Just a shade past the ides of August this year and the annual draft has come and gone yet again. A new champion was announced – superlatives hurled upon his fantasy prowess – all while Zayd cried in the background about Doug Baldwin and Russell Wilson having come up short when it counted the most. I forgave George Kittle for having single-handedly bounced me from the semifinals, Amin showed up sober and with all of his draft picks, Edgar was actually pleasant to be around for a change, Mike had dreams of finally landing Alvin Kamara (whom he traded up to get) only to have his heart broken, Diz brought good scotch, Kayvon walked in with unrepentant swagger, Jeff was the new wolf in the hunt, and there we all were….ready for what would become our secondary family for the next 16 weeks. Alas, the season commences in about 2 short weeks, and notwithstanding my role as Co-Commissioner this year, I will, again, assume the role of humbly releasing our pre-Season Power Rankings.

And here we go from worst to first….

1. Massoud: I don’t get the Todd Gurley pick at 10 overall in Round 1. You weren’t here to see it live, but people lost it when that pick was made, and draft strategies were feverishly being rewritten as soon as Gurley went off the board at that coveted draft spot. Yes, it’s “just arthritis” in his knee, but the infusion of Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown make Gurley taken this high sketchy and there were more valuable (and safe) picks available here. Hey, I could be wrong and if he’s up to playing like last year’s ADP, then you just scored yourself an every week monster – we will just have to wait and see. Love the Deshaun Watson pick in Round 4, as well as Kelce in Round 2, and Stefon Diggs in Round 3. Moreover, Courtland Sutton may finally emerge as a true WR1 this season, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling could give Devante Adams a run for looks. The Lamar Miller acl situation, coupled with the Andrew Luck retirement, put a damper in your draft outcome, but there’s no reason to think you can’t rebuild, retool and make a run. Championships aren’t made on draft night – and given your track record it’s likely you will make a strong run. Happens almost every year.

2. Belal: There’s tons of potential on your team, but not enough sure things. Also, let me emphasize that while I think your team has some holes, there’s a lotta’ promise here and no reason to think you can’t get hot with the guys you got. Right out of the gate, Mike Evans stands to make a prolific mark this season with Bruce Arians at the helm, Jameis Winston on a short leash, and Adam Humphries/DeSean Jackson out of town – all of those looks are going primarily to Mike Evans and secondarily to Chris Godwin and OJ Howard. So that pick’s money. Moreover, Mark Ingram could excel in John Harbaugh’s system assuming Lamar Jackson and rookie Justice Hill don’t siphon away all the goal-line looks. As for Chris Carson, I understand that Pete Carroll has been saying he’s going to get 2/3 of the carries this season, but I’m dubious about that; firstly, Rashad Penny looks primed for a monster season, and, Chris Carson isn’t exactly a beacon of good health. Durability is a concern for me. I think Tevin Coleman is an interesting play, Deebo Samuel is already outperforming Dante Pettis in SF, and Will Fuller – if healthy for a change (!) – can put up huge numbers with Deshaun Watson in the fold. I am skeptical of LeSean McCoy in Buffalo, and I also don’t know about AJ Green’s return (and if he can be the same guy he was before). In any event, you definitely have some homerun hitters and rookies AJ Brown, Miles Boykin and Deebo Samuel may emerge as weekly threats if the stars align for you.

3. Mike: Ok, so let’s address the good first. I love your rbs. Saquon Barkley is a freak (but that NY supporting cast largely terrifies me, along with noodle arm Eli Manning and boring stock broker Daniel Jones), Josh Jacobs will get a boatload of carries (they just cut Doug Martin, so it’s just Chris Warren, DeAndre Washington and pass-catcher Jalen Richard he has to contend with), and David Montgomery looks like what Derrick Henry could be if Derrick Henry had heart, wasn’t one-dimensional, and played with purpose. In short, I LOVE David Montgomery and I think he’s going to be a monster this year. And no, I am not worried about Tarik Cohen. Matt Nagy is old school and prioritizes the run and defense, and in cold ass Chicago in a few months, it’s going to be the ground and pound David Montgomery show. But that’s where it ends for your team. Did you REALLY pick Emmanuel Sanders over OJ Howard? Wow. I get it, you hate it Jameis Winston (and anyone else in the NFC South not named Drew Brees), but OJ is going to be a money tight end this year, whereas Sanders is 32 and coming off of a calf tear from last season. You do the math there. Heck, I could be wrong, but while I like Robby Anderson, I am not high on Emmanuel Sanders, Jamison Crowder OR Trey Burton at TE. There was more value left to take. I do think Allen Robinson has a chance to shine since he’s in his second year now playing with Trubisky (not to mention finally healthy), Russell Wilson will continue to collect rushing yards, and Albert Wilson looks like next man up in Miami with Kenny Stills the odd man out. In short, I love your rbs, but the jury’s out on the rest of your squad. We shall see how it shakes out.

4. Aryan: I can’t tell what was going on here. Naturally, Alvin Kamara was a shocker for everyone in the room. Yes, I get it – the Giants are horrid and the box will be crowded for Barkley, but is Alvin Kamara really worth the #1 overall? I guess it’s plausible since MANY mock drafts I saw did have him at 1, so maybe you know something I don’t (i.e. is it Brees’ time to defer his aerial assault to a stout run game of Kamara and Murray)? But putting that aside, WHY would you draft Julian Edelman at 2? He’s on the Pats trading block as we speak, N’Keal Harry and Josh Gordon are going to absorb a lot of looks (assuming Harry gets healthy and Gordon can stay out of trouble), and this is shaping up to be a run heavy season for New England. I love Edelman (even met him at a dive bar last year in Boston), but there was more talent available for you (in my humble opinion). After that, I am not buying the Derrick Henry hype (and if you recall, 4 of his td’s from last year came in a single game), he’s too bulky and can’t cut, and he’s not made for today’s game. As for DJ Moore, crazy talented (we’ll see how Cam produces post-preseason scare – same goes for Greg Olsen), Derrius Guice – if fully recovered from his acl – could be a monster (I loved him at LSU), Latavius Murray could be the new Mark Ingram for Sean Payton (goal-line production!), Tyrell Williams is the real #1 at the moment with AB being a bitch, and Marvin Jones, Jr. – when healthy – is the Robin to Kenny Golladay’s Batman. Keke Coutee is already hurt (shocker), Jamaal Williams is unimpressive, Tom Brady comes alive in the post-season (i.e. when fantasy is irrelevant), and Anthony Miller could be special (along with Allen Robinson) in Matt Nagy’s offense.

5. Akbar: I thought my draft started pretty strong. I got the guy I truly wanted (Dalvin Cook), and I took a gamble on Nick Chubb (“gamble” because who knows what happens when Kareem Hunt comes back), but then it gets murky. Firstly, Dalvin Cook is a freak, but the guy HAS to stay healthy for once. Rookie season acl, last season hammie issues…now it’s year 3. STAY HEALTHY ALREADY! As for Nick Chubb, see above (plus his knee – dude tore it at Georgia back in the day), Aaron Jones also needs to show he can stay healthy, and Zach Ertz hopefully doesn’t lose too many looks to Dallas Goebert. As you can see, that’s a lot pop with a concurrent possibility of fizzle. I’m hoping for the former. But after my homerun hitters, my team sinks fast. Yes, I got Calvin Ridley, but Dante Pettis is already hurt (and Coach Shanahan is calling him out), N’Keal Harry is already hurt and may not play week 1, Daesean Hamilton (who I already cut) appears to be second in line to old ass Emmanuel Sanders (wow), Diontae Johnson is already on IR, Kyler Murray is the big unknown, and I won’t even get a crack at Kareem Hunt until Week 10 (Weeks 1-8 suspension, Week 9 bye). I am hopeful Mecole Hardman gets to flash some of that speed we all saw at Georgia, and I am hopeful that Kyler Murray becomes the second coming of Mike Vick (maybe too ambitious?). I got a shot, and that’s all I can ask for.

6. Edgar:Yeah, I didn’t see this coming either prior to draft night. Ok, so the good is clearly Michael Thomas who fell to you at 13th overall, but then things changed. I love the sizzle of Odell Beckham, but is that hip good to go? And even if the hip is good to go, David Njoku, Jarvis Landry, Rashad Higgins and Antonio Calloway are going to get a LOT more open than Odell since those guys won’t be drawing #1 db attention (and/or safeties dropping down). Don’t get me wrong, I love me some ODB, but not with the SECOND pick in Round 2. As for Miles Sanders, he’s a stud and I loved him at Penn State (took over the gig from Saquon there), but there’s a ton of rb’s in Philly right now. Clearly Sanders is the most talented of the lot, and he may very well wrest that position from the other backs as the season progresses (I think he’s the best they have AND Philly’s O-line is elite), but to start the season I would be careful about starting him. James Conner is a hammer and sure-fire stud, but after the injury last year, Coach Tomlin affirmed that this backfield would become more of a committee, and I see Jaylen Samuels and Bennie Snell getting some run. Naturally, Conner still gets the lion’s share of carries, but in second halves where Pittsburgh is dominating I expect Samuels and Snell to accumulate those garbage time points. Pittsburgh wants to keep their ace healthy and we can’t blame them for that. Kenyan Drake is injury-prone, Devin Singletary COULD be next man up in Buffalo, Austin Hooper is a weekly flyer, Larry Fitzgerald is the 1 (yes, over Christian Kirk) in Phoenix, TJ Hockenson could be a sneaky TE rollout, and then there’s always old man Drew Brees – they say his arm looked tired towards the latter part of last season, and now we’ll know for sure. In short, your squad looks well rounded – just a few question marks that need to be addressed.

7. Haroon: Without question your wrs are legit. Between JuJu, Tyreek Hill and Tyler Boyd – you don’t have a single weak spot at that position. But then things get hairy. TWO Patriots running backs?! Sony’s got a suspect knee (why do you think they drafted Damien Harris?), and while I love James White, I still think it’s risky to start 2 Pats rbs at the same time. Belichick’s rosters are game/matchup specific, and while I think some weeks that formula will work for you, other weeks it will be damn close to a goose egg. Love the Hunter Henry selection (finally healthy!), Duke Johnson’s value is ascending in Houston, and DK Metcalf – when healthy – can be something special (especially since David Moore is hurt – it’s ONLY Tyler Lockett, Jaron Brown and Jazz Ferguson vying for spots in that wr corps now). I think you got Kirk Cousins at a steal in the 15th round, and if the Zeke saga continues Tony Pollard will be damn near an RB1 for Dallas (especially behind that O-line). Overall, you drafted well this year.

8. Diz: Lil’ SAB stepped up his game this draft. Also, he didn’t predictably take every God damn Cowboy off the board. Impressive. So let’s get to it. Le’Veon Bell – this is a big mystery to everyone. Guys that leave Pittsburgh (a la Mike Wallace, AB) tend to drop off in production, and in the case of an rb it will invariably be even more pronounced. A lesser O-line, a lesser coach, a lesser supporting cast, a second year qb in Sam Darnold, and coach Adam Gase consistently looks coked up or confused. So while Le’Veon has a chance to shine, it remains to be seen how that shakes out. Keenan Allen – is he even healthy yet? As for Leonard Fournette, dude’s lost weight, looks hungry again, his public statements make it look like he’s trying to redeem his reputation, so that’s all good. As for your WR’s, I love Christian Kirk, Sterling Shephard is going to see many targets, DeSean Jackson (despite today’s broken finger) is coming home to Philly where it all began, David Njoku will likely thrive with Mayfield, Michael Gallup has had a money preseason, and Alexander Mattison will be an RB1 if – God forbid – something happens to my boy Dalvin Cook. Finally, assuming the Melvin Gordon holdout continues or he gets traded (Tampa Bay maybe?), Austin Ekeler will get most of the carries for the Chargers with Justin Jackson getting just a taste. In the aggregate, I think you drafted well.

9. Mo: I get that AB has a high ADP, but I can’t justify where he was drafted (2nd round). Moreover, I know Luck retiring is going to make Indy run more AND that they have a money O-line, but I suspect Marlon Mack will get more competition from Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins this season. Don’t get me wrong, Mack will get you legit points – virtually every week – but I don’t see gaudy stats like last season. A drop off is coming. As for Philip Lindsay, Vic Fangio now has a healthy Royce Freeman, Devontae Booker (I think), and fantasy vulture Theo Riddick to work with. Just a hunch, but I foresee all of this depreciating Lindsay’s value this season. We shall see, of course. As for Julio, I think he increases his TD share this season (last season was annoying for Julio owners), Cooper Kupp seems healthy, James Washington has all but cemented his role as the #2 in Pittsburgh (no, I’m not worried about Moncrief), Justice Hill is an emergent star and I think Harbaugh knows he got lightning in a bottle, and Jacoby Brissett will surely use Eric Ebron a lot (in addition to Mo Allie-Cox and Jack Doyle). Your team will either dominate or disappoint – I don’t see a middle ground.

10. Jeff: Overall, your team is, well, a tough out. You drafted according to, presumably, a strict adherence to ADP and that should bode well. Obviously, Deandre Hopkins is a killer, George Kittle is the new Gronk (not talent-wise, that goes to Kelce…I mean more beer chugging-wise), Amari Cooper (assuming the plantar fasciitis is healed) is in a contract year and wants to get paid (translated: dude’s gonna’ go hard), Brandin Cooks has every week homerun potential, Rashad Penny is a stand-alone rb2 even with Carson as the #1 (given how much Carroll runs the ball), Baker Mayfield has weapons galore and title aspirations, Royce Freeman is my pick to take over that backfield from Lindsay under Fangio’s system, and Darrell Henderson will be a monster (yes, I saw the clips from his Memphis days) if Gurley can’t go. Your team is really, really balanced – don’t see many weakspots.

11. Kayvon: The Wizard put together a solid team despite some (in my opinion) questionable mid-draft trades. For starters, Zeke will play, and I think Jerry Jones will make a deal happen before Week 1. Frankly, Dallas needs Zeke more than Zeke needs Dallas. He’s that good. Devonta Freeman is finally healthy (but needs to stay healthy – he’s had every injury in the book it seems), Adam Thielen needs to show he can produce like he did last season to justify you trading up to get him, Tyler Lockett is the new #1 in Seattle, Dede Westbrook’s had a stellar preseason with Nick Foles, Geronimo Allison has a chance to be a money slot option for the Pack, and Matt Breida was a really solid pick in Round 7. Had your qb’s (Foles, Stafford) been better, you’d be ranked higher – but all in all, your team looks solid.

12. Amin: What a difference a year makes. Not a single trade brokered, and your team looks on point. Love the air assault of Devante Adams (my ace from last year), Robert Woods (Mr. Consistent), Jarvis Landry (oh look who doesn’t have double coverage this year). I also think Kerryon Johnson has that backfield on lock and will also get passing downs (just be wary of CJ Anderson occasionally vulturing at the goal-line and Ty Johnson getting some run). Also, I have a suspicion that Darwin Thompson will take over that KC backfield. Just a hunch, but Darwin Thompson looks like a sleeper target without question. Beyond that, Patrick Mahomes will produce every week, Jared Cook can be a target machine in New Orleans, Kalen Ballage will be the #1 if Kenyan Drake can’t go, AP has a safe floor if Guice isn’t right, Jaylen Samuels’ college RB coach is now the RB coach in Pittsburgh (and I think he gets more love now – don’t start him, just bench him and see how it develops), Lamar Jackson is going to rush a ton this year, and Belichik is already in love with Damien Harris. Finally, Jacoby Meyers is an unheralded weapon for Tom Brady and will get some looks – but for now he’s just a bench option with upside. IF Darwin Thompson is what I think he is, I think you will ride him and Kerryon Johnson far this season.

13. Zayd: Let’s get the good out of the way first. DJ has a chance to be special with young Kyler Murray and offensive-minded Cliff Kingsbury (and he has virtual control over that backfield – Chase Edmonds doesn’t pose a threat unless an injury surfaces), and I think Joe Mixon will be a 100 + all-purpose yards rusher every week despite Cincy’s abysmal O-line. So your rb’s are money. Josh Gordon is also a sneaky play, and Josh McDaniels has all but assured the Boston media that Gordon is the primary open-field option outside of Edelman in the slot. Evan Engram is due for a rebound and is a virtual wr, Curtis Samuel has been hyped all summer, Jared Goff has weapons galore (Cooks, Cupp, Woods), John Brown is a legit sleeper for Josh Allen in Buffalo, and Vance McDonald has all the makings of a monster year with the departure of Jesse James. I am curious about Corey Davis (I’m sorry, but Marcus Marriotta sucks) and, of course, Melvin Gordon – but assuming Gordon signs somewhere, your backfield of DJ, Mixon AND Gordon will be formidable and should cause your team to ascend rapidly.

14. Arya: Seriously, your team made its metal DURING the draft. I can’t believe you fleeced Kayvon and landed a 3rd and 4th round pick, and parlayed them into Kenny Golladay AND Chris Godwin. Not only that, but you convinced Mike to relinquish rights to OJ Howard for, drumroll please, Emmanuel Sanders?! Impressive. Right off the bat, you got McCaffrey at 3, Matt Ryan and the Falcons look revamped, your WR’s are all formidable (namely, Mike Williams, Kenny Golladay, Chris Godwin and TY Hilton), and OJ Howard will surely kill it in Bruce Arians’ air campaign. Having said that, while I love CMC (obviously), I think Tarik Cohen takes a dip this season, and I suspect Damian Williams is not the man in KC (that’s Darwin Thompson’s job to lose at this point). All in all, you’re 1 rb away from being a complete position-to-position nightmare to face this season. Nice work, man…you dominated draft night and took Kayvon and Mike to the cleaners. You’re my consensus 1 top dog for this preseason.