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+---- Thread: *DSFL Draft: Team Prospectuses for Draftees! (/showthread.php?tid=43571)
*DSFL Draft: Team Prospectuses for Draftees! - ElMerchanto - 02-11-2023
Hello everyone!
As the S40 DSFL Draft day rapidly approaches, I thought it would be interesting to write some Media on it from the viewpoint of a prospect within the draft. In this article I plan to go over each team from an outside perspective, give you my thoughts on their S39 performance and highlight some key areas each team might be hoping to address in order to give prospective draftees an idea of where they might want, expect, and dread to end up.
As a disclaimer, I've had my own scouting chats with many of the teams, albeit not all of them. However these were focused almost entirely on my own progress & aims as a player. So while they offered valuable glimpses into the teams, the vast majority of this is my own analysis & speculation on where the DSFL teams could stand to improve. It's likely overwhelming wrong, but here are my reads on all the teams us rooks could end up playing for.
Also just one last note, obviously the DSFL is for us all to learn the ropes, have a bit of competition and have a laugh. None of this is formed as anything beyond reading the stats from a competitive standpoint. The person > the player is the most important reality to bear in mind here.
I'll order the teams by draft picks to keep it simple.
Pick 1.01 - Bondi Beach BuccaneersOh sweet, sweet Bondi. The Buccaneers have had a rough time of it recently. With a poor S39 eclipsed only by the brutality of S38 for them. A rough time potentially gets worse for them in the preseason too. In my talks with the team, it was revealed that some of the bright spots from the last campaign, including the top defensive earner from the S39 draft are all but sure to be called up to ISFL duty.
It wasn't all bad for Bondi though, they fielded the league's most effective WR in Dick Grayson, posting an absolutely monstrious 1620 yard season. Their WR2, Tolliver also posted just under a 1000 yarder too. While nothing is certain, if they manage to retain such a speed threat as Grayson while adding additional weapons in the Draft, the Buccaneers offence could really begin to tick.
In fact, even last season they put up a respectable 301 PF, this may be the second lowest in the league, but reality is that's only 37 points less than the 8-6 Birddogs. If the Buccaneers pick up a solid Tight End and manage to retain their lethal top WR duo, improving on the other side of the ball could immediately catapult them back into relevancy.
So if the Offence is only one or two tools away from competing, that means we have to look to defence for the teams woes. Across the 39th Season of the DSFL, the third highest Points Aagainst was the Birddogs, at 330. Unfortunately beyond this point things begin getting real ropey, real fast. Second highest were Tijuana at a relatively shocking 421, but we'll talk about them in a moment. Beyond even that were the Buccaneers, allowing opponents to march down the field and put up a staggering 452 points on them for the season.
So, what went so wrong here? They had some solid players, Tolliver with immense speed at LB, a monster on the DT side with Dingleberry. Clearly, some upgrades in pass coverage are needed, but also from seasonal records it shows Bondi almost never got to the opposing QB. Their Sack leader for the season ranks in at #12 in Sacks across an 8 team League. After Washington, we again return to Tolliver at #24 in the rankings. A similar story is painted in tracking interceptions in the league, Belmont put together a solid season at CB, but it paints a picture of a glaring hole in the defensive secondary for the Buccaneers.
All in all, the truth is Bondi could use a little bit of a pick up across the field, depending on their off season retention. Ultimately though, it's hard to not cast a focus on the defence with that staggering PA.
Positions of Need: 1. Free Safety, 2. Pass Rushers of all Shapes, 3. Tight End, 4. Everything Else.
Pick 1.02 - Tijuana LuchadoresTijuana have been a little bit of an enigma to me so far in the scouting process. I've yet to discuss anything personally with them, but the stats paint a picture here once again.
First off for offence, the Luchadores have an absolute stud at RB with Gucci Gurley, if he is retained, look for them to focus on other pieces of the team well before looking at RB. However right now, there isn't much depth behind Gurley, so if they aren't able to lean on him as a workhorse again in S40, some picks spent on bolstering depth in the position could be well warranted.
Wide Receiver looks like a well covered position for the Luchadores. Even if WR1 Eli Prince who posted a top 5 season leaves for the bright lights of the ISFL, they have some great backups behind him who almost certainly will carry the missing weight. Should they lose more of these top guys it might be an area for improvement, but it's hard to view as a focus for the Luchadores. Tight end Basinger had a solid if not somewhat unremarkable season, but if he returns for a 2nd season in Tijuana, could develop into an elite threat.
So now we're going to get a little "second verse, same as the first" when it comes to defence. Tijuana were the other team mentioned down in the hell pit of PA, their 421 made to look less horrific only by Bondi Beach's 452. It's clear here that defence needs to be shored up. Interestingly, Tijuana were actually slightly worse than Bondi in getting to the QB, their Sack leaders Rage & Covington sitting on 4 a piece. These guys are both actually skilled LBs in their own right, but they aren't specialised Pass Rushers, and it's clear that is an area in desperate need of allocation for the Luchadores.
One thing I noticed as a bit of a trend is there are teams in the DSFL who have an elite Safety, and there's teams who don't. Guess which ones come out on top. Same story here as in Bondi, shoring up the secondary should come as a focus for the early rounds in this monster draft class.
Positions of Need: 1. Pass Rushers, 2. Free Safety, 3. RB should Gurley leave.
Pick 1.03 - London RoyalsIt may come across as brutal to say, but based on performance metrics (and remember, a lot can change within an offseason), London Royals are in the "next tier" of teams from Bondi & Tijuana. Whereas the prior two teams are underdogs looking to claw their way back to competitive relevancy, the Royals are already a more solid Unit especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Offensively, the star performers in the passing for the Royals are their not one but two WRs posting over 1k yard seasons in S39. Tollibeo & Ehrmentraut were abslutely devastating for the Royals, posting 1200 and 1000 yard seasons respectively, and each bringing down 8 TDs. It looks like Tollibeo played the deep threat with Ehrmentraut operating in the short-mid range, and to put it simply, it worked. Now the Royals face an interesting threat beyond here - if these two aren't assigned back down to the DSFL, their depth at WR falls off a cliff. Thankfully for the Royals, the depth at the position in this draft class is huge, so you might see them pick up a flier or two in the later rounds to pad out the roster.
Also, with Lord Farquaads himself rushing in a 1602 (!!!) yard season with 14 TDs. It's safe to say losing him would be an astronomical blow. However, if they can have him assigned to them for the S40 season, we could be looking at an extremely explosive Royals offence.
However, there is a gap on the offensive side for the London Royals. Their lone contributor at Tight End, Amidala, posted an alright 48/323/1 season however that can't help but signal room for increased depth at the position. If Amidala progresses significantly next season, or they go to the draft to pick up a more specialised vertical threat TE to allow them both to thrive, it's likely that the teams overall offensive capabilities would receive a significant boost.
Another area for the Royals to work on will be getting the number of INTs down from their QB, Miller. He posted an 18-17 line with a QBR of 84, joint 2nd lowest in the league. This can be for a myriad of factors, and as stated above developing the safety valve position of TE can be a great way to give a pressure release to a QB. Assuming Miller continues to develop well, we'll likely see aid at other positions both on his OL and outside impact his stats positively.
Defensively, I'm about to get more formulaic than an Imagine Dragons song. I'll say it again, there's two types of teams in the DSFL. Teams who get to the opposing QB, and teams who don't. Thankfully the problem is somewhat lessened in London for the Royals, but generally speaking they could do with an improvement in sack rate. Their top contributor being an interior DT, Scrimmage, who posted 7 sacks on the season. That is pretty damn good to be honest, but the supporting cast has to be there too.
So, that brings us back to Defensive Secondaries. Yeah, the Royals posted a staggeringly low 4 Interceptions the entirety of S39. That is less than half Bondi Beach's (im sorry I love you really Bondi) count of 9. The Royals should have almost a singular focus early on in the draft positionally. They need to cover the ball, improve their pass defending and generate turnovers. If they do that, and give their offence more time on the field, they could be golden.
Positions of Need: 1. Pass Coverage CB / Free Safety 2. RB if Farquaads leaves 3. LB 4. Tight End
Pick 1.04 - Portland PythonsWe now have only teams with winning records left! oof, bottom heavy season huh. The Pythons ended their season at 8-5 and we're going to get into at least a little shorter analysis now as teams begin to have less glaring or at least immediately obvious statistical issues than those with losing records.
Offensively, the Pythons receiving stats are an interesting bunch to look at. For the first time we see not one but two Tight Ends factoring significantly into the stats. In fact Portland's 2nd highest yards tally goes to a TE, Crashmore. While this adds some dynamic explosiveness to their offence, it means that their WR corps is a little thin. Especially if top option Crashmore leaves. For the first time this list, I wouldn't be surprised to see Portland reach a little with a high round pick and take the best WR prospect on the table, as they could be left lacking a serious deep threat otherwise.
Portland played home to the top Rushing RB of the season, whose name I can't type without a smile on my face, Tyler One. Posting a 1632 yard season with a YPC of 4.8, I would be shocked if it was long before this player finds himself in the ISFL. However, if they can hold on to him for another season as they'll be hoping to do, he looks to use his absurd speed to once again be a workhorse in this offence, which he may well need to be if the receiving corps is depleted.
Defensive Portland were an absolutely sack machine last season, so should be covered on that side of things. However they could stand to up their pass defence rate and put a few more INTs on the board. Ultimately though, barring severe loss to ISFL teams, they should be in a good position to add a few complimentary pieces and keep the sacks rolling. Once again, Defensive Secondary would be the targetted area of improvement.
Positions of Need: 1. Free Safety 2. WR Depth 3. CB
1.05 Dallas BirddogsDallas ended their campaign 8-6 so we're getting into the ones that are all round pretty strong! But let's take a look at what help is needed in the state of Texas.
Dallas' offence ran interestingly for sure - Slider & Ayame their RB Duo together commanded a lot of the offence in a pretty even time share. Dallas seem to operate largely on the run game as well as short-mid passing schemes. Their top pass catcher Truckel posted 632 yards on the season, a departure from the numbers of almost every other teams top receivers. Catching the least TD's in the league, and running in the most, it's clear that if you like pounding the rock, Dallas is probably a team you'll enjoy.
Defensively, they sit pretty middle of the pack, with a high INT rate but on the lower end of pass defence. Their sack rate is good albeit not great, but it's tough to pinpoint any real area of lacking without knowing who will be assigned back down from an ISFL level.
Will Dallas decide to develop the passing game more to add another dimension to their game? Or will they shore up defensively and rely on what's been more or less working for them so far? It's a tough one to call. Top players like Elsathelookout leaving could have a serious impact on their defensive needs, and it's hard to imagine a top 3 LB in the league will be around much longer.
Positions of Need: 1. WR 2. TE 3. LB
Pick 1.06 - Minnesota Grey DucksWhat does a team who posts both the highest PF and the 2nd lowest PA in the league need? Well, there's always room for improvement. Let's see if we can spot a couple picks that might see the Grey Ducks lift an Ultimini.
Minnesota's receiving game is dominated by one of the most impressive players in the league. Zero Gibson II, the TE has played for them a couple of seasons now. He posted a staggering 87/1451/8 statline this season, and it's clear much of their offence ran throgh him. Surely however, his DSFL tenure is coming to an end? The Grey Ducks will need to find places to look elsewhere to keep their offensive steam going.
Only two teams had their top RB run less than 1000 yards in S39, and Minnesota was one of them. Now they don't have the power duo of Dallas, but their depth isn't all that bad. Whilst they may have lacked a stud at the position for now, that's not to say someone doesn't step into that role in the coming season. I wouldn't be surprised to see them sit with what they have there for now.
Defensively strong, the Grey Ducks defended more passes than anyone else in the league. Their Int numbers were acceptable albeit not great, but generally speaking I believe the key to this offseason & draft will be answering the question of what is their team identity once their star TE leaves? That must be answered above all else first.
Positions of Need: 1. Tight End? Star WR? Something to fill the void Zero leaves. 2. DE 3. See #1
Pick 1.07 - Norfolk SeawolvesThe Norfolk Seawolves are obviously a good team. Yes, it might be weird that a rural county has a team in England instead of one of the major cities. Yes, they might be named after a submarine, or a mythical creature? I'm not sure. But all that aside, they're a good team. They're also a heartbroken team as tragedy stuck as they were relatively obliterated in the Ultimini.
So, how do they bounce back? Norfolk are another run-first team, with their RBs 1-3 posting yardage of 1165, 734 and 588. That's barely a scratch under 2500 yards from their RB corps alone! They posted receiving yardage 300 yards lower than even Dallas, yet had surprisingly high TD efficiency for it. Simply put, this is a team that has an identity. They play physical, brutal and efficient football.
For once I get to say they have an elite secondary, posting 25 Ints and 34 Sacks too from the front. A top-tier pass defence rate and tied highest Defensive TDs and yeah, the Seawolves do alright on defence.
So how do they improve this? Well, they are led in receptions by a Tight End, if they retain Huge, they can focus on maintaining their core identity and supporting it as needs be.
Positions of Need: 1. Whatever is needed on O to keep those run channels open. 2. TE 3. WR
Pick 1.08 - Kansas City CoyotesWell we made it to the champions my friends. If you're still reading this incredibly long piece of pure speculation and reading too much into player index. Congrats, or sorry about that, either one.
Kansas City Coyotes are our most recent DSFL champions, beating out the Seawolves in the Ultimini in the past week. Let's talk about their obvious strengths, and where they might look to shore up.
KCC's offence was actually one of balance. No leaders in any individual categories, but instead reliable, solid offensive options almost everywhere you look on the field. Two WRs over 1000 yards each in Ryder & Cooper, a top 3 RB (with a significant cliff to Top 2) in Blue Jr, and a great backup RB in Shpoopy.
Their primary pass catching TE, Mustache, quietly went for over 500 yards and 3 TDs. Simply put, you try to find a weakness in KCC's offence and it's almost as hard as pointing out the one dominant force that made it so fierce.
Similarly, the stars aligned for KCC on Defence too. 2nd in the league in Sack count, 3rd in the leauge in INTs, Top 4 in Pass Defence. Kansas are managing to be at least "good" in all categories, and that's a hell of a way to build a consistent team.
Their needs in the S40 DSFL draft are most likely going to hinge on who they don't expect to be assigned back to them from the ISFL. That's something only the GMs can know, but generally speaking the Coyotes are a team that I'm comfortable saying that they could probably simply pick the best overall prospect on the board when the draft comes to them and do just fine out of it.
They're a fascinating departure from their main rival this season, the Norfolk Seawolves. The Seawolves put forward a highly schemed, specialised team who excel in certain parameters that covers up their failing in others. Kansas City put forward pure consistency, performing well even if not excellening in almost all categories.
Positions of Need: 1. LB 2. WR 3. Best Prospect on the Board
Word Count: 3194
RE: DSFL Draft: Team Prospectuses for Draftees! - MMFLEX - 02-11-2023
Great article! Welcome to the league!