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Bombacast: Time to change the Defense/ST point system.
Raffi Lalazarian
Bomba breaks down the AFFL Draft survey, previews the second one, and proposes a new way to score defenses
2020 AFFL Covid-19 Rules Zoomcast
Raffi Lalazarian
Cobra enters the Bomba dojo to discuss how Covid is going to effect the fantasy season and what to do about it.
Read MoreShabam Shadiq Complete Historic Season with first AFFL Championship. Become 7th Franchise to win title
Raffi Lalazarian
After the greatest run by an AFFL fantasy football team ever, Shabam Shadiq owners Dre and Avo defeated Prime time in the AFFL finals and became the 2019 AFFL Champions. It is their first ever AFFL title, and perhaps the start of something bigger.
The infamous franchise of Shadiq has managed to brand and rebrand itself many times. From the early years of Click Clack, to Reverse the Curse, Lucky Charms and Donkey Punchers, the franchise attempted to distance itself from its win-less history. For the past 13 seasons, Shabam had an 0-9 record in the playoffs and had never won a playoff game. The “bad luck” began in the 2009 season, when they missed a first round bye due to division record tie-breaking rules, and subsequently lost in the first round. They would go on to lose in the first round of the playoffs for the next 9 seasons.
“It was as frustrating,” said Avo Tuna. “We were like an impotent man at an orgy, we just couldn’t get up for the big games.”
But that all changed this season, when Avo Tuna worked the draft to perfection. Already armed with Nick Chubb and Juju Smith-Schuster as keepers, Tuna and Dre nabbed Lamar Jackson, Christian McCaffery, and Amari Cooper, along with Cooper Kupp and Devonte Freeman. The result: an all-time best record of 12-1, a historic league high in total points for a season at 1846.70 , as well the longest winning streak (12) for a team in league history.
“Winning the league is great, but its even sweeter when you do it against Darth Vadar, aka PrimeTime,” said Dre, while smoking on a Shabam stogie. “Payback is a bitch.”
Prime Time managed to be the only team to defeat Shabam in the regular season, ruining their perfect season. For Ara, reaching the finals has been achieved before, but he now becomes the team that just can’t win the big game.
“What do you want me to do?” said Ara in response, “ I tried to play a good game but he had players I didn’t have and thats why he won.”
Translation: Shabam was better.
The scary part is that Shabam may not be done. Lamar Jackson will be kept, with perhaps Chubb, rendering a strong core of players to build off in 2020.
It is hard to imagine that the team that hadn’t won a first round playoff game in 10 years, and still hasn’t technically, could be the AFFL’s next dynasty .
We don’t think they’ll need to rebrand this year, but I wouldn’t rule that out either.
Enjoy the smack that Shabam brought to Ara below. Congrats the ‘Diq!
2019 AFFL Draft Recap & Grades: Money to Burn. Bidding wars take the Prices of top Talent Sky High. Is this Finally the year of the Diq'?
Raffi Lalazarian
Welcome to 2019. After a night of drinking, talking smack, and fighting off mosquitos, the AFFL is set to begin the new season. The ceremonial draft began with the passing of famed AFFL trophy, that has been added upon by each winning manager. Hartan is the current champ, and was gracious enough to host the draft at the House of Hartan in Burbank. Once pleasantries were exchanged, and few hugs given, it was business as usual with a cast of characters honing in on their favorite pics.
Last place finisher Magnum Sev.i was indeed the highlight of the draft, showing up in his retro Tom Selleck get-up. With baseball cap in tow, Sev.i donned the ceremonial “ass place” toilet cover over on his head and set the draft into motion. Absent once again this year was the Shabam to Avo’s Shadiq Andre Tutunjian, who was at his daughter’s school orientation. As families are growing in the league managers must stay focused and find ways to out maneuver their significant other. Whether this means sneaking out, getting someone to cover “husband duties” or flat-out lying, it is a choice that every manager must make for themselves.
After baby karma took over the league in the early 2010’s, it has seen a resurgence in recent years, with teams trying to have kids just for the sake of AFFL luck. This year alone, there are multiple managers expecting to become fathers again, and some for the first time. Will this become a bigger distraction and separate the have’s from the have not’s? We shall see.
In any case, the addition of keepers in the AFFL has left many teams with ideal situations: two great players and lots of money to burn. This year alone 6 teams came into the draft with two keepers of high quality and low cost. These teams were Prime Time, Cobra Kai, Shabam Shadiq, Vosgee, Bomba & Jaj Cousteau. Another two BDiddy, and Hartan had at least one top tier player with another solid piece. Awesomeness began with 2 studs, but paid a hefty price. HBK was the lone manager who had one keeper, although that keeper was at a solid value. Grabbers and Sev.i rounded out the teams with keepers with good players at good prices but in a ballpark of their own.
What this meant was that there was going to be a feeding frenzy on players at the top of the board and a lot of value to be found elsewhere. That is exactly what happened, with teams adding to their already stacked core to create “super cores” of players from top tiers. A few managers opted to zig where others zagged and play the middle game, trying to accumulate more depth and talent rather than wow players. The results speak for themselves and here we will break down the teams and give them a grade.
About grades…
The breakdown of a roster isn’t so much about the players chosen. We can argue about who likes who more. One team may believe in a players bounce back year. Another may not. While we can argue over the price of a player, the more important part of the equation is how well did the team do in overall construction. Are there holes that need to be addressed or did they draft with those holes in mind? This will be the main focus of the grades. So when reading below, don’t get caught up in who got the shiny Lamborghini that will make everyone jealous, ask if they have enough Toyota Camrys to handle the daily commute to work.
Let’s get to it
Teams are listed in Alpha Order
Atomic Bomba
Keepers: Alvin Kamara $16, Travis Kelce $26
Best Picks: Antonio Brown $42, Allen Robinson $9
Worst Picks: Jameis Winston $2, Golden Tate $5
The Bomba came into the draft with two players in the top 15, with one in the top 4 in Kamara. With one of the stronger cores to begin with, he could have gone all in on a top Rb or WR and then sat back and cherry picked his needs. Many probably felt that he should have. However, the squad was built around finding the best prices for top players. The key here would be to make sure to insulate the risk. Taking Antonio and Gordon is fine, but then mixing them with risky players elsewhere is going to leave the team very vulnerable. The construction addresses the Antonio saga well, with enough steady and upside WRs to mitigate an Antonio meltdown. The problem is the RB slot. Taking Gordon and making him an RB2 puts the team in hole. Ideally, the plan was to make Gordon an RB3, but that didn’t happen. Relying on Justice hill or Royce Freeman to be that guy at RB2 is dicey at best, for now. Ultimately, the team needed a solid Rb2, like a Montgomery, to make this situation work. If it gets it, or if Gordon is signed or traded, remains to be seen. For now, this grade has to reflect accordingly.
Grade: C
Why: Can’t have Gordon and not build depth at RB. Mistake.
Awesomeness
Keepers: Devonte Adams $42, Tyreek Hill $37
Best picks: Sequan Barkley $76, Jamison Crowder $3
Worst Picks: 3 QBs, Old Tight ends
Starting off with two top 8 Wrs is golden for Awesomeness. The right play for this team would have been to add heavy to the RB slots and go deep as possible. While he started off with Sequan for $76, a solid piece, the rest of the draft was spent getting players that were of no use to the overall construction of the team. No need for three Qbs when you have Rodgers. Those are precious roster spots. Where are the RB2s? Instead of the gluttony at quarterback and two old Tight ends, Awesomeness would have been better served investing in some mid-tier Rbs. Someone like Tevin Coleman, Royce, Lindsay, anyone. While the core of three studs and a top Qb is very good, the rest is very poor, and leaves Awesomeness heavily exposed when coming into the bye weeks. Things can work out, but he’s gonna need to manage this thing through.
Grade: C-
Why: Not enough depth at RB on paper. Little upside on the roster. Malcom Brown and Guise. That is about it.
BDiddy
Keepers: Stefon Diggs $34, Austin Ekeler $6
Best picks: David Johnson $58, Calvin Ridley $16
Worst Picks: Ty Hilton $25
BDiddy came into the draft with perhaps the most telegraphed move of all the managers. They were in the best position to take Gordon and assume the least amount of risk since they had Ekeler. They could have also had the luxury of overspending on him and still coming out ahead. They did neither. While you can’t fault them for not wanting to take the risk, not getting the depth at RB to offset the chance of a Gordon return wasn’t a smart move. Without solid pieces behind Ekeler, the RB2 slot is looking volatile. The TY Hilton money would have done wonders getting a solid RB2. Woods is a fine WR2. Hilton was risky. It perhaps mirrors the situation that Bomba had, except the lack of RB2 isn’t somewhat alleviated with a top tier TE. Ultimately this team is going to survive based on how long Gordon is out. They may hit gold if Gordon is traded. Even then, Ekeler is still in a time share. Hopefully something can emerge from the stashes on the bench.
Grade: D+
Why: Lack of top tier talent elsewhere can’t offset the ton of downside that is the RB slot.
Cobra kai
Keepers: James Conner $9, Chris Carson $17
Best Picks: Chris Godwin $24, Mike Williams $28
Worst Picks: Latavius Murray $8, Mattison $7
The Cobra came into the draft with the second best keeper value on the board in Conner. With money to burn, he could have opted to just bombard the top tier guys, getting two top 8 Wrs or RBs. Instead, he opted a more disciplined approach, which was to get a lot of mid-tier players with upside. Whether or not you buy the hype on the players, the roster is constructed with depth and upside. There isn’t really much to fault in the thinking. Keenan Allen was probably the one pick that was unnecessary, since Mike Williams was going to be a later target. Spending $56 on both those guys could have gotten a stud in place, which would have been preferred. The bench has a lot of handcuffs, and upside players. The Cobra is relying on many breakouts on his roster, and this could all come true. Would have been nice to just get one big name on board with all the money he had to burn. Perhaps Godwin can be that guy. We shall see.
Grade: A-
Why: Solid depth at all positions. Lack of star power could be the only problem and having to choose which guy to play each week.
Grabbers United
Keepers: Christian Kirk $6, James White $13
Best picks: Damien Williams $40, Miles Sanders $20
Worst Picks: Kareem Hunt $13, Cj Anderson $7
The team at the biggest disadvantage coming into the draft was team GU. The two keepers aren’t of top tier talent. This made getting someone in the top of the RB and WR food chain a must. Grabbers opted instead to double down on his Mahomes love. This is well and good, but spending $28 on him instead of a WR or RB is really tough to swallow considering the other players on the roster. Damien Williams was the RB that offers the top tier value that Grabbers was looking for, and he did a great job getting him at a good price. Jacobs is the other gamble, and both should be okay at the RB position. The problem is the WR core. Galloday is nice, but not exactly WR1 worthy yet. Maybe he will be. There was no reason to spend up on Kareem hunt or CJ anderson . Not when your WRs are Galloday and Dede Westbrook. This may all work out, but on paper it is tough to see where Grabbers has an advantage on a weekly basis besides the QB spot. And even that can be a question mark to week-to-week. The waiver wire will be calling soon.
Grade: C
Why: WR Depth Lacking. No top tier talent to offset.
Hartan
Keepers: Adam Theilen $22, Marlon Mack $12
Best picks: Zeke $69, Odell $55
Worst Picks: DK Metcalf
The reigning champs came into the auction in the middle of the pack when it came to keepers. Opting not to keep Ertz may have surprised some, but Theilen and Mack were the right call for the price. They opted to go hard at Zeke and also Odell, giving the squad a strong 4. However, that didn’t come without a cost. Spending on Zeke meant getting Pollard, and they did, which was a smart move. That left them scrounging for WRs and RBs to fill out their roster. Being heavily invested in the Browns may backfire in epic proportions, or may be what sends Hartan to their second straight final. That said, the roster is formed on the four pieces mentioned with a lot of questionable players behind them. Not a lot of depth and the lack of a true Rb3 is going to be a severe drain on this team.
Grade: B-
Why: Lack of RB depth. Uninspiring Bench.
HBK Shant Michaels
Keepers: Kerryon Johnson $18
Best picks: Dalvin Cook $63, Dj Moore $19
Worst Picks: Justin Jackson $9
HBK was the lone manager with only 1 keeper. Going into the draft, he was perhaps the one team that we knew would go after a top tier WR or RB and go all in. He did. Dalvin is a great piece, although he didn’t get him for the value he wanted. The squad has a good starting due at RB, and Tevin Coleman should be a nice RB3. Justin Jackson was not necessary. The problem with the squad is going to be at the WR position. Relying on mid-tier guys like Edelman and Dj Moore HBK is hoping for booms elsewhere. Edelman should be a strong play, albeit a bit of a capped ceiling and Moncrief can be a great Wr3. The depth isn’t as rounded out as it should be. All-in-all, the roster has Dalvin and Kerryon to carry it, with a lot of middle level guys around it. The question will be whether or not those middle level guys are enough to put HBK over the top on a weekly basis. We shall find out.
Grade: B-
Why: Only star value is Dalvin. Going to have to rely on Middle tier guys
Jaj Cousteau
Keepers: Mike Evans $35, Evan Engram $10
Best picks: David Montgomery $22, Tyler Lockett $17
Worst Picks: None
The Jaj Cousteau came into the draft with a top 12 WR and top 5 TE. The value for both wasn’t huge, but he did have some money to burn. He opted to invest in guys with potential rather than proven pieces. Levon Bell and Montgomery are a solid duo, but both come with risk. Bell hasn’t played in a year, and is on a bad team. Montgomery is a rookie. Adding Ty Montgomery, Tarik Cohen, Lindsay gives the Jaj enough depth to deal with with downside. At WR, Locket is volatile, but Evans should be solid enough to carry the two on off weeks. Will Fuller is also a nice stack with Watson and gives Cousteau a lot of upside potential, especially with Lamar Millers injury. Duke Johnson as well. Really can’t find a hole on this roster. Its nicely built with a lot of guys who can really pop. Nice Jaj…err.. hand job..um.. job.
Grade: A-
Why: Well rounded with guys to cover any potential holes. Hinges on Bell, but if not, Lindsay is a sold RB2.
Magnum Sev.i
Keepers: Matt Breida $9, Mark Ingram $17
Best picks: Joe Mixon $37, Fournette $49
Worst Picks: Sammy Watkins
The Sev,.i had a sneaky draft. He first opted to keep Breida, which many people would question. However, now looking at it, Breida looks like a solid RB2/3. He then traded Ingram for Aj Green after drafting Boyd. Now, I don’t know about being all invested in the Bengals, but hey, they will be throwing a ton. Might as well get Andy Dalton while you’re at it. The roster is solid at the RB spots, with Fournette and Mixon to care the load, but lacks a lot at the WR position. When AJ returns, that should help, but when that is, who knows. Until then, a core of Boyd, Marvin Jones, and Josh Gordon will have to be enough. That may be enough, especially with guys like Sanders on the bench to provide an additional boost. Cook could be a serviceable TE as well. Nice job handcuffing Fournette as well. The good news for Sev.i is that they could have really messed their team up, but did a nice job of adding pieces to the roster to make them well rounded. Whether that means more wins, we shall see.
Grade: B
Why. Solid pieces and balance. No wow factor, but enough depth to deal with some downside.
Prime Time
Keepers: Aaron Jones $10, Brandin Cooks $16
Best picks: Deandre Hopkins $64, Zach Ertz $28
Worst Picks: Gus Edwards, Jordan Howard
Prime Time went to the market and got his guys. Gurley and Hopkins came at a hefty price, but both are top talent. When a team goes that hard at top guys and has the money to do it, you would like to see them also invest in handcuffs. Prime missed on Gurley’s handcuff, and that could be something that bites him in the ass. While the core is very solid, a lot of teams have great RBs and at least one stud WR. Where Prime did his damage was getting Ertz. He now has the ability to match-up with a lot of teams at multiple positions. He can offset the downside of players due to this. His extra cash was well spent, and what you think of Gurley doesn’t matter, he put his money where his mouth was. The problem may be in the dpeth or lack their of. There are a bunch of uninspiring options to back these guys up. While some may pan out, it remains to be seen if they will. Perhaps Corey Davis can finally break out, but that’s been the story for years. Handcuffing Aaron jones was wise, but we’d love to have that happen to Gurley too. Only reason Prime doesn’t get an A.
Grade: B+
Why: Need to handcuff Gurley. Too much risk not to.
Shabam Shadiq
Keepers: Nick Chubb $8, Juju Smith-Schuster $34
Best picks: CMC $66, Cooper Kupp $18
Worst Picks: None
Honestly, Dre should never show-up to another draft. Whatever they got going on the phone is working. Coming into the draft, Shabam had two top 8 pieces to start their team. They could have blown the lead, but instead, only built a really strong team. They have exceptional depth at the RB position with Cmac, Chubb and Freeman. Amari is a solid WR2, with the only risk being that the foot does cause problems. They then addressed that with the drafting of Kupp and Samuel. The only hole in the roster is at the TE position and perhaps the QB spot. But even there, Lamar Jackson has upside. You can’t be strong everywhere, and if you are going to be weak somewhere, might as well be the TE position. There really isn’t much fault to find on the thinking of assembling the roster. They answered the question marks and got good value to boot. Now, is this the year they finally break through?
Grade: A+
Why: Depth. Star talent. Addressed weakness and potential downside.
Vosgereechee Gyank
Keepers: Derrick Henry $18, George Kittle $7
Best picks: Julio Jones $66, Mike Thomas $65
Worst Picks: Larry Fitzgerald, Jamaal Williams
Vosgee was another team that came in with a nice starting two and lots of money to burn. With Henry and Kittle solidifying the RB1 and TE spots, Vosgee did what he had to do, go for studs at the WR spots. Rather than opting to find middle guys, he went for the prime cut. Can’t fault him for that. He had the cash to do it. The core of Julio, Thomas, Henry and Kittle is very formidable, but the key to the draft is not just those guys, its the guys around them. Here, Vosgee fell apart. Lamar Miller was to be that guy, but he is injured. Outside of Miller, there isn’t another RB on the roster worthy of playing as an RB2. This hole is massive and really is going to cause Vosgee problems. Unless Peyton Barber is that guy, which even if he is, there is just too much uncertainty there to rely on. Wisely, Vosgee did handcuff Henry with lewis, so he is secure at RB1. The roster is very top heavy, and while that is all good, the lack of pop from RB2 and TE , as well as a very thin bench of upside is going to perhaps cause the Vosgee weekly fits.