With lucky number 7 weeks of games in the books, we have officially crossed the halfway point in the season. In honor of the occasion, let’s take a look at the biggest storylines in the action so far before heading into the updated power ratings.
SCORING IS DOWN
Way down. The average score so far is just a tick over 105 points per game, and we have just started hitting bye weeks. That would mark the lowest scoring year since 2014, the last year before The League moved to full decimal scoring. In fact in the past four seasons, average scoring has not dipped below 110 points per game, with a peak of 115 in 2018. This downturn in scoring obviously follows the notable offensive struggles in the NFL, which has seen a number of Hall of Fame QBs and projected top offenses fail to hit their stride in the early going.
THE CHAMP IS UP
Much to all of our dismay, reigning champion Frank The Tank is the leader in the field as we hit the midseason point. Sitting at 6-1 and averaging a league leading 120.7 point per game, the Tank has been, well, a tank. Until Cody mercifully knocked him off in week 6, Frank had won a remarkable 13 straight games dating back to last season, a mark that hasn’t been reached in the “modern era” and not at all since 2006. While that streak is thankfully over, he may have begun another one with a thrashing of Olsen the following week. The Kansas City Franks are on a bye this week, but still tough to count him out just yet.
Nipping at The Champ’s heels are long time nemesis Marky Mark , led by a fearsome rushing attack of Chubb and Ekeler and QB cheat code Josh Allen, and the streaking Commish and BJC, who both started 0-2 but have ripped off 5 straight since. BJC traded Breece Hall away right before disaster struck and Travis Etienne seems poised to break out, but the Commish has lost new addition Ja’Marr Chase for at least the next few weeks thanks to disgusting actions by another League member that will not go unanswered.
HELL IN THE CELL-AR
While Frank sits at 6-1 and 3 other teams sit at 5-2, the battle to the bottom rages on between 3 teams stuck in the mud at 1-6. Injuries have ravaged Olsen’s 1-6 Outatime squad, who has barely gotten anything out of stud receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Keenan Allen this season and had missed games and injuries from several other key contributors. Vaf’s Feed Me MOORE has also had some injury struggles, but the return of D’Andre Swift may not be enough to save him from competing for a second straight Anthem. And Jay, well, he’s just been plain old fashioned unlucky. Sitting 5th in total points (higher before a mediocre showing this past week), Jay has lost a remarkable three games by less than 1.5 points, and then had to relive the 111-110.3 loss to Nicky Diamonds over again thanks to Yahoo’s stat correction debacle a couple of weeks ago. At this point for these three teams, what’s done is done. IF there’s any hope at the playoffs and avoiding the Anthem Bowl, it needs to start this week.
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE
While 4 teams sit at 5-2 or better and 3 at 1-6 or worse, 5 teams are in the thick of the race to stay above .500, which history shows us is the mark needed to make the postseason. Nicky Diamond’s Koo Kupp Klan is a popular betting favorite to emerge blazing on The League’s unsuspecting front lawn, one of only 3 teams above 800 points scored. The Central features two teams at 4-3 in So Much Honey and the despicable, disgusting, Lobster Beesc. Ant, The League’s lowest scorer, has been opportunistic to stay at 3-4 but has lost 2 straight. But my dark horse is Jacky G’s 2 Feels In squad, which is only 3-4 but quietly looks like one of the best rosters in The League with the return of Deandre Hopkins and CMC’s trade to San Fran.
POWER RATINGS
- Frank The Tank (6-1) – 125.7
- Middleofspinehurts (5-2) – 118.7
- Dear Leader (5-2) – 114.3
- Koo Kupp Klan (4-3) – 110.7
- So Much Honey (4-3) – 106.2
- Brainbusters (5-2) – 105.0
- Lobster Beesc (4-3) – 101.2
- 2 Feets In (3-4) – 94.2
- I’ll Show Ya Tough (1-6) – 89.5
- Meat Mavens (3-4) – 85.5
- Feed Me MOORE (1-6) – 76.8
- Outatime (1-6) – 76.5