Mid-Season Power Rankings
And a two week recap for Weeks 6 and 7
Got a few bullet hits from the past two weeks for you guys since I wasn’t able to make a recap last week, and won’t be doing one this week either. Instead, enjoy the mid-season power rankings!
- In Week 6, Jason inched past Jeff with a 0.18 point victory. With Jason’s Week 7 victory, he currently rides a 4 week win streak and sits comfortably in 1st place at 6–1.
- Anton continues to lead the league in scoring, but only carries a 4–3 record. Similarly, Marlo and Joe rank right behind him in points scored, but have 3–4 records.
- JR has rebounded from his 1–3 start to win his last 3 weeks. Conversely, Kurtis has fallen from his 3–1 start and has lost the last 3 weeks.
- Binh has won the last two weeks and sits in 2nd place at 5–2. Binh had the second highest points scored last week.
- Marlo scored the most points in Week 7, which was his league-high 3rd time claiming highest weekly points. Anton is the only other multiple week winner with 2 weeks under his belt.
Mid-Season Power Rankings
All player rankings are ranked according to average points scored to account for bye weeks.
Tier 1: The Contenders
As of now, there is only one. Jason is the closest thing to a playoff lock so far thanks to his record, while everyone else could easily fall out of the playoff picture with a couple of bad weeks.
1. Big Black Zeke (Jason)
Record: 6–1
Points Scored: 777.82 (6th)
Points Against: 721.18 (11th)
1st Half MVP: Ezekiel Elliot — 125.10 points, 20.85 weekly AVG (RB 2)
Doubters will point out that Jason is only 6th in total points and his schedule has been soft (11th lowest PA), but at 6–1, Jason is the no-brainer number 1 in these power rankings. Jason has a solid RB core of Elliot, Miller, and Crowell carrying him so far, as well as the overall QB5 in Derek Carr. Barring an epic collapse, he’s already a lock for the playoffs, and more importantly, he has a clear path to a first week playoff bye. When anything can happen week to week, getting that bye is a huge boost to your championship odds. Jason has a tough two weeks coming up, facing 2 of the top 3 scorers in Joe and Anton. If he comes out 8–1 after those match-ups, it’ll be tough to see him finishing any lower than the 2nd seed.
Tier 2: In the Mix
This group is made up of all the teams that have a good chance to secure a playoff spot. A lot of teams in this tier, as there is some fierce competition up and down the standings.
2. Purple People Eaters (Anton)
Record: 4–3
Points Scored: 895.50 (1st)
Points Against: 800.90 (4th)
1st Half MVP: Mike Evans — 118.50 points, 19.75 AVG (WR 1)
Anton has piled up the points, tops in the league thus far, but his record has struggled due to the 4th hardest schedule. It’s fair to wonder if he can keep up the hot scoring, but for now, his point production is enough to slot him at 2nd. Anton has been carried by Mike Evans, ranked WR1, as well as LeSean McCoy and Spencer Ware, who are both in the top 7 for RBs. A lot can change in just a few weeks, but Anton has a potentially soft schedule to boost his playoff chances, facing the three current 2–5 teams in his last four weeks of the season.
3. Daddy Fat Sack (Josh)
Record: 4–3
Points Scored: 807.60 (4th)
Points Against: 840.12 (1st)
1st Half MVP: DeMarco Murray — 144.50 points, 20.64 AVG (RB 3)
Josh has been able to survive the toughest schedule so far with some solid scoring of his own to scrap his way to 4–3. His MVP so far has been DeMarco Murray, currently ranked 3rd out of all RBs. Tom Brady is also tearing it up, and is the QB 1 in the 3 weeks since he’s returned from suspension. Assuming the Points Against regress in Josh’s second half of the season, Josh is in great shape to make the playoffs, and Angry Tom Brady makes Josh a scary play for anyone matching up against him.
4. He Went 2 Jared (Binh)
Record: 5–2
Points Scored: 762.16 (7th)
Points Against: 697.90 (13th)
1st Half MVP: Michael Crabtree — 108.10 points, 15.44 AVG (WR 7)
Although Binh has benefited from the second easiest schedule, it was tough to slot him any lower in these power rankings with his 5–2 record. Early returns on Binh’s trade for Crabtree have been stellar, as he’s been one of the league’s biggest surprises, ranking 7th out of all WRs despite being the 47th WR drafted. Binh is in good shape to make the playoffs as of now, but if opponents start scoring more against him in the second half of the season, his 7th ranked scoring output will need to improve.
5. Harambes (Marlo)
Record: 3–4
Points Scored: 867.76 (2nd)
Points Against: 804.42 (3rd)
1st Half MVP: Julio Jones — 135.00 points, 19.29 AVG (WR 2)
Marlo is only 3–4, but takes the 5th spot due to his explosive scoring and unlucky breaks in Points Against. All 3 wins of Marlo’s have been weekly-high point totals and he’s never scored below 100 points in any of his losses. His star receivers have led the way, with Julio and TY Hilton ranking 2nd and 4th among all WRs. Even if Marlo’s opponents keep scoring in bunches, he has the firepower to outscore anyone in the league, and will be a scary playoff matchup.
6. Still Breezy (Joe)
Record: 3–4
Points Scored: 834.66 (3rd)
Points Against: 833.78 (2nd)
1st Half MVP: David Johnson — 170.90 points, 24.41 AVG (RB 1)
Similar to Marlo, Joe gets the bump over the other 4–3 teams by ranking 3rd in points scored and facing the 2nd toughest schedule thus far. He’s had tough breaks where he’s scored 126 and 135 points in losing weeks. David Johnson has been an absolute beast as the overall RB 1, and Joe also has a dynamic passing duo in Brees and Ryan, who rank 2nd and 3rd overall among all QBs. Joe hasn’t had the same explosive weeks as Marlo, but has scored above 110 points in every week except one, and remains one of the scariest matchups to go up against.
7. Cosby’s Sleepers (Bunger)
Record: 4–3
Points Scored: 797.74 (5th)
Points Against: 767.50 (7th)
1st Half MVP: Ben Roethlisberger — 151.20 points, 25.20 AVG (QB 6)
Bunger’s team has been solid, ranking in the top half of the league in points scored and has faced a middle-of-the-pack schedule. Roethlisberger has been carrying the load so far, and his QB 6 ranking doesn’t tell the whole story as some duds have weighed down some massive 44 and 37 point performances. Bunger will need a bit more firepower down the stretch to make some noise, but with Gronkowski at full health and Kirk filling in admirably during Big Ben’s injury, Bunger should be feeling good about his playoff chances.
8. CephaloScorin (Kevin)
Record: 4–3
Points Scored: 728.26 (8th)
Points Against: 760.72 (8th)
1st Half MVP: Melvin Gordon — 137.60 points, 19.66 AVG (RB 5)
Kevin has fought his way to a 4–3 record, but his average scoring against a similarly average strength of schedule puts him at the bottom of Tier 2. Gordon’s shoulders are sore after scoring TD’s left and right for Kevin and is ranked 5th among all RBs. Devonta Freeman has been solid as well, ranking 11th. Kevin will need to boost his scoring in the 2nd half in order to compete with the teams above him.
Tier 3: The Hopefuls
Tier 3 has teams that are in position because of their record, but will need to really step up their consistency and/or scoring in they want to be considered in the mix.
9. 2 Gurley’s 1 Cup (JR)
Record: 4–3
Points Scored: 708.76 (11th)
Points Against: 681.64 (14th)
1st Half MVP: Carlos Hyde — 96 points, 16.00 AVG (RB 10)
JR is in position with a 4–3 record, but has faced the easiest schedule in the league, and his own scoring output is low enough to knock him down to Tier 3. He’s won his last two matchups despite averaging 71 points in those two victories. Carlos Hyde has been a top 10 RB and JR’s best source of points, outscoring his struggling stars Russell Wilson and DeAndre Hopkins. JR will need those two to step up big time before his opponents start scoring more points against him.
10. Handcuffs (Mikey)
Record: 3–4
Points Scored: 724.36 (10th)
Points Against: 760.16 (9th)
1st Half MVP: Tevin Coleman — 105.40 points, 15.06 AVG (RB 12)
Mikey went on a solid 3 game win-streak during which he averaged 124 points, but has struggled to find consistency, hitting rock bottom last week with only 68.34 points. His players have also had a mixture of huge weeks and low duds, and haven’t been able to consistently put up points to land in the top 10 of their respective positions. Tevin Coleman has done his part, ranking as the RB 12, and Amari Cooper has been solid as well, ranking as WR 15. Mikey’s depth should keep him competitive, but his lack of an elite option could cause him to be on the outside looking in come playoff time.
11. Hail Gabbert (Kurtis)
Record: 3–4
Points Scored: 676.30 (14th)
Points Against: 769.32 (6th)
1st Half MVP: AJ Green — 123.50 points, 17.64 AVG (WR 3)
Kurtis put the league on notice in Week 1 with 151 points, but RB injuries have caused him to stumble down the standings. He’s now at the bottom of the league in points scored and has averaged only 87 points in Weeks 2–7. AJ Green has been his saving grace, ranking 3rd overall for WRs. At 3–4, Kurtis could either salvage his season by flipping some of his WR depth for a functional RB, or he might just have his eye on the esteemed 2017 rookie RB class.
Tier 4: The Longshots
These teams have all dug themselves a deep hole with 2–5 records, and will need a major turnaround if they want to get back in the playoff race. Otherwise, they might be better off aiming for a high draft pick while staying competitive enough to avoid the Sacko.
12. Throwin Fitz (Orlando)
Record: 2–5
Points Scored: 726.00 (9th)
Points Against: 751.76 (10th)
1st Half MVP: Antonio Brown — 116.60 points, 16.66 AVG (WR 5)
Lando also had a great Week 1 with 132 points, but proceeded to go on what will likely be a season-killing 5 game losing streak before busting his slump against Jeff last week. Antonio Brown has put up a couple duds, but still ranks 5th among all WRs, and his TD celebrations rank 1st. Lando might be looking to deal some of his productive older players to obtain future assets if he loses a couple of more weeks.
13. Terrelle Me When 2 Go (Tani)
Record: 2–5
Points Scored: 683.76 (13th)
Points Against: 790.3 (5th)
1st Half MVP: LeGarrette Blount — 117.70 points, 16.81 AVG (RB 8)
Tani gets the slight bump over Jeff as he’s faced the 5th hardest schedule. He’ll need to really step up the scoring if he has any hope of making a playoff push. Blount has been consistent all year and gets the MVP nod for Tani, but Le’Veon Bell has been on a tear since coming back from suspension, ranking as the 4th overall RB in average points. With those two RBs rockin’ and Dez Bryant back from injury, Tani could be a surprising second-half team if his schedule luck gets easier.
14. Fried Watermelon (Jeff)
Record: 2–5
Points Scored: 702.06 (12th)
Points Against: 713.04 (12th)
1st Half MVP: Odell Beckham — 102.00 points, 14.57 AVG (WR 11)
And finally, we have Jeff. A 2–5 record, scoring the 3rd lowest points, and facing the 3rd easiest schedule unfortunately puts him last in these Power Rankings. Odell Beckham has disappointed compared to what fantasy owners expect from him, but he’s still ranked as the 11th overall WR to carry Jeff’s team. Jeff has had rough injuries to his RB trio of Lacy, Martin, and Murray, and would need to make some magic happen to stay competitive in the second half.
