The Post Button: Issue #99 (August 31st, 2023)

The Post Button

Previews the Historic 10th Season of the UDL

To my fellow league members,

It is with great pleasure that I congratulate all of you as we step into the league’s tenth season. When I started this league, my very first dynasty league, most/all of us had no idea what we were doing A look back at those first couple rounds in 2014 shows us some names that stood the test of time, Aaron Rodgers…and actually that's it. Unless you want to count Cordarelle Patterson being relevant-ish into 2022 but certainly never returning value on his 2nd round selection! I look at my own team and with pride I see Russell Wilson and Mike Evans who continue to be valuable pieces of my team for 10 years straight. League members have come and gone, but we retain 6 original members, which seems pretty darn respectable. The league members that have come in have done a great job and worked hard to improve their teams. And we have had stability for a few years and the league remains highly competitive All great achievements that are a true league effort. I’m not sure what this coming year holds apart from my third championship, but I certainly feel like our league is far from done! Here’s to ten more years with strange trades, injuries and retirements at inopportune times and crazy upsets!

Sincerely,

Zach Wilkens

The Commissioner

When I began writing the Post Button I always imagined it as a faux sports magazine dedicated to covering our league. I grew up reading magazines such as Nintendo Power and Sports Illustrated, and I have always written and designed the Post Button with an eye towards mimicking the form and function of an old fashioned print magazine In previous years working within the constraints of Google Docs limited my ability to realize that ambition, but at long last the Post Button has become what it was always meant to be. The appeal of fantasy football has always been getting to manage your own football team That might just be a fantasy, but I hope reading this magazine makes that fantasy feel a bit more real.

This edition of the Post Button will not just preview the UDL's tenth season, it will look back at the league's entire history. Ten years is an amazing run for any fantasy league, even more so for a dynasty league. It seems only natural to take the opportunity to look back at the greatest teams in league history at their most triumphant moments before we begin this most triumphant season.

Thank you for reading,

Christopher Charles The Scribbler

The story of the 2022 season was a familiar one in both the UDL and the NFL alike. In both leagues Patrick Mahomes led his teams to their third championship game appearance since becoming the starting Quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs, and in both leagues he wrapped up the season by securing a second championship title. But what happened in the UDL in it's ninth season was unusual in just how familiar it was. Saquon my Chubb are now the third team to win multiple UDL championships, and the first to win their titles in back-to-back season. What was far stranger was the level of stagnation that affected the league in 2022. Not only was 2022 the first time the UDL had a repeat champion from the season before, but for the first time the playoff field consisted of the same six teams as in the previous season.

One thing that did change in 2022 was the Break'n Nex & Ca$h'n Checks division winner. Historically the strongest division in the league, all four BN & CC division members saw their scoring drop last year, with Franny9 and Gingervitis being the two lowest scorig teams in the UDL For the second year in a row the BN & CC division race came down to two teams: the defending division champions, 50 vs Bobby, and the Nidoalsorans, the 2021 runners up. The Nidoalsorans crushed 5-0 vs Bobby in week 1, and surged to an early lead in the division after 5-0 vs Bobby stumbled again in week 3 against Franny9 5-0 vs Bobby was able to recover well enough to make the playoffs, but their early season losses in the division proved decisive as the Nidoalsorans won the division thanks to their superior record within the division.

pick in the 2023 draft. The Democratic Order of Players were competitive in the division, but their fortunes waned with their Quarterback's health. This left Good Trade Charmander! and Magikarp Under Intense Training, to compete for the division title. Both teams surged late, with Magikarp Under Intense Training winning five of their final six games of the regular season. But it was the one loss that would doom their division title hopes. Good Trade Charmander! smashed their rivals, securing a second consecutive division title.

years, and they weren t about to allow any upstarts into the clubhouse in 2022. Jack ‘N’ Ginger fielded another strong team, winning the second most games in the league, but Saquon my Chubb was even better They won their first six games of the season, ensuring that even by the middle of the season they had a multiple game lead in the division. In two regular season meetings between Jack ‘N’ Ginger and Saquon my Chubb the latter combined to score over 320 points as they cruised to their fifth division title.

2022 Recap

2022 may have ended with the same champion as 2021, but the road to the finals had some new sights to see. In a Flying Magikarp grudge match Joe Burrow and Josh Allen led their teams with four touchdowns apiece, but it was Magikarp Under Intense Training that claimed the win thanks to big games from David Montgomery and Latavius Murray of all players, while Jack ‘N’ Ginger closed out the first round with an easy win over 5-0 vs Bobby thanks to vintage performances by Derrick Henry, Dalvin Cook, and George Kittle. Jack ‘N’ Ginger advanced to the semifinals only to face Saquon my Chubb once more, and just like in the regular season they were no match for the reigning champions Patrick Mahomes and Dak Prescott combined to score over 50 points, overwhelming their opponents' lineup In a much closer game the Nidoalsorans faced Magikarp Under Intense Training in a meeting between the last two league runners up. In what was a nip and tuck match the Minnesota Vikings provided the fireworks, with the Nidoalsorans’ Justin Jefferson and Magikarp Under Intense Training’s T.J. Hockenson leading their respective fantasy teams in points while combining to catch 25 passes for 242 yards, and 3 touchdowns. Ultimately what was decisive was Magikarp Under Intense Training’s decision to start Marquise Goodwin Goodwin failed to catch a single pass as he put zero in the box score. It proved to be a fatal donut as Nidoalsorans prevailed by a margin of just 1.22.

Saquon my Chubb and the Nidoalsorans met in the championship game for the third time in the conclusion to the 2022 season Nidoalsorans won the inaugural league title back in 2014 when both teams were under different management, while Saquon my Chubb cruised to an easy title in 2021. The 2022 meeting would be a much closer affair. Saquon my Chubb’s lineup largely struggled in the championship bout, but the two players who did show up were Saquon my Chubb’s biggest stars; Patrick Mahomes and Christian McCaffrey. Mahomes threw for 328 yards and 3 touchdowns as he nearly outscored both of Nidoalsorans' Quarterbacks by himself, while McCaffrey led all players in the match with a 28.3 point performance. Meanwhile, the Nidoalsoran’s Justin Jefferson was the WR1 in 2022, but in the finals Jefferson had his worst game of the season as he caught just a single pass. Dawson Knox was the Nidoalsorans' last hope of staging a comeback, but he never got the opportunity to do so. His Buffalo Bills teammate Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field after suffering a cardiac arrest, leading to the early conclusion of the UDL championship. Fortunately, Hamlin has since made a full recovery, and now the UDL gets to celebrate Saquon my Chubb as it’s first back-to-back champion.

2022 Leaders

Quarterbacks

Patrick Mahomes: 401.92 pts

Josh Allen: 373.76 pts

Jalen Hurts: 369.58 pts

Joe Burrow: 345.38 pts

Geno Smith: 290.26 pts

Wide Receivers

Justin Jefferson: 298.86 pts

Davante Adams: 275.7 pts

Tyreek Hill: 284.4 pts

Stefon Diggs: 246.3 pts

A.J. Brown: 244.1 pts

Running Backs

Christian McCaffrey: 298 46 pts

Austin Ekeler: 312.2 pts

Josh Jacobs: 295.8 pts

Derrick Henry: 272.96 pts

Nick Chubb: 247.2 pts

Travis Kelce: 254 5 pts

George Kittle: 165 4 pts

T J Hockenson: 170 3 pts

Mark Andrews: 154 pts

Evan Engram: 135 7 pts

Tight Ends Kickers

Brett Maher: 168.1 pts

Daniel Carlson: 162.9 pts

Justin Tucker: 159.1 pts

Jason Meyers: 154.6 pts

Younghoe Koo: 140.7 pts

The Impostors: 117.92

Lurkers: 123.72

In a matchup featuring names such as Drew Brees, Antonio Brown, and Jordy Nelson, it was Matt Asiata who was the unlikely star of the innagural UDL championship. The Minnesota Running Back plowed across the goalline twice to make the Lurkers the first league champions.

2015

Good Trade Charmander!: 171.38

Lurkers: 120.68

Julio Jones soared high over Luke Kuechly to score a 70 yard touchdown. The long touchdown was Jones biggest play as he led Good Trade Charmander! to a league title just one season after a last place finish.

Garbage Once Again: 134.38

Young Padawan: 112.42

Garbage Once Again and Young Padawan met in the playoffs for the third time in three years in the 2016 championship. Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdown passes and ran for a fifth to help Garbage Once Again complete the sweep.

Archduke Machop Draft

Even with a trio of Quarterbacks available who could have competed with Baker Mayfield for the starting SuperFlex spot, Bijan Robinson was an easy choice for Archduke Machop after the Texas rusher gained over 3300 yards of offense and produced 35 touchdowns over his last two years at Texas. Hendon Hooker won’t see the field early in his career, but his dual threat ability and third round price tag make him an excitingly low-risk/high-reward prospect that could elevate Archduke Machop in the future. Michigan’s Luke Schoonmaker doesn’t bring the potential wow factor that Robinson and Hooker do, but on a Dallas team that just lost its top Tight End he has the potential to develop into a steady contributor.

Verdict: It’s hard to go wrong with the first overall pick when the first Running Back drafted in the top-10 by the NFL in five years is available. Archduke Machop came away from this draft with a potentially transformational prospect and two other players with quality starter potential - A

vitis

Bryce Young was the first overall pick in the NFL draft, but Gingervitis made C.J. Stroud the first Quarterback selected in the UDL draft. As dazzling as Stroud was in his final college game against the vaunted Georgia defense (348 yards/4 TDs), he will likely begin his fantasy career on the bench behind Matthew Stafford and Justin Fields. Gingervitis’ second first round pick, Zay Flowers, may also spend a lot of his rookie season on the bench. Part of a revamped receiving corps in Baltimore, Flowers may not be high enough on the pecking order to generate much value in fantasy early in his career. More likely to see early starts might be Kendre Miller. With Alvin Kamara facing a three game suspension, Miller has a chance to slide into Kamara’s starting spot early in the season. After selecting Miller Gingervitis traded three picks for Dalton Kincaid, who was originally selected one spot ahead of Miller by 5-0 vs Bobby. Kincaid has a chance to star in an otherwise powerful Buffalo offense that needs a stronger receiving corps.

Verdict: It's a diverse draft class for a team that needs help everywhere, but the selections might not have been the most efficient. In particular A.T. Perry, the 24th Wide Receiver selected in the NFL draft, Perry seems to have been something of a homer pick by Gingervitis manager and Saints fan SauceCastillo. - C+

Grades

Franny9

Anthony Richardson is the latest Colts player acquired by Franny9. While it would be easy to dismiss Richardson as a homer pick, Richardson fits Franny9’s needs well With only one other starting Quarterback on the roster, and one of the most talent starved lineups in the league, Franny9 desperately needs a player with the upside Richardson possesses as a dual threat Quarterback. Although a raw prospect, Richardson’s ability as a runner may make him an effective starter in fantasy sooner than the other rookie Quarterbacks. After playing behind Bijan Robinson at Texas Roschon Johnson joins a Chicago team that lost its top rusher this offseason, where he will likely again see part time work as a committee back. Wide Receivers Tank Dell and Puka Nacua were selected by Los Angeles and Houston teams with few established receiving options, which should give them decent chances to claim playing time early in their careers.

Verdict: A by the books draft for the least talented team in the league. Franny9 already has a monopoly on the Indianapolis Colts; by drafting Robinson they have doubled down on putting all of their eggs in one basket - a strategy that may yet produce the desired results. - B

Good Trade Charmander!

Two years into a rebuild Good Trade Charmander! entered draft day with a massive hole at their SuperFlex position thanks to Davis Mills playing down to expectations. The team moved quickly on draft day to replace Mills, trading a pair of first round picks for the fourth overall pick in the draft before the first selection of the draft had even been made. Once Good Trade Charmander! was on the clock they selected star Alabama Quarterback and first overall pick of the NFL draft Bryce Young to be their future at SuperFlex. Young represents a massive talent infusion at a critical position for Good Trade Charmander!. The team also possessed a pair of second round picks, which the team used on Iowa Tight End Sam LaPorta and Oklahoma Wide Receiver Marvin Mims. LaPorta and Mims both possess the talent and opportunity to potentially make an impact in fantasy sometime in their rookie season.

Verdict: Having to spend just two first round picks to acquire the first overall pick was a major win for a team that has struggled to stay in contention since the league transitioned to the SuperFlex format. The rest of the class were all solid values as well and and will hopefully fortify the team's passing game for years to come. - B+

2.03:

3.03:

4.03:

1.04: Bryce Young - QB

2.06: Sam LaPorta - TE

2.10: Marvin Mims - WR

4 04: Michael Wilson - WR

1 03: Anthony Richardson - QB

Roschon Johnson - RB

Tank Dell - WR

Puka Nacua - WR

1 05: Jahmyr Gibbs - RB

1.11: Zach Charbonnet - RB

2.07: Jonathan Mingo - WR

3.05: Chase Brown - RB

4.05 Sean Tucker - RB

Hooper Troopers

Running Back was a major weakness for a Hooper Troopers team that otherwise made strides in 2022. The position was a clear priority for the team in this year’s draft, with Jahmyr Gibbs, the latest product of the Alabama Running Back factory, highlighting the class. Gibbs was productive as both a runner and a receiver in college, and has a sky high ceiling after stepping into a Detroit offense that parted ways with its top two Running Backs from a season ago. In the NFL draft Zach Charbonnet was a surprising selection by Seattle, but if history is any indication sooner or later the Seahawks will make him a productive fantasy player In Cincinnati Chase Brown will compete to be Joe Mixon’s primary backup. Should he win the job he would immediately become one of the most valuable handcuffs in fantasy football thanks to the potent Bengals offense.

Verdict: Gibbs is the only player here with a clear path to making an immediate impact, but in a Detroit offense that produced the NFL leader in rushing touchdowns a season ago that might be all Hooper Troopers need for now. The rest of the class represents a solid infusion of talent at a position of need, something that could pay dividends down the line. - B

Parole Models

Wide Receiver has been a strength for the Parole Models for years, and Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba should help it remain so for more years to come As is the case with Running Backs, the Seahawks always seem to produce a fantasy relevant Wide Receiver or two. Parole Models’ draft class was a thin one however, and it’s not clear how much the other two picks they made are going to be able to help them. Wide Receiver Cedric Tillman and Tight End Darnell Washington were both top-100 selections in the NFL draft, but they both also enter the league in run heavy offenses where they will play behind entrenched starters Another concern is that neither player was very productive in college. Tillman had just one 1,000 yard season in five years at Tennessee. Washington scored just three touchdowns in as many seasons at Georgia. His 17.2 yards per reception on 45 catches must be acknowledged as an exciting figure, though.

Verdict: Parole Models should be pleased that they were able to get the top receiver in the NFL draft with the sixth overall pick, but they had plenty of needs entering this draft, and the rest of the players in their draft class seem to lack clear paths to fantasy relevance. - C

Grades

Democratic Order of Players

The Democratic Order of Players were the most active team in the UDL throughout draft week this year. Not only did they have more picks than any other team, they also participated in more draft week trades than anyone else. Their first swap of draft picks, moving down from the fourth overall pick in exchange for multiple first round picks, cost them the chance to draft first overall pick in the NFL draft Bryce Young but gave DOOP the opportunity to address multiple needs. The team made new Minnesota Wide Receiver Jordan Addison its first pick; Addison should have the opportunity to develop into a fantasy relevant player early in his career With their second pick they selected Quarterback Will Levis out of Kentucky. Current DOOP starter Tua Tagovailoa suffered repeated concussions last year; Levis is no doubt viewed by the team as a premium insurance policy for the player whose loss caused their team to collapse down the stretch last year. With the rest of their draft picks DOOP soaked up players drafted on day two of the NFL draft - adding Wide Receivers Jayden Reed and Jalin Hyatt, as well as Running Back Tank Bigsby and Tight End Luke Musgrave - building depth across their roster. So broad a net did the team cast that they even hauled in the only Kicker selected in the UDL draft, San Francisco's Jake Moody.

Verdict: Young would have been an excellent insurance policy for Tagovailoa, but the trade DOOP made in the first round allowed the team to improve its starting lineup while still addressing depth needs at multiple positions. - B-

Jack 'N' Ginger

We move from the team with the most draft picks to the team with the fewest. Jack ‘N’ Ginger drafted just one player in the 2023 draft: UAB’s DeWayne McBride. A seventh round pick in the NFL draft, Manager tkrick must have liked his landing spot in Minnesota

Verdict: Sure enough the Vikings released longtime starter Dalvin Cook after the NFL draft, theoretically creating a path to playing time for McBride. Unfortunately, McBride was unable to capitalize on the opportunity, and was cut by Minnesota at the end of preseason - D-

4.08: DeWayne McBride - RB

Magikarp Under Intense Training

After moving down one spot in a draft day deal with DOOP, Magikarp Under Intense Training took TCU’s Quentin Johnston with their first pick The former Horned Frogs star was the third Wide Receiver to be selected in the UDL draft, but he may have the best long term prospects of any receiver in this draft thanks to getting to play with Quarterback Justin Herbert. Josh Downs is coming off of back to back 1,000 receiving yards seasons for North Carolina, but it may be awhile before he posts such numbers in the NFL. On an Indianapolis team now led by the talented dual threat Quarterback, but raw passer, Anthony Richardson, there may not be enough passes to go around to support a fantasy relevant rookie receiver. Magikarp Under Intense Training Manager Lscdemon10 is another Saints fan in the UDL. Like his compatriot, Lscdemon 10 seems to have made a small homer pick in selecting Quarterback Jake Haener. Running Backs Zach Evans and Chris Rodriguez, both six round picks, round out the draft class. Evans has a chance to earn the primary backup behind the often injured Cam Akers, but Rodriguez is likely to begin his career buried on the depth chart by veterans Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson.

Verdict: The later round picks are uninspiring, but Quentin Johnston could be a big part of Magikarp Under Intense Training’s lineup sooner rather than later The team traded its second first round pick, Devon Achane, away for what is likely to be a late second round pick in next year’s draft Manager Lscdemon10 must have been unimpressed with Achane after he failed to earn a large role in an unimpressive Miami backfield, but it’s still disappointing to see a first round pick sold off so early for a clear value loss. - C

The Nidoalsorans

With only two late round draft picks to their name, the Nidoalsorans are another team that produced little to pick apart in the 2023 UDL All the same, they did select two Running Backs in an effort to up a weakness that developed on their depth chart over the son Pitt’s Israel Abanikanda possesses a combination of size and that could progress from “intriguing” to “exciting” if he can move e depth chart and earn some playing time for the Jets. Deuce n was ultra productive for Kansas State, totaling over 4,800 of offense in his college career. Now Vaughn steps into a Dallas e that just cut longtime star Running Back Ezekiel Elliott.

t: Even with minimal draft capital the Nidoalsorans were able to two intriguing picks. - B

1 08: Quentin Johnston - WR

1.12: Devon Achane - RB

2.09: Josh Downs - WR

3.07: Jake Haener - QB

3.10: Zach Evans - RB

4 07: Chris Rodriguez - RB

3.09: Israel Abanikanda - RB

Grades

5-0 vs Bobby

5-0 vs Bobby didn't have any first round picks in this year's draft, but Manager ZachAttack76 still found a way to have one of the most productive drafts in the league He began with the unusual strategy of using his first two picks on Tight Ends. The 2023 class was a strong one for Tight Ends, and by monopolizing the top end players of the class 5-0 vs Bobby was able to trade top pick Dalton Kincaid for multiple picks across the 2023 and 2024 drafts. This left 5-0 vs Bobby with Notre Dame star Michael Mayer, arguably the best Tight End in college football over the past few years. Mayer joins a Las Vegas offense coached by Josh McDaniels; no doubt ZachAttack76 is hoping Mayer can accomplish a fraction of what Rob Gronkowski was able to in McDaniels’ scheme. Second round pick Rashee Rice’s appeal is obvious: he had significant draft capital invested in him by the team with the best offense in the NFL. In a year or two he may prove to be the biggest steal of the draft. Another forward thinking pick was third round pick Tyjae Spears. The Tulane star will start his career sitting behind Derrick Henry, but with Henry turning 30 before the end of the season an opportunity for Spears might present itself sooner rather than later.

Verdict: 5-0 vs Bobby lacked premium picks but were still able to infuse their roster with talent, while also acquiring an extra draft pick in the future. This was an excellent value building draft class. - B+

Saquon my Chubb

The back-to-back defending champions had few needs entering the 2023 draft, which was fortunate as their first selection didn’t come until pick #32, which they used on LSU's Kayshon Boutte. Once projected as a potential early round pick, Boutte fell to the sixth round of the NFL draft where he was selected by New England. The Patriots have their annually weak Wide Receiver corps, so at least there is some opportunity for Boutte to claim playing time. Running Back Evan Hull projects as a possible third down back on a run heavy Indianapolis team, but with Jonathan Taylor around even those snaps might be limited. Saquon my Chubb made Xavier Hutchinson the Mr. Irrelevant of the 2023 UDL draft. The 205th overall pick in the NFL draft, it’s unlikely Hutchinson will ever be relevant in fantasy football.

Verdict: Even considering that all of these picks were late round selections there is little to get excited about here Boutte is a big name, but not much of a prospect after a dismal 2022 season. - D+

2.08: Rashee Rice - WR

3.02: Tyjae Spears - RB

4.09: Charlie Jones - WR

3.08: Kayshon Boutte - WR

4 02: Evan Hull - RB

4.12: Xavier Hutchinson - WR

Squirtle Practice Squad: 98.36

The KING of 2017: 124.06

The KING of 2017 earned their crown by completing the only perfect season in UDL history. Dion Lewis placed the final jewel with a 153 yard, two touchdown effort in what was a career game.

2018

Good Trade Charmander!: 167.68

Wentzrul Cramps: 124.52

Good Trade Charmander! became the first team to win two UDL titles thanks to the efforts of Kyle Rudolph. Rudolph led all players in the matchup in points, and scored one of his two touchdowns on a memorable hail mary play where he climbed over the Detroit defense.

Archduke Machop

2022 Recap

Record: 3-11

Division: 4th

League: 12th

PPG: 105.21 (10th)

Team MVPs

Jaylen Waddle: WR7 (213 9 pts)

Jared Goff: QB10 (273.36 pts)

Devonta Smith: WR11 (196.9 pts)

Mission successfully failed. After years of decreasing relevance, Archduke Machop finally achieved rock bottom in 2022, finishing in last place for the first time in team history. The team has been in rebuilding mode for years at this point, but securing the top pick in the 2023 draft may be the thing that finally gets them back in contention.

As bad as the team Archduke Machop fielded in 2022 was, they started the season strong with three consecutive weeks in the top half of the league in scoring and a pair of wins that gave them a winning record after the first round of intradivision play. It wasn’t until week four that Archduke Machop was finally able to set the tone for their season. Fully half of Archduke Machop’s t ti li f il d t five points against Jack ‘N’ Jack ‘N’ Ginger that week carried Archduke Machop s. The team’s scoring also e midway point, with the 5 in what was the first of performances. Archduke n the top half of the league inst Democratic Order of p’s final win of the season. ut their worst ever season 67.8 points.

rchduke Machop in 2022, to field a quality lineup ere many encouraging ung players the team has over the past few years. In veloped into the nucleus len Waddle and Devonta the WR1s. Waddle gained ns as Archduke Machop’s /1,029/7, 186.7 pts) also a WR1 in redraft leagues. g corps is Drake London okie season, but he still impressed by putting up WR3 numbers in a run heavy offense

Manager: Archduke

Archduke Machop got intriguing performances at other positions, too. Quarterback Jared Goff (4,438/29, 293.28 pts) earned his first Pro Bowl appearance in four years thanks to his QB10 performance in 2022. Baker Mayfield may have also rescued his career thanks to a Christmas miracle After losing starting jobs in both Cleveland and Carolina in a matter of months, Mayfield’s time as a starter in the NFL seemed to be at an end, but a nearly perfect performance (85.7%, 8.2 YPA) on Christmas day has earned him one more chance. Running Back Travis Etienne got his career on track after missing his rookie season with a lisfranc injury. Although Etienne didn’t get his first start for Jacksonville until week 6 the sophomore rusher produced 1,441 yards of offense. Archduke Machop’s investment in the Kansas City backfield produced two fantasy relevant Running Backs in 2022. Jerick McKinnon finished the year as a low end RB2 after catching 61 passes, nine of which resulted in touchdowns. McKinnon is unlikely to repeat those numbers in 2023, but it’s hard to dismiss any member of the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense entirely when it comes to fantasy football More exciting is Isiah Pacheco. The 251st overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft, Pacheco started 11 games for the Chiefs, and including the playoffs, ran for over 1,000 yards as a rookie. RB34 in 2022, Pacheco needs just a bit more work in the NFL’s best offense to move up to RB2 status.

Forecast

After years in the wilderness Archduke Machop might be the UDL team best poised to make a big leap forward in 2023. They play in the weakest division in the league, possess one of the league’s strongest Wide Receiver corps, and thanks to their last place finish last year they now have Bijan Robinson Quarterback remains a major concern, and Tight End is at best a question mark, but Archduke Machop’s strong skill position players should be enough to get the team back in contention for a division title.

Record: 8-6

Week 1 Starters (Projected)

QB: Jared Goff

SF: Baker Mayfield

WR: Jaylen Waddle

WR: Tee Higgins

RB: Bijan Robinson

RB: Travis Etienne

TE: Chigoziem Okonkwo

FL: DeVonta Smith

FL: Drake London

K: Younghoe Koo

Wildcard: Baker Mayfield

A Quarterback with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to throw to should be relevant in fantasy football. “Should” be. Mayfield has never made great use of his Wide Receivers, and in redraft is being selected as a QB3 The difference between Mayfield having a top-24 season or losing his starting job in October could be the difference between a division title or a fifth straight season of missing the playoffs for Archduke Machop

2022 Recap

Record: 4-10

Division: 4th

League: 11th

PPG: 97.77 (11th)

Team MVPs

Justin Fields: QB9 (295 98 pts)

Christian Kirk: WR9 (181 pts)

Kenneth Walker III: RB15 (176.1 pts)

Gingervitis

Archduke Machop finished last in the standings, but Gingervitis might have had an even worse 2022 season. For the second year in a row they were last in their division, and finished 11th in the league. Their scoring also dropped; they were the second lowest scoring team in the league and just one of two teams to finish the season with a points per game average below 100.

Whereas Archduke Machop began the season with a run of competent performances, it was clear from the first snap that Gingervitis was going to struggle in 2022. Gingervitis opened the season with not just a five game losing streak, but four straight weeks as the lowest scoring team in the league During those first four losses Gingervitis lost by an average margin of 46.13. In week 5 the team’s performance “improved” to second worst.

Then in week 6 Gingervitis actually improved. Scoring over 100 points for the first time in 2022 Gingervitis got their first win of the season against Hooper Troopers. This began a short lived turnaround that lasted for six weeks during the middle of the season. During that stretch Gingervitis scored in the top half of the league each week while winning four games. But that success proved to be fleeting, and any hopes that Gingervitis had managed to right the ship were to be dashed in the regular season’s final act. In the second round of intradivision play Gingervitis put on an encore performance of their inept showings earlier in the season Gingervitis lost their last three games of the season, again scoring in the bottom two of the league each week. In their final game of the season they scored just 43.3 points, the single worst performance of any team in the 2022 season.

Little went right for Gingervitis in 2022. Even their midseason stretch of quality play turned out to be fool’s gold that cost them the first overall pick in the draft Gingervitis' roster struggled mightily in 2022, with the entire 26 player roster producing just six players who finished the season ranked in the top-24 at their respective positions.

But "little went right" does imply that a few things did go right in 2022.

Manager: SauceCastillo

Gingervitis had a large draft class that promises to produce several future fantasy starters. While the rookies made minimal impact on the stat sheet, no fewer than five of them have positioned themselves for starting roles in 2023. Headlining this group is Kenneth Walker III, the Seattle Running Back who gained 1,215 yards of offense and scored 9 touchdowns last year; had he been given a larger role early in the season he might have finished the season as an RB1. Also impressing as rookies were Christian Watson (WR27) and George Pickens (WR32). Like Walker, Watson got off to a slow start, but once he got going he flashed dominant upside, scoring 91.7 points in one four game stretch Pickens had a bad habit of disappearing from the Pittsburgh offense for weeks at a time, but when he showed up he flashed an ability to make difficult catches that few receivers in the NFL possess. Gingervitis’ two best players in 2022 were veterans, however. Christian Kirk was seen as an overpriced acquisition by Jacksonville during free agency, but he proved to be a revelation for the Jaguars and Gingervitis alike. Kirk had his first 1,000 yard season, while also scoring a career high 8 touchdowns as he finished the season as a WR1. Quarterback Justin Fields also had a semi-breakthrough season; although he only threw for 2,242 yards, his genuinely elite ability as a rusher (1,143, 8 TDs) made him QB9 for the year.

Forecast

2022 was a dismal year for Gingervitis. They enter 2023 with a few rays of light ahead of them, but Gingervitis’ most talented players still have questions that need answering. Will Kenneth Walker III lose touches to new teammate Zach Charbonnet? Can Desmond Riddler run with the starting job in Atlanta? Can Justin Fields throw for 3,000 passing yards in a season? 2023 won’t be as miserable as 2022 was for Gingervitis, but they need a lot of these questions to have positive answers if they are going to win many games this year.

Record: 5-9

Week 1 Starters (Projected)

QB: Justin Fields

SF: Matthew Stafford

WR: Christian Watson

WR: Christian Kirk

RB: Kenneth Walker III

RB: Kyren Williams

TE: Greg Dulcich

FL: George Pickens

FL: Zay Flowers

K: Will Lutz

Wildcard: Justin Fields

Justin Fields' ability as a rusher gives him a high floor in fantasy football, but he still needs to improve as a passer. Chicago has overhauled their receiving corps with the addition of D.J. Moore, and the Bears have expressed confidence in Fields throughout the offseason. Even a modest improvement as a passer by Fields could be enough to make him a truly elite fantasy Quarterback.

2022 Recap

Record: 5-9

Division: 3rd

League: 10th

PPG: 94.35 (12th)

Team MVPs

Kirk Cousins: QB7 (278 58 pts)

Michael Pittman: WR21 (156.5 pts)

Juwan Johnson: TE16 (111.2 pts)

The last contender for the title of Worst Team of 2022, Franny9 failed to build off of a 2021 season that saw them come one win short of making the playoffs. Manager PunkInDrublic32 has always had a fondness for Indianapolis Colts players, and in 2022 that fondness cost them dearly The Colts had their worst season in over a decade, and they dragged Franny9 down with them.

Franny9 was the lowest scoring team in the UDL in 2022, and it showed in the box score; fourteen weeks played, and just four 100 point games to show for it. But Franny9 was not the only team to struggle in 2022; their difficulty with the stat sheet seemed to be contagious Half of their opponents in 2022 also failed to score 100 points when facing Franny9, and in total just two of Franny9’s games had both teams reach that threshold. As dull an affair as their matches tended to be, Franny9 did their best to capitalize on the situation. In week 1 Franny9 clobbered Gingervitis by scoring what turned out to be a season high 126.26 points before taking advantage of 5-0 vs Bobby and Archduke Machop teams that had the misfortune of having their second worst games of the season against Franny9. This gave Franny9 a 3-2 record after five weeks, and on paper had them in position to compete for a playoff spot. The team responded by digging even deeper. Over the next eight weeks Franny9 was a bottom three scoring team six times, leading to seven losses. Amusingly, two of Franny9's losses during this stretch came when the team did manage to score 100 points Franny9 closed out their season with a second blowout victory over Gingervitis; one, of course, where neither team scored 100 points.

So why did the 2022 season go so poorly for Franny 9? Let’s return to the Colts. In 2021 Jonathan Taylor scored 20 touchdowns and produced over 2,100 yards of offense; in 2022 he played in just 11 games, of which three were 100 yard days, and scored just 4 touchdowns. Taylor wasn’t the only dual citizen of Indianapolis and Franny9 to struggle in 2022 either. Tight Ends Mo Alie-Cox and Jelani Woods each produced a tantalizing two touchdown game early in the season before disappearing for the rest of the season

One bright spot for both teams was Wide Receiver Michael Pittman. Pittman turned a career high 99 receptions into a WR21 season. Unfortunately, few other players on Franny9 did so well. Quarterback Kirk Cousins (QB7) was the only top-12 player on Franny9’s roster in 2022, while former Colt Jacoby Brissett (QB24) as well as Tight Ends Juwan Johnson (TE16), Robert Tonyan (TE22), and Isaiah Likely (TE24) were the only other top24 players.

Elsewhere, Running Back James Robinson began the season in a committee in Jacksonville. Robinson had a large role to begin the season, scoring two touchdowns in week 1, but he failed to keep that role, and was traded to the New York Jets in week 8, where he soon wore out his welcome after just four games. Adam Thielen, with a bit of help from Cousins, staved off the ravages of time for another year. The 32 year old was one of Franny9’s best players in 2022, catching six touchdowns on 70 receptions while gaining 720 yards of offense. Courtland Sutton, another year removed from the torn ACL that ended his 2020 season as soon as it began, was supposed to return to relevance in fantasy football thanks to the Denver Broncos trading for Russell Wilson. Succinctly, that did not happen. Sutton’s 64 receptions for 829 yards were in line with what he produced in 2021, and his two touchdowns were just as few as a year prior.

Forecast

Bleak. Franny9 and Gingervitis were the two worst teams in the league a year ago, but there is little contest in whose outlook going forward is worse. Gingervitis discovered some young talent with real potential last year, but with Franny9 tying their fortunes so closely to that of the Indianapolis Colts there was no chance of that happening for them in a season where the Colts finished 30th in the NFL in points. Franny9 is now, alongside the Colts, undergoing a massive rebuild.

Record: 2-12

Week 1 Starters (Projected)

QB: Kirk Cousins

SF: Anthony Richardson

WR: Michael Pittman

WR: Courtland Sutton

RB: Zack Moss

RB: Roschon Johnson

TE: Juwan Johnson

FL: Adam Thielen

FL: Isaiah Hodgins

K: Harrison Butker

Wildcard: Anthony Richardson

The rebuild begins with Anthony Richardson, and the peculiarity of Franny9’s roster make him perhaps the wildest question mark in the UDL. Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman are the team’s most valuable players after Richardson. Richardson possesses the upside to someday be the QB1 in fantasy football, but first he must prove that he won’t be a liability that drags his teammates' statistical performances down.

Democratic Order of Players

2022 Recap

Record: 5-9

Division: 3rd

League: 9th

PPG: 110.58 (8th)

Team MVPs

Mark Andrews: TE4 (154 pts)

Jamaal Williams: RB7 (200.7 pts)

Daniel Jones: QB11 (289 pts)

The first of the teams we’ve reviewed that had a serious shot at making the playoffs last year, the Democratic Order of Players, or DOOP, finally achieved something resembling parity with their division rivals last year. With DOOP usually near the bottom of the league standings, the team’s roster undergoes frequent youth movements as the team tries to lay a foundation for success. A number of breakout performances by DOOP’s younger players have helped the team produce perhaps its most intriguing roster, even if 2022 ended the way DOOP's seasons usually do.

DOOP might not have finished the season well, but they began it with as strong a start as they could have hoped for The team opened the season with strong performances in victories over Magikarp Under Intense Training and Good Trade Charmander!. The only two teams to have ever won the Flying Magikarp division, these were the wins DOOP needed to have if they were to make a serious run at a division title. They were impressive victories too, with DOOP averaging over 133 points in the two wins Unfortunately for DOOP, they struggled to sustain that success. DOOP finished the first round of division play with a loss to bitter rival Archduke Machop, which began a three game losing streak that cost DOOP their early lead in the division. DOOP was able to rally in October, winning three of four midseason games, highlighted by a victory over eventual league runner up the Nidoalsorans. This gave DOOP a winning record again as the second round of division play approached, but as the seasons changed so too did DOOP’s fortunes.

In week 10 DOOP was defeated by Saquon my Chubb. A loss to the best team in the league might not have been cause for concern by itself, but the nearly 55 point drubbing DOOP suffered at the hands of the defending champions portended what was to come It was the first loss in what became a five game losing streak that ended DOOP’s season. DOOP suffered defeat by Archduke Machop and Gingervitis, teams that finished at the bottom of the standings in 2022, while Good Trade Charmander! and Magikarp Under Intense Training avenged their earlier losses as they punched their tickets to the playoffs In the week 14 loss to Magikarp Under Intense Training, DOOP waved the white flag while scoring a season low 79 76 points

Manager: Kilroy84

The player who best reflects DOOP's 2022 season is Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa’s six touchdown performance in week 2 was a game winner for DOOP, and seemingly put the team in the division title hunt. But what was supposed to be a breakout season for Tagovailoa was instead marred by repeated concussions, and the third year Quarterback was never quite able to sustain the box score success that DOOP needed later in the season. Fortunately for DOOP, Tagovailoa wasn’t their only Quarterback to experience newfound levels of success in 2022. Daniel Jones had a career year in Brian Daboll’s offense, posting personal bests in passing yards, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns

Quarterback wasn’t the only position DOOP had success at in 2022. Running Back Rhamondre Stevenson successfully usurped the starting job in New England. Despite being the starter for less than half the season Stevenson was able to parlay just 210 carries into his first 1,000 yard rushing season and an RB11 finish At Wide Receiver, DOOP appears to have hit a homerun with their 2022 first round pick Garrett Wilson. Despite playing in one of the worst Quarterbacked offenses in the NFL. Wilson gained over 1,100 yards as a rookie, and since the Jets’ trade for Aaron Rodger, is now being viewed as a possible WR1 in 2023.

Forecast

DOOP may have the widest range of possibilities in the UDL in 2023. Jones and Tagovailoa have definitely benefited from coaching changes, but have they already hit the highwater marks in their careers? What about Stevenson? The Patriots are always fickle with their Running Backs There is a real chance that DOOP’s roster has already maxed out. Whatever successes and failures DOOP experiences this year, it’s sure to be the most interesting iteration of the team in its decade long history.

Record: 6-8

Week 1 Starters (Projected)

QB: Tua Tagovailoa

SF: Daniel Jones

WR: Garrett Wilson

WR: Calvin Ridley

RB: Rhamondre Stevenson

RB: Cam Akers

TE: Mark Andrews

FL: Alexander Mattison

FL: Diontae Johnson

K: Jake Moody

Wildcard:

Calvin Ridley

Welcome back, Calvin Ridley. When Ridley last played a full season in 2020 he carried DOOP to their first and only playoff appearance with a mighty statline of 90/1,374/9. He has played in just five games since Ridley must prove he hasn’t lost anything in the nearly two years it has been since we last saw him on the football field, but catching passes from Trevor Lawrence gives Ridley the upside needed to again carry DOOP to new heights

Hooper Troopers

2022 Recap

Record: 5-9

Division: 4th

League: 8th

PPG: 106.13 (9th)

Team MVPs

Trevor Lawrence: QB6 (285 44 pts)

CeeDee Lamb: WR6 (234.4 pts)

Amon-Ra St. Brown: WR8 (206.7 pts)

Entering the 2022 season Hooper Troopers had finished four of the previous five seasons ranked in the bottom two in the league standings, and in the two seasons prior to 2022, Hooper Troopers “managed” to finish dead last in both the standings and in points scored But while 2022 might not have been a good year for Hooper Troopers, it was above average by their standards. Hooper Troopers’ five wins in 2022 were more than they had in their previous two seasons combined, while the team had its highest points scored total in six years.

As is tradition, Hooper Troopers began the season with a loss. But where previous iterations of the Hooper Troopers collapsed at the first sign of adversity, this edition of the team had some still no match for the league’s t one of eight games against ience some success against the he UDL. In week 2, Hooper n rival and fellow cellar dweller nts Two weeks later Hooper Democratic Order of Players by oper Troopers was even able to er, and won three of four games As the second round of division s was a .500 fantasy team, and erth. But like DOOP, Hooper rong performance early in the ng month long losing streak. In he second lowest scoring team s Bobby. Their performances in ely better. In each of their final oper Troopers was the fourth ue, resulting in the team being

llapse resembled DOOP's, but ore in common with Archduke ms that have spent many years ue standings, in 2022 they both had some success developing a young nucleus that they hope will get them back into contention sooner rather than later

Manager: Amack

The headliner for Hooper Troopers’ roster is without a doubt Trevor Lawrence. After being the first overall draft pick in the 2021 draft Lawrence had a genuinely dismal rookie season. Much of that poor showing could be chalked up to the disgraceful showing Urban Meyer gave as the short lived head coach of Jacksonville, but there were still concerns about Lawrence’s poor play that could only be addressed by a better performance in 2022. Fortunately, he passed his test with flying colors. Throwing for 4,113 yards and 25 touchdowns, Lawrence was QB6 in 2022 and has firmly established himself as a QB1 going forward. Lawrence wasn’t the only young player on Hooper Troopers to take a step forward in 2022 either Wide Receivers CeeDee Lamb and Amon-Ra St. Brown both had career years, setting new personal bests in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Hooper Troopers also got an encouraging performance from rookie Running Back Dameon Pierce. Pierce rushed for over 900 yards, and should feature in an offense that has a chance to take a step forward with a new Quarterback under center. Wide Receiver

D J Moore (63/888/7) had an unremarkable 2022 campaign, but Hooper Troopers should be excited by the Chicago Bears trading for Moore this offseason. Justin Fields has had his struggles as a passer, but he is certainly the most talented Quarterback Moore has had since before Cam Newton was washed up. The Bears are sure to make Moore the focus point of their offense as they try to unlock the best Fields has to offer.

Forecast

Archduke Machop, the Democratic Order of Players, and now Hooper Trooper. It’s a recurring theme this year, but many of the longtime losers in the UDL have been quietly assembling promising teams as the beginning of the 2023 season approaches Hooper Troopers still need a better option at QB2 and for more of the Running Backs on the roster to prove themselves in the NFL - but Hooper Troopers should find themselves in the thick of another playoff race this season.

Record: 7-7

Week 1 Starters (Projected)

QB: Trevor Lawrence

SF: Sam Howell

WR: CeeDee Lamb

WR: Amon-Ra St. Brown

RB: Jahmyr Gibbs

RB: Dameon Pierce

TE: Darren Waller

FL: D J Moore

FL: Javonte Williams

K: Jason Meyers

Wildcard: Javonte Williams

This time a year ago Javonte Williams was seen as one of the most talented Running Backs in the NFL and was a possible RB1 thanks to the arrival of Russell Wilson in the Denver offense. Then the Broncos offense imploded and Williams tore his ACL. New Broncos head coach Sean Payton has a long history of offenses that produce fantasy relevant Running Backs. If Williams can get back to 100% early in the season he can still fulfill the potential fantasy managers saw in him last year.

2022 Recap

Record: 6-8

Division: 3rd

League: 7th

PPG: 110.9 (6th)

Team MVPs

Josh Jacobs: RB3 (295 8 pts)

Tyreek Hill: WR3 (284.4 pts)

Justin Tucker: K2 (159.1 pts)

Parole Models

Parole Models has been a feisty loser for years now. After finishing seventh in scoring in 2020 Parole Models has been a top-6 team in scoring each of the past two seasons. But despite annually fielding quality teams, Parole Models has not been able to put an end to the longest playoff drought in the UDL, and now the chance to return to the playoffs may have passed them by.

Although Parole Models finished the 2022 season in seventh place - one spot out of the playoffs - they never gave themselves much of a chance at actually making it to the postseason. They lost their first four games of the season; a deep hole that even the best teams would struggle to climb out of Parole Models were swept in the first round of division play, and in week 4 had the misfortune of losing a wild shootout against 5-0 vs Bobby. The two teams combined to score over 330 points; the 152.36 points Parole Models scored were the most by any team in a loss in 2022. Parole Models would win their first game of the season the next week against Gingervitis, and for the rest of the season won more often than not Parole Models cleaned up against the UDL's lightweights, winning six of their final ten games, but it was too little too late to overcome their slow start to the season.

Some of what made Parole Models’ 2022 season a failure was beyond the control of Manager Waltsanity. The fantasy football community had placed high expectations on Quarterback Trey Lance throughout the offseason Lance’s ability as a dual threat Quarterback gave him tantalizingly high upside in Kyle Shanahan’s offense; if there was a player who could have taken Parole Models to the next level, it was Lance. Unfortunately, Lance was injured early in the second game of the season, having scored just 12.46 points in 2022.

Without Lance the Parole Models were fatally weak at Quarterback. The team was left with Ryan Tannehill and Andy Dalton as its remaining options at the position, and in a SuperFlex league that was simply inadequate. Neither Quarterback was able to stay on the field for the entire season, and when they were on the field they were generally unproductive The two Quarterbacks combined for just two 20 point games in 2022; both were by Dalton

Manager: Waltsanity

2022 was not a complete waste for Parole Models. Wide Receiver Tyreek Hill was traded from the Kansas City team that made him a star, but if anything 2022 was the year he shined brightest. In his first season in Miami Hill set personal records for receptions and receiving yards in a single season, and finished second in the NFL in both statistics. At Running Back Josh Jacobs also had a career year, leading the league in rushing. Both players ranked third at their respective positions at season’s end. Most of the rest of Parole Models’ starting lineup also provided quality play for their team. Terry McLaurin continued to excel at Wide Receiver despite the everlasting tragicomedy that is the football team in Washington Chris Godwin and and Zay Jones rounded out Parole Models’ receiver corps well; Godwin had the third 1,000 yard season of his career, while Zay Jones had a career high 823 receiving yards. And of course, Kicker Justin Tucker was his typical, excellent self. Tucker made 37 field goals in 2022 on his way to finishing the season as fantasy football’s second highest scoring kicker.

Forecast

Unfortunately, 2022 might have been the Parole Models last, best shot at making the playoffs for a while. Last year the team ranked third and fifth in the UDL in Wide Receiver and Running Back scoring respectively, but dead last in both Quarterback and SuperFlex scoring, and it’s hard to see how Parole Models’ Quarterback situation will improve this year. Trey Lance’s moment has come and gone. Andy Dalton has been cut, and it appears Ryan Tannehill’s days as the starter in Tennessee are numbered. The Parole Models still have a quality starting lineup at the other positions, especially Wide Receiver, but that isn’t enough to overcome a void at the most important position in the game. After years of knocking on the door into the playoffs, Parole Models appear ready to slide back into irrelevancy with a whimper and not a bang.

Record: 3-11

Week 1 Starters (Projected)

QB: Ryan Tannehill

SF: Chris Godwin

WR: Tyreek Hill

WR: Terry McLaurin

RB: Josh Jacobs

RB: J.K. Dobbins

TE: Tyler Higbee

FL: Treylon Burks

FL: Jahan Dotson

K: Justin Tucker

Wildcard: J.K. Dobbins

J.K. Dobbins has run for an astounding 5 9 yards per carry on 226 career carries. The problem is that Dobbins has struggled with injuries that have limited him to just 8 games over the past two seasons The Baltimore offense is annually one of the best in the NFL at running the ball, but Dobbins’ health has never allowed him to be the primary benefactor of that success. Dobbins should get one more chance to live up to the expectations fantasy managers have had for him since he entered the league in 2020.

Magikarp Under Intense Training

2022 Recap

Record: 8-6

Division: 2nd

League: 6th

PPG: 123.58 (5th)

Team MVPs

Josh Allen: QB2 (373 76 pts)

T.J. Hockenson: TE3 (170.3 pts)

Joe Mixon: RB9 (195.4 pts)

The 2022 season was a grueling one for Magikarp Under Intense Training. By points they were clearly the best team in the Flying Magikarp division, but in the standings the team was always chasing Good Trade Charmander!. This dynamic would define the season for Magikarp Under Intense Training

While Magikarp Under Intense Training spent most of the season trailing Good Trade Charmander! in the standings, it was Magikarp’s early season success against Charmander! that was vital to their season. Magikarp dropped their first two games of the season against division rivals DOOP and Archduke Machop, leaving Magikarp in danger of falling out of division title contention in just the first round of division play. Fortunately for Magikarp they were able to grind out a week 3 win against Charmander! to save their season. The next week Magikarp really got on track by dropping a 160.46 point blasting on the Nidoalsorans. In November the team went on a four game win streak that set the stage for a decisive week 13 showdown with Charmander! The 99 52 points Magikarp scored that week were a season low, and the only time all year that the team failed to score 100 points. The poor performance cost Magikarp the game and with it the division title.

As fate would have it, Magikarp and Charmander! met again in the first round of the playoffs. This time Magikarp left little to chance Magikarp won the grudge match on the strength of a four touchdown performance by Josh Allen, securing their second appearance in the semifinals in three years. In the semifinals Magikarp faced another rematch, this time against the Nidoalsorans. Allen produced another three touchdowns, but it was not enough, as crucially Wide Receiver Marquise Goodwin failed to show up with a zero point non-performance. Magikarp Under Intense Training were eliminated from the playoffs by a margin of just 1.22, the smallest margin of defeat any UDL team suffered in the 2022 season.

Josh Allen was once again the best player on Magikarp Under Intense Training in 2022 As the NFL’s preeminent dual threat Quarterback Allen alone is enough to make nearly any team a playoff contender

Manager: Lscdemon10

But Magikarp Under Intense Training will need more from the rest of their roster if they are to be a championship contender.

T.J. Hockenson was one of the few Tight Ends who really mattered in fantasy football in the 2022 season. After a midseason trade to Minnesota Hockenson finished the season as TE3. Tight End is a deep position for Magikarp, with them also having Pat Freiermuth, who is coming off of a season with the sixth most receiving yards among Tight Ends. And of course, Magikarp Under Intense Training rosters the venerable Taysom Hill, who was TE6 last year on just 9 receptions

The team lacks star power at Wide Receiver, but makes up for it with a deep depth chart - all the better to keep Marquise Goodwin on the bench in the future. Amari Cooper, Chris Olave, and Brandon Aiyuk were all 1,000 yard receivers in 2022. First round pick Quentin Johnson and former first round pick turned bust turned Kansas City Chief Kadarius Toney also bring some tantalizing potential to the roster. Things are less encouraging at Running Back, however Joe Mixon will again anchor one of the starting spots for Magikarp, but the depth chart behind him is unclear. Players such as David Montgomery, Latavius Murray, and D’Onta Foreman are all set up to potentially have significant roles for their NFL teams; whether those roles will be big enough to make those players fantasy relevant remains to be seen.

Week 1 Starters (Projected)

QB: Josh Allen

SF: Derek Carr

WR: Chris Olave

WR: Amari Cooper

RB: Joe Mixon

RB: David Montgomery

TE: T.J. Hockenson

FL: Brandon Aiyuk

FL: DJ Chark

K: Tyler Bass

Wildcard: Derek Carr

Josh Allen makes Magikarp Under Intense Training a playoff contender. Playing in the weakest division in the league also makes Magikarp Under Intense Training a playoff contender. It is not clear who or what makes Magikarp Under Intense Training a championship contender. They are a well balanced team, but they are still looking for a bit more firepower to complement their star Quarterback.

Record: 8-6

It might seem strange to label a nine year vet with 142 career starts to his name a “wildcard”, but that’s what Derek Carr is this season. Carr has not thrown 30 touchdowns in a single season since 2015, but he has never had a Wide Receiver tandem like Chris Olave and Michael Thomas to throw to either. Of course it is possible that he won’t have that tandem this year either, with Thomas being perpetually injured for years now. If healthy, Thomas could help make Carr the difference maker Magikarp Under Intense Training needs.

2022 Recap

Record: 9-5

Division: 2nd

League: 5th

PPG: 124.62 (4th)

Team MVPs

Travis Kelce: TE1 (254 5 pts)

Davante Adams: WR2 (275.7 pts)

Derrick Henry: RB4 (272.96 pts)

Jack 'N' Ginger

As the 2020 UDL champions and owner of the best record in the league in 2021 expectations were high for Jack ‘N’ Ginger when the 2022 season began. Sure enough, the team finished the season tied for the second most wins in the league, but it’s hard to argue that Jack ‘N’ Ginger lived up to the preseason hype Jack ‘N’ Ginger were just the fourth highest scoring team in the league in 2022, nearly 25 points per game behind league leader Saquon my Chubb, Jack ‘N’ Ginger’s longtime rival who fully eclipsed the former champions last year.

The first two weeks of the season set the tone for Jack ‘N’ Ginger’s 2022 campaign In week 1 Jack ‘N’ Ginger earned a comfortable win over Parole Models - their twelfth consecutive against their division “rival” - but week 2 was another story entirely. Saquon my Chubb annihilated Jack ‘N’ Ginger, 180.0289.26, winning by more points than Jack ‘N’ Ginger scored.

This is how things went for Jack ‘N’ Ginger all season. Against most of the league they were dominant; including the playoffs the team went 10-3 against non-Saquon my Chubb opponents. A three game winning streak following the first loss to Saquon my Chubb put Jack ‘N’ Ginger back above .500, and a four game winning streak soon thereafter propelled the team back near the top of the league standings. In week 12 Jack ‘N’ Ginger had a chance to pull level with Saquon my Chubb - instead they suffered another thrashing that lost them a chance at the division title.

Three weeks later the playoffs began with Jack ‘N’ Ginger as a wildcard team, just like they were in their championship season in 2020, and just like in the 2020 playoffs they won a blowout victory in the first round. This set up one more match against Saquon my Chubb Jack ‘N’ Ginger had a chance to avenge the humiliations they suffered earlier in the season - but all that happened was one more blowout loss at the hands of Saquon my Chubb. Jack ‘N’ Ginger lost all three of their games against Saquon my Chubb in 2022 by at least 40 points as they were kicked out of the ranks of the elite in the UDL

Manager: tjkrick

Quarterback was the Achilles heel for Jack ‘N’ Ginger in 2022. Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady are two of the greatest Quarterbacks in the history of football, and in previous years were valuable assets in fantasy football. Both had down seasons in 2022 however as father time appeared to catch up with them The disappointing performances at Quarterback squandered an otherwise strong roster. Travis Kelce and George Kittle were the two highest scoring Tight Ends in 2022, making Jack ‘N’ Ginger one of the very few teams in the UDL able to count the position as a real strength. Derrick Henry and Dalvin Cook gave the team a pair of RB1s, while Davante Adams produced an elite season as the sixth highest scoring non-Quarterback in fantasy football

The out of nowhere performance by Brock Purdy, Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL draft, gives Jack ‘N’ Ginger one option to replace the now retired Brady. Another option will be Jordan Love, who takes over the starting spot in Green Bay vacated by Rodgers. However the roster is lacking in up and comers at other positions, something that could be an issue if anymore of the veterans Jack ‘N’ Ginger counts on succumb to the ravages of time.

Forecast

Jack ‘N’ Ginger has been one of the most dominant teams in the UDL for years; since finishing last in the league in 2016 they have finished on the podium four times while winning three division titles and one UDL championship. But Jack ‘N’ Ginger is a rapidly aging team, and the effects of time are already being seen on the roster. This offseason Brady retired while Cook was cut by the Minnesota team he had just produced his fourth straight 1,000 yard season for Jack ‘N’ Ginger has done an admirable job keeping the plates spinning for so long with a star studded roster, but sooner or later those plates are going to come crashing down. Some already have.

Record: 7-7

Week 1 Starters (Projected)

QB: Aaron Rodgers

SF: Jordan Love

WR: Davante Adams

WR: Keenan Allen

RB: Derrick Henry

RB: Dalvin Cook

TE: Travis Kelce

FL: George Kittle

FL: Brandin Cooks

K: Evan McPherson

Wildcard:

Brock Purdy & Jordan Love

Jack ‘N’ Ginger needs to replace one Hall of Fame Quarterback and will soon need to replace another. Fortunately the team has two young prospects waiting in the wings. Purdy and Love have just nine career starts between them. Purdy needs to prove that his success last season was more than a fluke, while Love needs to demonstrate that his apparent improvement in limited playing time last year was for real. Jack ‘N’ Ginger’s place in the UDL hierarchy hinges on these two young Quarterbacks

2022 Recap

Record: 9-5

Division: 2nd

League: 4th

PPG: 137.45 (2nd)

Team MVPs

Austin Ekeler: RB2 (312 2 pts)

Geno Smith: QB5 (290.26 pts)

Justin Herbert: QB8 (261.44 pts)

5-0 vs Bobby is the winningest team in UDL history as the league approaches its tenth season. 5-0 vs Bobby fielded another outstanding team in 2022; they finished the season ranked in the top three in scoring for the sixth time in the last seven seasons, and were the second highest scoring team in the league behind only the eventual champions. But when a team sets the bar for success as high as 5-0 vs Bobby has, it’s hard to call any season successful if it doesn’t result in a league title.

As good a team as 5-0 vs Bobby had in 2022, they did stumble out of the gates last year. The team suffered an ugly loss by over 60 points to the Nidoalsorans in week 1, and two weeks later they lost their first game against Franny9 since 2020; ominously for 5-0 vs Bobby, that was one of just two seasons in their history that they finished with a losing record. The team finally kicked into high gear in October, scoring over 140 points in four of five games played that month, but even that scoring power wasn’t always enough. In week 8 5-0 vs Bobby faced the defending champions, Saquon my Chubb, in one of the biggest matches of the year. The fireworks were spectacular, as the two heavyweights combined to score over 330 points, but 5-0 vs Bobby was no match for the reigning champs as they were blown out by over 30 points.

The team pressed on into November. 5-0 vs Bobby would end the regular season on a four game winning streak - again scoring at a torrential pace - as they swept through the second round of division play. But 5-0 vs Bobby was never quite able to keep the pedal to the metal in 2022; their early season slip ups set them back in their division, and in week 10 one more setback all but knocked them out of the division title race. Facing Magikarp Under Intense Training, 5-0 vs Bobby had their worst game of the season, scoring just 84 24 points as they let a winnable game get away from them. Even a win in the rematch against the Nidoalsorans wasn’t enough to make a rally in the division. 5-0 vs Bobby entered the playoffs as a wildcard team for the first time in their history. They faced, and were defeated by, Jack ‘N’ Ginger in another game where 5-0 vs Bobby were never able to hit their stride.

Manager: ZachAttack76

As good a 5-0 vs Bobby’s roster was last year, some of the struggles the team experienced may be attributable to the disappointing seasons several of the team’s longtime stars experienced. Russell Wilson’s 2022 season will go down in NFL history as an all-time disappointment, but as QB14 he was still actually a quality starter in fantasy football. Injuries plagued 5-0 vs Bobby throughout the season. Deebo Samuel missed four games in 2022, resulting in a massively disappointing WR40 campaign. The team was counting on a return to health for Michael Thomas after the Saint had played in just seven games over the previous two seasons. 5-0 vs Bobby’s hopes seemed to be fulfilled when Thomas scored three touchdowns over the first two weeks of the season, but it was not to be as Thomas’ third game would be his final appearance in 2022. Breece Hall, the first overall pick in the 2022 UDL draft, appeared to be a star in the making after scoring over 100 points in his first seven games, but a torn ACL brought his season to a premature end as well.

Forecast

Most teams would be staring at a rebuild after having suffered so much going wrong in a season, but 5-0 vs Bobby is not most teams. Unexpected breakout seasons from players such as Geno Smith and Tony Pollard salvaged a playoff trip for 5-0 vs Bobby last year, and now can help serve as a new foundation for the team to build on. Samuel and Hall getting healthy can only help reinforce a team that made the playoffs during their absence. 5-0 vs Bobby is heavily invested in the Los Angeles Chargers’ offense, which could benefit them greatly if the change in offensive coordinators the Chargers made this offseason unlocks their full potential. The 2022 season might not have gone smoothly for 5-0 vs Bobby, but that difficult season is in the past now; today, 5-0 vs Bobby is well set up to make another run at the division title, and maybe even become the first team to win a third UDL title.

Record: 10-4

Week 1 Starters (Projected)

QB: Justin Herbert

SF: Geno Smith

WR: Deebo Samuel

WR: Mike Williams

RB: Austin Ekeler

RB: Tony Pollard

TE: Evan Engram

FL: Aaron Jones

FL: Miles Sanders

K: Brandon McManus

Wildcard: Breece Hall

Breece Hall shined brightly as a rookie despite playing in one of the worst Quarterbacked offenses in the NFL Now he gets to play in an offense led by future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers. The Jets’ offense as a whole could skyrocket this season, but concerns about Hall's 2023 season remain. First, he'll have to work his way back to 100% after tearing his ACL last year. Then, he'll have to compete with newcomer Dalvin Cook for work in the Jets' backfield. Hall has the dynamic playmaking ability to elevate 5-0 vs Bobby if given the chance

Good Trade Charmander!

2022 Recap

Record: 9-5

Division: 1st

League: 3rd

PPG: 110.65 (7th)

Team MVPs

Joe Burrow: QB4 (345 38 pts)

Ja'Marr Chase: WR10 (180.3 pts)

Najee Harris: RB13 (189.46 pts)

Good Trade Charmander! is a team treading water after initiating a massive rebuild back in 2021. The rebuild went well in its first season, with the team returning to its historical position at the top of the Flying Magikarp division with an overhauled roster, but it was not a serious title contender that year In 2022 the team hoped a very young roster could produce breakout stars that would propel it back into title contention; that did not happen, resulting in a season that went much the way the team's 2021 campaign had.

Good Trade Charmander! opened the season with high expectations and after week 1 it seemed possible they would fulfill those expectations. The team easily dispatched division rival Archduke Machop and the 137.92 points they scored that week were the third most in the league. Expectations for Good Trade Charmander!’s season were swiftly diminished however, as over the following month the team struggled mightily on the stat sheet, scoring over 100 points just once in the four games following their season opening win; at one point they needed a lucky win as the second lowest scoring team of the week just to get back to a .500 record.

The team’s season was marked by wild swings from one extreme to the other. The Joe Burrow - Ja'Marr Chase mindmeld powered GTC! to successive victories over powerhouses 5-0 vs Bobby and Saquon my Chubb, but when Chase was sidelined with a hip injury the team spent three consecutive weeks as one of the two lowest scoring in the UDL. Upon Chase's return Good Trade Charmander! finally hit their stride, winning their final four games of the regular season. The team was finally able to score consistently, ranking in the top half of the league in points each week during their winning streak. In week 13 Good Trade Charmander! won a decisive victory against Magikarp Under Intense Training to secure their second consecutive division title, but just two weeks later the two teams met again in the first round of the playoffs. Magikarp Under Intense Training got the last laugh; Good Trade Charmander! were defeated as they were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round for the third season in a row.

Manager: CosmosRogue

Burrow and Chase took Good Trade Charmander! as far as they could in 2022, but the team needed more than two players to have success in the playoffs. Running Back Najee Harris was supposed to be a pillar for the team, just as important to Good Trade Charmander!’s rebuild as Burrow and Chase - he was acquired in the same trade as the Cincinnati stack - but an injury plagued season reduced Harris to middling-RB2 status. First round pick James Cook was supposed to reinforce the Running Back position for Good Trade Charmander!, but after fumbling the ball on his first career touch he was swiftly sent to the bottom of the Buffalo Bills’ depth chart where he remained for much of the season At Wide Receiver Jerry Jeudy was a popular breakout candidate after the Denver Broncos traded for Russell Wilson. Jeudy’s season mirrored that of his team; a 67 yard touchdown in week 1 hinted at big things, but Jeudy and GTC! alike struggled to follow up on that early promise. Quarterback Davis Mills was given a second opportunity to be Good Trade Charmander!'s starting SuperFlex player. It has been a position the team has struggled at since the UDL introduced it in 2020, and Mills’ struggles played a significant part in Good Trade Charmander!’s disappointing 2022 season; so much so that the team spent multiple first round picks in the 2023 UDL draft to acquire his replacement; NFL first overall pick Bryce Young.

Forecast

Good Trade Charmander! is one of the biggest question marks in the UDL as the 2023 season approaches. The team’s starting lineup is one of if not the youngest in the league; every Quarterback, Running Back, and Wide Receiver projected to begin the season as a starter is in his fourth season or fewer. The talent level on the team is high, but that has been the case since the team began its rebuild nearly two years ago. The Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase connection has been enough to get the team into the playoffs since then, but Good Trade Charmander! needs more of their team to start fulfilling their potential if they are going to do more than compete for another division title.

Record: 7-7

Week 1 Starters (Projected)

QB: Joe Burrow

SF: Bryce Young

WR: Ja'Marr Chase

WR: Jerry Jeudy

RB: Najee Harris

RB: James Cook

TE: David Njoku

FL: Gabe Davis

FL: Rachaad White

K: Greg Zeurlein

Wildcard:

James Cook & Rachaad White

Running Back has rarely been a priority for Good Trade Charmander!; even during the team’s best seasons it was often thin at the position That might be about to change however. Between Cook and White, both selected by Good Trade Charmander! in the 2022 draft, the team is suddenly as deep at the position as it has ever been. Good Trade Charmander! reversed years of roster building policy when it drafted Cook and White. Now it’s counting on them to reverse the years of decline the team has experienced

The Nidoalsorans

2022 Recap

Record: 9-5

Division: 1st

League: 2nd

PPG: 130.98 (3rd)

Team MVPs

Justin Jefferson: WR1 (298 86 pts)

Jalen Hurts: QB3 (369.58 pts)

A.J. Brown: WR5 (244.1 pts)

It’s always feast or famine for the Nidoalsorans. The team has played nine seasons and finished in the bottom third of the standings five times, tied for second most in the league. But the Nidoalsorans have also played in four UDL championship games, putting them in a tie for the league record 2022 was the second feast in a row for the Nidoalsorans, but just like in 2021 they missed out on dessert.

The Nidoalsorans stormed through their division in the first round of intradivision play. They won their first three games of the season by an average margin of nearly 66 points; the Nidoalsorans had not won their division since 2015 and this was j t th t t t th son they needed if they were to win their Those early victories became even more alsorans started losing games. The team t four matches outside of the division, tunity to run away with the division. able to get their season back on track in ans began a second half of the season of Good Trade Charmander! as they won mes. This included two more wins in their win over Gingervitis was decisive in n title. The Nidoalsorans lost their final 5-0 vs Bobby, dropping them into a tie for was too little too late for 5-0 vs Bobby as ins in the division were enough to secure ion title, and a bye week in the first round

Magikarp Under Intense Training in the a meeting of the last two league runnersest match of the 2022 UDL season. The without either of their starting ow scoring match that went down to the Football. Indianapolis Colts Running Back d the decisive score; he caught three scoring 2.4 points. The Nidoalsorans y a 1 22 margin In the finals however the injuries were too much to overcome, and the Nidoalsorans lost to Saquon my Chubb for the second year in a row

Manager: Zephormite

Some of the Nidoalsorans’ best players missed the playoffs. Quarterback Jalen Hurts was QB3 in 2022 despite missing two weeks; both of which coincided with the Nidoalsorans’ playoff games. Kyler Murray and Cooper Kupp were lost earlier in the season; by points per game Murray was on pace for a QB9 season while Kupp had the highest PPG of any Wide Receiver last year. With them out the Nidoalsorans depended on Wide Receivers Justin Jefferson and A.J. Brown to pick up the slack. Fortunately, the two stars both had their best seasons to date. Even with Kupp missing half of the season the team had the best Wide Receivers in the UDL by a wide margin. Jefferson and Brown’s excellence was needed, as once the starting Quarterbacks went down there were few other strengths on the team. Mac Jones and Kenny Pickett were fringe QB2s who struggled as substitutes for Hurts and Murray. At Running Back Ezekiel Elliott’s gradual decline continued as he had his least productive season yet as a pro, while D’Andre Swift was eclipsed in the Detroit offense by journeyman Jamaal Williams. Tight End Kyle Pitts was supposed to be a marquee addition to the roster who would elevate what was already a championship caliber team. Instead Pitts was one of the biggest busts in fantasy football in 2022 as he too had his season cut short by injury.

Forecast

The Nidoalsorans are perhaps the trickiest team to project going forward. The team has proven its quality with back-to-back appearances in the finals the last two years, but many of its most important players are coming off of disastrous seasons. Justin Jefferson and the Jalen Hurts - A.J. Brown stack should keep the Nidoalsorans competitive in 2023, but if the team is going to return to the championship game for a third season in a row it will need players like Murray, Kupp, and Swift to have bounce back seasons.

Record: 9-5

Week 1 Starters (Projected)

QB: Jalen Hurts

SF: Kenny Pickett

WR: Justin Jefferson

WR: Cooper Kupp

RB: D'Andre Swift

RB: Jaylen Warren

TE: Kyle Pitts

FL: A J Brown

FL: Tyler Boyd

K: ????

Wildcard: D'Andre Swift

D’Andre Swift has never lived up to the expectations of fantasy managers since turning pro. Nonetheless, he has begun his career with three consecutive 160+ point seasons, and now joins a powerful Philadelphia offense that parted ways with Miles Sanders this offseason. The Nidoalsorans desperately need a big season from Swift; behind him on the depth chart Ezekiel Elliott and De’Von Achane are big names more than they are fantasy stars. If Swift can’t produce then Running Back threatens to become a void that swallows up the Nidoalsorans’ season.

Saquon my Chubb

2022 Recap

Record: 12-2

Division: 1st

League: 1st

PPG: 149.61 (1st)

Team MVPs

Patrick Mahomes: QB1 (401 92 pts)

Christian McCaffrey: RB1 (298.46 pts)

Stefon Diggs: WR4 (246.3 pts)

Hail to the champions. Saquon my Chubb began the 2022 season as the reigning champions and they finished the season as the reigning champions as they became the first team in UDL history to win back-to-back league titles. Their encore performance was even better than the original; in 2022 Saquon my Chubb improved their scoring at every position except Tight End, and finished the season as the second highest scoring team of all time, while also setting a team record for most wins in a single season.

Saquon my Chubb tore through the competition in 2022. The team opened the season by scoring over 150 points in five straight games as they raced out to first place in the league; it was a position they occupied for the entirety of the season. Including the playoffs, Saquon my Chubb led the league in scoring in seven weeks, while scoring fewer than 120 points just twice. Competitive matches were few and far between for Saquon my Chubb, but they never got a shot at making a run at an undefeated season In week 7 the perpetually lucky Good Trade Charmander! handed Saquon my Chubb their first loss when the latter had a season worst performance; Saquon my Chubb was just the seventh highest scoring team in the league that week, the only time all season they finished a week in the bottom half in scoring. But even a second loss, this time to Magikarp Under Intense Training, was not enough to put Saquon my Chubb’s position at the top of the league in serious jeopardy In week 12 Saquon my Chubb smashed longtime rival Jack ‘N’ Ginger to lock up a division title and a bye week in the playoffs.

A month later Saquon my Chubb did the same again to Jack ‘N’ Ginger as they cruised to their league record fourth title game appearance. As fate would have it they faced the Nidoalsorans, also making their fourth appearance in the finals, in a rematch of both the 2014 and 2021 title games. Although Saquon my Chubb had one of their slowest performances of the season, the incredible Christian McCaffrey and Patrick Mahomes carried them to their second UDL title in as many years.

CHAMPIONS

Mahomes and McCaffrey are arguably the two most valuable players in fantasy football, and in 2022 they both led their respective positions in points, but they were hardly the only stars on what was a stacked Saquon my Chubb team. A total of eight players on the roster finished the season as top-12 players at their positions, and it would have been more if the team’s other Quarterbacks had not missed so many games due to injuries and suspension. Nick Chubb and Saquon Barkley were RB5 and RB6, and together with McCaffrey gave their team a near monopoly on elite Running Backs. Although Dallas Goedert also missed over a month of the season he was one of the best Tight Ends in fantasy football last year, finishing the season ranked tenth at his position. Wide Receiver was the closest thing Saquon my Chubb had to a weak point. Stefon Diggs (WR4) and D.K. Metcalf (WR18) were both 1,000 yard receivers last year, but they were the only two top-24 Wide Receivers on the team. The only other receiver to even qualify as a WR3 was JuJu Smith-Schuster at WR36. DeAndre Hopkins was productive when he was available, scoring 13 3 points per game, but he appeared in just nine games

Forecast

Over the past three seasons Saquon my Chubb has won 32 games - 37 including the playoffs - and two league titles. There is every reason to believe they can achieve that excellence again this season. With Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott, and Deshaun Watson on the roster Saquon my Chubb is by far and away the strongest team in the UDL at the all important Quarterback position. The one possible issue on the roster is at the Wide Receiver position. Stefon Diggs and D.K. Metcalf should be an effective starting duo again in 2023, but after them the depth chart is full of question marks As long as Diggs and Metcalf stay healthy, there should be nothing stopping Saquon my Chubb making a run to become the first team in the UDL’s now decade long history to win three league titles.

Record: 12-2

Week 1 Starters (Projected)

QB: Patrick Mahomes

SF: Lamar Jackson

WR: Stefon Diggs

WR: D.K. Metcalf

RB: Christian McCaffrey

RB: Nick Chubb

TE: Dallas Goedert

FL: Saquon Barkley

FL: James Conner

K: Jake Elliott

Wildcard:

DeAndre Hopkins

There aren't many real question marks on the best team in the UDL. The now 31 year old DeAndre Hopkins has likely already begun the final decline in his illustrious career - and even if not playing in the Tennesse offense isn't going to help him any - but one more good season out of Hopkins would go a long way to shoring up Saquon my Chubb's depth chart

Good Trade Charmander!: 107.98

5-0 vs Bobby: 165.86

5-0 vs Bobby claimed their second title in three years with a blowout of the defending champions. Aaron Jones' 56 yard touchdown in Minnesota was the exclamation point in the runaway victory.

Jack 'N' Ginger: 187.56

Magikarp Under Intense Training: 167.6

Davante Adams produced a UDL finals record 37.7 fantasy points as he led Jack 'N' Ginger to the top of the mountain. As a team, Jack 'N' Ginger would also set a UDL finals scoring record with their 187.56 points.

Power Rankings

Saquon my Chubb

It's not quite Saquon my Chubb vs. the field, but it's not far from that either. The defending champs begin the season as the favorites as they pursue an unprecedented third consecutive title

The Nidoalsorans

The Nidoalsorans don't have much at Running Back, but their recent success earns them some benefit of the doubt in a league full of flawed teams The tremendous Wide Receivers help their case, too.

Magikarp Under Intense Training

Magikarp Under Intense Training has one of the most well rounded teams in the UDL, but they're still lacking in star power. How far can Josh Allen take them in the playoffs?

5-0 vs Bobby

The two time champions might not have the star power of the reigning champs, but they may have the deeper roster. 5-0 vs Bobby are well equipped to make their own run at a third title

Archduke Machop

If the Quarterbacks were as good as the rest of the team Archduke Machop would be a challenger for the top spot in these rankings Even so, expect a big move up the standings this year.

Magikarp Under Intense Training Magikarp Under Intense Training Good Trade Charmander!

Once one of the UDL's great teams Good Trade Charmander!'s luster has faded in recent years The Burrow-Chase stack is the best in fantasy football; can the rest of the team restore their former glory?

Jack 'N' Ginger Hooper Troopers

The sun appears to be setting on this longtime powerhouse. The team is starting to show its age and there are few prospects in the pipeline Do the 2020 champs have one more hurrah in them?

Democratic Order of Players

DOOP is one of the few teams with reasonable options for their entire starting lineup, but do they have any great ones? Whether or not, they have a great opportunity in the UDL's weakest division

Parole Models

For Parole Models on the other hand the worst is likely yet to come. Top Quarterback Ryan Tannehill is the thirtieth QB off of the board on FleaFlicker

Hooper Troopers haven't had a winning season since 2016, but this year could be different. They've got the passing game and the early draft picks to win games. Now they just need to do so.

Gingervitis

Gingervitis is unlikely to win many games this year, but the worst should be behind them Growth from a talented sophomore class could set them up well for 2024

Franny9

Will be rooting extra hard for the Colts this year.

Stories To Watch

The race to 100 wins is on. So is the race to 100 losses, actually. 5-0 vs Bobby is the UDL’s all-time leader in wins with 80, and Hooper Troopers is the league’s all-time leader in losses, also with 80. Neither team will be able to hit the century mark this season, but they could set themselves up for a historical achievement, or “achievement” if you prefer, in 2024.

Trailing 5-0 vs Bobby is Jack ‘N’ Ginger at 75 wins, Good Trade Charmander! at 73 wins, and Saquon my Chubb at 72 wins. Although Saquon my Chubb is the furthest behind 5-0 vs Bobby, they may be the greatest threat to pass 5-0 vs Bobby in the win column before they reach win #100.

Behind Hooper Troopers is Democratic Order of Players at 77 losses, Parole Models at 75 losses, and Archduke Machop at 67 losses. Hooper Troopers and Democratic Order of Players both have a good shot at having a good season this year, which could make the race to 100 very tight next year

Neither Hooper Troopers nor Parole Models have had a winning record at any point in a season since 2019. Hooper Troopers held a winning record going into November that season after winning five of their first nine games before losing three of their final four. Parole Models have gone even longer without being above .500; they haven't had a winning record since winning their first game of 2019 - which was against Hooper Troopers.

Parole Models is a long shot to break their losing streak this season - their schedule frontloads the best teams in the league on them - but Hooper Troopers has a chance to end theirs. After a likely week 1 loss to Saquon my Chubb, Hooper Troopers will get a fairly easy stretch on their schedule from week 3-6. A successful run then could be enough to make Hooper Troopers a winning team again, and put them in contention for a playoff spot.

The Flying Magikarp division is the weakest in the UDL, with all four teams having serious flaws that will likely keep them from competing for the UDL championship. But it is also the most competitive division in the league, and is the only division where every team has a realistic shot at winning the division title. Members of the division are likely to struggle in interdivision play, which adds greater weight to their matches against each other in the first three weeks of the season. One team will emerge from September in the lead in the division; they will then have eight weeks to try and wrap up the division title or else risk losing it in the second round of division play.

Three teams now have two league titles in the UDL. Saquon my Chubb is the clear favorite to win an unprecedented third consecutive title this year. 5-0 vs Bobby is the winningest team in UDL history, and could turn the league into a two team race if they start the season well. Good Trade Charmander! has declined in recent years, but it's too early to write them off yet If nothing else, the team's infamous luck makes them the quintessential any-given-Sunday threat. If any of these teams are able to win a league title this year then that would be their third in a decade - making them not just champions of the UDL, but it's first ever dynasty.

Game of the Week

The Nidoalsorans

2022: 9-5

Week

2022: 9-5

5-0 vs Bobby

The Nidoalsorans and 5-0 vs Bobby are the two powerhouses of the Break'n Nex & Ca$h'n Checks division. Together they have appeared in six UDL championship games and won three league titles. They met in week 1 last year as well in what was a blowout win in the Nidoalsorans’ favor The balance of power seems to be shifting back in 5-0 vs Bobby’s favor, however. The Nidoalsorans will be shorthanded at Running Back and without starting Quarterback Kyler Murray 5-0 vs Bobby has their own roster concerns too, however The team will be counting on big games - and big seasons - from players such as Tony Pollard and Geno Smith this year. Pollard and Smith are coming off of excellent seasons, but 2022 is their only season as fantasy dynamos so far. If they can carry over their success from last season then 5-0 vs Bobby should get off to a good start in their campaign to reassert themselves as the top team in the division.

Winner: 5-0 vs Bobby

Magikarp Under Intense Training

2022: 8-6

2022: 5-9

Democratic Order of Players

Magikarp Under Intense Training and Democratic Order of Players might not have the flash the other teams in their division possess, but these two might be the most complete teams in the Flying Magikarp division. This has historically been a close series - Magikarp leads all-time 10-8 - and with both teams possessing similar strengths and weaknesses, or a lack of either as the case may be, this should be a close game. DOOP has the only Running Back (Rhamondre Stevenson) and the only Wide Receiver (Garrett Wilson) being drafted in the top-12, but Magikarp has Josh Allen. Allen has transformed Magikarp’s fortunes in recent years, carrying the team to four straight playoff appearances. Allen is the one true star in this match, and he should help Magikarp edge past DOOP

Winner: Magikarp Under Intense Training

Saquon my Chubb

2022: 12-2

2022: 5-9

Hooper Troopers

This could be a bellwether season for Hooper Troopers. The team has suffered six losing seasons in a row, including a five year span where they won just twelve games. But strong drafting has sparked optimism that the team is finally ready to turn the corner. They may have to wait another week to make that turn, however, as they begin the season against the reigning champs Saquon my Chubb have won the last two UDL titles and begin this season favored to win a three-peat. With challenge comes opportunity however, and this challenge gives Hooper Troopers the chance to prove that they have arrived.

Winner: Saquon my Chubb

Previews

2022: 9-5

Good Trade Charmander!

Archduke Machop

2022: 3-11

Both of these teams have spent years in rebuilding mode, and as of week 1 neither have finished their work. Archduke Machop has taken a traditional approach to rebuilding, spending years unending losing as many games as possible Their reward; Bijan Robinson and a host of terrific Wide Receivers Good Trade Charmander! has taken a less conventional approach to rebuilding. Since beginning their rebuild two years ago, GTC! has won two division titles True to their name, Good Trade Charmander! have relied on trades to rebuild their roster in the absence of early draft picks. A majority of the players in their starting lineup, counting first round pick Bryce Young, were acquired in trades. These contrasting strategies will surely be tested against each other for years to come, but in week 1 the decisive factor may be which prized rookie can adjust to the NFL quickest. The early returns usually favor the Running Back.

Winner: Archduke Machop

2022: 6-8

Parole Models

2022: 9-5

Parole Models’ victory against Jack ‘N’ Ginger at the end of the 2022 season was their first win in the series in six years. Parole Models has fielded quality teams over the years, but this division rivalry has been so thoroughly dominated by Jack ‘N’ Ginger that it’s a stretch to refer to it as such Both teams may soon be looking at their shared past with fondness however as their rosters continue to age. For now Jack ‘N’ Ginger still possesses enough relics of their past glory to preserve the hierarchy that exists between them and Parole Models.

Winner: Jack ‘N’ Ginger

2022: 4-10

Gingervitis

Franny9

2022: 5-9

In the mid-2010s Bill Connelly once wrote that at least the Kansas University football team would get fresh air and exercise that season. I could write the same about this edition of Franny9, but Lucas Oil Stadium has a roof so it would only be half true.

Stacking Indianapolis Colts players may pay off for Franny9 someday, but it is unlikely to be in week 1 of Anthony Richardson’s rookie season - especially not with Jonathan Taylor on the PUP list. Both of these teams are still rebuilding, but Gingervitis has made enough progress to open 2023 with a win.

Winner: Gingervitis

Jack 'N' Ginger

2021

The Nidoalsorans: 94.38

Playing Cega with Mahomies: 125.32

The 2021 UDL championship match was the first to be played under SuperFlex rules, but it was Wide Receiver

D.K. Metcalf who starred for Playing Cega with Mahomies. The Wide Receiver scored a hat trick as he led his team to their first league title in what was their third appearance in the championship game.

The Nidoalsorans: 108.38

Saquon my Chubb: 120.1

Saquon my Chubb became the UDL's first back-to-back champions thanks to the efforts of Christian McCaffrey.

The San Francisco star was the difference maker as he gained nearly two hundred yards of offense and found the endzone once.

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