AFFL All-Time: The Greatest Teams of Each Franchise

They say you can't compare eras in sports, but lets face it, every sports conversation at some point in time turns to the greatest teams of all-time. Websites have their lists. People have their biases. The back-and-forth is an ongoing verbal sparing between fans and experts alike. It's just too fun to speculate how players in the past would do in the present.

With that in mind, the AFFL Courier will feature an ALL-TIME series that will aim to create some serious smack talk and conversation among the managers. Going into its 11th year, the AFFL has had its share of dominate teams. Atomic Bomba and Awesomeness ruled the early years of the league, while recently, Cobra Kai, Grabbers and Hartan have found ways to make their presence known. Of course, we can't forget the consistent Prime Time and BDiddy. Everyone has a stake in the game.

The question however is not only to find the greatest all-time team in each franchise, it's what do you do with it? Well, that's where the AFFL stats & inc dept comes in. The crack tech staff at the AFFL has created a unique simulator that will run a simulation of a season with the 12 best teams of all-time. This simulation won't tell us which team will be the greatest team of all-time, however, the team that wins the simulation will have serious ego stroking going on.

So this multi-part series will focus on finding the greatest all-time teams for each franchise, and then finding out which team would win in a simulated series. But first, lets talk about the method.

What we used to find the Greatest Teams of All-time

Atomic Bomba can claim multiple great teams, as can Awesomeness. But how doyou choose which one is best?  Which 2nd place finishing team of Grabbers was the more dominant? How do we differentiate between all the Prime Time teams? Furthermore, what do you do if you have a team that was statistically better than a team that went further? These are just a few of the difficult tasks that the AFFL stats & inc had to mull over in order to come up with the proper categories to determining the greatest teams of each franchise. Ultimately, the formula boiled down between a combination of total points, record, and final finish, along with a sprinkle of weekly totals mixed in.

The factors

Looking at each teams franchise, we took each managers best teams according to where they finished the season that year. We then examined the total points they scored, along with their regular season record. We factored in how they did week-to-week and whether or not they were winning because of a weak schedule or dominant performance. We gave the benefit to teams that were winning with scores over a 100 points rather than ones that eeked out victories below.

One twist though was what to do with the 2011 change in scoring. Bonuses were added in 2011, upping the total season points thereafter. This would put teams like the Bomba and Awesomeness at a disadvantage for those years when comparing them to their teams after 2011. In order to adjust for this, we added points for each team before 2011 based on the weekly totals of the players on the roster. The adjusted season totals for the teams before 2011 would thus be more on par with the franchises latter teams.

Okay, without further ado, here are the greatest teams of each Franchise in Alpha order. Let the historical games begin. PS. No teams will be considered prior to the 2008 season. 2007 was a 10 team league, and 2006, while featured some AFFL franchises, was not officially titled the AFFL.

Greatest All-Time Teams

Atomic Bomba

Possibilities - 2008 (1st. 9-4. 1502), 2009 (2nd. 9-4. 1512) , 2011 (1st. 9-4. 1497), 2012 (1st. 7-6. 1476) , 2013 (11-2. 2nd. 1668)

The Pick: Atomic Bomba '08

This was tough. A strong case could be made for a few other teams that the Bomba has had over the years, including the 2013 team that featured the best record and 2nd highest total points for a season all-time. But we just can't bring ourselves to give it to a 2nd place finisher when the Bomba has 3 other teams that won a title. Thus, we are going with the what we feel is the best championship team of the bunch, the '08 team that featured the top RB that season Deangelo WIlliams, The 3rd highest finishing QB Kurt Warner, and the fourth overall RB Steve Slaton (remember him?). The teams adjusted score for the current scoring system would have garnished a season total of 1575, and most probably a few more wins. The 2008 Atomic Bomba squad put up 100+ points in 10 of the 13 games, and finished with seven consecutive wins which is still a record. He was as dominant in the post-season, posting 143 points in the semis, and a championship scoring record of 169 pts that still stands. Considering that bonuses weren't even around then, that final total is impressive. It was also a year of great coaching, as both of the first two picks taken in the draft fell to injury. The team is remembered because of the crazy Deangelo year, and the out-of-no-where draft pick of Steve Slaton. They say the first one is the sweetest, and that sure holds true for the Atomic Bomba.

Awesomeness

Possibilities - 2008 (2nd. 9-4. 1514). 2009 (1st. 8-5. 1493). 2010 (1st. 11-2. 1561). 2015 (3rd. 8-5. 1587).

The Pick - Awesomeness '10

The third version of Awesomeness brought the best one yet. In the early years of the AFFL the Awesome one was a frequent visitor to the Championship game reaching the mark three years in a row. His three trips to the finals brought 2 titles, and no team was more dominant than the 2010 team. The 1561 point season total would be adjusted to 1635 by today's scoring system. The 11-2 record is still tied for the highest all-time.  During the 2010 season, Awesomeness put up a staggering 12 straight 100+ point games, producing the AFFL's longest regular season win streak (8). Those records still stand. The team was lead by Tom Brady, the top QB that season, and Ray Rice, who had his best season that year. There were also big contributions from unlikely heroes like Terrell Owens, Knowshawn Moreno, and Pierre Garcon. Awesomeness exploded through the regular season, consistently putting up over 120+ a game and earning the bye with ease. In the playoffs, a stat correction helped squeak by Prime Time in the Semi-Final game over Prime Time. But in the Championship game, Awesomeness left no doubt defeating Magnum Sev.i 122-106. This team still has players on it that would be worthy of starting today which says something about just how strong the 2010 Awesomeness squad was.

BDiddy

The possibilities - 2009 (3rd. 7-6. 1468). 2011 (3rd. 8-5. 1450). 2016 (3rd. 8-5. 1595)

The pick - BDiddy '16

It's ironic isn't it? The team with 3 managers finishes 3rd three times. The Diddy has had much success in the AFFL over the years, making it to the semi-final game at will. However, that seems to be the hump that the team just can't get over. Diddy's franchise has featured strong teams in 2009 and 2011. None however top the team rostered in 2016. The 8-5 squad put up a strong 1595 points all while putting up 100+ points in all 13 regular season games. The consistency and excellence places them a notch above the 2011 team despite that team's ridiculous 1st round playoff game. The 2016 Diddy team was well balanced, with a three-headed RB monster of Lamar Miller, Melvin Gordon and Le'Veon Bell. The team needed to overcome the loss of 2nd round pick Keenan Allen and lackluster production from Golden Tate and Michael floyd. The late acquisition of Travis Kelce and Le'Veon Bell put the team into a different realm, where winning seemed a forgone conclusion. The team entered the playoffs as the 5th seed and knocked the previous champs Hartan out in the first round. However, the squad would run into a hot HBK team and lose in the Semi-finals. Still, this squad was the best team the franchise has produced, and considering they did it last season, things are looking up for the Diddy.

COBRA KAI

The Possibilities -  2013 (1st. 9-4.1614). 2014 (3rd. 8-5. 1603)

The Pick - Cobra Kai '13

The early years of the Cobra Kai didn't bring much success, but since the league has switched to a keeper league, the Cobra has been striking with regularity. Two teams take the stage as potential all-timers for the kai, but only one has a title to boot. The 2013 team was an epic mix of top tier talent and weekly ass-kicking of opponents. After a frenzy at the trade deadline that saw the team make 5 trades in a span of 3 hours, the team became epic. Lesean McCoy, Jamaal Charles , and Demarco Murray made-up perhaps the greatest RB trio in AFFL history. WIth 3 of the top five RBs overall and solid WRs and QB play, the Cobra put 100+ points in 11 of 13 reg. season games and finished second overall. The thumping continued into the post-season where the team put up a 169 points in the semi-final game and 159 in the Title match versus a strong Bomba squad. Was this the greatest team of all time? We don't know, but we sure know it was a damn good one. While replicating the success of this team is always the goal, it looks like Cobra may have outdone himself. The league surely doesn't want to see a repeat of this team again.

Grabbers United

The Possibilties - 2012 (2nd. 7-6. 1470). 2014 (5th. 9-4. 1702). 2015 (2nd. 9-4. 1416)

The Pick - Grabbers United '14

The road to success for Grabbers has been a windy one, but has resulted in great success over the past five seasons. The apex of this success is the 2015 squad which in 2nd overall. However, despite the high finish of the 2015 season, we're gonna select the Grabbers squad of 2014 which set all sorts of records. The 2014 team was only the second team ever to put up 100+ points in all 13 games in a season. In fact, the team put up 120+ for the last 10 games straight with multiple 130, 140 and 150 pt games. Grabbers also set a record that year with most points scored in an season with 1702. By every measure, this team was already looking like the best team ever. The team was built with balance and little flash, led by Gronk and Luck, the two keepers Grabbers elected to retain. Dez Bryant mixed in to elevate the rosters upside, but the big pick-up was the FAAB acquisition of Justin Forsett, who Grabbers broke the bank to acquire. The move paid off as Forsett solidified the RB2 slot and the team ascended the standings. The team would fall to Jaj in the last weeks of the regular season by .2 and would then in flukey fashion fall to the Cousteau again in the 1st round of the playoffs by the same margin. We call bad luck on a team that was built for an all-time epic finish. We'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't disagree that this squad deserves to be on this list. 

Hartan

The Possibilities - 2011 (4th. 9-4. 1506). 2012 (4th. 9-4. 1617). 2015 (1st. 9-4. 1519).

The Pick - Hartan '15

After years of mediocrity, finishing the season in 8th place, Hartan upped their game with consecutive 4th place finishes. The improvement was just the building blocks for what would be their greatest team of All-time during the 2015 season. Led by ODBJ and Drew Brees, Hartan managed to attain a 9-4 record and 1st overall seed. Scoring 100+ points in only 9 of 13 games, the team didn't have the type of consistent firepower that other teams on this list had. But while they didn't break the bank on 100+ games, the teams ceiling rivals any other franchises best with 2 160+ games. Part of the reason for lack of pop was that the roster didn't have a lot of flash, just solid players. The RB core was made of Gurley and Ingram, and weekly holes were filled with the likes of Maclin and Lockett. Delanie Walker provided some upside as well. Entering the playoffs as the 1st seed doesn't guarantee success, as only 2 1 seeds have ever won the title. But Hartan proved worthy, putting a strong 141points in the semi-final game, and then a respectful 131 to win the title. More importantly, this team is now the team that managers remember when thinking of Hartan and their titles, erasing the stigma of their lone title in 2007 during a shortened 10 team season. The 2015 put Hartan in elite company as one of only six AFFL team to win a title in the 12 team format. Well done.

HBK Shant Michaels

The Possibilities - 2014 (4th. 9-4. 1481) 2015 (2nd. 10-3. 1611).

The Pick - HBK Shant Michaels '16

Oh what could have been. The road to success has been a difficult one for HBK. For years, the franchise struggled to solidify its image among the best in the league, finishing no higher than 4th in any season. The 2016 team changed all that in epic fashion. Not only is the 2016 team one of the best All-time, it was involved in one of, if not the greatest AFFL championship match ever. The record setting 2016 team managed to put up 100+ points for 12 of 13 reg. season games. But that's not what was most impressive. HBK '16 put up 130+ 7 times an AFFL record, with 4 of those games being 140+. The high ceiling was just too much for teams to deal with. Lead by all-everything back David Johnson, and all-world Drew Brees, the team managed to survive an injury to top pick AJ green with solid management, picking up Michael Thomas mid-season. The onslaught of points continued to in the playoffs, where HBK put up 158 points in the Semi-final game. Losing any game is tough, but losing when you put up 130, in the AFFL title game just stings more. Needing only 7 points from Dan Bailey, HBK fell to Vosgee by .72 in one of the most unexpected finals ever. Despite the loss, the 2nd place 2016 put up historic numbers and goes down as one of the greatest all time. HBK won't take solace in that thought, but he should in the fact that two of the members from the team will be used to build his 2017 squad. I'm sure the league isn't looking forward to the prospects of a repeat performance.

Jaj Cousteau

The Possibilities - 2010 (3rd. 10-3. 1584) 2014 (1st. 6-7. 1540).

The Pick - Jaj Cousteau '14

At first glance, the Jaj Cousteau '14 team doesn't seem to belong in the All-time ranks. Yes, they did win the title that season, becoming the first team with a losing record during the reg. season to do so. But sometimes the strength in a team is in its resiliency. This is the case with Cousteau. The '14 team was riddled with bad luck and still managed to come out on top. They had an opponent point total of 1684 which was nearly 100 points higher than the second team. They were getting the best of every team each week. But don't think they didn't pack firepower. From weeks 3-13, Coustea '14 put up 10 straight 100+ point games. They managed to squeeze into the playoffs by beating a hot Grabbers team by .2 in the 12th week of the season. Then they did it again in week one of the playoffs. Led by the trifecta of Antonio Brown, Demeriyus Thomas and Jamaal Charles, the team relied on weekly plug-ins and pick-ups to offset some injuries during the season. Any team that can win a title with Alex Smith at QB deserves some recognition, and the Cousteau team of 14' is getting.

Magnum Sev.i

The Possibilities - 2010 (2nd. 7-6. 1457) 2012 (3rd. 8-5. 1475)

The Pick - Magnum Sev.i '10

The 2010 Magnum Sev.i squad edges out the '12 version on our all-time list because of the higher finish. Both teams are very similar to one another with they stats they put up during the reg. season. However, the 2010 version had just a tad more upside with 4 games of 130+. and finishing the season with 6 straight wins. The team was led by Andre Johnson and Lesean McCoy at the skill positions and Peyton Manning at QB. It was a waiver wires who's-who from there on out. The team managed to end the season strong and get into the playoffs as a 3 seed, where they put up 140 points in the first round match. In the Semi's they managed to beat a tough Cousteau team to make their first trip to the finals, where they lost to the defending champ Awesomeness. The team wasn't flashy, but accomplished something only ahandful of teams have done before, make it to the final game. We respect that.

Prime Time

The possibilities - 2008 (3rd. 7-6. 1291) 2011 (2nd. 10-3. 1562) 2013 (3rd. 8-5. 1430) 2014 (2nd. 10-3. 1623)

The Pick - Prime Time '11

Prime Time has had a few great teams in his long AFFL career, but 2011 is at the top of the list. A force to be reckoned with, Prime put up 11 games of 100+, winning 6 of his last seven games,  finishing the regular season with a 10-3 record. The roster was loaded with top position players all over the place: Brees at QB, Dez at WR, Marshawn and Arian Foster at RB, Steve Smith at WR.  Brees put up over 500 points that season, seemingly winning games on his own. Entering the playoffs as the 1st seed and bye, all expectations were that Prime would make it to the championship game. He did, defeating BDiddy 147-137 in the semi's to get a match-up against the powerful Bomba.  The team faltered in the title match, and only managed to put up 117, a surprise to most experts. Since then, Prime has managed to make it into the top 3 numerous times including another finals trip in 2014. However, when talking about the best of Prime Time, the conversation starts with the team that gave the franchise their first finals appearance in 2011. 

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Shabam Shadiq

The Possibilties - 2009 (5th. 8-5. 1509) 2011 (5th. 8-5. 1464) 2016 (5th. 7-6. 1485)

The Pick - Shabam Shadiq '09

The story of the Shabam Shadiq has yet to add a playoff win, and no team better captures the plight of the Shadiq than the '09 team. Putting up a franchise best 8-5 record during the reg. season, Shabam was inline to earn the bye and win the division. Ending the season with a 4 game win streak, the 'Diq was strong, putting up 130+ five times, and 100+ in 10 of 13 games. Led by Andre johnson, Fred Jackson, Reggie Wayne and Randy Moss, the team was championship caliber, showcasing a fearsome foursome that was tops in the league. The history of Shabam had them losing out on the post-season due to injuries, but '09 saw the roster stay healthy and they entered the playoffs as one of the favorites to win it all. However, not getting the bye due to a tie breaker with division records, Shabam was forced to play the first round and fell to Miyagi by 14 points, ending their hopes at a title. The '09 team was the first time of the franchise to make the playoffs. Shabam has since returned to the playoffs on four other occasions, but has yet to win a playoff game. Many believe the '09 team set off an AFFL curse on the franchise, one they haven't been able to shake. Regardless, the '09 Shabam team was very strong, even if their potential was cut short. 

Vosgereechee Gyank

The Possibilties - 2008 (6th. 8-5. 1425) 2016 (1st. 9-4. 1580)

The Pick - Vosgee Gyank '16

The history of the Vosgee isn't littered with success, but that doesn't mean success hasn't found Vosgee. The 2016 Gyank squad did the unthinkable in dramatic fashion, upsetting expectations to become the 6th franchise to win an AFFL title. Many people say the success of the 2016 time was a fluke, and even though luck was indeed a factor, the team was solid up and down. Scoring 100+ for 11 of 13 reg. season games, Vosgee finished the year winning 9 of 10 games including the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers and Antonio Brown did the bulk of the lifting weekly, while Gore, Forte and others chipped in for solid play. Despite the lack of name recognition, the team was able to put up 168 points, so the ceiling was indeed high. Finishing the year with an 9-4 record and entering the playoffs as the 3rd seed, Vosgee defeated Shabam and a strong Prime Time squad to reach the finals versus a scorching hot HBK team. The underdog Gyank managed to influence the fantasy gods just enough to pull off an improbable .72 victory, surviving Dan Bailey and six extra points on Monday night Football to win the teams first Title. Before 2016, Vosgee had only made the playoffs once, and hadn't won a playoff game. The 2016 put the Gyank in rare company, placing him in the ring of champions for eternity. Go figure.