Power Rankings: Week 13
The second to last power rankings of the year have arrived. This is going to be the most important week in Super League history until this year's playoffs arrive. A record is on the line, and the playoff fight has gotten serious for the play-in teams. Look out for an awards preview coming later tonight. Buckle up, fuckle heads.
-Commish
Tier 1: Big Boys
1. Zark's Sharks (+2)
A couple things give Zach the edge over Noah this week. The first reason is that the Sharks have been by far the more dominant scoring team over the length of the season, and if he played the Penguins every week since their single matchup, he would be holding a solid 3-3 record against them despite not having his top player in the fold for every one of those matchups. There is a BYE-pocalypse coming for this team this week, but it doesn't matter as the Sharks face a PAJ team that has no interest in winning football games. The Sharks have also significantly loaded up on depth since being labeled top heavy early in the season, and could withstand an injury or two. Justin Jefferson will be back for the final week of the season, and it looks like for the fantasy playoffs. Since Curtis is looking pretty weak at the RB, and since Zach has been a dominant force on the scoring end, he reclaims number 1.
2. Bud Ice Penguins (-)
This week isn't important on paper for this team, as the number 1 seed and a BYE have been locked up for some time now. Real fans of Super League know how important this game truly is. He goes against the wins record holder of the league, Jack Hurney, for that very same record. Not to mention, if the Penguins win this game, he will knock Jack out of playoff contention entirely. The schedule couldn't have nailed it any better here. I know that Noah has not lost a game, but he hasn't been the best team for the entire run of the season in my book, but he's been nothing short of excellent. A statement win against a good team for the record would certainly change my mind about the number 2 placement. A loss could completely derail this team in the intangibles department. The streak is the one thing (besides tiebreakers) they have over every other team, and with a guaranteed tough road to the playoffs no matter what, I think at this point Noah needs to see 14-0 happen. I have never seen a team go completely undefeated in any fantasy regular season, and if Noah is able to do it, I will tip my hat to him in the upmost way. We could be about to witness greatness.
3. Washington Fantasy Team (-2)
WFT brings it to 6 straight wins after starting 2-4. What a season it has been for the reigning champion. Curtis understands the fabric of Super League like no other. It looks like he will extend his win streak to 7 unless CARTMAN can find a way to play spoiler this week. Curtis clinched the playoffs despite what ESPN says, due to holding a tiebreaker on basically everyone. A date with his step-bro in the playoffs seems inevitable at this point. Curtis nearly has it all - consistency, guts, intangibles, momentum, coaching, and he built a fantastic roster. If Curtis can make it 8 straight to finish the season, it wouldn't really improve his playoff standings, but it would be quite a spectacle to see.
The reason for the rank drop: WFT stud JT will miss time, Kenneth Walker is coming off missing time, and Tony Pollard seems to be having up and down weeks. I just named every RB on the roster. The RB situation could be a wrong place, wrong time combo to knock this team out when he needed them the most. In a league with this much high end talent, and with no real way to acquire a starter at this point, this is a reason for real concern.
4. PGH Crooners (+1)
The Crooners bury PAJ by 50 to virtually lock up a playoff spot. They have one real challenge remaining, against the Slimes this week. The tiebreaker is on the line, but the main thing on the line is the Slimes playoff chances. Since the Crooners look destined for the play-in at this point, a win by the Crooners here could open the door for the Orcas to be the team they face. I'm not sure who they would prefer, but as they cannot lose on purpose, they have no real choice but to fight this week. It's been a hell of a debut season. BYE-pocalypse is hitting at a decent time, as Nathan could lose this week and face no real consequences, as long as he takes care of business next week against a depleted StepBurrow. If everyone were available against the Slimes (as they would be in a potential play-in rematch), I would definitely favor the Crooners, which is why I give them a bit of an edge in this ranking.
Tier 2: Slime Zone
5. Slat's Slimes (-1)
This week is huge for Sam, as a loss to the Crooners and a win by the Orcas would put him on the outside looking in. Luckily for him, his team is much more whole than Nathan's, who has several key BYEs. This team has cooled off significantly, and I now think they are clearly a step behind the other top 4 in terms of their fire power. All Sam needs is to win this week, which would likely close the door on any Orca comeback effort, with what should be a sure thing against CARTMAN in week 14. Ekeler and his QB combination have not found a lot of success in the past couple weeks, but if they get it going here late, anything is possible for this team as the lineup is very well rounded. Must win for Sam here. A statement win would put them back in the big boy category for me.
Tier 3: The Beginning to 'Lose Yourself' by Eminem
6. Bridge Road Orcas (-)
One shot. One opportunity.
Jack has two big things on the line this week, his playoff chances, and his league wins / win streak record as he goes up against an unbeaten Penguins team. A loss will damn both, with Noah likely to clean up a Pirates team in week 14 which would extend the win streak to 14, and any loss will knock Jack out of the playoff race at this point. I don't think I'm saying anything 9/10 teams wouldn't also say in this league by saying that I would love for Jack to win this game. It will be decently close in my opinion, and I think Jack has a legit shot. He will have to rely on fringe fantasy guys such as Chuba Hubbard and Rashee Rice to get there, while going against some of the biggest names in the game on the other side.
The obvious best case scenario would be a win and a Slimes loss, which would put Jack in the drivers seat to make the playoffs. The obvious worst case scenario would be a loss here, as that would end the playoff race. The second saddest scenario for the Orcas this week would be if they win, but the Slimes win, virtually confirming that they would miss the playoffs. At least the record(s) would be intact in that scenario. Ultimately, I think we will see Jack in tier 4 one way or another next week, but I would love to be wrong.