Brought to you by Tom aka Tomcat aka Nostrathomas aka Grande Se Cador aka truffle
Since its trade deadline season I am going to do a normal power rankings with trade deadline needs for my top 6 playoff teams and most valuable trade asset for the 4 of us in the gutter.
- Knights of the Knight (9-2)
Alex has the slight edge on Hoober for the number one spot since he has, in my opinion, the superior stable of running backs. 4 guys that can put up top 10 RB point totals every week is a luxury and should not require much lineup tinkering. Barring an injury, his WR’s are also solid across the board with 3 excellent options. This team is my pick to hoist the rack.
Deadline Needs: Nothing jumps out at me. 49ers D has been a plug and play defense without much second thought but this might change with some better teams on their schedule coming up. Will Deshaun stay healthy for a full season??… Perhaps Alex should invest in a better backup then Jameis.
***Addendum- Alex buys bears D, is this the answer?? Ellis does not think so, I have no idea I’m terrible at picking which defense to play.
- Yo Adrians (7-4)
Eric’s team comes in at number two after making the excellent decision to add the #2 RB in Dalvin Cook from yours truly for 100 big ones. I believe any transcript would show I had a “Perfect conversation” (in Trump impression) and the negotiations were not as difficult as previously described. Either way it vaulted Eric up to the elite tier of teams with Alex, pairing two stud running backs to go with his superior WR corps. This team could very easily win it all.
Deadline Needs: TE- Darren Waller make come in at TE4 but this is misleading as he has only scored double digit fantasy points 2 times this season. Not much $$ left to spend but Alex is putting out the better player at that position which could be the difference in a potential title game matchup.
- Kig Bahunas (7-4)
Grant took the plunge and joined in on the cacophony that is auction dollar spending. With his addition of Julio and Pats D he took a big step in the right direction and comes in at #3. I think this team is probably a step down from #1 and #2, though it definitely has the chance to make some noise come playoff time. His RB’s are stout and Julio can easily win you a game with big outputs. The Flex spot is where the questions start coming up, Marvin seems to be a boom or bust kind of guy and who knows what Michel and Ronald Jones are, I’d be nervous about running them out in a playoff game.
Deadline needs: Like I said Grant’s flex spot is not a set it and forget it spot and he could roll the dice with his roster and play matchups and make a run but getting a RB/WR that could solidify that spot might be worth the $$.
- Voodoo Mama JuJu (8-3)
This is a fascinating team, lots of big name talent and potential that has not performed up to what was expected of them yet Ellis still finds himself in line for a bye. If I had to vote today I’d be choosing Ellis for MOY, great roster use and he has been active since week 1 looking to improve his roster, as I can personally attest too. Carson, Bell, and Gurley are a solid if unspectacular group that should not all lay duds and lose him a game. The questions surrounding this team for me are all centered on his WR’s. OBJ, JuJu, and Davante are studs that have not yet delivered and with Cleveland’s schedule I think OBJ might finally live up to the hype.
Deadline Needs: WR/TE- It is getting late in the season and at some point hype and expectations go out the window and you need production. Two of those three guys have iffy QB play (OBJ and JuJu) and that is something you can’t ignore. Henry is a solid option but again has one big week and has been average since. May not lose him a game but probably won’t win him one.
- Yarvard U (5-6)
Stephen has, in my opinion, the team that could either lay a dud and flame out in round 1 of the playoffs or go on a huge run and win it all. Most likely its somewhere in the middle but with Russell, Jones, and Evans… and Andrews for that matter he has guys that could absolutely go off or put in meh performances. I like the move for Mixon as he is starting to string some good weeks together and should hold down the fort until Mack comes back. This is my pick for Darkhorse playoff team.
Deadline Needs: RB/WR – With that all being said Mixon could go right back to sucking and Mack could lay some duds and this is all for naught. I don’t think there is much out there anymore but this might be an area to look to upgrade. Evans and Galloday are start and forget it guys but John Brown scares me. Boom or bust and its basically a roll of the dice from week to week.
- The Cluster Screw (6-5)
Earl has done a nice job this season, he has managed his roster well and is in line for a playoff spot with a roster that should be nowhere near a playoff spot. Though I am still quite salty about him ending up with Ekeler from the draft I’ll set that aside for now. His team is a mismatch of guys that at first glance look like a list of waiver wire pickups and Drew Brees, though it does have some nice pieces. Ekeler has been phenomenal and you know what… that’s all I can say is worth mentioning. I was going to go on but this roster is terrible, enjoy your one and done in the playoffs.
Deadline Needs: Everything, you and I made a deal for Tevin Coleman today which is a step up from the guys you have but its not gonna be enough. The cupboards are getting bare and its probably futile to spend your money on what’s left. But what do I know.
- Prison Mike’s Dementors (4-7)
Rough stretch for Justin the last 5 weeks, but it did get you on the outside of the playoff bubble looking in which lead to a great deal today to start planning for next year. He could have maybe, big maybe, snuck his way into the playoffs but it wasn’t going to go anywhere and you would have been stuck in playoff purgatory. In todays modern fantasy football its better to go for it or tank and I think you made the right call on this one. Justin is looking good for next year with $300+ for next year and some pieces that he could still sell.
Best Trade Asset- Zach Ertz (Great positional value, low keeper value) I may be talking out of both sides of my mouth since he is another TE with only 2 double digit point games but he is trending up the last several weeks and has a very favorable schedule coming up. Teams looking for an upgrade at TE could look here to solve their TE position problem.
- #Hustled (3-8)
Shula packed it in early this year and it is leading to a bad season of low point totals and an easy win for most managers, but it will pay off in the very near future. This interesting part about his season is that he had some big value deals though did not come close to approaching the Dalvin or Saquon deals in overall value. Rather he took a more methodical approach to dealing his players and got mangers to overpay on multiple occasions, kudos to you. Looking forward to our bidding wars next summer.
Best Trade Asset- Cooper Kupp (moderate to high value for this year, low to moderate keeper value) Kupp is a great WR in a struggling offense that is capable of exploding big games. The Rams are a pass first offense so I think Kupp has the potential for big weeks down the stretch. Throw in a keeper cost of just 20$, Kupp is worth more beyond the stretch run.
- Kunu (2-9)
What a year, you went for it and it didn’t work out. Gotta give you credit for going for it, you done kid, you done good. Your team is bad not worth talking about this roster you are throwing out there every week. Looking forward, you have a decent amount of money, you aren’t gonna have the most in all likelihood but you are gonna be in good position headed into the draft.
Best Trade Asset- Alvin Kamara (high value remaining for this year, high keeper value) Injuries, injuries, injuries… the slogan for your team this year, including for Kamara. He has top 5 back potential and there is no reason to believe he can’t get back to that. He could be a game changer for anyone willing to pony up for him this year but at $17 he is one of the best keepers in the league and leaves most of your budget intact to build the rest of your roster next year.
- For Sale Eyes on 202 (4-7)
It was bad from the start this year. No keeper, drafting AB in the 2nd round, and a poor overall draft was a hole I could not dig out of. Dalvin fell into my lap and put up great numbers for me and allowed me to sell him for a king’s ransom. Beyond that its been up and down performances from the rest of my roster. I’m in good position going into next year but I also have to count on Kareem keeping his hands to himself and not assaulting anyone else so he can remain a viable keeper option.
Best Trade Asset- DJ Chark Jr. (moderate to high remaining value for this year, moderate keeper value) Chark came out of nowhere for me and has put up a great season with both Minshew and Foles under center. He looks to be a WR1 type guy each week and can put up big numbers. With a keeper cost of just 10$ he is basically a low risk high reward keeper going into next season.