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+---- Thread: *NSFL MVP Rankings (S17, Through Week 7) (/showthread.php?tid=15409)
*NSFL MVP Rankings (S17, Through Week 7) - nickyvmlp - 09-09-2019
With the 17th NSFL season more than half over, playoff races are beginning to heat up, and talk of postseason awards is doing likewise. Since the last time these rankings came out, many more people have jumped into the conversation, so with so many honorable mentions to get out of the way, let’s not waste any time.
Starting out, we have a frontrunner from last year’s MVP race in a new position, Gus T.T. Showbiz (Otters, @Molarpistols). Much like Ryan Applehort in his last season with the Wraiths, Showbiz has become a deflecting fiend, and is currently leading the league in that category. Hike Mughes (Outlaws, @jaskins811) is leading the league in INTs and is fifth in deflections. Errol Maddox (Hawks, @PigSnout) looked at Ahri Espeeyeeseetee and his hot start, and went “I’d like some of that”, and he’s now fourth in receiving yards and second in TDs. Just because they never get any love, Kulture Fulture (Butchers, @Saliva^) is the only kicker in the league who hasn’t missed a field goal or extra point yet. Corvo Havran (Hawks, @Raven) is still putting up decent numbers, but he’s starting to throw more INTs, and his Hawks have slipped down to the last playoff spot in the NSFC. And finally, Slim Shady (Outlaws, @J.G.10) and Apollo Reed (Otters, @NylarthePhoenix) are putting up very similar numbers, but Reed would probably get the #7 spot if I had it, because he’s scored more TDs. To the top half dozen.
6) Raymond Vans (@karl) (Prev.: NR)
: 61 tackles, 1 TFL, 8 sacks, 1 INT, 10 deflections Raymond's back to defend his Defensive Player of the Year crown. While he hasn’t had any truly gaudy numbers like he did last season, but he’s consistently putting up great numbers that’re putting him first in the league in sacks, sixth in tackles, and in a tie for eighth in deflections. Since the last MVP article, he’s had three straight games that made the Defensive Top Performances leaderboard: Week 4 against Orange County: six tackles, two sacks, and a deflection. Week 5 against San Jose: 11 tackles and a sack. And for his coup de grace, Week 6 against Yellowknife: nine tackles, a sack, a pick, and three deflections. Throw in a win in Week 7 against Orange County, and that’s four straight wins against teams with a winning record (despite constantly getting thumped by the Outlaws). These are good teams with explosive offenses, and not only the Outlaws winning, they’re grounding those elite offenses, and Raymond Vans is at the center of that.
5) Vinny Valentine (@Unicorn) (Prev.: 1st)
: 41 receptions, 737 rec yards, 5 TD Alas, poor Vinny. Undone by the fact that he’s being thrown to more. Last week, we gawked at Vinny’s ridiculous statline that featured a mind-boggling 28 yards per reception. In his last four games, he’s only had one outing that even flirted with those stats, a 4-110 game against the Otters. So, unfortunately, he’s now only ONE OF the most exciting players in the league. His numbers currently put him third in the league in receiving yards and fourth in receiving touchdowns. None of this is to say he’s not still putting up good yardage, it’s just taking him more receptions to get there. Like an 8-92-1 game against San Jose, but there was also a 7-69 game in a blowout win over Yellowknife. Good numbers, maybe not MVP numbers.
4) Xavier Flash (@Leafs4ever) (Prev.: NR)
: 42 receptions, 756 rec yards, 6 TD Xavier Flash has spent the better part of his entire career playing second fiddle to Kazimir Oles. Last year, when Kaz left to go run the Butchers, it was finally Flash’s time to shine, and he did decently, finishing the season as San Jose’s leading receiver, but only placing 12th in receiving yards, and with Cameron Olsen’s breakout season, you’d be forgiven for thinking Flash would once again be asked to be a sidekick. Instead, Xavier has reached that superstar echelon, and is playing with the best of them. He’s already nearly matched his total yards from last season, and is currently leading the league in receiving yards, while placing third in receiving touchdowns. And if you’ll notice that NR showing where he was last week. That means he’s put out some bangers in the last few games. A 6-88-2 against Austin, 7-134 against Arizona, 6-133-2 against New Orleans, and 6-106 against Austin again. When your worst game still sees you top the century mark, things are definitely going your way. However, like Vinny Valentine last year, he has to deal with losing targets to his teammates, namely Olsen and Dan Wright, and even Ty Justice to a certain degree. Flash is the main recipient of the San Jose offensive explosion, but he’s not the biggest star of it, and we’ll get to that in a bit.
3) Jerrod Canton (@Sweetwater) (Prev.: NR)
: 47 receptions, 755 rec yards, 8 TD, 34 rushes, 128 rush yards You wouldn’t think the Wraiths would need another elite pass catcher, they have three already. But with Morgan Marshall cemented as the Wraiths running back of choice, Canton moved to receiver nearly full-time, and what do you know, it’s been a great move. Canton is only a single yard behind Xavier Flash for the lead in receiving yards, BUT he has two more touchdowns, and with the few carries he’s getting, he’s still averaging about 3.8 yards a pop. I think that should be just enough to surpass Flash on the leaderboard. Oh yeah, and he also topped the DOUBLE century mark with a stunning 11 reception, 201 yard performance that broke the Wraiths record for most receiving yards in a game, and came 11 yards short of breaking the NSFL record. AND THAT STILL WASN’T HIS BEST GAME. Two weeks later, he went for another 11 receptions for 196 yards and two scores against the Second Line. He was struggling to find his footing earlier in the season, but after four straight games where he was both the leader receiving on his team, but also outcaught all of the receivers on the other team, Canton is here to stay, and if he stays even semi-consistent, he’ll climb even further up these rankings.
2) Sam Torenson (@Jonny2x) (Prev.: HM)
: 191 carries, 856 rush yards. 7 TD Sam Torenson is so far and away the best running back in the league, that he almost seems like a glitch in the system. He’s averaging more than 120 yards and a touchdown every single game. In all seven of the Butchers games this season, he’s been both the Butchers’s leading rusher and outperformed their opponent’s lead rusher. He’s hit 100 rushing yards in every game this season. Have you gotten the point that this guy is really good at running? Because he’s really, really good at it. Probably his best performance came pretty recently in a Week 6 win over Philly, where he ran 26 times for 136 yards and three scores, and he even caught three balls for 33 yards, which isn’t normally his forte. At this point, Sam Torenson is the most consistent thing in the NSFL, and he’s more than justifying his #1 pick status in most fantasy football leagues.
1) Joliet L. Christ (@`AndrewWarren13`) (Prev.: 2nd)
: 2350 pass yards, 63.1% completion, 13 TD, 1 INT, 99.0 QB Rating, 56 carries, 177 rush yards, 2 TD This pick should surprise no one. Christ is leading the league in completions, passing yards, completion percentage, fewest interceptions, and passer rating, while placing fourth in passing touchdowns. And while his rushing stats are down from previous years, he’s still leading all quarterbacks in rushing yards and touchdowns. And he’s spreading the ball amazingly well. His receivers rank 1st, 6th, 9th, and 14th in receptions. His finest outing on the season so far was a Week 6 win over New Orleans that can be seen at the top of the Offensive Performances of the Year list. He threw for 440 pass yards, three scores, and no picks, helping three different receivers go for over 100 yards. The disappearance of his rushing stats is a sad truth. There’s nothing more exciting than watching your QB turn on the jets and outrun everyone. But with Joliet taking a hit from regression, he’s had to adapt, and he’s become a laser-guided pocket passing machine who can still pick up the tough yards when he needs to.
1475 words .
*NSFL MVP Rankings (S17, Through Week 7) - ScorpXCracker - 09-09-2019
I liked it better when I was on here
*NSFL MVP Rankings (S17, Through Week 7) - karl - 09-09-2019
fantastic article and very enjoyable read!
coming for that top spot.