWERS WR4 3.10 TYLER SCOTT WR13 4.11 TRE TUCKER WR18 3.11 TANK DELL WR14 4.11 AT PERRY WR19 1.12 CJ STROUD QB3 2.01 ZACH CHARBONNET RB5 2.08 RASHEE RICE WR8 3.12 MICHAEL WILSON WR15 WAGONS 3.09 ERIC GRAY RB13 4.04 DEUCE VAUGHN RB16 GREATEST HITS RUN CMC ALLEN CARSONS PROJECT THE FANTASY FOOTBALL TEAM SISTER KISSERS MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 14 DRAFT CLASSES BY TEAM TO INFINITY AND BIJAN SAD'S LUCKY BUCK HARD KNOX LIFE SLUSH FUND MOONEY
It would have been crazy to say before the 2023 rookie draft, but the strength of this team is actually now its RBs, led of course by team namesake, franchise savior, and generational prospect Bijan Robinson. Behind him are fellow rookie RBs Jahmyr Gibbs and Kendre Miller. MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 15 Projected Starters Player '22 Finish Acquired QB RB RB WR WR TE Flex Flex Flex Notable Bench Players Tua Tagovailoa Bijan Robinson Jahmyr Gibbs Jerry Jeudy Marquise Brown Dalton Kincaid Romeo Doubs Wandale Robinson Jaylin Hyatt QB15 - - WR21 WR46 - WR76 WR117 - Waivers - '21 Rookie 1.01 Rookie 1.02 Trade - '22 Trade - '23 Rookie 1.09 Trade - '22 Trade - '22 Rookie 3.04 2022 RECAP New GM Scott came into the league and immediately initiated a total tear-down, moving stars DJ Moore, Mike Evans, and Derrick Henry which netted him the 1.02, 1.08, and a 2024 1st in total. The regular season was an exercise in patience as the team, at that point called The Killing Fields, was indeed killed over and over, finishing 3-11 with just 64.19 points per game (12th) and a 16-138 aggregate record. STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Would it be fair to say the weaknesses here are everything else? The WRs are top heavy with just Jerry Jeudy and Marquise Brown having shown much at the NFL level and Jameson Williams facing a suspension and having caught one (1) pass during his rookie season. At QB, it's barren behind Tua Tagovailoa, who showed deadly accuracy last year when he wasn't concussed, which was unfortunately quite often. And at TE it's rookie Dalton Kincaid to go along with Cole Kmet, who showed flashes in 2022 but was still hardly a world beater. RB Kendre Miller - Rookie 1.11 Player '22 Finish Acquired WR TE Alec Pierce Cole Kmet WR60 TE7 Trade - '23 Draft 3.09 - '22 WR Jameson Williams WR151 Trade - '23 WR WR Rashid Shaheed Marvin Mims WR68 - Trade - '22 Trade - '23
The team made another bold move while they were on the clock at 1.06, the pick they acquired as part of the Calvin Ridley trade. They shipped the pick to Run CMC to acquire suspended Jameson Williams. Williams will miss the first 6 games of 2023 and during his 2022 season while he recovered from a torn ACL, he caught one pass, albeit that pass was a 41 yard TD. Williams did have several other plays called back and Jared Goff missed him on at least one other long TD. Williams has game-breaking speed and is surrounded by a host of other weapons to take attention away. If he can get his shit sorted out, he could be a monster for To Infinity and Bijan and the gamble will pay off handsomely. However it's equally possible Williams busts. The move was a savvy one though, since the team is still in the midst of a rebuild and Jameson won't contribute a lot to its max points for, helping their draft slot as they look to win the Caleb Williams sweepstakes for the 2024 draft. MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 16 KEY ADDITION: MARQUISE BROWN It wouldn't be a very interesting breakdown to list Bijan Robinson as the answer for all these sections. The team spent the 1.08 they received from the Mike Evans trade to acquire Marquise Brown before the draft to bring some experience back to their WR room. Now that DeAndre Hopkins has indeed been cut, "Hollywood" Brown should be a target hog from whichever QB the Cardinals trot out in what is sure to be a lost season. Garbage time baby! POTENTIAL BREAKOUT OR COMEBACK: JAMESON WILLIAMS 2022 FINISH: 3-10 (10TH) PF: 898.62 (12TH) PA: 1280.44 (7TH) HISTORY 0 REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 3-10 (.214) PLAYOFF APPEARANCES: 0 PLAYOFF RECORD: n/a HIGHEST POINT TOTAL: 898.62 ('22) HIGHEST SCORE: 86.54 ('22) BIGGEST WIN: 22.98 ('22) LONGEST WIN STREAK: 1 ('22) 50 POINT WINS: 0 WEEKLY HIGH SCORES: 0 TRADES: 12
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 17 2022 DETAILED STATISTICS 2022 SCHEDULE & RESULTS WEEKLY POINTS SCORED ALL-PLAY RECORD VS.
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 18 2023 ROSTER VALUE & AGE
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 19 1.01 Pick Player Team Pos 2023 Rookie Draft Picks 1.04 1.09 1.11 2.04 Bijan Robinson Jahmyr Gibbs Dalton Kincaid Kendre Miller Marvin Mims ATL DET BUF NO DEN RB1 RB2 TE1 RB4 WR7 3.04 Jaylin Hyatt NYG WR11 4.02 Dewayne McBride MIN RB14 To Infinity and Bijan got the party started early on draft day, moving down from the 1.02 to the 1.04 hours before the draft kicked off. That move also netted the team the 1.09 and the 2.04, and in addition to the 1.02 they gave up WR Justyn Ross, the 3.01 and the 4.03. The big trade gave the team four first round picks to work with to rebuild this roster. The wheeling and dealing wasn't done. When the team was on the clock at 1.06 they sent that pick to Run CMC for Jameson Williams. However they still ended up making four first round picks, sending WR John Metchie, the 2.01, and the 4.01 to Slush Fund Mooney in exchange for 1.11 and 2.12. The final trade of the draft for To Infinity and Bijan was trading down from the 2.12 acquired earlier to 3.04, picking up 4.02 in the process. 1.01 - BIJAN ROBINSON, RB, TEXAS Some would argue with a roster this weak and with many contenders in the league, the move would have been to trade the 1.01 for a haul - and indeed, the team did have the pick on the trade block in the days leading up to the draft. No deal was struck, and the obvious pick was made. Bijan should be a beast which will drive up the team's max potential points and hurt its chances of landing Caleb Williams in 2024, especially given their next pick. Grade: C+ 1.04 - JAHMYR GIBBS, RB, ALABAMA After Anthony Richardson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba both somewhat surprisingly came off the board at 1.02 and 1.05, Jahmyr Gibbs was a slam dunk pick at 1.04, although again this hurts the team's chances of tanking for the 1.01. Grade: B 1.09 - DALTON KINCAID, TE, UTAH With one of the two picks acquired by trading the 1.02, To Infinity and Bijan selected Utah TE Dalton Kincaid. Drafting a TE in the first in a non-premium TE scoring league is usually a losing bet. Grade: F 1.11 - KENDRE MILLER, RB, TCU The team wasn't done moving around in the first round, trading up from 2.01 to 1.11 to select Kendre Miller to further build out that RB room. Thankfully the cost was palatable. Grade: B+ 2.04 - MARVIN MIMS, WR, OKLAHOMA There were several draft analysts that had Mims pegged as the second-best WR in this draft, or at least the best of the second tier. Mims joins a very crowded WR room in both real life and BTBLE, but he could emerge especially if Jerry Jeudy leaves after 2024. Grade: B+ 3.04 - JAYLIN HYATT, WR, TENNESSEE Prior to the draft there were rumors To Infinity and Bijan was considering Jaylin Hyatt as high as 1.06. That was before the NFL draft when Hyatt went in the third. However the team was able to stand pat and still get their man all the way down at 3.04. Grade: C 2023 ROOKIE DRAFT RECAP AND GRADES 4.02 - DEWAYNE MCBRIDE, RB, UAB With rumors swirling about Dalvin Cook's future with the Vikings, a fourth round flier on McBride is a nice move. Grade: B+ OVERALL GRADE Overall it was a decent first draft for GM Scott as he reshapes this roster, but the glaring reach on Kincaid with Zay Flowers on the board and the drafting of win-now pieces Bijan and Gibbs kept this from being a home run. Grade: C+
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 20 2023 SCHEDULE WEEK OPPONENT '22 RECORD 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 8-6 10-4 10-4 6-8 2-12 10-4 11-3 9-5 8-6 5-9 2-12 8-6 10-4 10-4 STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE 109-87 (.556) SCHEDULE DIFFICULTY 1ST
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 21 The ARCHIVES ALL-TIME LEAGUE RECORDS Most Wins in a Season Nick D '22, Jason '21, Lorne '20, Sean '19, Evan '18, Brad '15 -11 Most Points in a Season Lorne '20 -1695.24 Longest Winning Streak Evan '12 -'13 -13 Highest Weekly Score Lorne '20 -185.14 Biggest Win Brad '21-104.66 Most 50 Point Wins Lorne - 20 Most Weekly High Scores Evan - 38 Most Trades Evan -173 Most Regular Season Wins Evan - 87 Fewest Points in a Season Lowest Weekly Score Brad '17 - 28.9 Chris '17 - 821.8 Biggest Loss Chris '21-104.66 Most Losses in a Season Brad '22, Paul '22 -12 Longest Losing Streak Sean T '15 -12 Most 50 Point Losses Brad, Sean B -11
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 22 The ARCHIVES PLAYOFF RECORDS Most Playoff Wins Chris, Nick D -10 Most Playoff Points Nick D -1867.14 Longest Playoff Streak Lorne '15 -'22 - 8 Highest Playoff Score Nick D '21-169.06 Biggest Playoff Win Chris '19 - 88.98 Best Playoff Win Percentage Chris -.667 Highest Average Playoff Points Chris -111.8 Most Total Playoff Seasons Nick D -10 Most Championships Evan, Chris, Nick D - 2 Lowest Average Playoff Points Lowest Playoff Score Lee '16 - 38.9 Spenny - 67.7 Biggest Playoff Loss Sean '19 - 88.98 Most Playoff Losses Nick D, Nick M, Lorne - 8 Longest Missed Playoff Streak Ty '18 -'21- 4 Most Seasons Missing Playoffs Brad, Sean B, Ty - 5
Sunday Funday's best unit overall is likely those WRs, with Diontae Johnson and Chris Godwin a solid 1-2 punch and Kadarius Toney potentially ready for a breakout. The team also boasts the league's deepest stable of QBs: Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson, Trey Lance, and Jordan Love MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 23 Projected Starters Player '22 Finish Acquired QB RB RB WR WR TE Flex Flex Flex Daniel Jones David Montgomery Isiah Pacheco Diontae Johnson Chris Godwin George Kittle Kadarius Toney Brian Robinson Brandin Cooks QB8 RB23 RB36 WR39 WR20 TE3 WR105 RB41 WR48 Waivers - '22 Trade - '22 Draft 4.01 - '22 Trade - '20 Trade - '19 Trade - '21 Trade - '21 Draft 3.02 - '22 Trade - '23 2022 RECAP After a 7-7 2021 campaign resulted in missing the playoffs thanks to the first (and last) application of the "8th-seed rule", Sunday Funday sent some mixed messages to begin 2022. In the offseason Michael Pittman was dealt to the Wagons in a package that netted back a 2023 1st, signaling perhaps a rebuild was in order. But Sunday Funday promptly moved their own 2023 1st days after the draft to acquire Derrick Henry, clearly a win now move. However shortly into the 2022 season, the wheels fell off thanks in large part to a massive run of injuries. Sunday Funday dealt Derrick Henry to the Allen Carsons Project after Week 4 to get back a 2023 1st. Overall Sunday Funday began 2022 0-6, then notched back to back wins in weeks 7 and 8, only to lose out and finish 2-12. STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES The obvious weakness for this team is at RB. Sunday Funday opted to go with Anthony Richardson at 1.02, passing on Jahmyr Gibbs and setting the foundation for the move to Superflex in 2025. That leaves David Montgomery and Isiah Pacheco as the starters, with Brian Robinson likely manning a flex spot and handcuff types like Elijah Mitchell, Gus Edwards, and Kyren Williams the only depth behind them. Notable Bench Players QB Anthony Richardson - Rookie 1.02 Player '22 Finish Acquired WR Jonathan Mingo - Rookie 2.02 WR Jayden Reed - Rookie 2.03 RB Elijah Mitchell RB75 Trade - '22
Anthony Richardson is the shiny new toy, but with the league starting one QB for the next two seasons and with such a deep roster of QBs, David Montgomery will be the key piece on offense in 2022. Fresh off a new 3-year deal, "Monty" is the only RB on Sunday Funday's roster with legitimate job security, even if he'll be sharing a backfield with the 12th overall pick. If Montgomery can stay healthy he should fall into double digit TDs playing in the same offense that saw Jamaal Williams go off for 17 TDs last year to lead the NFL. MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 24 KEY ADDITION: DAVID MONTGOMERY POTENTIAL BREAKOUT OR COMEBACK: DIONTAE JOHNSON The entire Steelers offense struggled mightily in 2022, and no one felt the impact more than Diontae Johnson. Fresh off a WR9 finish in 2021, Johnson failed to reach 1000 yards or find the end zone a single time despite vacuuming up another 147 targets. The Steelers did improve on offense in the latter half of last season, and addressed their perennially terrible offensive line in the draft. Combined with potential improvement from second year signal caller Kenny Pickett and inevitable touchdown regression, Johnson should be in line for a much better 2023 campaign. 2022 FINISH: 2-12 (12TH) PF: 1015.36 (11TH) PA: 1521.28 (2ND) HISTORY 1 REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 67-78 (.462) PLAYOFF APPEARANCES: 6 ('13, '14, '15, '16, '18, '19) PLAYOFF RECORD: 7-5 (.583) HIGHEST POINT TOTAL: 1505.99 ('21) HIGHEST SCORE: 176.87 ('17) BIGGEST WIN: 104.66 ('21) LONGEST WIN STREAK: 8 ('18 - '19) 50 POINT WINS: 5 WEEKLY HIGH SCORES: 13 TRADES: 51
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 25 2022 DETAILED STATISTICS 2022 SCHEDULE & RESULTS WEEKLY POINTS SCORED ALL-PLAY RECORD VS.
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 26 2023 ROSTER VALUE & AGE
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 27 Sunday Funday had three first rounders in the days leading up to the 2023 rookie draft: the 1.04, the 1.07, and the 1.09. Hours before the draft kicked off, Sunday Funday made a big move to trade up to 1.02 (which was originally their pick, acquired in the 2022 offseason from the Wagons and then later moved to To Infinity and Bijan for Derrick Henry). The move also netted Sunday Funday WR Justyn Ross, the 3.01, and the 4.03. The cost was the 1.04, the 1.09, and the 2.04. The team wasn't done with that move, also trading down from their remaining 1.07 pick to acquire the 2.02 and 2.03 from the Sellouts. Overall the team ended up making six picks, including three of the top 15. 1.02 - ANTHONY RICHARDSON, QB, FLORIDA When the team moved up to 1.02, most observers might have assumed it was for Jahmyr Gibbs, especially given the team's weakness at RB. But Sunday Funday made the long term move and grabbed Anthony Richardson in preparation for Superflex scoring in 2025. Richardson offers a tantalizing fantasy ceiling and has the real-life draft capital to ensure he gets several years as a starter. QB is the deepest position on this roster so making this move could almost be described as too forwardthinking, but it must be said Richardson possesses a ceiling none of Sunday Funday's other QBs can approach. Grade: B2.02 - JONATHAN MINGO, WR, OLE MISS This grade and the next are factoring in the trade down from 1.07 while Zay Flowers and Quentin Johnston were still on the board. Instead of taking one of those first round NFL receivers, Sunday Funday went for quantity over quality. Grade: C 2.03 - JAYDEN REED, WR, MICHIGAN STATE Reed steps into a better situation than fellow Sunday Funday draftee Jonathan Mingo, and only has to beat out 2022 fourth rounder Romeo Doubs to be a starter in 2 WR sets. Many analysts like his profile, even if he wasn't an early declare. Grade: B 3.01 - CEDRIC TILLMAN, WR, TENNESSEE Tillman was drafted two picks ahead of his real-life teammate Jaylin Hyatt. Tillman is a big-bodied receiver who goes into a pretty wide-open WR room. Unfortunately the hit rate on WRs after the second round of the NFL draft is perilous. Grade: C3.02 - SEAN TUCKER, RB, SYRACUSE This was an interesting pick. Other RBs like Zach Evans with actual draft capital were still on the board, but Sunday Funday went with undrafted Sean Tucker out of Syracuse. Tucker has talent but medical issues caused him to drop out of the draft. This is a boom or bust pick - not a bad use of a 3rd round pick. Grade: B4.03 - EVAN HULL, RB, NORTHWESTERN The team took another swing at RB at 4.03, which is often the best use of those late round picks. Hull lands in Indy behind free-agent-to-be Jonathan Taylor with a new coaching staff in town. Grade: B 2023 ROOKIE DRAFT RECAP AND GRADES OVERALL GRADE This draft by Sunday Funday will ultimately be judged by two moves: the trade up to 1.02 to draft Anthony Richardson, and the trade down from 1.07 to select two second round NFL WRs instead of one first rounder. Grade: C+ 1.02 Pick Player Team Pos 2023 Rookie Draft Picks 2.02 2.03 3.01 3.02 Anthony Richardson Jonathan Mingo Jayden Reed Cedric Tillman Sean Tucker IND CAR GB CLE TB QB1 WR5 WR6 WR10 RB10 4.03 Evan Hull IND RB15
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 28 2023 SCHEDULE WEEK OPPONENT '22 RECORD 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 6-8 2-12 5-9 8-6 3-11 8-6 9-5 10-4 10-4 11-3 10-4 6-8 2-12 5-9 STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE 95-101 (.485) SCHEDULE DIFFICULTY T-8TH
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 29 2022 BTBLE AWARDS 2022 GM OF THE YEAR WAIVER ADD OF THE YEAR DRAFT STEAL OF THE YEAR HIGHEST SCORING TEAM MOST LIKELY TO IMPROVE HARD KNOX LIFE - 1599.2 NICK D, SLUSH FUND MOONEY (10 VOTES) SUNDAY FUNDAY - DANIEL JONES $13 FAAB (4 VOTES) SELL OUTS - GARRETT WILSON 1.07 (5 VOTES) TIED: TO INFINITY AND BIJAN & SELL OUTS (4 VOTES EACH)
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 30 WORST FANTASY MOVE LOWEST SCORING TEAM MOST LIKELY TO REGRESS DRAFT BUST OF THE YEAR TO INFINITY AND BIJAN - 898.62 SISTER KISSERS - TRADING AJ BROWN, DK METCALF, AND 3.11 FOR JONATHAN TAYLOR (6 VOTES) SLUSH FUND MOONEY (5 VOTES) SAD'S LUCKY BUCK - ADAM THIELEN 1.09 (4 VOTES)
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 31 Projected Starters Player '22 Finish Acquired QB RB RB WR WR TE Flex Flex Flex Lamar Jackson Travis Etienne Javonte Williams Garrett Wilson Treylon Burks Greg Dulcich Miles Sanders JuJu Smith-Schuster Jaxon Smith-Njigba QB14 RB17 RB84 WR19 WR79 TE30 RB13 WR30 - Trade - '22 Trade - '21 Draft 1.04 - '21 Draft 1.07 - '22 Draft 1.03 - '22 Trade - '23 Trade - '21 Trade - '22 Rookie 1.03 2022 RECAP It was a tough 2022 season for the Sell Outs, no way around it. Not only did stars like Javonte Williams suffer brutal injuries, but teams seemed to bring their A game every week: the Sell Outs lead the league with 1536.8 points against. It wasn't all bad though, since the team was able to acquire franchise QB Lamar Jackson as well as secure the 3rd overall pick, and one of their 2021 first rounders, Garrett Wilson, flashed superstar potential. STRENGTHS The Sell Outs have drafted Ohio State WRs in the first round in back to back years, with Jaxon Smith Njigba (1.03) joining Garrett Wilson (1.07). With 2021 first rounder Treylon Burks and 2022 first rounder Quentin Johnston also in the fold, the Sell Outs have devoted massive draft capital to building out a WR room that could be the envy of the league as soon as 2024. WEAKNESSES The Sell Outs are thin almost everywhere other than WR. In an ideal world Javonte Williams would join Travis Etienne to form a strong 1-2 punch at RB, with Miles Sanders a solid third option. But Williams is recovering from a nasty knee injury similar to the one that took JK Dobbins almost a whole season to return to somewhat normal. Etienne on the other hand is dealing with 3rd round rookie Tank Bigsby to siphon off some work. At TE, Greg Dulcich is the new starter and Trey McBride has been shipped off to Sunday Funday. Dulcich could be primed for a breakout playing the Jimmy Graham role in new Broncos coach Sean Payton's offense, but questions remain around Russell Wilson - plus the Broncos traded for Adam Trautman and the ultra-athletic Albert O is still lurking on the roster as well. Notable Bench Players RB Damien Harris RB47 Draft 3.06 - '21 Player '22 Finish Acquired WR Chase Claypool WR71 Trade - '23 WR Quentin Johnston - Rookie 1.07
The Sell Outs have several players who fit the mold here: Javonte Williams, Dulcich again, and Garrett Wilson all make sense. But the key cog could be Treylon Burks, who struggled in 2022 with conditioning and injuries but now seems like the only viable target in Tennessee. A target share north of 30% isn't out of the question for a WR prospect once regarded by many as the best in the 2022 class. MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 32 KEY ADDITION: GREG DULCICH The Sell Outs were fairly quiet on the trade front in the offseason, preferring to build through the draft. The one major move they made was to ship Jahan Dotson and the 3.03 to the Sister Kissers for Greg Dulcich and the 2.02. As mentioned above, Dulcich could be primed to break into the upper echelon of NFL tight ends, and for fantasy that means a big advantage. Not to go unnoted, the Sell Outs were able to package the 2.02 with their own 2.03 and move up to 1.07 to select Quentin Johnston. If Johnston and Dulcich both hit, that one trade could be franchise-defining. POTENTIAL BREAKOUT OR COMEBACK: TREYLON BURKS 2022 FINISH: 2-12 (11TH) PF: 1054.8 (10TH) PA: 1536.8 (1ST) HISTORY 0 REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 7-21 (.250) PLAYOFF APPEARANCES: 0 PLAYOFF RECORD: n/a HIGHEST POINT TOTAL: 1344.52 ('21) HIGHEST SCORE: 137.54 ('21) BIGGEST WIN: 47.19 ('21) LONGEST WIN STREAK: 4 ('21) 50 POINT WINS: 0 WEEKLY HIGH SCORES: 0 TRADES: 17
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 33 2022 DETAILED STATISTICS 2022 SCHEDULE & RESULTS WEEKLY POINTS SCORED ALL-PLAY RECORD VS.
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 34 2023 ROSTER VALUE & AGE
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 35 The Sell Outs came into the 2023 rookie draft with four of the top 23 picks: 1.03, 2.02, 3.03, and 2.11. Like many teams, they made a move during the draft, trading the 2.02 and 2.03 to Sunday Funday for the 1.07. 1.03 - JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, WR, OHIO STATE After Anthony RIchardson went at 1.02, Jahmyr Gibbs seemed the obvious pick at 1.03. However, the Sell Outs went in a different direction and selected WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba out of Ohio State. With Gibbs being a RB in 0.5 ppr scoring as well as getting significantly better draft capital in the real life NFL draft, this was a questionable decision at best even if JSN was the best WR prospect in this draft. Grade: C 1.07 - QUENTIN JOHNSTON, WR, TCU While the pick of JSN was questionable, the Sell Outs bounced back with a nice trade up to get Quentin Johnston and secure half of the top tier of this draft's wideouts. Johnston should pair nicely with Justin Herbert in LA and even though there are some questions about his game, his first round capital means he'll be on the field. Grade: A 2.11 - WILL LEVIS, QB, KENTUCKY The QB drafting was interesting in 2023 to say the least, with different teams valuing them differently ahead of 2025. A consensus first rounder in rookie drafts despite slipping to the second round of the real life draft, Will Levis slid all the way to 2.11 where he was finally snapped up by the Sell Outs. Despite nearly every analyst and draft pundit being down on him, Levis is still a QB behind an aging starter with decent draft capital. If he does happen to hit, the value here is immense. Grade: A+ 4.05 - LUKE SCHOONMAKER, TE, MICHIGAN Schoonmaker got decent draft capital and goes to a wide open depth chart on a pretty good offense. This was a solid pick for the Sell Outs to wrap up their draft. Grade: B 2023 ROOKIE DRAFT RECAP AND GRADES OVERALL GRADE For the second year in a row the Sell Outs drafted WRs at 1.03 and 1.07, adding Jaxon Smith Njigba (1.03) and Quentin Johnston (1.07) to Treylon Burks (1.03 in '22) and Garrett Wilson (1.07 in '22). They also picked up a lottery ticket in Will Levis that could produce monstrous value in the event Levis becomes an above average starter in the NFL. Grade: B+ 1.03 Pick Player Team Pos 2023 Rookie Draft Picks 1.07 2.11 4.05 Jaxon Smith-Njigba Quentin Johnston Will Levis Luke Schoonmaker SEA LAC TEN DAL WR1 WR3 QB4 TE6
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 36 2023 SCHEDULE WEEK OPPONENT '22 RECORD 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 5-9 2-12 6-8 8-6 9-5 10-4 10-4 11-3 10-4 8-6 3-11 5-9 2-12 6-8 STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE 95-101 (.485) SCHEDULE DIFFICULTY T-8TH
2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 20 MAY 2 0 2 3 | I S S U E 0 1 3 7 MV P 21 . 8 P O I N TS 022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 202
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 38
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 39 Projected Starters Player '22 Finish Acquired QB RB RB WR WR TE Flex Flex Flex Deshaun Watson Jonathan Taylor Najee Harris Tee Higgins Gabe Davis Dallas Goedert Joe MIxon D'Andre Swift Elijah Moore QB35 RB34 RB14 WR17 WR27 TE12 RB12 RB22 WR84 Trade - '22 Trade - '22 Trade - '22 Trade - '23 Trade - '23 Trade - '21 Trade - '22 Trade - '23 Trade - '23 2022 RECAP The 2022 season was supposed to be different for the Wagons. After bowing out in the first round of the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, this was the year the Wagons would break through and claim their second championship. And indeed, they roared out to a 5-0 start and looked like one of the top teams in the league. Then the proverbial wheels fell off this wagon, and the squad imploded. That 5-0 start was followed by a 1-8 finish for a final record of 6-8 and the first non-playoff finish for the Wagons since 2018. Making matters worse was a significant lack of draft capital, highlighted by the 1.04 which was moved to Sunday Funday in the offseason as part of a package that brought back Michael Pittman. STRENGTHS Where many teams in BTBLE have focused on building up their WR rooms as the transition to dynasty has unfolded, the Wagons have zigged when everyone has has zagged and focused on the RB corps. Jonathan Taylor leads the way, and despite a down 2022 season he should be right up there in RB scoring in 2023. Dependable veterans Joe Mixon and Najee Harris are a solid RB2 and RB3, especially when their teams failed to devote any meaningful draft capital or free agent money at the position this offseason. Newcomer D'Andre Swift can hardly be called dependable, but could be in for a monster season in Philly if he can stay healthy. Another strength of this squad is the TE room, where Dallas Goedert is backed up by Evan Engram, who himself finished as the TE5 last year. Behind them are veterans Tyler Higbee and Juwan Johnson plus rookie Darnell Washington. WEAKNESSES The weaknesses of the Wagons are the WR room and the lack of draft capital. For WRs, there's very little behind Tee Higgins. Gabe Davis and Elijah Moore were massive disappointments in 2023. And after making just a single pick in the 2023 rookie draft (4.01), the Wagons are already without their 2024 1st and 2nd round picks. Notable Bench Players QB Dak Prescott QB18 Trade - '23 Player '22 Finish Acquired WR Donovan Peoples-Jones WR40 Draft 7.05 - '22 WR Courtland Sutton WR43 Trade - '21 TE Evan Engram TE5 Draft 8.01 - '22
The Wagons made a bold move this offseason, sending two veteran starting WRs (Deebo Samuel and Marquise Brown) to the Sister Kissers in exchange for star Tee Higgins and bust Gabe Davis. As the only star WR on the roster, Higgins is going to have to shoulder much of the load for WR production in 2023 for this team. If Higgins falters for any reason, the other WRs just might not be capable of putting up the points needed for the Wagons to return to the playoffs, especially with only seven playoff seeds up for grabs. MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 40 KEY ADDITION: TEE HIGGINS POTENTIAL BREAKOUT OR COMEBACK: DESHAUN WATSON Say what you want about his personal life and dozens of allegations of sexual misconduct, but noted massage lover Deshaun Watson is clearly a good bet to rebound from his disastrous 2022. Returning to the gridiron for the first time since 2020 when he was viewed as a top-3 dynasty QB, Watson was an unmitigated disaster. His best fantasy output in six games was 21.86 vs. the Commanders, and that was the only time he broke 17. Despite an emphasis on the pass in his starts compared to Cleveland's typical ground and pound approach (Watson attempted 28+ passes in four-of-six starts), he was held below 170 yards passing all but twice. Woof. 2022 FINISH: 6-8 (9TH) PF: 1286.22 (8TH) PA: 1315.38 (6TH) HISTORY 1 REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 63-69 (.477) PLAYOFF APPEARANCES: 7 ('14, '15, '16, '17, '19, '20, '21) PLAYOFF RECORD: 4-6 (.400) HIGHEST POINT TOTAL: 1502.39 ('21) HIGHEST SCORE: 157.0 ('16) BIGGEST WIN: 69.6 ('15) LONGEST WIN STREAK: 5 ('14) 50 POINT WINS: 8 WEEKLY HIGH SCORES: 10.5 TRADES: 111
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 41 2022 DETAILED STATISTICS 2022 SCHEDULE & RESULTS WEEKLY POINTS SCORED ALL-PLAY RECORD VS.
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 42 2023 ROSTER VALUE & AGE
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 43 The Wagons are known for two things: loving trades and hating draft picks. They came into the 2023 rookie draft with just the 4.04, yet managed to both make a trade during the draft and get rid of more draft capital, sending the 4.04 and a 2024 4th to Slush Fund Mooney in exchange for the 4.01. 4.01 - DARNELL WASHINGTON, TE, GEORGIA With that 4.01, the Wagons snagged Darnell Washington. The athletic freak fell to 93rd overall in the NFL draft due to medical concerns about his knee, and lands behind an established NFL starter in Pat Freiermuth. Given that TE is already the deepest position on the team, and TEs don't really matter in non-TEP scoring, and this was a trade up, this was a head-scratching move. Grade: F 2023 ROOKIE DRAFT RECAP AND GRADES OVERALL GRADE With just the one pick there wasn't much for the Wagons to do during this draft except hang out, watch hockey, and eat pizza, and the pick they did make wasn't a great one. Luckily the rest of this roster is pretty strong regardless. Grade: F 4.01 Pick Player Team Pos 2023 Rookie Draft Picks Darnell Washington PIT TE5
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 44 2023 SCHEDULE WEEK OPPONENT '22 RECORD 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 2-12 5-9 2-12 3-11 8-6 9-5 8-6 10-4 10-4 10-4 11-3 2-12 5-9 2-12 STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE 87-109 (.444) SCHEDULE DIFFICULTY 12TH
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 45 2023 AGM RECAP 2/9/2023 & 2/15/2023 Unforeseen Game Circumstances: Follow the platform (Sleeper) with no exceptions Yearly AGM Date: AGM will happen each year at Pile 'O Bones Brewery the Thursday before the Super Bowl Yearly Draft Date: Draft will happen each year the Friday before May long weekend (not the Friday that's part of May long) Draft Timer: The draft will have 15 minutes per selection for Round 1, 10 minutes per selection for Round 2, and 5 minutes per selection for Rounds 3 and 4 Cut Down Day: Rosters must be cut to legal size one week before the Thursday night NFL opener FAAB Reset Date: FAAB resets after the Thursday waiver run the morning of cut down day Waiver Settings: Waivers revert to in-season configuration once they run on the morning of the Thursday night NFL opener Taxi Squad: Non-rookies are not allowed on the taxi squad. The deadline to place players on the taxi squad is kickoff of the Thursday night NFL opener. There is no limit to the time a player can be kept on the taxi squad. Starting Lineup: An additional flex spot has been added to the starting lineup Extra Game vs. League Median: Begins in 2023 Superflex: Begins in 2025 (a Superflex lineup spot will be added) 2023 Changes: 2025 Changes:
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 46 THE ETERNAL STRUGGLE
Like many teams in BTBLE, the Fantasy Football Team is stacked at WR. Their embarrassment of riches includes CeeDee Lamb, Jaylen Waddle, Drake London, Brandon Aiuk, and George Pickens. Isaiah Hodgins and Josh Downs provide some intriguing depth. The squad also has a nice group of TEs led by Mark Andrews, with 2022 rookies Chigoziem Okonkwo and Isaiah Likely waiting in the wings. MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 47 Projected Starters 1.08 Player '22 Finish Acquired QB RB RB WR WR TE Flex Flex Flex Pick Russell Wilson Breece Hall Cam Akers CeeDee Lamb Jaylen Waddle Mark Andrews Drake London Brandon Aiyuk George Pickens QB16 RB42 RB33 WR6 WR7 TE4 WR36 WR15 WR37 2.06 2.07 2.09 Waivers - '22 Draft - '22 Trade - '22 Trade - '22 Trade - '21 Trade - '20 Trade - '22 Trade - '22 Trade - '22 2022 RECAP In 2021 the Fantasy Football Team went 11-3, was the #1 seed, and added Breece Hall at 1.01 in the 2022 draft. The team therefore came into 2022 with title hopes - but those came crashing down quickly thanks to injuries to Dak Prescott, Mark Andrews, and Breece Hall. Breakout seasons by CeeDee Lamb and Jaylen Waddle weren't nearly enough, and the squad missed the playoffs with a record of 5-9. Rubbing salt in the wound, the team finished with more max potential points than the 6-8 Wagons and ended up drafting from the fifth slot (although the 1.05 was owned by Sad's Lucky Buck thanks to a trade for James Robinson in 2021). STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES The weakness of the Fantasy Football team is definitely at RB, where Breece Hall is the lone surefire starter and he's recovering from an ACL tear. Cam Akers was solid down the stretch in 2022 as the Rams played out a lost season without Matt Stafford and Cooper Kupp. It remains to be seen whether that can carry over to 2023. Behind those two are rookies like Tank Bigsby and Roschon Johnson and committee backs like Kenny Gainwell and Michael Carter. 4.09 Notable Bench Players QB Jared Goff QB10 Trade - '23 Player '22 Finish Acquired RB Tank Bigsby - Rookie 2.07 RB Roschon Johnson - Rookie 2.06 WR Isaiah Hodgins WR72 Waivers - '22 WR 2.09 Josh Downs - Rookie 2.09 WR 2.09 Chigoziem Okonkwo TE24 Trade - '22
The Falcons' offense was stuck in neutral for much of 2022, with Marcus Mariota being benched for lackluster play and eventually quitting on the team. Kyle Pitts went down with an injury and the defense was terrible, as is tradition. However one bright spot was 2022 8th overall pick Drake London, who flashed signs of greatness. With Desmond Ridder at QB and Bijan Robinson at RB to hopefully pick up chunk plays and keep the offense on the field, London may be poised to have a second year breakout and ascend to the upper echelon of NFL wide receivers. This offseason the Fantasy Football Team shook things up at QB. Dak Prescott was shipped to the Wagons for 1.08, breaking up the stack with CeeDee Lamb. Bryce Young was drafted at 1.08, but the team also moved Nico Collins days before the draft for Jared Goff. While 2022 waiver wire pickup Russell Wilson will come into camp as the starter, the steady Goff will be relied on if Wilson can't right the ship after his disastrous campaign last season. MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 48 KEY ADDITION: JARED GOFF POTENTIAL BREAKOUT OR COMEBACK: DRAKE LONDON 2022 FINISH: 5-9 (8TH) PF: 1265.42 (9TH) PA: 1386.60 (3RD) HISTORY 1 REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 70-75 (.483) PLAYOFF APPEARANCES: 8 ('12, '14, '15, '16, '17, '18, '19, '21) PLAYOFF RECORD: 4-7 (.364) HIGHEST POINT TOTAL: 1533.16 ('21) HIGHEST SCORE: 175.92 ('19) BIGGEST WIN: 53.5 ('16) LONGEST WIN STREAK: 6 ('15) 50 POINT WINS: 4 WEEKLY HIGH SCORES: 12 TRADES: 89
MAY 2023 | ISSUE 01 49 2022 DETAILED STATISTICS 2022 SCHEDULE & RESULTS WEEKLY POINTS SCORED ALL-PLAY RECORD VS.