2020 NFL Draft Trades Analysis

Court is in Session

By: Devin D.

Draft time in the Triple Crown brings more than just fifty draft selections. It opens a myriad of opportunities and invites all kinds of league activity. Trade deadlines and drafts are two of the best times to be a part of the Triple Crown. The recent 2020 NFL draft single handedly had 13 trades alone! In this article, I am going to take a look at and analyze most of the significant and interesting deals.

Boston and Minnesota:

Boston sends:	Minnesota sends:
2020 1.07	2020 1.05
2020 2.04

For the first deal of the 2020 NFL Draft, Boston and myself were able to work out this deal that allowed Boston to move up in the first round. From my perspective, I had a clear top 6 coming into the draft that I wanted to ensure I selected one of them. Once someone selected a player outside of my top 6, I had no issue moving down to 7 to pick up the extra second rounder. Boston (or more commonly known as “Master of Tank”) had control of the first round and was able to use his surplus of picks to move up. The trade appeared to work out for both of us as our needs and philosophies complimented each other well in this deal.

Boston and Durham:

Boston sends:	Durham sends:
2020 1.10	2021 1st Round Pick
2020 3.05	2020 2.09
2020 4.03

Boston was active early in this draft (as the Master of Tank should be) as he was able to move one of his 1,000,000 first round picks for one in 2021. I like the idea and strategy to move the last pick in the first round for a 2021 pick that will definitely provide more value in a year's time. I am not necessarily a fan of this deal from Durham’s perspective but sometimes you have to pay the price tag in order to move up. Especially when working with Master of Tank.

Oakland and New Orleans:

Oakland sends:	New Orleans sends:
2020 1.09	WR Calvin Ridley (3)
2022 2nd Round Pick	2020 3.03
	8 contracts

Definitely more of a win now move from Oakland in this deal as Ridley will provide more fantasy production this season than the rookie he could have selected at 1.09. Oakland was also able to add some salary flexibility for free agency by acquiring 8 contracts this season. Definitely a nice return for Oakland at a favorable price. On the other side, I get what New Orleans was trying to accomplish in this deal by picking up two early round draft picks but I think there was more value to be had on his side. Dealing a young, productive WR and extra contracts is a nice package that I think was more expensive than what Oakland paid.

Boston and Philadelphia:

Boston sends:	Philadelphia sends:
2020 2.02	RB Leonard Fournette (6)
2021 2nd Round Pick (via Oak)	5 contracts

This trade was the most interesting and brought up some discussion when it was made concerning Fournette. There were league members on opposite sides of the spectrum when it came to Fournette’s value. Personally, I am not particularly worried about his production for the 2020 season but he could struggle to find the same volume and workload if he does not resign with Jacksonville after the season. A bit of a gamble in my eyes but Boston had the picks to work with and almost got the entire contract covered. As for Philly, I understand his side of the deal as he’s able to obtain two 2nd round picks for a player he no longer sees as an essential part of his future. It is possible that Fournette could have more value to a contender for the stretch run if Fournette demonstrates he can sustain his production this season.

Boston and Dallas:

Boston sends:	Dallas sends:
2020 2.07	WR D.J. Chark (1)
2020 2.09	2020 4.10
RB Tony Pollard (1)

Stop me if you’ve seen this before. Boston used his stockpile of draft picks to make a move. Wait, why didn’t you stop me? Proof that Mike nicknamed him Master of Tank for a reason. Another deal where I like what Boston did though. Adding a cheap and young wide receiver will be valuable for his rebuild and provide instantaneous production. Dallas moved a player that I was fairly high on for two late 2nd round picks after already dealing Courtland Sutton as well. The reigning champs will be a bit younger this year as the wide receiver depth behind Mike Evans and Davante Adams. Perhaps opening the door for another team.

Obviously, these aren’t all of the trades that occurred during the NFL draft. There were more deals consisting of picks for contracts and pick swaps. They aren’t flashy or sexy enough to get written about in this post but they might just be the trades that make all the difference.

NFL Post Draft Team Overview

Let The Big Dawgs Eat

 

By: Mike K

   Now that the draft is behind us we can finally zoom out and take a birds eye look at what needs each team may still want to address.  I think we can all agree that the majority of teams in our league got better with a draft as deep as 2020's was, which should open up some good windows of opportunity and competition over the course of the next few seasons. Obviously, the structure of everyone's squad may look a bit different after re-signs, more trades and free agency period, but this might be as good a time as any to take a snapshot of each foundation as we head into the summer. 

    The projected starters for each team below are just my best guesses from an at-a-glance look of the league spreadsheet, so there wasn't anything too scientific that was put into the guessing of cap casualties or re-signs and things like that. Obviously, we all know its a pretty fluid situation from here on out. 

    Lastly, it's kind of a long winded post as I touch on all ten teams in the league...so make sure you save some extra time on the shitter for it, but don't let your legs fall asleep...because that's the worst. 

Atlanta

Projected Starters 

QB: Drew Brees 

RB1: Kenyan Drake 

RB2: Derrius Guice 

WR1: Amari Cooper 

WR2: TY Hilton 

TE: Zach Ertz 

FLEX1: WR DK Metcalf 

FLEX2: RB Kareem Hunt 

FLEX3: TE Noah Fant

Notable Bench: QB Drew Lock, WR Jamison Crowder, WR Parris Campbell, WR Diontae Johnson, RB Raheem Mostert, WR N'Keal Harry

Draft Selections: WR Bryan Edwards, WR Tyler Johnson, WR Joe Reed, RB Joshua Kelley, TE Cole Kmet

Core Thoughts: Atlanta has done a good job of piecing together a re-build that has not been lost on effort and he finds himself with a solid core to continue the build. Leaning on play makers such as WR Amari Cooper, TE Zach Ertz and the ageless QB Drew Brees is always a nice start. The addition of RB Kenyan Drake this offseason will no doubt help the cause at RB1, and the young, explosive TE Noah Fant is one of the few playable FLEX TE's in our league.  There is enough upside in some of the younger pieces like RB Derrius Guice, WR N'Keal Harry, QB Drew Lock, WR Diontae Johnson and WR Parris Campbell that can immediately upgrade any of the roster spots in question if they hit.  In the end, I'd like this team to find a legit RB2 and possible upgrades at FLEX2 and 3 to really put a strong stamp on it.  Of course, watching Sir Adam the self proclaimed "Re-build Whisperer" go to work will be fun.  I'll have my popcorn ready!

Austin

Projected Starters

QB: Carson Wentz/Aaron Rodgers

RB1:  Ezekiel Elliott

RB2: Aaron Jones

WR1:  DeAndre Hopkins

WR2: Keenan Allen

TE: Austin Hooper

FLEX1: WR Robert Woods

FLEX2: RB Marlon Mack

FLEX3: WR Curtis Samuel

Notable Bench: WR Robby Anderson, WR Tyrell Williams, WR Preston Williams

Draft Selections: RB/WR Antonio Gibson, RB JaMycal Hasty, WR Isaiah Coulter, WR John Hightower, QB Jalen Hurts

Core Thoughts: Austin's squad is one that can take many different forms as we approach the start of the season, as RB Ezekiel Elliott's monster contract (14 in 2020) will no doubt dictate the franchise's approach to Free Agency and beyond. While, the foundation of this team may be as strong as any from a skill position standpoint, the depth of the FLEX spot leaves a little to be desired as only WR Robert Woods seems to be locked in as a consistent week to week play. There is quite a bit of upside of similar caliber at the WR position, however, and will no doubt make some tough decisions for Austin as we move forward.  It will also be interesting to see how much of an impact the events of the offseason will have on guys like WR DeAndre Hopkins (new team), RB Aaron Jones (crowded backfield), RB Marlon Mack (Jonathan Taylor). Suring up FLEX2 and 3 in addition to future RB depth seem like priorities to me.

Boston

Projected Starters

QB: Tom Brady/Josh Allen

RB1:  Leonard Fournette

RB2: Clyde Edwards-Helaire*

WR1: Cooper Kupp

WR2: DJ Chark

TE: OJ Howard

FLEX1: Sterling Shepard

FLEX2: Jonathan Taylor*

FLEX3: CeeDee Lamb*

Notable Bench: RB JK Dobbins*, WR Justin Jefferson*

Draft Selections: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB Jonathan Taylor, RB JK Dobbins, RB DeeJay Dallas, WR CeeDee Lamb, WR Justin Jefferson, TE Devin Asiasi

Core Thoughts: What a difference an offseason makes.  I don't think there is any doubt that Boston, on the whole has improved his team the most from where we ended the season a few months ago. One calculated risk that any team undergoing a rebuild will face is the added pressure of needing to hit on draft picks and trade success at a higher clip in order to expedite the process of being competitive again. When going the path of the rookie, teams are largely relying on unknown commodities to produce at a high level. A strategy that by the looks of things here, certainly seems like a risk worth taking. Ultimately, I think the amount of unknowns and lack of deep bench are the only things really holding this team back from a legit 2020 run, although it obviously could still happen. It's just a matter of if and when these stud rookies will breakout, and if they do, they will provide any roster upgrade needed. 

Dallas

Projected Starters

QB: Lamar Jackson

RB1: Saquon Barkley

RB2: Chris Carson

WR1: Davante Adams

WR2: Mike Evans

TE: Jared Cook/Dallas Goedert

FLEX1: Mark Ingram

FLEX2: Anthony Miller

FLEX3: Zack Moss*

Notable Bench: QB Russell Wilson, WR Breshad Perriman, WR Auden Tate, WR Denzel Mims*, WR Laviska Shenault*, WR Devin Duvernay*

Draft Selections: WR Denzel Mims, WR Leviska Shenault, WR Devin Duvernay, 

WR Collin Johnson, RB Zack Moss, RB AJ Dillon

Core Thoughts: Our defending champion and current occupant of the Iron Throne, Dallas, has done well to maintain his strong foundation while methodically piecing together a youthful reload with a balanced, high ceiling draft class. The strength of this team is its elite core at the skill positions and a two headed monster of QB's in Lamar Jackson and Russell Wilson. A couple of hits from that draft class wouldn't hurt either, as it's a delicious buffet of rookies that should both produce early and leave room for immense upside should they find opportunity.  However, just like a few other teams in the league, proven quality depth seems like something that can be improved upon as we move forward. With Free Agency approaching, I am sure this is something that will be addressed...but it may prove difficult with the contract of RB Saquon Barkley (13 in 2020) and being just a bit up against the cap.  

Durham

Projected Starters

QB: Deshaun Watson

RB1: Alvin Kamara

RB2: Melvin Gordon

WR1: Michael Thomas

WR2: Jarvis Landry

TE: Travis Kelce

FLEX1: WR Christian Kirk

FLEX2: WR Michael Gallup

FLEX3: WR Henry Ruggs*

Notable Bench: QB Daniel Jones, WR Hunter Renfrow, WR Tee Higgins*, RB James White, RB Anthony McFarland*

Draft Selections: WR Henry Ruggs, WR Tee Higgins, WR Van Jefferson, RB Anthony McFarland, TE Josiah Deguara

Core Thoughts:  Durham has done well to put together a formidable unit and like so many other teams, this squad will lean on some youthful depth to help accommodate the surrounding horses. WR2 could be a spot worthy of slight upgrade but rookies WR Henry Ruggs and WR Tee Higgins will have an opportunity to supplant WR Jarvis Landry in the near future, if needed. That being said, Landry can certainly hold his own as well. Other than that, I would like to see some legitimate RB depth to go with the strong duo of Alvin Kamara and Melvin Gordon. Additional quality depth would be priority as well.  I think there is a real window here for Durham to make a playoff push.  Then maybe, he will invite us over for some BBQ ribs and a session of WWE Monday Night Raw.

Indianapolis

Projected Starters

QB: Matt Ryan

RB1: Dalvin Cook

RB2: Miles Sanders

WR1:  DJ Moore

WR2:  AJ Brown

TE: Hunter Henry

FLEX1: James Conner

FLEX2: David Johnson

FLEX3: Allen Robinson

Notable Bench: RB Jordan Howard, WR Tyler Boyd, WR Will Fuller, WR Darius Slayton, WR Brandon Cooks, WR Alshon Jeffery

Draft Selections: QB Tua Tagovailoa

Core Thoughts:  Indianapolis has done a hell of a job putting together a nice combination of talent, youth, depth, cap space and is deserving of the Most Complete team award, all things considered.  I especially appreciate the fact that the foundation of this team has been built around multiple draft hits and trade successes. There aren't many holes to pick in this team as its one of a few that can boast quality of depth from top to bottom. Certainly, there are a few questions surrounding RB James Conner and RB David Johnson, but as FLEX players the risk in both is greatly mitigated. Without any major cap concerns, Big Joe and company might look to add an RB or two to the stable once Free Agency hits. This team feels like a loaded cannon that is deep enough to make a strong run. 

Minnesota

Projected Starters

QB: Baker Mayfield

RB1: Le'Veon Bell 

RB2: David Montgomery

WR1: Chris Godwin

WR2: Courtland Sutton

TE: George Kittle

FLEX1: WR Julian Edelman

FLEX2: RB Devin Singletary

FLEX3: WR Mike Williams

Notable Bench: WR Jerry Jeudy*, WR Brandon Aiyuk*, WR John Brown, WR Sammy Watkins, WR Emmanuel Sanders, TE Tyler Higbee

Draft Selections: QB Justin Herbert, WR Jerry Jeudy, WR Brandon Aiyuk, RB Darrynton Evans, TE Adam Trautman

Core Thoughts: This roster seriously has a little bit of everything on it. A blend of elite talent, emerging youth, aging veterans, rookie studs and a lot in between.  What it all adds up to is a roster that will hope to make a playoff push while leaning on its plethora of young receiving talent while simultaneously hoping RB Le'Veon Bell finds a 2nd wind in New York and RB David Montgomery finds his footing with a seemingly improved Bears offense. QB Baker Mayfield also needs to lick his wounds after a rough sophomore season, but even marginal improvement here will lead to a productive fantasy campaign considering the weapons around him.   Just in case one or any of these things don't happen I think Minnesota will be smart to prioritize RB depth moving forward either via trade or through Free Agency, while also looking to solidify QB2.   This team has a real chance and provides more than enough depth at WR and TE to support any potential shortcoming at the RB position, even if it can be cleaned up just a bit. 

New Orleans

Projected Starters

QB: Jared Goff

RB1: Josh Jacobs

RB2: Cam Akers*

WR1: Kenny Golladay

WR2: Terry McLaurin

TE: Mike Gesicki

FLEX1: WR Deebo Samuel

FLEX2: RB De'Andre Swift*

FLEX3: RB Keyshawn Vaughn*

Notable Bench: QB Jimmy Garoppolo, QB Dwayne Haskins, QB Joe Burrow*, Kerryon Johnson, RB Darrell Henderson, WR Marquis Brown, WR Michael Pittman*

Draft Selections: RB DeAndre Swift, RB Cam Akers, RB Keyshawn Vaughn, RB Lamicel Perine, WR Michael Pittman, WR KJ Hamler, WR Chase Claypool, WR Antonio Gandy-Golden, QB Joe Burrow

Core Thoughts:  If Boston is Most Improved and Indianapolis is Most Complete than by far and away New Orleans wins Most Intriguing team as it boasts just a galaxies worth of youth and upside at every level of this roster.  What I really appreciate about this team is that there is prevalent depth at every position outside of TE, something that can be difficult to do with a team this young. Much like Boston, the reliance on unknown rookie commodities poses a semblance of risk but on the surface all look like safe, productive fantasy options for now. This feels like a major boom or bust team that can shake the landscape of the playoff race for this and all future years to come. I like where this is headed.  

Oakland

Projected Starters

QB: Patrick Mahomes

RB1: Christian McCaffrey

RB2: Derrick Henry

WR1: Julio Jones

WR2: Odell Beckham Jr.

TE: Evan Engram

FLEX1: RB Austin Ekeler

FLEX2: WR Adam Thielen

FLEX3: WR Tyler Lockett

Notable Bench: WR Calvin Ridley, TE Darren Waller

Draft Selections: RB Eno Benjamin, WR Darnell Mooney, WR Gabriel Davis, TE Albert Okwuegbunam

Core Thoughts:  Well this is where it gets awkward I guess...So, I will attempt to speak on my own team without 1. sounding like a pretentious dick and 2. giving away any secret sauce (not that secret sauce you sick fuck)... anyways I digress...as most of you know by now I tend to lean on proven veterans as opposed to a collection of rookie type players. Doesn't mean that I am opposed to accumulating draft picks or rookies but I've always found myself to be most invested with a competitive roster so that's just the route I generally take, even in Dynasty leagues. That being said, this usually leads to me being up against the cap, starved for young reinforcements and the need every year to reinvent my creative prowess of staying both under the cap and competitive. This season is no different and while I do like my current roster as it stands, I will once again be looking to Free Agency to fill out the back end (that's what she said) with a cap situation that might actually be decent for once. Some added depth and maybe a touch of youth would go a long way on this team, however,  I can say that I will put this roster up against any other in the league and feel confident about it week in and week out. There....there's my pretentious dick statement...happy now? Good. Carry on...

Philadelphia

Projected Starters

QB: Kyler Murray

RB1: Joe Mixon

RB2: Nick Chubb 

WR1: Tyreek Hill 

WR2: JuJu Smith-Schuster 

TE: Mark Andrews

FLEX1: WR Stefon Diggs

FLEX2: WR DeVante Parker

FLEX3: RB Sony Michel

Notable Bench: QB Dak Prescott, RB Damien Williams, WR Marvin Jones, WR John Ross, WR Jalen Reagor*, TE David Njoku, TE Eric Ebron

Draft Selections: WR Jalen Reagor, RB/WR Lynn Bowden Jr, QB Jordon Love

Core Thoughts: A strong, strong runner up for Most Complete team, Philadelphia has inherited a bit of a crown jewel of an orphan and now owns what could be the sexiest, star studded, name brand roster in the league. Something I would never admit to its former owner, but I can call a spade a spade and say he knew how to construct a roster and this is no exception. All that really could be added to this roster for some extreme quality depth would perhaps be a FLEX3 but that's really nitpicking at this point. I could also see adding another RB or two just to help round out the squad a bit. Other than that, this team is about as good a bet as any to take home the championship this season. 

   I think it's pretty clear as we move forward here that the NFL competition will be as fierce as any in the league, with plenty of opportunity for teams to continue building their roster.   If you made it this far then I appreciate you hangin on for this long. I'm gonna go numb the pain in my fingers from writing the sequel to Moby Dick with some high grade Scotch and perhaps some Indica and call it a night. Stay frosty, my friends. 

The New Triple Crown Blog - An Introduction

We Stand United: Fuck Jason.

Fellas,

Hope everyone is well and safe during these strange and different times.  I know there are some medical professionals in the league and I don't think we can be appreciative enough for the personal sacrifice they are making day to day. Also, wanted to thank Joe, The Commish, for taking the reigns of the league and freeing us from Tyrant Jason's rule. I think we can all agree that the league is in a much better place now then where Jason left it. It's a good group of dudes in here, staying mostly active, having fun playing fantasy sports. That's what its all about. 

This blog idea was inspired by having the itch to get back into creating some fantasy related content while also wanting to have a fun way for the league to participate in. As a former sports journalism major, the itch to create content is always on my mind and thought it would be a good time to get something started.  

After talking to Devin (Minnesota) a little bit about creating some general fantasy content, we thought that it would be interesting to make a blog based around our little league and the activity surrounding it.  Not only will this project provide some commentary and analysis on the daily happenings of the league, but should also give some general thoughts as well as a unique way to create conversation and activity, all in a friendly manner. 

The vision is a free flowing, creative outlet for thoughts in a fantasy setting that might provide some insight and humor for others to follow along with if they wanted to. 

The structure of the blog will be mostly loose and fluid to start.  We have discussed some content around Power Rankings, the Draft and other league events, with some off the cuff commentary along the way. 

All posts will be archived and  use a label system to help categorize each.  Those labels can be found on the right hand side of the blog and will act as a quick reference guide to articles once we get some more content up. Most tools can be found on the right hand side of the page, including a link to our Twitter pages for a quick follow. Additionally, at the bottom of every post are options to share with others as well as links to our league Proboards and Google Spreadsheet pages, if needed. There are also tabs at the top of the page that correspond with all three Triple Crown sports.

Of course, any additional content ideas or if anyone wants to contribute at anytime, by all means jump on in, the water is warm. Lastly, participation is encouraged, so feel free to make comments on the posts, on GroupMe or even on Twitter to get in on the action. 

Cheers!

Mike

2020 MLB Preseason Power Rankings

It's Preseason...who knows?

By: Devin D.

Despite the delay of the start of the MLB season, we still have the Preseason Power Rankings to keep us engaged in Triple Crown baseball. As head of the new Power Rankings committee, I thoroughly look forward to having a semblance of an accurate set of rankings that goes beyond the Win-Loss record, especially when there isn't one. Throughout the season, my personal ranking process is pretty formulaic and straightforward given the actual data I have to work with at that point. However, the preseason rankings are where you throw caution to the wind and see where the hell you might end up. We might even leave Kansas. Much to my surprise, the rankings were fairly consistent throughout the individual ballots. The results can be viewed below as you can see the consensus rankings and individual ballots from each Minnesota, Oakland, and Durham.

Rank	Consensus	Minnesota	Oakland	Durham	Average
T1	Boston	Boston	Philadelphia	Austin	2.00
T1	Philadelphia	Oakland	Boston	Philadelphia	2.00
T3	Austin	Philadelphia	Oakland	Boston	3.00
T3	Oakland	Austin	Austin	Oakland	3.00
5	Durham	Durham	Durham	Durham	5.00
T6	Dallas	Minnesota	Dallas	Minnesota	6.67
T6	Minnesota	Dallas	Indianapolis	Dallas	6.67
8	Indianapolis	Indianapolis	Minnesota	Indianapolis	7.67
9	Atlanta	Atlanta	New Orleans	Atlanta	9.33
10	New Orleans	New Orleans	Atlanta	New Orleans	9.67

Minnesota Process:

As far as my individual ranking process is concerned, it was relatively difficult to do from the preseason perspective especially considering the delayed and potentially shortened season. My initial step was to examine each roster and make tiers depending on the overall roster construction. My evaluation primarily prioritized starting pitching, including depth, with the bats coming in as a secondary factor. Once I completed an initial evaluation of each team, I proceeded to create three separate tiers as follows.

Tier One	Tier Two	Tier Three
Boston	Durham	Indianapolis
Oakland	Minnesota	Atlanta
Philadelphia	Dallas	New Orleans
Austin

Now, it was time for the difficult point, putting them in order. Let’s start with Tier One. Within these four teams, I found it difficult to find much margin of separation and would be very surprised to not see them compose the playoff field. Boston claimed the number one position in my rankings due to his starting pitching consisting of four of my top 12 SPs. While his lineup didn’t compare to that of Oakland’s, I gave the nod to the superior pitching staff. Oakland landed in the second slot since he has the best batting lineup of the four. I couldn’t place a lineup of that caliber and production any lower even if I didn’t love what his pitching staff had to offer. The consideration at three was pretty decisive as I felt Philly had the advantage over Austin in both pitching and hitting. This left Austin to grab the fourth slot.

Fortunately, the remaining two tiers were much more decisive and clear when it came to ranking on my second inspection. Durham was clearly the top team of Tier Two and made me reconsider my decision to leave his team out of the top tier. The upside is definitely there; however, there was some concern in my mind that Durham’s season could unravel relatively quickly due to a surplus of unproveness and injury risks that were absent from the top four teams. Then it came to my own team versus Dallas. I do my best to remove any bias from my own team, but it is innately there due to the fact that I like almost every player on my team more than the consensus might. I could be convinced that I valued this comparison through tinted glasses, but sometimes there’s a perk to being on the Power Rankings committee.

When it came to Tier Three, there wasn’t much internal debate from my perspective. Indianapolis held the clear advantage over Atlanta and New Orleans in nearly every aspect. However, Indianapolis was relegated to Tier Three due to the subpar pitching rotation captained by Brandon Woodruff. Yeah, that’s not just not going to get it done. The real interesting battle is between the 9 and 10 spot and it’ll be interesting to keep an eye on throughout the season. It didn’t appear either owner fancied good players or fantasy production, but let the tanking begin!!! Who knows, we might even see a Charlie Morton trade this time around?! Wait nevermind, who am I kidding.

Oakland’s Ballot:

Oakland and I were pretty much consistent throughout our entire rankings with one egregious blunder of course. MY Minnesota Twins all the way down at eighth?? It’s okay though, I could use some more bulletin board material.

Durham’s Ballot:

I would love to know what led Durham to place Austin at the number 1 overall spot in his ballot. While I felt the four teams to be relatively close, the discrepancies I noticed in my evaluations made it difficult to make a case for Austin to not be at the bottom of Tier One. Oakland also concurred with my evaluation of Austin. Meanwhile, Durham took Austin to the other extreme of his ballot. What could the rationale be? An interesting query that the world may never know the answer to.

Keep an Eye on:

• The five horse race for the four playoff spots.

• The battle for the Toilet Bowl… I mean Number 1 pick (40% chance that is).

• Minnesota to upset Oakland in Week 6. That kind of disrespect just won’t fly in the Triple Crown.

• A Charlie Morton trade? He can be had for pennies on the dollar!!! (300 pennies is still pennies, right?)

• Atlanta’s Farm System (Trust me, Adam knows how to rebuild).

• Updated Power Rankings! Your team might just be among the highest movers. Whenever baseball is actually played.

I would like to extend a special thanks to Oakland and Durham for being a part of the Power Rankings Committee. And the invite is still open to anyone that may be interested.