The Post Button
Issue #118 - August 15th, 2024
Table of Contents
Introduction
2023 Division Recap
Top Players of 2023
The Nidoalsorans Preview
Franny9 Preview
Gingervitis Preview
5-0 vs Bobby Preview
pg. 3 pg. 4 pg. 5 pg. 10 pg. 14 pg. 18 pg. 22
Introduction
Welcome back!
The 2023 season was a successful one for the UDL and the Post Button alike. The UDL completed its tenth season, a milestone achievement for any fantasy football team, and especially for a dynasty league. Speaking of dynasties, the UDL also saw the birth of its first one, with Saquon my Chubb B2B winning their third consecutive league title. Amazingly, Saquon my Chubb B2B appears to be the clear favorites to win another title this year. It may be nothing more than a fantasy for the rest of the UDL that someone will overthrow their overlord anytime soon.
As for the Post Button, it was the publication’s biggest year ever. The Post Button and The Post Button Previews were consolidated into a single series. The issue previewing the 2023 season was by far the most ambitious in the project’s history, turning in at a whopping fifty pages. For the first time in the Post Button’s history the publication did not go on hiatus for a single week, releasing new issues every Thursday throughout the the season. In total over 30,000 words were written for the Post Button in 2023. While the Post Button can’t promise the same level of productivity every year, it will try its best.
Thank you for continuing to read the Post Button,
Christopher Charles
The Scribbler
2023 SKOL! For Poison Pills Division Recap
The three divisions of the UDL were quite different from one another in the 2023 season. One was clearly the strongest, producing the league champion for the fourth consecutive year. Another was obviously the weakest in the league Meanwhile the third division was defined by turbulence as years of status quo were abruptly upended. The Post Button begins its preview of the 2024 UDL season with a look at that most interesting division
Gingervitis entered 2023 in a seemingly inexorable decline following their division title in 2020, while Franny9 was stuck in purgatory having lost at least seven games in five consecutive seasons Far more successful, in recent times at least, were the Nidoalsorans, runners-up in each of the previous two seasons. And above everyone else stood 5-0 vs Bobby, the winningest team in league history. The hierarchy in the division appeared clear.
And yet, despite the recent dominance of the division’s powerhouses, and the long standing feebleness of its bottom feeders, the race for the SKOL! For Poison Pills division title turned out to be the closest in the UDL in 2023.
vs Bobby had multiple opportunities to run away with the division, but repeatedly bumbled away their chances. First a 3-0 start to the season was followed by a three game losing streak, then Josh Allen was erroneously benched despite being brought on to make up for the losses. The Nidoalsorans were never really in the race, while Franny9 faded down the stretch. Gingervitis surged late in the season, and because of them the division title race went down to the final week of the season. 5-0 vs Bobby did win the division title in the end, but three teams finished within one game of first place in the division.
But the upheaval in the division was not over. 5-0 vs Bobby and Gingervitis faced off one more time in the first round of the playoffs, and it was Gingervitis that got the last laugh of the 2023 season Their success has now set the stage for another chaotic season in the SKOL! For Poison Pills division, one where every team has reason for optimism.
Top 12 2023 Quarterbacks
Top 12 2023 Running Backs
Top 12 2023 Wide Receivers
Top 12 2023 Tight Ends
Top 12 2023 Kickers
2023 Recap
Record: 5-9
Division: 4th
League: 10th
PPG: 107.37 (10th)
Team MVPs
Jalen Hurts: QB2 (356.82 pts)
Lamar Jackson: QB4 (331.22 pts)
The Nidoalsorans
2023 was the year of the fatally flawed team in the UDL. Fittingly, it was the team that finished each of the previous two seasons as runners-up that best embodied the Jekyll & Hyde archetype. The talent on the Nidoalsorans’ was undeniable as the team entered the 2023 season, but the problems that would hamstring the team all season became apparent as soon as the season began.
David Montgomery: RB13 (199.2 pts)
The Nidoalsorans began their campaign for a third consecutive appearance in the UDL title game with one of the best quarterbacks in fantasy football in Jalen Hurts, and a wide iver tandem consisting of Justin Jefferson and A.J. Brown ranked among the best in the UDL. But as bright as the oalsorans’ star players were, there was little else available to ire awe With Kyler Murray sidelined to begin the year, the m was forced to choose between Kenny Pickett and Mac es as their starter in the SuperFlex slot; it turned out to be ething of a moot choice, as both players earned themselves a ching before season’s end. At tight end, Kyle Pitts continued ding towards vaporware status; despite playing in all 17 es the former 4th overall pick failed to finish the season as a However the biggest holes on the roster were found at the ning back position. D’Andre Swift led the Nidoalsorans’ ning backs in scoring; he was RB23. Worse still, the team was ed the press Deon Jackson into action in week 1, a player so fective that following his single start of the season he carried ball just one more time over the remainder of the season.
Nidoalsorans attempted to remedy some of these problems trades for Lamar Jackson and David Montgomery While h players were more effective than their predecessors, they dn’t make up for the loss of Justin Jefferson to a hamstring y that sidelined him for nearly two months. With their crown el out for nearly all of the remaining fantasy season, the oalsorans lost six of their final nine games, falling from near pinnacle of the UDL to last place in their division.
2024 Draft Recap
3.03: Roman Wilson - WR
3.10: Bucky Irving - RB
4.03: Jalen McMillan - WR
4.10: Dylan Laube - RB
The Nidoalsorans didn’t have any early round picks this year, but that didn’t stop them from fattening up their roster with players who were selected in the middle rounds of the NFL draft. Irving and McMillan could earn roles as Tampa Bay continues to rebuild in the post-Brady era.
BIt wasn’t enough to keep the Nidoalsorans out of the cellar last year, but the team’s embarrassment of riches at the all important quarterback position remains the most compelling point in favor of the Nidoalsorans as they hope to return to the playoffs this season The tandem of Jalen Hurts and Kyler Murray was one of the driving forces behind the team’s back-to-back championship game appearances in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, and the Nidoalsorans’ depth chart has only been strengthened since then by the addition of two time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.
The Nidoalsorans will surely be dependent on their quarterbacks as the starting lineup is aging at several key spots, while the bench is alarmingly lacking in either established depth or potential up and comers.
Quarterback may be the most important position for the Nidoalsorans, but Justin Jefferson is their most important player Last season Jefferson gained over 1,000 yards despite playing in just ten games, and over the past two seasons he has averaged over 106 yards a game. Jefferson has a strong case for being the most valuable non-QB in the UDL. Cooper Kupp was another driving force in the Nidoalsorans’ championship runs and will continue to start alongside Jefferson.
Kupp also missed several games due to injury last year while having arguably his worst season as a pro. Kupp is now 31 and his best years may be behind him If Kupp is in his decline phase, that could be a big problem for the Nidoalsorans as their next highest drafted wide receiver in redraft leagues as of this writing is rookie Roman Wilson, who is going as the WR78.
The Nidoalsorans are a bit deeper at the running back position, with four players being selected inside the top-40 at their position. The problem for the Nidoalsorans is that each of those players, including De’Von Achane, David Montgomery, Jaylen Warren, and Ezekiel Elliott are currently stuck in a committee backfield. One of them securing a workhorse workload would be a great boon for the Nidoalsorans.
One potential difference maker for the Nidoalsorans is Kyle Pitts. The tight end never truly thrived with former head coach Arthur Smith’s often perplexing personnel usage in his offense, but with Smith gone there is optimism that Pitts will finally fulfill the potential that made him the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft
Prediction
The Nidoalsorans have several uninspiring starters on their team, but more importantly, they have the superstars needed to compete. They’re likely the strongest team in the league at quarterback, and they have Justin Jefferson to boot. The hard part of building a fantasy football team is getting the elite players in position Now all the Nidoalsorans need to do is figure out how to round out their roster with the second and third tier players who can help turn a playoff caliber team into a champion.
Record: 8-6
De’Von Achane
A’Chane was RB24 as a rookie despite missing six games - and sharing a backfield with Raheem Mostert, the RB2 in 2023. The optimistic case for Achane insists that he will inherit Mostert’s workload, and productivity, as the latter continues to age. A’Chane was stunning as a rookie, and a larger workload, if he can secure it, would prevent a repeat of the problems the Nidoalsorans had at running back last year.
2023 Recap
Record: 7-7
Division: 3rd
League: 7th
PPG: 111.75 (8th)
Team MVPs
Puka Nacua: WR4 (246 pts)
Michael Pittman: WR15 (195.7 pts)
Adam Thielen: WR25 (179.5 pts)
Franny9
A year ago the Post Button projected Franny9 to finish last in the UDL. Had it been known then that the team’s best player, Jonathan Taylor, and their first round pick, Anthony Richardson, would appear in just a combined 14 games Franny9 might have been left off of the preseason power rankings altogether. A seemingly talent starved team losing its most important players was the perfect recipe for a last place finish.
But that’s not what happened. Zack Moss and Gardner Minshew performed ably when starting in place for the injured Taylor and Robinson. Rookie wide receivers Puka Nacua and Tank Dell transformed a position group that had been among the league’s ny9 s to ould the ons. ther s to first four the und e of tely, ek 8 eek, the when r, in e to obby
2024 Draft Recap
1.10: Michael Penix - QB 1.12: Xavier Worthy - WR 2.04: Ladd McConkey - WR 2.06: Adonai Mitchell - WR 2.10: Ben Sinnott - TE
2.11: Jermaine Burton - WR
2.12: Ja’Lynn Polk - WR 3.06: Luke McCaffrey - WR 4.06 Theo Johnson - TE
GM PunkInDrublic32 was busy this draft season, selecting one of the largest draft classes in UDL history.
BDespite the bitter end to the season, few teams accomplished more in 2023 than Franny9 did. The team began the year with one of the most value starved rosters in the UDL, but thanks largely to a draft class that produced three week 1 starters Franny9 found themselves in the playoff race until the very end of the season.
Work remains to be done however, and Franny9 seem to know it. The team had nine draft picks heading into this year’s draft. Instead of trading some of the picks to move up or for veteran players, the team stood pat with what they had. The nine draft picks gave Franny9 the second largest draft class in UDL history, and while this year’s rookies likely won’t become as productive as last year’s immediately, it still represents a massive infusion of talent for what was once one of the most moribund teams in the league.
The biggest reason for optimism for Franny9 this season is that the team will be, hopefully, far healthier. Franny9 effectively gets to add Jonathan Taylor and Anthony Richardson - something that is sure to please Indianapolis Colts superfan PunkInDrublic32 - to a roster that came one win away from a division title last year
Supporting Taylor and Richardson will be a solid trio of wide receivers in Puka Nacua, Michael Pittman, and Tank Dell, while Courtland Sutton and Adam Thielen should continue on as veteran options who can fill out the starting lineup as needed.
Kirk Cousins will return to the starting lineup for Franny9. Cousins was one of the driving forces behind Franny9’s early season success last year, but he is now a 36 year old, coming off of an achilles injury, and finds himself in a less favorable situation in Atlanta than he had in Minnesota. Gardner Minshew, Sam Darnold, and Jacoby Brissett do provide some insurance policies for Cousins, so long as they hold on to their starting jobs.
Former Jonathan Taylor substitute Zack Moss was a pleasant surprise for Franny9 last year, and now that he has moved on to Cincinnati he will be counted on to start alongside Taylor. Even so, the 986 yards and 7 touchdowns Moss had last year were both career highs, and there aren’t any good options behind Moss available if 2023 turns out to be his peak. Franny9 also lacks a clear cut starting tight end, with Cade Otton (93pts) being the best of the bunch last year.
Prediction
The starting lineup appears to be well rounded and without any glaring weaknesses, while there is plenty of talent stockpiled on the bench thanks to a large draft class. What Franny9 still lacks is top-tier difference makers, with only Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor being projected as top-5 players at their respective positions Franny9 have what they need to make another playoff run, but until they unearth more diamonds they’re going to have a hard time taking the next step.
Record: 7-7
Wildcard
Seen as a potential Lamar Jackson tier dual threat quarterback coming out of college, Richardson largely lived up to the hype in fantasy football in 2023 For all of the four games he played in. In those four games he scored seven touchdowns, including four on the ground. Despite playing in just four games last year - and only being able to finish two of them - Richardson produced a pair of 20 point games. The upside is real with Richardson; now we just have to see him do it past September.
Anthony Richardson
2023 Recap
Record: 7-7
Division: 2nd
League: 6th
PPG: 117.91 (5th)
Team MVPs
Kyren Williams: RB6 (239 pts)
C.J. Stroud: QB9 (275.52 pts)
Tre McBride: TE9 (141 pts)
Gingervitis
If the UDL had an award for “Most Improved Team” it would have gone to one of two teams in 2023: Franny9, or Gingervitis. Over the previous two seasons Gingervitis won just seven games, and only one within their division. What propelled the revival both teams experienced last year were strong draft classes that allowed the teams to finally address longstanding weaknesses in their starting lineups. Top pick C.J. Stroud was an immediate star for Gingervitis, while Zay Flowers and Dalton Kincaid helped fill holes on a roster that began the year full of them.
It didn’t take Gingervitis long to reestablish themselves as a competitive fantasy football team in 2023 after spending years at vitis faced all three defending weeks of the season and they crushed the Nidoalsorans for eat Good Trade Charmander! ason success culminated with a rare loss; not only were back-to-back champions, but ewer games since the start of
playoff race for the first time ir non-division schedule that nearly knocked them out of it performances for last as they ainst both 5-0 vs Bobby and winning a division crown, but r the first time in three years, e team that won their division of the playoffs. Facing 5-0 vs Gingervitis broke the series tie nding them to the semifinals. Only Knows Flail, themselves ne in 2023. Gingervitis played on, but were eliminated in one on
Manager: SauceCastillo
Gingervitis’ draft class won’t pay full dividends right away, with first round pick Maye likely consigned to the bench for his rookie season, but the Thomas and Davis picks may give Gingervitis some help sooner rather than later.
Aplayer at the position, Kyren Williams, was “only” the RB6. Alvin Kamara was highly productive once returning from suspension, but the now 29 year old faded down the stretch last season. Kenneth Walker once seemed destined to reach RB1 status, only for Seattle to spend a second round pick on another running back capping his workload and upside. Kendre Miller is interesting as a potential heir to Kamara in New Orleans, but most likely the two of them will share a value sapping committee this year.
If Gingervitis does have a true strength on their roster, it is at the Tight End position. Tre McBride and Dalton Kincaid give their team two young TE1s to work with. With the Arizona offense looking to improve this season and the Buffalo offense expected to feature its tight ends more, there is room for McBride and Kincaid to improve on their TE9 and TE12 finishes in 2023 this season.
C.J. Stroud is Gingervitis’ star and will anchor their quarterback position. First round pick Drake Maye promises to be part of a formidable duo with Stroud in the future, but he can’t be counted on to earn the starting job in New England this year, much less produce fantasy value as a rookie. That leaves Matthew Stafford to start alongside Stroud this year. Stafford is now 36, has missed nine games with injury over the past two seasons, and was a QB2 in 2023 His fantasy numbers were better with Cooper Kupp on the field, so perhaps he has one more big season in him if the health of himself and the Rams’ offense as a whole holds out.
Wide receiver is the murkiest position for Gingervitis. The team had zero top-24 wide receivers last year, with George Pickens leading the team as WR26. Despite the lack of returning production, Gingervitis does not lack for options Zay Flowers and Christian Watson have both hinted at major upside throughout their still young careers. Perhaps the most intriguing wide receiver on the roster is the rookie Brian Thomas. A first round pick in the NFL draft, he slid well into the second round of the UDL draft Catching passes from Trevor Lawrence, he is well set up to be one of the biggest steals of the draft.
Prediction
It’s hard to get away from comparing Gingervitis to Franny9, with the two teams being at similar points in their rebuilds, but one difference between the two is that Gingervitis is currently trailing their division rivals at the wide receiver position. Otherwise Gingervitis is another team with a well rounded starting lineup and talent on the bench Don’t be surprised if their playoff hopes come down to their head-to-head matches against Franny9 again this year.
Record: 7-7
Wildcard George Pickens
Take your pick; Gingervitis has plenty of good-not-great players to choose from. Pickens is a wildcard every week, however, as likely to score two touchdowns as he is to score zero points. After two years catching passes from Kenny Pickett, Pickens now gets a new quarterback to catch passes from in Russell Wilson Wilson’s skill set matches Pickens’ own better than Pickett’s ever did. Perhaps that will be enough to get the best version of Pickens to appear on a more regular basis
2023 Recap
Record: 8-6
Division: 1st
League: 3rd
PPG: 125.37 (3rd)
Team MVPs
Josh Allen: QB1 (392.64 pts)
Breece Hall: RB4 (252.5 pts)
Mike Evans: WR5 (243 pts)
5-0 vs Bobby
For all of the turmoil in the SKOL! For Poison Pills division last year, the team expected to be the best in the division largely lived up to expectations in 2023 5-0 vs Bobby was one of the preseason favorites last year, and they played like one of the best teams in the league; their points per game was third best in the league.
But as strong a team as 5-0 vs Bobby was last year, the road they took through the 2023 season was a bumpy one. In a league dominated by Saquon my Chubb the standard to be a favorite is high, but 5-0 vs Bobby looked to be up to the challenge in the early stages of the season The team scored over 140 points in he season, elite numbers that ound of division play. But then worst slumps a UDL team e fewest points in the league ne of the UDL’s best teams ght.
5-0 vs Bobby swung for the a blockbuster deal to acquire 5-0 vs Bobby got back on the otouts against Good Trade s. But 5-0 vs Bobby’s travails hing of Allen contributed to a Flail, and a loss the next week ivision title hopes in jeopardy. e to lock up the division title season, but the setbacks they n were costly In particular the nows Flail was decisive in week in the playoffs.
d round was one final setback le to overcome. Division rivals e 5-0 vs Bobby’s star studded xt week, in the semifinals, the d the league in scoring. If only they had secured the bye week earlier in the season.
2024 Draft Recap
2.09 - Ricky Pearsall - WR
It’s just one pick, but 5-0 vs Bobby made a good one. Getting a first round pick so late into the second round is a huge steal for a team that desperately needed an infusion of young talent. Pearsall may be needed sooner rather than later with 5-0 vs Bobby’s aging wide receiver corps. Pearsall has an uphill battle for a sizeable workload this season, but the potential fantasy value of any player in a Kyle Shanahan offense can not be dismissed.
AThe team s most immediate concerns are at the running back positions. Austin Ekeler and Aaron Jones are now both 29Jones will turn 30 before the end of the season - and both players find themselves on new teams this year. New environments always raise new questions about the role a player will have, as well as why their former teams weren’t willing to pay for their continued services. On the positive side Breece Hall is one of the bright young stars of fantasy football. 2023’s RB4, the 2024 season could be even better for Hall now that he finally gets to play in an offense led by Aaron Rodgers and not Zach Wilson.
At quarterback Josh Allen alone is nearly enough to make any team a contender. Behind him though, the depth chart lacks depth Justin Herbert is coming off of a disappointing season, and now his fantasy value will be subject to the rigors of a Jim Harbaugh offense.
No player has done more for 5-0 vs Bobby than Mike Evans. The last player on the team from their inaugural draft, Evans has been practically perfect in his career, producing a 1,000 yard season ten times in ten years. Of course there is a downside to a player having such a storied career; Evans is now on the wrong side of 30. It’s a similar story with Tyler Lockett; Lockett once had four consecutive 1,000 yard seasons, but is now coming off of his least productive season since 2017, and turns 32 in September Tee Higgins is looking to improve on a disappointing 2023 campaign. Injuries to both himself and his quarterback derailed his contract year; now on the franchise tag, a big season would help him get a big payday. If there is a sure thing among 5-0 vs Bobby’s wide receivers, it’s Deebo Samuel. Kyle Shanahan’s swiss army knife is always productive, no matter what Shanahan asks him to do
Tight end Evan Engram was very surprisingly the second highest scoring tight end of the 2023 season. His 114 receptions were the fourth most in the NFL last year - and just five less than he had in the previous two seasons combined Hopes for a repeat of that sort of elite fantasy performance would seem optimistic.
Prediction
5-0 vs Bobby begins the season where they seemingly always do; as favorites to win their division. But the team relying on the same core of players for years may finally catch up to them this season. 5-0 vs Bobby has one of the widest range of possibilities in the UDL this season; if their veterans remain productive the team should make a deep run in the playoffs But if father time catches up to those players, 5-0 vs Bobby would be in danger of being surpassed by their fast rising division rivals.
Record: 9-5
Wildcard
Aaron Jones
It’s not often that a player with four 200 point seasons to his name finds himself in the wildcard box, but that’s where Aaron Jones is at now in his career Now playing for Minnesota after an injury plagued final season in Green Bay, there are two key questions regarding Jones that need answers One is: will Sam Darnold sink the Vikings’ offense? The other is: can the aging Jones bounce back from his least productive season since his rookie year?
