Another great draft in the books!  Good discussion about the rules so maybe we can make some traction with more rule changes in the coming years.  On to the fun!

[Editorial Note: The rule discussed at the draft to lower the voting threshold to 50% is available to be voted on now]

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For the third year in a row, the top scoring team (Testudos Revenge) missed the playoffs.  With an almost -19 luck rating for the TR, it really proves that it's better to be lucky than good.  In fact, three of the top four teams in the "Luck Ratings" made the playoffs this year and the two luckiest (MeggaMen and Norsemen) played in the finals.

The MeggaMen led the league (amazingly) with an 11-3 record but couldn't vanquish the ever-mighty Norsemen in the regular season or the playoffs, and fell in the finals (because I trusted a Philly QB when the game was on the line).  Byron has a record 7 titles under his belt now.

The Gallic Warriors played in yet another Toilet Bowl but managed to knock off the Sacks to secure the first draft spot.  Mike's record of 5-9 wasn't all that bad, but no team had less than 5 wins this year so unfortunately he made the cut (his 3rd Toilet Bowl trip and first in 18 years).  Amazingly, the top scoring team (TR) was only 1 loss away from being in Toilet Bowl contention himself, which would have really been nuts.

How's this for an even spread, 3 in each bucket. My predictions may not be any better than a coin toss but at least they're fun!

Nailed it 3 teams

Missed by 1 game 3 teams

Missed by 2 games 3 team

Blew it (missed by 3 or more) 3 teams

It's basically Byron's division to lose until someone steps up and challenges him.  It won't happen this year.

2021 Predicted Finish: 9-5

2021 Actual Finish: 5-8-1

2021 Results: No team was more disappointing last year than the Amish.  Josh came in as the defending champ and proceeded to only win 1 game in the first half (I predicted him to be a wild card but not even close).  With Lamar Jackson banged up and Calvin Ridley chilling out in the sports book, Davante Adams couldn't carry this offense and mediocrity was the result (his draft choice of Trey Sermon didn't exactly pan out either).  His strong play on D by Derwin James and Aaron Donald were not enough to keep his D afloat and they finished 3rd from the bottom in defensive points.  

Best Pick: Elijah Mitchell

Worst Pick: James Robinson

Draft Grade: C-

2022 Predicted Finish: 5-9

Summary:  I liked Josh's draft choice of Elijah Mitchell but I thought he took him a bit early, especially with his injury history.  That said, I considered protecting him and he's a hard rusher so he will probably be a good pick, if he can stay healthy.  Russell Wilson was a fine pick but early to take a backup, guess Josh is trying to prevent a repeat of last year in the event Jackson isn't full healthy.  His draft went downhill from there with guys who will split time (Robinson and Singletary) and guys with questionable QB situations (Njoku and Cooper)/  He'll field one of the strongest QB pairings (if Jackson stays healthy), solid RBs in Fournette and Mitchell, and a potential top WR in Davante Adams (depending on how he adjusts in LV).   On D, Aaron Donald and Chandler Jones will put up strong numbers and he has the best DB in the league in Derwin James, but his LBs are lacking.  It's possible the starts align and Josh claws his way into contention but he'll need everything to go right for that to happen this year.

2021 Predicted Finish: 12-2

2021 Actual Finish: 10-4

2021 Results:  Byron continues his domination of the league, with his 3rd season of 10+ wins in the past four years and an over 70% winning percentage over that span.  He started the season off with a bang, going 7-0 in the first half of the year but stumbled a bit in the second half, going 3-4 to close out the year.  He found his mojo in the playoffs though and battled his way to yet another league title.

Best Pick: Amon-Ra St. Brown

Worst Pick:  Jahan Dotson

Draft Grade: B+

2022 Predicted Finish: 9-5

Summary: Byron had yet another stellar draft and will continue to be a threat for the title.  He went WR-heavy early in the draft, by taking 3 wideouts with his first 3 picks, so he's banking on striking gold with at least one of them this year.  None were bad picks but some were a bit of a reach.  His defensive picks were all solid so he'll again field a strong D but probably not the #1 D he fielded last year.  On Offense, his entire season depends on his only QB, Patrick Mahomes.  He needs to wrap him in bubble wrap because if ANYTHING happens to Mahomes, his year is toast.  He'll field top notch, but no longer as top as they used to be, RBs in McCaffrey and Kamara with only unproven rookies behind them.  His WRs are scattershot and he'll probably get enough production out of them to get by but who knows if any will go beyond that.  His TE is set with Mark Andrews leading the way.  On D, his DLs are mediocre (at best) and he'll have a rookie DB so there are serious questions there.  His LBs are good and he brought back his favorite defender (the ever-reliable Fred Warner) and teamed his with Eric Kendricks.  Overall, Byron's team has the chance to win 10+ again but if anything happens to Mahomes or his WRs don't pan out, it could be a long year for him.

2021 Predicted Finish: 4-10

2021 Actual Finish: 6-8

2021 Results: Richard may have had the most up-and-down season I've even seen in 20+ years in the league.  He alternated wins and losses for the entire season, up until the very end when he lost 2 games in a row.  That's a pretty impressive show of mediocrity.  I have nothing more to say about that.

Best Pick: Derek Carr

Worst Pick: Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Draft Grade: D

2022 Predicted Finish: 4-10

Summary: Another poor draft showing from Richard will (yet again) have him on the outside looking in this year.  He took CEH alarmingly high, especially for a player who's never run for more than 800 yards, and generally made some curious picks overall (OL in the 4th round?  Thielen in round 3?).  He'll end up fielding Carr at QB, who could be a steal this year, but has only ancient Matt Ryan behind him.  At RB, Mixon is his guy and he'll need CEH or Miles Sanders to turn the corner.  At WR, Deebo Samuel will rack up points but he'll need to hope one of the other guys steps up this year.  On D, Montez Sweat is inconsistent but fine and his LBs are poor (outside of Holcomb).  DB will be a bright spot, with Jessie Bates and Minkah Fitzpatrick both top notch players.  In the end, it will be another long year for Richard and he'll be in contention for the Toilet Bowl.

2021 Predicted Finish: 6-8

2021 Actual Finish: 8-6

2021 Results: Don had an up-and-down first half but, unlike Richard, turned things around a little in the second to go 5-2 to close out the year.  He didn't last long in the playoffs though, falling in the first round to the MeggaMen.  Don has managed to turn this historically terrible franchise around, shaking off the perennial stink that Tim brought to it by going to the playoffs in 2 consecutive seasons, something that hasn't happened to the franchise in almost 20 years.

Best Pick:  Dak Prescott

Worst Pick: Rashad Smith

Draft Grade: C-

2022 Predicted Finish: 7-7

Summary: For as awful as I thought Don's draft was last year, he made up for it some this year in the early running but then things went off the rails.  His first five picks were solid but it fell off from there.  He'll field Prescott at QB (a steal in round 4) and at least 1 strong RB in Nick Chubb.  At WR, he'll probably field a 3-man group of Chris Godwin, DL Moore, and Lockett/Renfrow (depending on the matchup).  Not a group of stars but guys that will put up regular points.  With George Kittle at TE, he can let his WRs carry less load.  The real problems are on D, where a mediocre Christian Wilkins leads the group while, at LB, a strong TJ Watt stands alone (Rashad Smith was drafted in the 4th round but I'm not even sure he's on an NFL team).  At DB, this group is solid with Kevin Byard and Harrison Smith.  Yet another year where Don will give opponents headaches and compete for a wildcard spot.

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This one is almost a true toss-up with only a few wins separating all the teams.  I give the edge to Hall and Warren, based on their rosters and history, but the Warriors had a great draft and strong team so they could knock them both off.

2021 Predicted Finish: 7-7

2021 Actual Finish: 6-8

2021 Results: I don't toot my own horn often (ok, I do it alot) but here's what I wrote about Hall's team last year.

"Overall, his team is powered by three players; Wilson, Dalvin Cook, and Darren Waller and if one of them goes down or takes a step back, it could devastate his season."

Sure enough, Wilson had a down year and both Cook and Waller struggled with injuries throughout the year.  It showed, and the Crusaders limped to a 6-8 record, after 2 straight playoff seasons.

Best Pick: Darnell Mooney

Worst Pick: Jerome Baker

Draft Grade: B+

2022 Predicted Finish: 8-6

Summary: A new year always holds new opportunity and Hall did a good job of injecting some life into his team.  Gone is Wilson so Stafford assumes the starter role, he was the #5 QB last year and could be even better this year.  At RB, Ekeler will continue to lead the way with his receiving skill and, if Cook can actually stay healthy, he'll have one of the stronger RB tandems.  At WR, Brandin Cooks and Tee Higgins will lead the way, but Mooney could be a steal for him.  If Waller and Cook can stay healthy, Hall will have a formidable offense this year.  On D, he's just ok at DL but his LBs will put up numbers, led by the top-notch cowboy Devin White.  His DBs are strong as well so Hall's defense will be tough, maybe not top 3 tough but they'll keep him in games.  All-in-all, the Crusaders should be good enough to return to the playoffs this year.

2021 Predicted Finish: 9-5

2021 Actual Finish: 6-8

2021 Results: I overreached on Brian's prediction last year and he ran into a similar issue as Hall, on paper a strong team that was hampered by injuries and overall poor play.  Julio Jones and David Montgomery could have been key cogs but they definitely didn't work out as planned.  That plus injuries to Aaron Jones hampered his teams potential and they limped into a 6-8 finish last year.  Brian actually got off to a great start, going 4-1, so it looked like he would have a strong year but his team fell apart from there, and he only won 2 more the rest of the way.  Brian has struggled to keep his team over .500 and the curse of this historically poor team continues.

Best Pick: Rashod Bateman

Worst Pick: Tyler Bass

Draft Grade: B-

2022 Predicted Finish: 5-9

Summary: Brian turned in a solid draft but history is not on his side when it comes to regular season success.  Keenan Allen was a strong pick in the first round and, aside from picking AJ Dillon high, there wasn't much to complain about with is picks except the fact that he keeps drafting kickers when he has already protected one.  Why he's so adamant about having 2 kickers I have no idea.  Brian will field a continually strong QB in Aaron Rodgers but his RBs are a big question mark.  If GB can settle on a full-time starter, then having Aaron Jones and Dillon will work out but if they split time, this will be a headache for him.  Josh Jacobs looks more plodding by the day so he'll be relegated to stop gap duty.  At WR, Allen and Bateman will be solid and if Tyreek Hill can do in Miami what he did in KC, then this will be a very good group for him (and I foresee lots of 3 WR sets in his future).  On D, he's got one strong lineman in Troy Hendrickson but his linebackers are middling to poor.  DB will be a strength, with one of my favorite players Antoine Winfield Jr. (yes, I'm now old enough that his Dad was on my fantasy team long ago), leading the way.  In all, I think it will be another year on the outside looking in for the Squirrels.

2021 Predicted Finish: 5-9

2021 Actual Finish: 5-8-1

2021 Results: The 2021 season was an improvement for Chris but, since he went 3-11 in 2020, that isn't saying much.  Long gone are the playoff years in the mid-teens and the franchise has (once again) fallen on hard times.  Things got off to a bad start with the Warriors going 2-4-1 in the first half and they didn't improve much from there, finishing at 5-9 and securing a second straight year in the Toilet Bowl.  

Best Pick: Roquan Smith

Worst Pick: James Conner

Draft Grade: A

2022 Predicted Finish: 7-7

Summary: Chris went D-heavy in the draft this year and made strong picks throughout.  That said, I still don't know that his team has enough all-around talent to win the division or even make a wild card spot.  He'll field a top QB in Herbert but at RB, he'll need Conner to stay healthy and improve on his numbers from last year (and repeating 15 rushing TDs may be a challenge).  He'll pair him with D'Andre Swift, who's in a similar boat, so it's a big IF for both of these guys to turn the corner in the same season.  At WR, Mike Evans is great but is always competing for touches with the many weapons in Tampa and CeeDee Lamb will have to take the next step as well.  At TE, Dawson Knox is a fine player but he won't ever put up monster numbers.  Basically on offense, Chris needs the stars to align and at least 2 of these players to have top 5 seasons.  On D, things are MUCH improved and there is strength at almost every position.  The DL spot is weakest, with a somewhat revived Robert Quinn and mediocre Emmanuel Ogbah but at LB, Chris will field two stars in Roquan Smith and Bobby Wagner so he'll compete for top LB numbers this year.  At DB, he's solid with JC Jackson and Kenny Moore.

2021 Predicted Finish: 8-6

2021 Actual Finish: 8-6

2021 Results: It was a strong start for Warren, he jumped out to a 5-3 record over his first 8 games but he stumbled a bit from there and ended up with a still respectable 8-6 record.  It was enough to get him into the playoffs but not enough to knock off Byron, who trampled him 46-3 in the playoffs.  Still, as I predicted in this space last year, Warren bounced back from a poor 2020 season to get his team back over .500 and back into the playoffs.

Best Pick: Chase Edmonds

Worst Pick: Daron Payne

Draft Grade: A+

2022 Predicted Finish: 8-6

Summary: Warren turned in maybe the best draft of the day but there is still some magic that has to happen for him to produce on the field.  In many ways his team is built similarly to Byron, in that they both lean heavily on their QB to put up big numbers.  Josh Allen did it for him last year and he'll have to continue for Warren to win the division.  At RB, he'll need Barkley to find his rookie form and either Etienne or Chase Edmonds to emerge as a viable #2.  At WR, will anyone emerge from this group?  Who knows but he'll need Allen Robinson to find his 2020 form (or 2015 form even) and someone to emerge from the rest of the group, with Michael Thomas being the best candidate.  On D, his DL is mediocre and he'll need Blake Martinez to return to form to pair with Foye Oluokun and produce.  At DB, Jordon Poyer is top notch but the other Jordon (Whitehead) is just ok.  Basically this whole divison is up for grabs this year with very little separating the teams (although Warren is already off to a tough start, at the time of this writing one of his players has been shot and another dropped).

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That strong White division will again be a tough group this year but the Sacks will be back from the the dead!

2021 Predicted Finish: 7-7

2021 Actual Finish: 7-7

2021 Results: The rebuild for the Bulldogs continues and they've improved every year under Adam's stewardship.  Last year they kicked things off with 3 straight wins but followed that with 3 straight losses to close the year at .500.  

Best Pick: Budda Baker

Worst Pick: Diontae Johnson

Draft Grade: C

2022 Predicted Finish: 6-8

Summary: After turning in a steller draft last year, Adam reversed course and turned in a mediocre draft this year.  Breece Hall was an ok pick but probably taken a bit high, Diontae Johnson is again a great player but his QB situation is in-flux, and Jerry Jeudy is second fiddle in DEN.  He did make up some ground with decent D picks however so he'll be ok there.  His team will be led this year by Kyler Murray, who he needs to stay healthy to make any noise in this tough division.  At RB, the plodding Ezekiel Elliot will need tpo find his rookie form and he'll need the aforementioned Hall to coming storming out of the gate (a tough prospect for Jets players).  At WR, Cooper Kupp is Mr Fantasy Football and he should continue to put up ridiculous numbers in LA but, behind him, he'll need one of the other guys to step it up (DJ, Jeudy, or Valdes-Scantling).  His lack of 2nd WR is always covered by Travis Kelce, who continues to dominate.  On D, he'll field a strong DL pairing in the top-notch scumbag Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby.  At LB, CJ Mosley is fine but the others leave something to be desired.  Adam will have a top DB set with Budda Baker and Vonn Bell.  All-in-all, Adam will get a couple wins from Murry, Kelce, and Kupp alone but it won't be enough to propel him to the playoffs.

2021 Predicted Finish: 5-9

2021 Actual Finish: 11-3

2021 Results: The MeggaMen looked poised for a tough season after a 76-3 beatdown by the Norsemen in week 1.  Through a strong start by Derrick Henry, sheer will of working the waiver wire like mad, and lots of luck, they pulled off 6 straight wins and hardly looked back on their way to a league-best 11-3 season, before falling to the Norsemen in the finals because I PLAYED THE WRONG QB!!!!%$*&! (I'm clearly over it though).  

Best Pick: Rashaad Penny

Worst Pick: Jalen Hurts

Draft Grade: B-

2022 Predicted Finish: 8-6

Summary: I thought the draft went well for me but, in retrospect, I took Hurts and Dameon Pierce too early.  That said, Christian Kirk in the 5th and Rashaad Penny in the 8th could prove to be steals.  In the end, I'll field a potential top QB in Hurts but behind him, it's ugly with Mac Jones and "Mr. INT" Jameis Winston.  At RB, if Derrick Henry has any life left then it could be a great year but at his age that's a big IF.  Javonte Williams is a star in the making and Penny could be a steal so the RB group could be strong this year (too bad we can only play 2).  At WR, Justin Jefferson is a star and will carry some games but behind him it's highly paid Christian Kirk and 2 rookies.  At TE, Dalton Schultz can be good, if he continues the trend from last year.  On D, there is a top talent at every spot with Nick Bosa at DL, Jordyn Brooks at LB, and Jeremy Chinn at DB.  The MeggaMen will contend for the top D in the league and may have a strong offense, if their guys can stay healthy.  Overall, it should be another strong year for the MeggaMen.

2021 Predicted Finish: 6-8

2021 Actual Finish: 5-9

2021 Results: I thought Mike would have a slightly down year last year but his team was even worse than I thought. He started the year off poorly, going 1-4 through the first 5, but recovered some after that to show a little life.  It was all for naught though as he dropped 4 of his last 5 and earned a Toilet Bowl spot, for just the third time in his 22 years in the league and first time since 2004!

Best Pick: Jarvis Landry

Worst Pick: Jamal Adams

Draft Grade: A

2022 Predicted Finish: 10-4

Summary: Mike had a strong draft and is poised to re-establish the Sacks as a force to be reckoned with in the White divison.  He scored top talent up-and-down his roster and will end up fielding timeless Tom Brady at QB (and I won't ever bet against Brady having a strong year) and the strong tandem of Najee Harris and David Montgomery at RB (although depth is a concern behind them).  At WR, Michael Pittman may have a career year and he should get strong contributions out of DK Metcalf, AJ Brown, and/or Cordarrelle Patterson.  At TE, if Kyle Pitts can finally emerge then Mike could put up some monster numbers,  On D, talent abounds with Cameron Heyward leading a strong DL, probably the best LB pairing in the league with Shaq (still weird writing that, Darius) Leonard and Micah Parsons, and Trevon Diggs and Jamal Adams topping the DBs.  Mike's team is loaded up-and-down and he'll contend for the title this year.

2021 Predicted Finish: 7-7

2021 Actual Finish: 6-8

2021 Results: Derek had a talented team last year but a slow start by some players and just plain bad luck led him to open the year going 0-5 and that hole as just too much to recover from.  He went 6-1 thereafter but couldn't seal the deal and dropped his final two games to the STA and MeggaMen, to ensure a second straight 6-8 season.

Best Pick: Jonathan Allen

Worst Pick: Zach Ertz

Draft Grade: D

2022 Predicted Finish: 7-7

Summary: There wasn't much to like about Derek's draft and he'll most likely find himself on the outside looking in (yet again) this year.  He'll end up fielding a top QB in Joe Burrow and superstar RB in Jonathan Taylor but he'll need a big year from Damien Harris in NE as well.  At WR, superstar Ja'Marr Chase leads the way with Stefon Diggs paired with him, making this easily the strongest WR group in the league.  There is talent behind them but DeAndre Hopkins has lost a step and the impact of Tyreek Hill in Miami makes Jaylen Waddle's numbers a big question mark.  Things get rough on D with mediocre talent at DL and DB and a lone strong LB in De'Vondre Campbell.  Overall, Derek has major talent on offense but his defense will be weak and probably hold him back from taking the next step this year.

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Burgundy Division Winner: Norsemen

Gold Division Winner: Crusaders

White Division Winner: Sacks on the Beach

Wild Card: MeggaMen

Playoff Winners: Crusaders and Sacks on the Beach

League Champ: Sacks on the Beach

Comeback Team of the Year: Crusaders

Manager of the Year: Mike Atlas

As always, good luck to everyone (except Warren)!