Good morning everyone, welcome to the Pot Cakes Dynasty League Week 1 Preview. The 2024 fantasy season is underway. We had a summer. Maybe still waiting on putting together a rookie draft recap, maybe we just brush it under the rug, who knows? Let’s just say things snuck up on some people. Entering year 5 of this dynasty, we have 4 prior champions. Will we see someone new, or will one of the greats reclaim the throne? Batman was last years champion, put together an incredible playoff run. Batman was hot all season, but really lit it up in the playoffs. It’s his league to lose. Let’s dive into the matchups, Professor Pickum, and a power rankings.
Game of the week.
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JonnyDIII’s Joyful Demons v. Batman
What a way to start the season. The Champion versus a former Champion. Batman took first last year and JonnyDIII took 4th. JonnyDIII is known for playoff collapses but stellar regular seasons. Batman is known for being handsome and quietly winning a lot of games. The app has Batman projected as the 4th best and JonnyDIII as the 7th best team in the league. Good for these teams, the app is always wrong. JD3 has Mahomes and Batman has Lamar. Pretty equal QB matchup. The RB matchup favors either Etienne and Singletary or James Cook, Kyren Williams, De’Von Achane, and D’Andre Swift. I think this slightly swings in Batman’s favor with 3 great running backs and one that should be solid. While Batman blows JD3 away in the RB matchup, things swing JD3’s way at WR. Diggs, Pittman, Nico, Chase, McLaurin, and Keenan Allen versus DeVonta Smith, Diontae Johnson, and Chris Olave. While Batman does have good WRs, JD3 has a slight edge at top end talent plus depth. Tight Ends do not matter, but Batman is starting 2, which is never a good sign in fantasy football. JD3 is favored by 6, but this one will go down to the wire.
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CrossFit v. Touchdown Guy
Similar to the game of the week, we have our other former champion versus former champion. Both of these teams are aging, their window is closing, this game will set the tone for their potential swan song. CrossFit is the projected lead dog of week 1, with TDG right behind him. CrossFit has the Goff and St. Brown stack. CMC, Barkley, Ekeler, Deebo, Amari, Kelce, and Mike Williams. CrossFit also made a trade for Rachaad White. CrossFit is geared up for another championship run. TDG is running it back. Josh Allen, D-Train, Jacobs, Conner, Higgins, and Kittle. TDG also has the double stack of Puka and Kupp and Godwin and Evans. While not helpful for TDG in week 1, keep an eye on Ladd McConkey. TDG struck gold with Puka and is looking to do it again with the Ladd. CrossFit is the favorite by a point, I think CrossFit sneaks out week 1. Goff knows who he is throwing to and Allen will have to figure it out. TDG will have a “slow” start to the season, but would still beat the majority of the teams if not for the difficult week 1 matchup.
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Teach v. Mush’s Mongrels
We just went through two great matchups. Now we are looking at the biggest disparity in week 1. This is a trap game for Teach, Mush is known to be one of the worst dynasty managers (and commissioners) in the nation. To loosely quote one of Mush’s icons, any publicity is good publicity, so being nationally ranked is an accomplishment no matter how you look at it. Teach is hoping that the Phins are hot again this year. Teach has the rare triple stack with Tua, Tyreek, and Waddle. Teach also has B-Rob, Pollard, and Stevenson. This is a really gross group of running backs. It will not be fun to watch, but they will still manage points. This is similar to a yellow and black Big 10 team. Teach does have Mixon, who should help an already explosive Houston offense. Teach rounds out his team with Shakir, Christian Kirk, and Brock Bowers. Teach starting a rookie TE is not a good sign, but he has to wait for Hock to get healthy. Mush has Aaron Rodgers and Marvin Harrison, Jr. Mush has a young team. Benson should develop, but he’s not going to do much behind Conner. Adonai Mitchell is a rookie, but Richardson is pretty much a rookie and Pittman should still be the lead receiver in Indy. Josh Palmer could be good, but we’ve been saying that for three years now. I think Mush is going to just set his line up each week and wait for next years draft. I expect Mush to use a lot of his weekends watching Missouri, Ohio State, Arizona, and Colorado to see which player he takes in 10/11 months. Teach is projected to win by 50, and Mush is not expected to hit 100. I will take Teach this week.
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Bottom Bunk v. PeePaw
The app has Bottom Bunk as a playoff team. This should be reassuring for anyone that is worried about AI taking over anytime soon. PeePaw is looking to get back in the mix after a brutal end of year stretch last season. B.B. has some young talent. AR, Breece, Bijan, Drake, Jameson Williams, Pickens, Odunze, and Ferguson. B.B. needs all of these young players to hit each week. I do not see it happening. I see a better team than we have in the past, but if you just scroll down to B.B.’s bench, there is no one there. B.B. needs to start out 4-0 because the middle of the season will be rough. PeePaw needs an early start just to get out of his head this year. Herbert, Monty, Warren, Lamb, Aiyuk, Rice, Davante, Ridley, Jefferson, and Schultz. It’s a solid lineup. I know all of those guys. Th RBs are backups, but they are in timeshares. Gus Edwards is hiding out on the bench for week 1 as we see who is the guy for LAC. PeePaw has a competitive team, the difference will be if Herbert can return to form and put up TDs. PeePaw is a 10 point favorite, I think he wins this week.
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Pistol v. Daddy Wombat
Pistol is looking to make a push. He is heavy on the trade block. Daddy Wombat added a manager to their team. That is the spot they are in. That should be a concern, needing to add a manager. Pistol has the young QB in Stroud, young RBs in Gibbs, Javonte, and Ken Walker. He also has young receivers in Garrett Wilson and Jayden Reed and young TEs in Kincaid and Pitts. Pistol has a solid team, next year should be Pistol’s year. A.J. Brown is the sole vet that should put the team on his back each week. That is what Pistol is missing this year, a reliable vet. This young team should make a run this year and Pistol will start out the year 1-0. D.W. has hurts, Kamara, and Metcalf. Why D.W. still has Kamara, I do not know. D.W. also has JSN, Dell, and Worthy. I think those three young players should help out D.W. down the road. If D.W. can continue to build, maybe they look like Pistol in a couple years. Time will tell. Pistol is a 30 point favorite and this one will not be close.
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Trashman v. Bruce
This matchup is for the sickos out there. Trashman and Bruce are just gross. Trashman has T-Law, Moss, Allgeier, Christian Watson, and Curtis Samuel. These are historically pretty gross players. Aaron Jones, Pacheco, and LaPorta are all studs. Trashman should look to trade Jones and possibly Pacheco. Trashman also has Chubb in his IR spot. Chubb would be another trade option for Trashman. A mini rebuild would be great for Trashman. While Trashman’s team is a dump, if he recycled some players for picks, he would be in a brighter spot. Bruce cut his former 1st round rookie pick Justyn Ross. Bruce has Burrow, J.T., Flowers, and D.J. Moore. Those are solid. Najee and Zeke are gross. Blake Corum is not reliable yet. Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. need some time. Engram should be ok, but tight ends do not matter. Bruce is in the worst spot, he’s better than the bad teams but not the good teams. Bruce intentionally tanked last year and still did not end up with the top pick. Bruce caused a rule change due to his intentional tanking. A good commissioner would have kicked Bruce out of the league, but either way Bruce will be punished for years to come with his ineptness in the draft, rookie draft, trade block, and overall day to day life. However, Bruce is a 10 point favorite and will win week 1 and find himself in no mans land in the 2025 rookie draft.
Professor Pickum is back. Last year he went 25-19 overall. Which is solid, but Professor Pickum is not satisfied. Let’s see if he can beat last years record.
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Week 1 Study Guide
Washington Commanders +3 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- You might be thinking “The Ole Professor has lost it in the off-season.” The Commanders were one of the WORST teams in the league last year, whereas, the Bucs won a playoff game! And that’s true. So ask yourself this, why is such a bad team only getting 3 points on the road? Answer, Past performance does not indicate future results.
- Gimme the road dog with something to prove in their new era.
Tennessee Titans +4 @ Chicago Bears
Hypothesis:
- Caleb Williams doesn’t feel pressure, but maybe he should.
- Give me the points in what I expect to be a sloppy affair between two teams trying not to look as bad as they have been.
Las Vegas Raiders @ Los Angeles Chargers Under 40.5
Hypothesis:
- Chargers under a new system, run heavy.
- I’ll take the gamble (little pun from the Professor) that they start slow against a great defense.
Now for the preseason power rankings. This is the expected finish of the league this year (which may or may not be exclusively ranked on the week 1 point projections but will still somehow upset people).
Well that does it for Week 1. The quest for the championship trophy starts now. Good luck in all your leagues and may the fantasy gods be in your favor. I hope you and yours have a better tomorrow. We will see you after all the games with the Week 1 Recap.
Let’s Go!
JonnyDIII
DIII Digest 