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I know I say it every week, but sorry about the delay with the update. This time I have a legitimate excuse, a note from my doctor as it were. I didn't mention it to anyone, but I had minor surgery under my tongue on Tuesday to remove a salivary gland stone that had been obstructing my saliva duct. That infection I had under my tongue at the draft was a result of the blockage. Fortunately things went well and I'm doing fine.
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With that that being said, I thought I'd do something different now that the season is roughly 1/4 complete, and come out with what will probably be a quarterly Underdogs Fantasy Football Power Rankings.
- The White Welkers (Devin Ginty) - With Manning way ahead of everyone in fantasy points, and the Broncos' offense putting up monster numbers, it looks like you can count on the 3-0 Welkers to consistently be a difficult team to play. If there is anything to be concerned about it's that Manning can't keep up this pace for too many more years, so the window for the White Welkers to clinch their first UDFFL championship is getting smaller. I'm starting to think that it's this year or bust.
- Calvin Candies' Ballers (David Haylett) - Jimmy Graham is absolutely on fire this season, and to be honest, this team could be a strong contender for the #1 position. Unfortunately for the Ballers, the head-to-head loss to The White Welkers in week one dropped them to the #2 slot.
- TSM TuffNuts (Eric Klumpp) - Another team with a rough amount of points scored against that kept them from being unbeaten. With Brees & Vick, it's possible they have the best quarterback tandem in the league, giving them a lot of opportunity for substitutions each week. And with the premium amount of points the QB can score, that could be rough for anyone hoping for a poor defensive matchup. If Jamaal Charles can stay healthy, they have a real shot at the cup.
- Discount Double Check (Phil Haylett) - They have a RB, QB, WR, & DT all in the top six of their respective positions. This is gives DDD points from all over the field in a way not many other teams can duplicate . And despite the owner's claims that the newly imposed -2 points for a QB interception is unfair, I think it should be noted that even with the new rule, 9 of the top 11 point scorers in this league are quarterbacks.
- Wadhams Total Fitness (Joe Slomba) - With two of his darkest and most beloved receivers, Calvin Johnson & A.J. Green both in the top 10 in receiver scoring, WTF is a threat to overcome almost any deficit if either of these two can get a long TD. I know some of you might balk at this because of their 1-2 record, but considering the nearly 400 points they've had scored against them, it's a safe bet they'll bounce back to make the postseason.
- Dezzie Does Dallas (Greg Gajkowski) - Even though they're only one of two teams that are undefeated, this team has had the fourth fewest points scored this season. It's a trend that cant continue over the course of a 13 game regular season. Simply put, they're reaping the benefits of an easy early season schedule. With Ray Rice out, and Doug Martin coming back down to earth after his rookie year, DDD are going to be hard pressed to repeat.
- The Christ Punchers (Peter Mayers) - Despite having the #1 & #2 RB's on the roster, their lack of talent at the WR & QB position is a cause for concern. The hope of a Gronkowski comeback might not matter if he isn't on the roster soon. This is a bubble team hoping for a shot at the postseason.
- The Shockers (Joe Provino) - After the Steven Jackson injury, this is a team that is flirting with a .500 record. It's still too early to know what this roster can do, but if Frank Gore and Dwayne Bowe can return to form and pick up the slack until Jackson's projected week 7 return, look for the Shockers to be another one of the "bubble teams".
- Chunk's Truffle Shuffle (Kevin Klumpp) - The only team who wants the return of Rob Gronkowski just as much as the Christ Punchers. Tom Brady's lack of quality receivers has made life difficult for CTS, but if Reggie Bush can get healthy again, and Marshawn Lynch, continues his consistent play, look for CTS to continue to rack up enough wins to stay in the hunt.
- Bible Thumpers (Jeffrey Klumpp) - Long gone are the days when Ladanian Tomlinson kept this team in contention year after year. While the team has improved over their last place finish in 2012, keepers Larry Fitzgerald and David Wilson are grossly under-performing. It looks like the Thumpers are going to spend another season on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs.
- Reggie Roby's Watch (Don Merritt) - Robert Griffin III is having a difficult time duplicating the success of his rookie season, but that's not a major issue since Matthew Stafford is more than an adequate replacement. Unfortunately, inconsistent play from the receivers as well as injuries to Maurice Jones-Drew, and Jonathan Stewart as well as Justin Blackmon's suspension have all added up to a rough year for Roby.
- LakefestCess PoolRashOhNasty (Jeremy Bshorts) - We knew full well going into this season that it was going to be a rebuilding year after the only keeper was Roddy White, but few could've predicted how poorly this team was going to be. Demaryius Thomas has been the lone bright spot in an otherwise forgettable roster of underachievers and injury prone RB's & WR's. Unless things change soon, we can put LakefestCess PoolRashOhNasty on the clock for the first overall pick in 2014.
