It really depends on your epistemology, or perhaps more correctly, your primal disposition. That war prowess, that unassailable and seemingly ubiquitous aspect of the soul which drives man towards defending his flock and pillaging would be invaders. Let’s call Week 9 what it is: A war. An outright ugly, barbaric, primal display of macabre with roots from deep within. We’re all entrenched, dialed in, and every waiver move has the potential for fortune or folly, but always studied by 14 sets of eyes. This is the point in the Season where conquest occurs and legacies are formed, or conversely where empires crumble and despair sets in. The banality of winning is where reputations are made, for the better or for the worse. Alas, your Mid-Season have been crafted. To the victor go the spoils.

1. Haroon: Good God. The ageless maxim of “nice guys finish last” is, indeed, accurate. I’ll preface this by saying that while I love the Deshaun Watson to DeAndre Hopkins duo, much of the remainder of your team is a train-wreck. Keep in mind, I actually think your Antonio Brown for Tyler Boyd and Golden Tate move was savvy at the time, so I am not hating on that at all. But I am perplexed at how you expect to win with Derrick Henry (he’s just not good!) and Sony Michel with a suspect knee (not to mention James White carrying the rock most consistently in the Pats backfield). I think trading Rob Gronkowski for value was smart (dude’s never healthy anymore), but Jimmy Graham has been a borderline bust, Mike Williams is getting outperformed by Tyrell Williams as of late, and Robby Anderson needs to show he still has it. Next year don’t take gambles on rookies like Rashad Penny and Sony Michel too soon in the draft – trust me, I made the same mistake with Royce Freeman. In any event, I hope you get one win this year – just not against me this week. Better luck next year, my man.

2. Aryan: A lot of what has spelled your demise isn’t even your fault. Who knew David Johnson would SUCK this year, or that TY Hilton would barely be serviceable (when healthy), or that poor Jordy Nelson would be in a messed up situation with dumb ass Jon Gruden blatantly tanking. Again, not your fault. But this is a cruel, cold world – and you will be eaten by the wolves in short order. Cam Newton and Peyton Barber have been pleasant surprises, and David Njoku is one of the best tight ends in this year’s thin TE field, but other than that your team is a weak gazelle being eyed by roaming wolves, jackals and lions. Your end is here. Die gracefully.

3. Mike: Nope, can’t play favorites. So let’s get the obvious out of the way first: drafting Le’Veon Bell at 2 (or 3?) overall was a cataclysmically bad call. And you know what, I share some of that responsibility. You told me all week that you wanted Alvin Kamara and I said to take Le’Veon Bell – so if I had any role in your pick, I apologize. Ok, moving on: Travis Kelce has been good (if not neck to neck with Zach Ertz) but not amazing, Drew Brees is playing at an elite level, Randall Cobb gave you ONE good week and has been garbage ever since, Marvin Jones, Jr. has underperformed with the meteoric rise of Kenny Golladay and (a now departed) Golden Tate. Isaiah Crowell has had a salvageable season, as has Justin Tucker and Austin Ekeler, and Courtland Sutton may very well emerge as a legit threat now that DT is a Texan. But, there’s just too many holes in this canoe – too much water leaking in. The only way you win is if your guys have record days every week because you can’t count on consistency. And that’s no formula for success – at least not in the long haul. So it’s time to go fishing. It’s a wrap for you this year.

4. Massoud: You definitely still have big play potential, but your team is what happens when an owner selects too conservative on Draft Night. You went with Devonta Freeman and Jordan Howard because, well, they’re safe and produced last year. Last year – and that’s the calculus you seemingly used. Not much in terms of analytics for the current year, and the numbers are proving it. Granted, Devonta Freeman got hurt, but there were (in my opinion) better options on the board. As for Jordan Howard, it was clear that Matt Nagy was going to deviate from the smash-mouth approach of old – and in that process Howard was arguably phased out. I think Jared Cook has been money for you in the start of the season, and I think trading Greg Olsen for Kenyan Drake was shrewd, but I’m hard pressed to see your squad balling out with Devin Funchess, DJ Moore and Amari Cooper. I think Cooper has a chance in Dallas, and Alshon Jeffery can always get hot, but I think you’re ONE trade away from being a contender. If you dump a lot of your mid-tier players for one or two serviceable studs, then I think you have a chance to rise. Either way, much respect for the moves you made to improve your lot.

5. Yema/Billy: All Hail The Champs has come to a screeching halt. I think you gave up on Jack Doyle too soon (he’s back now and likely to take Eric Ebron’s role) and this is the time of year that the Steelers get hot so I don’t like that you traded AB for essentially Rob Gronkowski. AB is still the alpha of all WR’s in the League and I feel like you guys could/should have gotten more value for him. Still, however, your team has fared a respectable season with the emergence of a revitalized AP, Chris Herndon as a reliable TE for young Sam Darnold, Joe Mixon as the clear horse in Marvin Lewis’ unheralded ground attack, and Aaron Rodgers’ remarkable resurgence after his early season injury. Beyond this, Marquise Goodwin may develop chemistry with this new QB in SF, DeVante Parker has re-emerged with the departures of Albert Wilson and Kenny Stills being hurt, and Sammy Watkins has carved himself out an every week role on this Mahomes-led offense. All in all, you guys took a bad situation and largely reversed it, consistently worked the wire, and kept your team respectable. I think reaching the playoffs is a stretch, but there’s no question that you guys are going to be a hard out every Sunday. Much respect for battling every week.

6. Belal: I initially had you ranked worse, but after the acquisitions of Aaron Jones and Nick Chubb, I think it’s pretty evident that while your team isn’t loaded with superstars, you do have very few holes and have viable starters at every position. Overall, a well-rounded team. Josh Gordon and Julian Edelman need to produce at this point in the season, Philip Rivers needs to hit his stride and not just rely on Melvin Gordon, Vance McDonald can supplant Jesse James and become Big Ben’s security blanket, AJ Green needs to ball out as an every week WR1, and Josh Adams has a high ceiling given the uncertainty of the Philly backfield. So while we can acknowledge that you have starters at every position, you are lacking star potential. My suggestion (same as Massoud): package a couple guys in exchange for a stud to make your team have that extra pop that it needs to make noise. Your squad has potential to rise (and make it to the playoffs), I just think you’re one move away from getting there.

7. Amin: The hardest working man in the League; always hustling, always dealing, always looking to improve. Despite all the setbacks and being high at the draft, you still have a chance at The Promised Land. That’s wild. So I don’t like the trade for James White which cost you Kenny Golladay and Kerryon Johnson, why you dropped OJ Howard instead of stashing him, giving up on Cooper Kupp, and I also don’t like that you traded Philip Lindsay for a guy you just sent to the waiver wire (Taylor Gabriel), but it is what it is. Having said all that, you made some money moves. Landing George Kittle (a clear TE 1) for Wendell Smallwood was clutch, trading for James White and James Connor gives you two RBs who are essentially match-up proof every week (assuming Le’Veon Bell doesn’t return), Jarvis Landry may benefit from the firing of Hue Jackson, Brandin Cooks has beast potential any given game, Jack Doyle could be a legit weapon in the second half of the season, Tyrell Williams is sneaky valuable, and Greg Zuerlein is back on track to land you field goals for a high-octane Rams offense. In short, you have the capacity to win – you just need A LOT of things to work in your favor. But like they say: “Any given Sunday.” We shall see.

8. Akbar: Not gonna’ lie, I like my odds for a late season run. So it’s well documented by now that I’m a fool for having drafted Royce Freeman in the second round of the draft, and I also think I made a bad move of having dealt him, Tarik Cohen AND Tyreek Hill for Stefon Diggs (underperforming and not healthy) and Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas game-plan is too predictable – insert pic of Jason Garrett clapping his hands for no damn reason). But other than that, I am ok with rolling with Kirk Cousins, Devante Adams is my anchor, Christian McCaffrey is (hopefully) my second half monster, and Calvin Ridley is either a freak or a bum. I will truly miss Nick Chubb and Adam Jones, but I couldn’t pass up Belal’s offer for CMC. My tight end situation is a wreck, my defense is revolving for the most part, and I don’t have a deep bench…but I think I have a chance. Like Amin, I need A LOT to go right for me to win, but I feel like I have a puncher’s chance, and that’s what I’m going with from here on out.

9. Zayd: I knew you would crack the upper tier one way or another. Despite all of the chaos, Russell Wilson has been producing and throwing TD’s to no-name WR’s and earning his fantasy value, Kerryon Johnson is an every week starter (he destroyed me!), Latavius Murray is also an every week starter given Dalvin Cook’s nagging injury (I can’t believe I dropped Murray), Kenny Golladay is a certified WR 1 (or 2), and Marlon Mack is starting to come around in the second half of the season. And on top of that, your team is competitive even though you’ve had lackluster seasons from BOTH Keenan Allen and Julio Jones thus far (does he even have a TD yet?). Moreover, Dalvin Cook has been a liability and Doug Baldwin has been essentially silent. Which begs the question: Is now when you make a run for it? History is on your side to date. We shall see how it pans out in the end.

10. Diz: You totally hustled me. I took the bait and opted for the NAME Ezekiel Elliott and Stefon Diggs over the guys who got me this far: Tyreek Hill, Tarik Cohen (and to a lesser extent Royce Freeman). Despite my vitriol for Royce Freeman, I think he could be a sneaky talent for you in the post-season (assuming you make it), Anthony Miller is a reliable weapon in Chicago, Andrew Luck seems to have a great rapport with all of his TE’s this season (just not TY Hilton), and your stable of Lamar Miller, Tarik Cohen and Royce Freeman in the flex puts you on pace to do damage any given Sunday. I would have ranked you higher, but I think that other than Tyreek Hill (and to a lesser extent Anthony Miller), your WR’s are pretty weak. But in the aggregate, I can see your team making a run – you’re gonna’ be tough to beat in the thick of war.

11. Mostafa: I know, I know – you’re undefeated. But no, I’m not buying the hype for the long haul. Let’s break this down: You have Joe Flacco and/or Ryan Fitzpatrick as your QB, Leonard Fournette can’t stay healthy, TJ Yeldon doesn’t scare anybody, and it remains to be seen if Cooper Kupp will fully recover. Having said that, you scored on landing Zach Ertz (I think he’s even better than Travis Kelce and Gronk this season), Adam Thielen is hands down THE BEST WR in fantasy football so far in the season, Melvin Gordon is a yards/TD machine, John Brown has been a surprisingly talented wideout for Flacco this season, Emmanuel Sanders is the lead WR in Denver now that DT went to Houston, and Mark Ingram always seems to get his numbers notwithstanding Alvin Kamara’s looming presence. All in all, your team is damn good, I am just not sold on your QB situation and the Fournette/Yeldon situation for the playoffs (then again, if Gordon and Ingram keep balling out, you won’t even need Fournette). Again, your team is the real deal….I just think there’s other teams more formidable at this juncture of the season and beyond.

12. The Wizard: From the outset, your WR corps is formidable – I mean, it’s JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mike Evans, Robert Woods – ALL OF WHOM have been scary and a problem to deal with all season. Naturally, I also think Alvin Kamara is a monster, although he has sorta’ petered out towards the second half of the fantasy season. I do think that so long as the Saints are a contender in the NFC South, Shaun Payton will invariably find a way to get Kamara in the mix, and you’ll be the beneficiary of that. I am not that impressed by Tevin Coleman and I can’t believe you’re going to start Chris Hogan – you can/should do better than that. Beyond that that, Matt Ryan needs to find his groove in Steve Sarkisian’s offense (it’s Week 9 – c’mon already!), and Austin Hooper needs to be more consistently reliable if he’s going to be used as your TE1 for a legitimate playoff run. I think you gave away George Kittle for too little, but regardless, your team is crazy talented off of just your WR’s and Kamara. I think you have a chance at the chip this season. No question about it.

13. Arya: This guy has cunningly stayed off the radar and seems poised for a late season run. Right off the bat, Patrick Mahomes has been gold all season (what is it, 4 TD’s a game?!), Kareem Hunt is playing lights out football, Michael Thomas is still the elite option in New Orleans’ aerial assault, Demaryius Thomas has a new lease on his career suddenly catching balls from Deshaun Watson, you scored Philip Lindsay for a turkey sandwich, Trey Burton is a borderline elite TE for the long term, Duke Johnson, Jr. is the clear pass catching back in Cleveland, and you have Sterling Shephard and Mohamed Sanu in the bullpen. Translated: Your team is very well balanced, you have options everywhere, and you even have Tom Brady in the unlikely event Patrick Mahomes can’t go. That’s a winner squad. My only knock on your team is that you waited too long to trade Tom Brady, or you wanted too much in return. It’s clear that Brady is no longer elite and he’s essentially rotting on your bench. Why not flip him for a WR2 or a RB2 to a team needing a QB while he still has value? Just a thought.

14. Edgar: Surprise, surprise. As if this #1 rank needed any explanation. Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham, Jr., Tyler Lockett (yeah, he’s playing well too) is not even fair to have to face. And right after that, oh look, it’s Todd Gurley AND Saquan Barkley. How does that even happen? I like the Jalen Richard flex play, Jordan Reed (when healthy) is a shoe-in, Stephen Gostowski is Justin Tucker-light, and Big Ben usually does damage in the AFC North this time of the season. So without question, your team is the team to beat. You have, essentially, an all-star team of ballers and the rest of us are trying to catch up. Whereas most of us need A LOT to go right in order to win, you need A LOT to go wrong to lose. Don’t start popping bottles of champagne yet, but I think you have a good thing going. And as they say, don’t talk to a pitcher in the middle of a no-hitter. Much respect to what you got going. And there you have it, gentlemen, your Mid-Season Power Rankings….we’ll see how it all shakes out in the Post-Season (aka The Promised Land).