The Playoff field for Keepers Fantasy Football XVI is set for another year. I figured it would be fun to take a brief look at these six teams and how they have got to where they are. Two teams have won multiple championships (Bossman, HHH) while the other four (Rapids Plungers, Big Papa, pack slayer & DaUnderdog) are searching for that first championship win! Enjoy!
(1) Bossman
#1 pick and 14th overall
Ezekiel Elliott
Best Value Draft Pick
Austin Ekeler drafted in the 7th round and 98th overall. Ekeler finishes the regular season as the 3rd highest scoring RB in the league.
% of players drafted still on their team (not counting K, D, DEF)
79%
Biggest Draft Bust
Sony Michel drafted in the 4th round. Michel finishes as the 32nd highest scoring back in the regular season with only 90.30 total points.
Number of Player “Moves” this season
37
This year’s performance vs the playoff field
Record: 4-1
Week 4: Bossman (102.14) vs Rapids Plungers (129.14)
Week 5: Bossman (180.23) vs pack slayer (154.72)
Week 6: Bossman (155.34) vs DaUnderdog (121.87)
Week 8: Bossman (127.34) vs Big Papa (96.32)
Week 9: Bossman (132.61) vs HHH (101.99)
Fun Facts / Historical items
– Bossman’s 11 wins match a record high for them set back in the 2008 season, a year in which they won their first championship.
– In the 2008 season, Bossman won the championship by drafting 15th. Yes, 15th as that was a year in which the league was 16 teams.
– Bossman is attempting to be the first team ever to win a championship while drafting last.
– Bossman now has the 2nd most playoff appearances of all time with 8.
– Winning the championship this year would move them into a tie for the 2nd most championships won of all time (3).
Recap
Bossman picked #14 this year and did not seem too thrilled about it. Here was a direct quote shortly after learning of their pick: “not too excited about picking 14th for the 2nd year in a row! Trying to think positive, I guess I either lose with sympathy or if I win I’ve earned my respect. Pretty sure last year I crunched the numbers from the historical end of season records with the 14th draft pick & they weren’t good . . . “. Well Bossman, doesn’t look like anyone has any sympathy right now as they turned the #14 pick into a 11-2 and #1 seeded team. I think it is also worth mentioning that they lost their #2 pick in Tyreek Hill for basically the first 5 weeks of the season. They were able to weather that storm and have not lost a game since week 4 which happened to be against the other team that is on a bye this week in Rapids Plungers. This is one of the most consistent teams in the league that year in and year out puts a quality product on the field. It is no surprise that they are one of the favorites to win it all this year.
(2) Rapids Plungers
#1 Pick and 5th overall
DeAndre Hopkins
Best Value Draft Pick
Chris Godwin, drafted in the 3rd round and 33 overall. It’s hard to call a player drafted in the 3rd round a “best value” draft pick but considering that Godwin finished the regular season as the 2nd best WR in points scored just behind M. Thomas I think this can qualify.
% of Players drafted still on their team (not including K, D, DEF)
43%
***All of the players drafted from rounds 9 through 17 are no longer on the team***
Biggest Draft Bust
Cam Newton drafted in the 6th round with pick # 80 overall. Cam scored a total of 10.91 fantasy points all season.
Number of Player “Moves” this season
35
This year’s performance vs the playoff field
Record: 2-3
Week 4: Rapids Plungers (129.14) vs Bossman (102.14)
Week 9: Rapids Plungers (73.14) vs pack slayer (136.09)
Week 10: Rapids Plungers (149.34) vs DaUnderdog (111.41)
Week 12: Rapids Plungers (154.51) vs Big Papa (165.38)
Week 13: Rapids Plungers (112.23) vs HHH (121.22)
Fun Facts / Historical Items
– Rapids Plungers has the 2nd highest regular season winning percentage (.608) and the 2nd lowest Post season winning percentage (.071).
– Rapids Plungers drafted 4 WR’s with their first four picks of the draft (DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen, Chris Godwin and Cooper Kupp). Those 4 WR’s finished in the following order for regular season WR rankings, 3, 11, 2 & 7. That is impressive.
– The three WR’s still on their roster (Keenan Allen was traded) accounted for 30% of their overall scoring this year.
– Rapids Plungers has played 12 seasons in this league, they made it to the playoffs 8 of those seasons.
– Rapids Plungers set the record for regular season wins in a row this year as they won their first 8 games to start the season and finished off last season by winning their final 7. So that is 15 regular season wins in a row! That is a record that might stand for awhile.
– Rapids Plungers has lost 9 straight playoff games. They have not won a playoff game since the 2012 season. Their last playoff win came in December of 2013.
Recap
Rapids Plungers had another great regular season and it was looking like it might be a “All Time” great season as they started off with 8 straight wins. Things slowed down a bit after that and they went 1-4 the rest of the way. For this coach it has never been an issue of getting to the playoffs because they do that with regularity. The issue is the fact that they are still looking for that first ever championship trophy! The coach did just welcome in baby #3 to their household (congrats by the way) and maybe that will be just the motivation they need to turn their playoff woes around. It won’t be easy and they have struggled against the playoff field this season but I expect them to play well in the playoffs.
(3) Big Papa
#1 Pick – 11th Overall
Todd Gurley II
Best Value Draft Pick
John Brown, drafted in the 10th round and 130th pick overall. Brown finished as the #15 scoring WR which is better then big names such as Julio Jones, Stefon Diggs, Odell Beckham Jr, Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill.
% of players drafted still on their team (not including K, D, DEF)
50%
Biggest Draft Bust
Todd Gurley. Gurley was picked in the first round and 11th overall. He finishes as the 15th highest scoring RB in the league which doesn’t sound awful until you start looking at the players that are close in points around him. Guys like Jamaal Williams, Tarik Cohen, Phillip Lindsay, James White and Miles Sanders. In a 14 team league you really want to hit a homerun with that first pick. This one didn’t turn out the greatest.
Number of Player “Moves” this season
31
This Year’s performance vs the playoff field
Record: 2-3
Week 1: Big Papa (118.38) vs DaUnderdog (123.82)
Week 4: Big Papa (129.54) vs HHH (140.15)
Week 8: Big Papa (96.32) vs Bossman (127.34)
Week 12: Big Papa (165.38) vs Rapids Plungers (154.51)
Week 13: Big Papa (130.04) vs pack slayer (99.73)
Fun Facts / Historical Items
– Only one other season since 2009 has Big Papa got to the 9 win mark.
– Big Papa is the only team coached by a Lindgren in the playoffs
– This is the first season back in the playoffs for Big Papa since they lost in the championship game in the 2016 season
– Big Papa averaged 137.94 points over their final 5 games of the regular season. That is the highest average of any playoff team over that span.
Recap
See the weekly preview
(4) pack slayer
#1 Pick – 9th Overall
Michael Thomas
Best Value Draft Pick
Leonard Fournette drafted in the 3rd round and 37th overall. Fournette finished as the 6th best RB in the league. I know this is a bit of a stretch for a “value” draft pick but the rest of the team was about right on par.
% of players drafted still on their team (not including K, D, DEF)
57%
Biggest Draft Bust
Josh Gordon drafted in the 5th round and 65th overall. Gordon finished the regular season with 46.77 points. Why is this guy still on a playoff roster?
Number of Player “Moves” this season
34
This year’s performance vs the playoff field
Record: 2-3
Week 1: pack slayer (106.95) vs HHH (82.00)
Week 5: pack slayer (154.72) vs Bossman (180.23)
Week 9: pack slayer (136.09) vs Rapids Plungers (73.14)
Week 11: pack slayer (117.38) vs DaUnderdog (153.89)
Week 13: pack slayer (99.73) vs Big Papa (130.04)
Fun Facts / Historical Items
– The team that lost the previous year’s Super Bowl have NEVER made it back to the Super Bowl the following year. pack slayer lost the super bowl last season.
– pack slayer owns a .308 winning percentage in the playoffs. That is good for 4th worst in the league.
– pack slayer’s 8 wins was the second most wins they have had in a season. They had 9 wins in the 2013 season.
– pack slayer loves Matt Ryan at QB. He has been their starting QB in three of the last four seasons.
Recap
See the weekly preview
(5) HHH
#1 Pick – 8th Overall
Davante Adams
Best Value Draft Pick
New England defense drafted in the 16th round and 217th overall. The NE defense scored 208 points in the regular season which was the top defense in the league. The 208 points scored makes the NE D the 8th highest scoring position / player in the league right behind Michael Thomas! That’s crazy good “value” there.
% of players drafted still on their team (not including K, D, DEF)
64%
Biggest Draft Bust
Brandin Cooks drafted in the 3rd round and 36th overall. Cooks finished the regular season with 63.97 points.
Number of Player “Moves” this season
12
***The fewest of any playoff team***
This year’s performance vs the playoff field
Record: 3-2
Week 1: HHH (82.00) vs pack slayer (106.95)
Week 2: HHH (160.44) vs DaUnderdog (152.47)
Week 4: HHH (140.15) vs Big Papa (129.54)
Week 9: HHH (101.99) vs Bossman (132.61)
Week 13: HHH (121.22) vs Rapids Plungers (112.23)
Fun Facts / Historical Items
– Their 7 playoff wins are the 2nd most of any playoff team (behind Bossman at 13)
– Won back to back titles in 2009 and 2010, it took them until the 2017 season to make it back to the playoffs.
– HHH came 80.35 points short from having their highest scoring season ever.
Recap
See the Weekly Preview
(6) DaUnderdog
#1 Pick – 6th Overall
Dalvin Cook
Best Value Draft Pick
Courtland Sutton drafted in the 9th round and 118th overall finished as the 18th highest scoring WR this season.
% of players drafted still on their team (not including K, D, DEF)
86%
***Highest of any playoff team and one of the players is no longer there do to a trade***
Biggest Draft Bust
Joe Mixon drafted in the 2nd round and 23rd overall finished as the 19th highest scoring RB.
Number of Player “Moves” this season
13
This year’s performance vs the playoff field
Record: 2-3
Week 1: DaUnderdog (123.82) vs Big Papa (118.38)
Week 2: DaUnderdog (152.47) vs HHH (160.44)
Week 6: DaUnderdog (121.87) vs Bossman (155.34)
Week 10: DaUnderdog (111.41) vs Rapids Plungers (149.34)
Week 11: DaUnderdog (153.89) vs pack slayer (117.38)
Fun Facts / Historical Items
– DaUnderdog had the 6th pick in this year’s draft. The team picking # 6 in the draft has never won a championship. It is one of 4 draft positions to never have won a championship.
– DaUnderdog is one of the only two coaches remaining whose last name start with “Keepers” to not have won a championship (PackerFANatic7 is the other)
– DaUnderdog has lost 7 straight playoff games. The second longest streak in the league only Rapids Plungers has lost more in a row (9).
Recap
See the weekly preview