Background
I absolutely have to start this article with a disclaimer before I get blasted by someone in the comments or in DMs. I did vote for removing award voting responsibilities from Head Office. I don’t regret that vote because the core reasons why I did are still applicable - in an average season there are so many things to do in an offseason and only so much time we have and can devote to sim leagues. Due to numerous factors such as not being primarily responsible for regression anymore (thank the lord), having what essentially amounted to a four day weekend from work, and being sick some the week before so I had time to sit down and actually handle some other things I have the time necessary to devote to awards this year. It also doesn’t help that I've fallen to 6th richest because Laser is literally printing money in his basement somehow.
I’ll also be bringing a rule proposal to the table that allows Head Office members to opt into voting on awards again because I think its a responsibility some people enjoy and depending on the division of tasks to the entire team might be possible. Thats a debate for another time.
I also want to note that this is just how my ballot would break down if I got to cast a ballot. My “runner up” is who I would vote second on my own hypothetical ballot while my “winner” is who my number one vote would go to. These are not predictions about who will win but rather who I would have voted for had I been able to vote.
Most Valuable Player
Runner Up: Colby Jack, QB
441/660 66.82% 5758 YDS 44 TD 13 INT 84 LNG 108.1 RAT
I really debated Fire Salamanders QB Nick Kaepercolin here because he had a solid year and his team was the number one overall seed in the playoffs, however its hard to ignore the statistical domination from Jack. His 5,758 yards are now the most passing yards in a season ever. The Wraiths only missed the playoffs by one game and would have made it over the Second Line had they been in the ASFC or we had an alternate seeding method.
Winner: Tatsu Nakamura, RB
325 ATT 1564 YDS 4.81 YPC 21 TD 73 LNG 50 REC 511 YDS 1 TD 39 LNG 30 CAKES 7 SA
For most of the season Tatsu was a single point of failure for the Outlaws. That isn’t a knock - it means that if he was ground to a halt in any game the chances the Outlaws won the game dropped exponentially. He was that important to their offense. The best example of this is when he was held to 12 yards on two carries in the conference championship game and the Outlaws lost by seven. On the whole, however, he produced this season, producing the ninth most yards for a running back in a season and the fifth most touchdowns. His second MVP in a row locks up a sure fire hall of fame career.
Offensive Player of the Year
Runner Up: Kai Sakura, WR
108 REC, 64.29% CATCH, 1838 YDS, 17.02 YPR, 15 TD, 83 LNG, 24 CAKES
I desperately wanted this to be Butchers’ Offensive Lineman Mo Magic, however at 5-11 on the season and with their running back not cracking 1000 yards I had a difficult time justifying it. Sakura got dangerously close to breaking the previous record for receiving yards in a season which stood at 1860 coming into the year. Although William Lim broke the record, Sakura’s seven additional touchdowns push him a bit ahead in my rankings.
Winner: Colby Jack, QB
441/660 66.82% 5758 YDS 44 TD 13 INT 84 LNG 108.1 RAT
There’s not much to say here that I didn’t say in the MVP section. Jack dominated - the most passing yards in a season ever, one away from the touchdown record, a smidge away from the passer rating record. This was a historic season.
Defensive Player of the Year
Runner Up: Cuco Clemente, S
70 TCK, 1 TFL, 3/1 FF/FR, 2 SCK, 7 INT, 14 PD, 2 DEFTD, 63.64% CATCH
Clemente forced 10 turnovers and actually produced a tangible eight for a team that was one game away from securing home field advantage for the playoffs. That's an outstanding accomplishment and deserves to be recognized. Two defensive touchdowns added to the resume as did the sacks and tackle for loss. Clemente was all over the field doing a little bit of everything.
Winner: Tyler Montain, LB
107 TCK, 5 TFL, 4/3 FF/FR, 14 SCK, 3 INT, 12 PD, 2 SFTY, 1 DEFTD
Montain had a ridiculous season. Normally there is always a linebacker that is a cut above but you can always make an argument for another one based on a lone statistical category that they didn’t lead the league in. With few exceptions, Montain dominated the competition in every category. Although the Copperheads were a disappointing 5-10-1 on the year its scary to think about what might have been if not for Montain.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Runner Up: Cade York, K/P
50/51 XPM, 98% XP, 33/36 FGM, 91.7% FGM, 1/1 <20, 8/8 20-29, 10/10 30-39, 8/10 40-49, 6/7 50+, 54 LNG, 65 PUN, 2978 YDS, 45.8 AVG, 29 Inside 20, 67 LNG
York had a season that might be deserving of some of the kicker or punter specific awards and did it all on a team with championship aspirations as a rookie. Thats an incredible accomplishment and I’m glad to see a kicker on the ballot this season. His field goal percentage which was third in the league should keep him in the competition until the final hours.
Winner: Brandon Prince, RB
172 ATT, 659 Yds, 3.83 YPC, 11 TD, 51 LNG, 12 REC, 57.14% CATCH, 147 Yds, 2 TD, 42 LNG, 11 CAKES, 0 SA
There’s absolutely a bit of homerism here because Prince has been a stalwart for the Silverbacks all season, however 13 total touchdowns from a rookie who came into the season barely scraping the TPE cap is ridiculous. His rushing touchdown production was neck and neck with players who had significantly more snaps all year and are in the running for running back of the year. Add in his performance in helping the Silverbacks win an Ultimus this year and he added another three touchdowns to that total. He has a nose for the endzone and voters love to see touchdowns.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Runner Up: CJ Sonjack, CB
32 TCK, 31 PD, 52.1% CATCH
32 PDs as a rookie is insane as is his 52.1% catch%. Sonjack dominated as a boundary corner for the Liberty like rookie corners rarely do. If he had added an interception or two to his total this award would surely be his.
Winner: Xavier Walls, LB
105 TCK, 7 TFL, 2 FR, 5 SCK, 2 INT, 9 PD
The award itself goes to another Liberty teammate, however. Walls had one of those head turning years for a linebacker as a rookie, putting up stats in just about every category. Its hard to question someone who is on pace to build off these numbers each season which would put them in the running for much more prestigious awards.
Offensive Breakout Player of the Year
Runner Up: Sam Howitzer, QB
S27: 400/609, 65.7% Comp, 4047 YDS, 15 TD, 14 INT, 83.1 RAT
S28: 330/438, 61.3% Comp, 4089 YDS, 15 TD, 5 INT, 90.3 RAT
S29: 393/594, 66.2% Comp, 4266 YDS, 31 TD, 15 INT, 94 RAT
There were a lot of good candidates for this award so this absolutely might be my homerism showing a bit again. The thing that sealed second place for Howitzer for me was the jump in touchdowns. Although the yards have remained fairly consistent the last few seasons he doubled his touchdown numbers while keeping the interceptions on par with his S27 numbers. Thats a big thing for any team and is one of the reasons why New York was able to bring home a title this season.
Winner: Cmon Skiuuup, WR
S27: 80 REC, 971 YDS, 12.1 YPC, 4 TD, 45 LNG
S28: 78 REC, 977 YDS, 12.5 YPC, 6 TD, 52 LNG
S29: 96 REC, 1517 YDS, 15.8 YPC, 15 TD, 81 LNG
Breaking the 1000 yard mark for the first time in the last few seasons is the biggest reason why Skiuuup brings home the award from me. He didn’t just break that barrier either, he shattered it and had one of the best years for any receiver in the league this season. Doubling his touchdowns is only icing on the cake for bringing home the award.
Defensive Breakout Player of the Year
Runner Up: Honky Tonk Haywood, DT
S27: 47 TCK, 3 TFL, 1 FF, 3 SCK
S28: 26 TCK, 3 SCK
S29: 80 TCK, 11 TFL, 2 FF, 2 SCK
A jump in tackle numbers and adding seven more hits in the backfield than his best season (S27) and 10 more than his last season, Haywood was a dominant interior presence for the Liberty this season. Jumping from three sacks of tackles for loss to double digits in a season is a huge boon for any team.
Winner: Tyler Montain, LB
S27: 52 TCK, 4 TFL, 1 FF, 3 SCK
S28: 109 TCK, 1 TFL, 2/2 FF/FR, 2 SCK, 4 PD
S29: 107 TCK, 5 TFL, 4/3 FF/FR, 14 SCK, 3 INT, 12 PD, 2 SFTY, 1 DEFTD
I typically have a hard time voting for players who position switch for breakout player, luckily though this is Montain’s second season as a LB so it makes sense for him to have a “breakout.” Breakout he did as well, jumping from a solid LB in S28 to a defensive player of the year candidate in S29.
Quarterback of the Year
Runner Up: Nick Kaepercolin
414/623 66.45% 4764 YDS 39 TD 11 INT 81 LNG 102.8 RAT 6 Fumbles
I mentioned Kapercolin had a shot at being my runner up for Most Valuable Player so it makes sense he slots in at second for my quarterback of the year ballot (spoiler alert: likely behind the guy he was behind for MVP). This is an impressive year for any quarterback and while he might not have had the pure passing yards or touchdowns of other candidates he did have an impressive season while guiding a team to the Ultimus.
Winner: Colby Jack
441/660 66.82% 5758 YDS 44 TD 13 INT 84 LNG 108.1 RAT 4 Fumbles
What is there to say about Colby Jack that I haven’t written already. This is one of the best seasons by a quarterback all time plain and simple and its pretty obvious its being recognized as such. I still think there’s a good shot he wins MVP along with everything else too.
Running Back of the Year
Runner Up: Jamar Lackson
201 ATT, 901 YDS, 4.48 YPC, 9 TD, 75 LNG, 71 REC, 818 YDS, 7 TD, 51 LNG, 46 CAKES, 3 SA
Although he didn’t break the 1000 yard mark, putting up over 1700 all-purpose offensive yards on a year is impressive for any player. San Jose was in the playoff hunt until very late in the season and a lot of that is due to the impressive season from Lackson.
Winner: Tatsu Nakamura
325 ATT 1564 YDS 4.81 YPC 21 TD 73 LNG 50 REC 511 YDS 1 TD 39 LNG 30 CAKES 7 SA
Similarly to Colby Jack above for quarterback of the year, what else is there to say about Tatsu that I haven’t written already. He’s my vote for MVP currently and continues to have amazing season after amazing season as he builds a very impressive hall of fame resume.
Wide Receiver of the Year
Runner Up: William Lim
124 REC, 65.96% CATCH, 1926 YDS, 8 TD, 15.53 YPR, 78 LNG, 23 CAKES
After falling short of the record for receiving yards in a season twice, Lim finally stepped up and broke it. The only thing left from his impressive career is being the first receiver to eclipse 2000 yards. Although he’s in regression it doesn’t look like father time is slowing him down.
Winner: Kai Sakura
108 REC, 64.29% CATCH, 1838 YDS, 17.02 YPR, 15 TD, 83 LNG, 24 CAKES
Sakura got awfully close to the original receiving yards in a season record this year before Lim shattered it. The separation between him and Lim occurs because of the increased touchdown numbers and how he got similar production out of less catches. The extra pancake isn’t a downside either because pancakes are delicious.
Tight End of the Year
Runner Up: Zee Rechs
86 REC, 66.15% CATCH, 843 YDS, 9.8 YPR, 10 TD, 54 LNG, 60 CAKES, 0 SA
Tight end is always an interesting position to vote for because there’s a lot of different things you can consider. I liked the balance of yards, touchdowns, and pancakes that Rechs put up this season. His catch% was solid and it looks like he helped in a lot of different areas of the Wraiths offense.
Winner: James Angler
94 REC, 70.15% CATCH, 1031 YDS, 10.97 YPR, 10 TD, 71 LNG, 46 CAKES, 2 SA
Similarly to Rechs, I liked the balanced season that Angler had. Across the board though the only stats he performed worse in than Rechs were pancakes and sacks allowed. That was something I considered however the higher catch%, more yards, and more touchdowns won me over in the end.
Offensive Lineman of the Year
Runner Up: Jaja Ding Dong
140 CAKES, 1 SA, 1 Penalty, 5 Penalty YDS
Although sacks allowed are typically black marks for offensive linemen, Jaja Ding Dong only gave up one penalty all season which balances out the sack in my mind. The average penalty and average sack are similar distances and so it all kinda lumps into negative yards accounted for in my mind. 140 cakes is unreal and one of the best seasons ever for a human offensive linemen.
Winner: Mo “Mamba” Magic
133 CAKES, 0 SA, 2 Penalty, 9 Penalty YDS
Magic takes the cake for me here (Get it, see what I did there? I’m hilarious) because of his clean game overall. Although he has one additional penalty when compared to Jaja Ding Dong the negative yards feel like they’d be less and the cake numbers are similar.
Defensive End of the Year
Runner Up: Brick Van Sanzo
32 TCK, 7 TFL, 4/3 FF/FR, 11 SCK
If the tackle numbers were a bit higher for Brick he might be able to take hom the award. 18 total hits in the backfield is a strong season as was forcing four fumbles and recovering three. Those turnovers are crucial and were his strongest selling point.
Winner: Leonard Taylor
65 TCK, 3 TFL, 4 FF, 15 SCK, 2 SFTY
Double the tackle numbers and equal hits in the backfield to Brick, Taylor had a dominant year. He forced as many fumbles as Brick did and had the added benefit of adding two safeties. Although he didn’t recover any of the fumbles himself, being able to add the safeties helped push him over Brick on my hypothetical ballot.
Defensive Tackle of the Year
Runner Up: BigEddi ForeverYeti
59 TCK, 2 TFL, 3/2 FF/FR, 8 SCK
I really considered Leon McDavid here because he also had an incredible season. Edd ended the season with more tackles, equal hits in the backfield, and more forced fumbles and fumble recoveries though. It was hard to justify anyone but Edd in this spot.
Winner: Honky-Tonk Haywood
80 TCK, 11 TFL, 2 FF, 2 SCK
This season Haywood did exactly what I expect a traditional defensive tackle to do. He ate up space and made a boatload of tackles, busted through the line and hit the running back for a loss when he could, ripped the ball out twice to try to force turnovers, and still managed to hit the quarterback twice. This was an all-around great year for a defensive tackle.
Linebacker of the Year
Runner Up: L'Gazzy Burfict
89 TCK, 7 TFL, 6/2 FF/FR, 11 SCK, 3 INT, 16 PD
Although the tackle numbers are a bit down for Burfict when compared to other top linebackers the three interceptions and six forced fumbles make him a force to be reckoned with on the ballot. I considered Jack Banks here because of the increased tackle numbers but decided I’d trade one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one tackle for loss for 11 tackles almost any day of the week.
Winner: Tyler Montain
107 TCK, 5 TFL, 4/3 FF/FR, 14 SCK, 3 INT, 12 PD, 2 SFTY, 1 DEFTD
Plain and simple Montain had one of the best years of a linebacker in recent memory. There’s not much more to say about him then what I already wrote above. The separation between him and Burfict was based on the defensive touchdown and two safeties along with the handful more sacks.
Cornerback of the Year
Runner Up: Albert Ruschmann
92 TCK, 1/1/ FF/FR, 2 SCK, 3 INT, 36 PD, 1 DEFTD, 60% CATCH
With one of the lowest catch% marks among any cornerback in the league, Ruschmann had a year that deserves recognition. If he had been able to add another turnover or two - preferably an interception - he would have easily topped my ballot this season.
Winner: Colt Mendoza
93 TCK, 5/4 FF/FR, 1 SCK, 4 INT, 33 PD, 60.71% CATCH
Well I feel like a bit of an ass giving myself the award so stepping out of my role as Mendoza the player this is the first year he’s had in a while where he hasn’t been an absolute bum. His catch% is only a smidge higher than Ruchmann’s and he has an extra interception along with four more forced fumbles and three more fumble recoveries. Thats some crazy turnover production that makes him top my ballot.
Safety of the Year
Runner Up: Jeremiah Zelos
89 TCK, 5 TFL, 1 FF, 6 SCK, 4 INT, 13 PD, 1 DEFTD, 61.48% CATCH
I considered Damian Blackfyre here as well, however Zelos lived in his opponents’ backfields with 11 hits in the backfield total. He accomplished all of that while having four interceptions and a catch% that is in line with the best marks in the league by a safety.
Winner: Cuco Clemente
70 TCK, 1 TFL, 3/1 FF/FR, 2 SCK, 7 INT, 14 PD, 2 DEFTD, 63.64% CATCH
Clemente brings home the award because of his seven interceptions, however the more I look at it the more I really like Zelos’ season as well. It all depends on what you want from your safety, but in the end forcing a guaranteed eight turnovers with the potential that the other two forced fumbles were recovered by his team is something no one is going to turn down.
Returner of the Year
Runner Up: Chizuru Ichinose
25 KR, 740 KR YDS, 29.6 KR AVG, 107 KR LNG, 1 KR TD, 32 PR, 325 PR YDS, 10.2 PR YDS, 72 PR LNG
Ichinose had a solid year for both kick returns and punt returns. They had one of the highest kick return averages with the level of volume that they saw. In the end I had to weigh a higher kick return average or punt return average to decide the winner.
Winner: Flash Panda
28 KR, 708 KR YDS, 25.3 KR AVG, 74 KR LNG, 18 PR, 340 PR YDS, 18.9 PR AVG, 88 PR LNG, 1 PR TD
Panda had one of the highest punt return averages in the league but did it on substantially less returns than most other primary returners. It was hard to decide whether that was a knock of not because in the end she produced similar total punt return yards to most others on less returns which I took as a positive - you can count on her to produce more consistently.
Kicker of the Year
Runner Up: Taipan Pete
44/44 XPM, 100% XP%, 30/33 FGM, 90.9% FG%, 2/2 <20, 2/2 20-29, 12/12 30-39, 7/8 40-49, 7/9 50+, 57 LNG
Taipan Pete had an incredible year with a perfect extra point record and near perfect field goal record. With two of his misses coming from 50+ yards and the other coming from between 40 and 49 yards it was hard to find a better statistical year for a kicker.
Winner: Cade York
50/51 XPM, 98% XP%, 33/36 FGM, 91.7% FG%, 1/1 <20, 8/8 20-29, 10/10 30-39, 8/10 40-49, 6/7 50+, 54 LNG
York was almost perfect on extra points while having an amazing record with field goals. With two misses coming from 40-49 yards and one coming from 50+ he was very close to Taipan Pete on production. I gave him the edge because he had more volume as it came to extra points and field goals.
Punter of the Year
Runner Up: Matthew McDairmid
69 PUN, 3379 YDS, 49 AVG, 32 Inside 20, 71 LNG
I think there’s a legitimate argument for McDairmid to take the award home. A 49 yard average on his punts and nailing 32 inside the 20 yard mark is an impressive season. You can’t really fault someone for not having the same volume of punts, however I do wonder what that average would look like with more.
Winner: Taipan Pete
76 PUN, 3508 Yds, 46.2 AVG, 38 Inside 20, 63 LNG
I went with Taipan Pete because he had a similar average on more punts but he also nailed more inside the 20 yard mark comparably. He only had seven more punts on the season than McDairmid but put six more inside the 20 which is a higher percentage. In the end I valued the accuracy over the power but felt like Pete had a good blend of both.
I absolutely have to start this article with a disclaimer before I get blasted by someone in the comments or in DMs. I did vote for removing award voting responsibilities from Head Office. I don’t regret that vote because the core reasons why I did are still applicable - in an average season there are so many things to do in an offseason and only so much time we have and can devote to sim leagues. Due to numerous factors such as not being primarily responsible for regression anymore (thank the lord), having what essentially amounted to a four day weekend from work, and being sick some the week before so I had time to sit down and actually handle some other things I have the time necessary to devote to awards this year. It also doesn’t help that I've fallen to 6th richest because Laser is literally printing money in his basement somehow.
I’ll also be bringing a rule proposal to the table that allows Head Office members to opt into voting on awards again because I think its a responsibility some people enjoy and depending on the division of tasks to the entire team might be possible. Thats a debate for another time.
I also want to note that this is just how my ballot would break down if I got to cast a ballot. My “runner up” is who I would vote second on my own hypothetical ballot while my “winner” is who my number one vote would go to. These are not predictions about who will win but rather who I would have voted for had I been able to vote.
Most Valuable Player
Runner Up: Colby Jack, QB
441/660 66.82% 5758 YDS 44 TD 13 INT 84 LNG 108.1 RAT
I really debated Fire Salamanders QB Nick Kaepercolin here because he had a solid year and his team was the number one overall seed in the playoffs, however its hard to ignore the statistical domination from Jack. His 5,758 yards are now the most passing yards in a season ever. The Wraiths only missed the playoffs by one game and would have made it over the Second Line had they been in the ASFC or we had an alternate seeding method.
Winner: Tatsu Nakamura, RB
325 ATT 1564 YDS 4.81 YPC 21 TD 73 LNG 50 REC 511 YDS 1 TD 39 LNG 30 CAKES 7 SA
For most of the season Tatsu was a single point of failure for the Outlaws. That isn’t a knock - it means that if he was ground to a halt in any game the chances the Outlaws won the game dropped exponentially. He was that important to their offense. The best example of this is when he was held to 12 yards on two carries in the conference championship game and the Outlaws lost by seven. On the whole, however, he produced this season, producing the ninth most yards for a running back in a season and the fifth most touchdowns. His second MVP in a row locks up a sure fire hall of fame career.
Offensive Player of the Year
Runner Up: Kai Sakura, WR
108 REC, 64.29% CATCH, 1838 YDS, 17.02 YPR, 15 TD, 83 LNG, 24 CAKES
I desperately wanted this to be Butchers’ Offensive Lineman Mo Magic, however at 5-11 on the season and with their running back not cracking 1000 yards I had a difficult time justifying it. Sakura got dangerously close to breaking the previous record for receiving yards in a season which stood at 1860 coming into the year. Although William Lim broke the record, Sakura’s seven additional touchdowns push him a bit ahead in my rankings.
Winner: Colby Jack, QB
441/660 66.82% 5758 YDS 44 TD 13 INT 84 LNG 108.1 RAT
There’s not much to say here that I didn’t say in the MVP section. Jack dominated - the most passing yards in a season ever, one away from the touchdown record, a smidge away from the passer rating record. This was a historic season.
Defensive Player of the Year
Runner Up: Cuco Clemente, S
70 TCK, 1 TFL, 3/1 FF/FR, 2 SCK, 7 INT, 14 PD, 2 DEFTD, 63.64% CATCH
Clemente forced 10 turnovers and actually produced a tangible eight for a team that was one game away from securing home field advantage for the playoffs. That's an outstanding accomplishment and deserves to be recognized. Two defensive touchdowns added to the resume as did the sacks and tackle for loss. Clemente was all over the field doing a little bit of everything.
Winner: Tyler Montain, LB
107 TCK, 5 TFL, 4/3 FF/FR, 14 SCK, 3 INT, 12 PD, 2 SFTY, 1 DEFTD
Montain had a ridiculous season. Normally there is always a linebacker that is a cut above but you can always make an argument for another one based on a lone statistical category that they didn’t lead the league in. With few exceptions, Montain dominated the competition in every category. Although the Copperheads were a disappointing 5-10-1 on the year its scary to think about what might have been if not for Montain.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Runner Up: Cade York, K/P
50/51 XPM, 98% XP, 33/36 FGM, 91.7% FGM, 1/1 <20, 8/8 20-29, 10/10 30-39, 8/10 40-49, 6/7 50+, 54 LNG, 65 PUN, 2978 YDS, 45.8 AVG, 29 Inside 20, 67 LNG
York had a season that might be deserving of some of the kicker or punter specific awards and did it all on a team with championship aspirations as a rookie. Thats an incredible accomplishment and I’m glad to see a kicker on the ballot this season. His field goal percentage which was third in the league should keep him in the competition until the final hours.
Winner: Brandon Prince, RB
172 ATT, 659 Yds, 3.83 YPC, 11 TD, 51 LNG, 12 REC, 57.14% CATCH, 147 Yds, 2 TD, 42 LNG, 11 CAKES, 0 SA
There’s absolutely a bit of homerism here because Prince has been a stalwart for the Silverbacks all season, however 13 total touchdowns from a rookie who came into the season barely scraping the TPE cap is ridiculous. His rushing touchdown production was neck and neck with players who had significantly more snaps all year and are in the running for running back of the year. Add in his performance in helping the Silverbacks win an Ultimus this year and he added another three touchdowns to that total. He has a nose for the endzone and voters love to see touchdowns.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Runner Up: CJ Sonjack, CB
32 TCK, 31 PD, 52.1% CATCH
32 PDs as a rookie is insane as is his 52.1% catch%. Sonjack dominated as a boundary corner for the Liberty like rookie corners rarely do. If he had added an interception or two to his total this award would surely be his.
Winner: Xavier Walls, LB
105 TCK, 7 TFL, 2 FR, 5 SCK, 2 INT, 9 PD
The award itself goes to another Liberty teammate, however. Walls had one of those head turning years for a linebacker as a rookie, putting up stats in just about every category. Its hard to question someone who is on pace to build off these numbers each season which would put them in the running for much more prestigious awards.
Offensive Breakout Player of the Year
Runner Up: Sam Howitzer, QB
S27: 400/609, 65.7% Comp, 4047 YDS, 15 TD, 14 INT, 83.1 RAT
S28: 330/438, 61.3% Comp, 4089 YDS, 15 TD, 5 INT, 90.3 RAT
S29: 393/594, 66.2% Comp, 4266 YDS, 31 TD, 15 INT, 94 RAT
There were a lot of good candidates for this award so this absolutely might be my homerism showing a bit again. The thing that sealed second place for Howitzer for me was the jump in touchdowns. Although the yards have remained fairly consistent the last few seasons he doubled his touchdown numbers while keeping the interceptions on par with his S27 numbers. Thats a big thing for any team and is one of the reasons why New York was able to bring home a title this season.
Winner: Cmon Skiuuup, WR
S27: 80 REC, 971 YDS, 12.1 YPC, 4 TD, 45 LNG
S28: 78 REC, 977 YDS, 12.5 YPC, 6 TD, 52 LNG
S29: 96 REC, 1517 YDS, 15.8 YPC, 15 TD, 81 LNG
Breaking the 1000 yard mark for the first time in the last few seasons is the biggest reason why Skiuuup brings home the award from me. He didn’t just break that barrier either, he shattered it and had one of the best years for any receiver in the league this season. Doubling his touchdowns is only icing on the cake for bringing home the award.
Defensive Breakout Player of the Year
Runner Up: Honky Tonk Haywood, DT
S27: 47 TCK, 3 TFL, 1 FF, 3 SCK
S28: 26 TCK, 3 SCK
S29: 80 TCK, 11 TFL, 2 FF, 2 SCK
A jump in tackle numbers and adding seven more hits in the backfield than his best season (S27) and 10 more than his last season, Haywood was a dominant interior presence for the Liberty this season. Jumping from three sacks of tackles for loss to double digits in a season is a huge boon for any team.
Winner: Tyler Montain, LB
S27: 52 TCK, 4 TFL, 1 FF, 3 SCK
S28: 109 TCK, 1 TFL, 2/2 FF/FR, 2 SCK, 4 PD
S29: 107 TCK, 5 TFL, 4/3 FF/FR, 14 SCK, 3 INT, 12 PD, 2 SFTY, 1 DEFTD
I typically have a hard time voting for players who position switch for breakout player, luckily though this is Montain’s second season as a LB so it makes sense for him to have a “breakout.” Breakout he did as well, jumping from a solid LB in S28 to a defensive player of the year candidate in S29.
Quarterback of the Year
Runner Up: Nick Kaepercolin
414/623 66.45% 4764 YDS 39 TD 11 INT 81 LNG 102.8 RAT 6 Fumbles
I mentioned Kapercolin had a shot at being my runner up for Most Valuable Player so it makes sense he slots in at second for my quarterback of the year ballot (spoiler alert: likely behind the guy he was behind for MVP). This is an impressive year for any quarterback and while he might not have had the pure passing yards or touchdowns of other candidates he did have an impressive season while guiding a team to the Ultimus.
Winner: Colby Jack
441/660 66.82% 5758 YDS 44 TD 13 INT 84 LNG 108.1 RAT 4 Fumbles
What is there to say about Colby Jack that I haven’t written already. This is one of the best seasons by a quarterback all time plain and simple and its pretty obvious its being recognized as such. I still think there’s a good shot he wins MVP along with everything else too.
Running Back of the Year
Runner Up: Jamar Lackson
201 ATT, 901 YDS, 4.48 YPC, 9 TD, 75 LNG, 71 REC, 818 YDS, 7 TD, 51 LNG, 46 CAKES, 3 SA
Although he didn’t break the 1000 yard mark, putting up over 1700 all-purpose offensive yards on a year is impressive for any player. San Jose was in the playoff hunt until very late in the season and a lot of that is due to the impressive season from Lackson.
Winner: Tatsu Nakamura
325 ATT 1564 YDS 4.81 YPC 21 TD 73 LNG 50 REC 511 YDS 1 TD 39 LNG 30 CAKES 7 SA
Similarly to Colby Jack above for quarterback of the year, what else is there to say about Tatsu that I haven’t written already. He’s my vote for MVP currently and continues to have amazing season after amazing season as he builds a very impressive hall of fame resume.
Wide Receiver of the Year
Runner Up: William Lim
124 REC, 65.96% CATCH, 1926 YDS, 8 TD, 15.53 YPR, 78 LNG, 23 CAKES
After falling short of the record for receiving yards in a season twice, Lim finally stepped up and broke it. The only thing left from his impressive career is being the first receiver to eclipse 2000 yards. Although he’s in regression it doesn’t look like father time is slowing him down.
Winner: Kai Sakura
108 REC, 64.29% CATCH, 1838 YDS, 17.02 YPR, 15 TD, 83 LNG, 24 CAKES
Sakura got awfully close to the original receiving yards in a season record this year before Lim shattered it. The separation between him and Lim occurs because of the increased touchdown numbers and how he got similar production out of less catches. The extra pancake isn’t a downside either because pancakes are delicious.
Tight End of the Year
Runner Up: Zee Rechs
86 REC, 66.15% CATCH, 843 YDS, 9.8 YPR, 10 TD, 54 LNG, 60 CAKES, 0 SA
Tight end is always an interesting position to vote for because there’s a lot of different things you can consider. I liked the balance of yards, touchdowns, and pancakes that Rechs put up this season. His catch% was solid and it looks like he helped in a lot of different areas of the Wraiths offense.
Winner: James Angler
94 REC, 70.15% CATCH, 1031 YDS, 10.97 YPR, 10 TD, 71 LNG, 46 CAKES, 2 SA
Similarly to Rechs, I liked the balanced season that Angler had. Across the board though the only stats he performed worse in than Rechs were pancakes and sacks allowed. That was something I considered however the higher catch%, more yards, and more touchdowns won me over in the end.
Offensive Lineman of the Year
Runner Up: Jaja Ding Dong
140 CAKES, 1 SA, 1 Penalty, 5 Penalty YDS
Although sacks allowed are typically black marks for offensive linemen, Jaja Ding Dong only gave up one penalty all season which balances out the sack in my mind. The average penalty and average sack are similar distances and so it all kinda lumps into negative yards accounted for in my mind. 140 cakes is unreal and one of the best seasons ever for a human offensive linemen.
Winner: Mo “Mamba” Magic
133 CAKES, 0 SA, 2 Penalty, 9 Penalty YDS
Magic takes the cake for me here (Get it, see what I did there? I’m hilarious) because of his clean game overall. Although he has one additional penalty when compared to Jaja Ding Dong the negative yards feel like they’d be less and the cake numbers are similar.
Defensive End of the Year
Runner Up: Brick Van Sanzo
32 TCK, 7 TFL, 4/3 FF/FR, 11 SCK
If the tackle numbers were a bit higher for Brick he might be able to take hom the award. 18 total hits in the backfield is a strong season as was forcing four fumbles and recovering three. Those turnovers are crucial and were his strongest selling point.
Winner: Leonard Taylor
65 TCK, 3 TFL, 4 FF, 15 SCK, 2 SFTY
Double the tackle numbers and equal hits in the backfield to Brick, Taylor had a dominant year. He forced as many fumbles as Brick did and had the added benefit of adding two safeties. Although he didn’t recover any of the fumbles himself, being able to add the safeties helped push him over Brick on my hypothetical ballot.
Defensive Tackle of the Year
Runner Up: BigEddi ForeverYeti
59 TCK, 2 TFL, 3/2 FF/FR, 8 SCK
I really considered Leon McDavid here because he also had an incredible season. Edd ended the season with more tackles, equal hits in the backfield, and more forced fumbles and fumble recoveries though. It was hard to justify anyone but Edd in this spot.
Winner: Honky-Tonk Haywood
80 TCK, 11 TFL, 2 FF, 2 SCK
This season Haywood did exactly what I expect a traditional defensive tackle to do. He ate up space and made a boatload of tackles, busted through the line and hit the running back for a loss when he could, ripped the ball out twice to try to force turnovers, and still managed to hit the quarterback twice. This was an all-around great year for a defensive tackle.
Linebacker of the Year
Runner Up: L'Gazzy Burfict
89 TCK, 7 TFL, 6/2 FF/FR, 11 SCK, 3 INT, 16 PD
Although the tackle numbers are a bit down for Burfict when compared to other top linebackers the three interceptions and six forced fumbles make him a force to be reckoned with on the ballot. I considered Jack Banks here because of the increased tackle numbers but decided I’d trade one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one tackle for loss for 11 tackles almost any day of the week.
Winner: Tyler Montain
107 TCK, 5 TFL, 4/3 FF/FR, 14 SCK, 3 INT, 12 PD, 2 SFTY, 1 DEFTD
Plain and simple Montain had one of the best years of a linebacker in recent memory. There’s not much more to say about him then what I already wrote above. The separation between him and Burfict was based on the defensive touchdown and two safeties along with the handful more sacks.
Cornerback of the Year
Runner Up: Albert Ruschmann
92 TCK, 1/1/ FF/FR, 2 SCK, 3 INT, 36 PD, 1 DEFTD, 60% CATCH
With one of the lowest catch% marks among any cornerback in the league, Ruschmann had a year that deserves recognition. If he had been able to add another turnover or two - preferably an interception - he would have easily topped my ballot this season.
Winner: Colt Mendoza
93 TCK, 5/4 FF/FR, 1 SCK, 4 INT, 33 PD, 60.71% CATCH
Well I feel like a bit of an ass giving myself the award so stepping out of my role as Mendoza the player this is the first year he’s had in a while where he hasn’t been an absolute bum. His catch% is only a smidge higher than Ruchmann’s and he has an extra interception along with four more forced fumbles and three more fumble recoveries. Thats some crazy turnover production that makes him top my ballot.
Safety of the Year
Runner Up: Jeremiah Zelos
89 TCK, 5 TFL, 1 FF, 6 SCK, 4 INT, 13 PD, 1 DEFTD, 61.48% CATCH
I considered Damian Blackfyre here as well, however Zelos lived in his opponents’ backfields with 11 hits in the backfield total. He accomplished all of that while having four interceptions and a catch% that is in line with the best marks in the league by a safety.
Winner: Cuco Clemente
70 TCK, 1 TFL, 3/1 FF/FR, 2 SCK, 7 INT, 14 PD, 2 DEFTD, 63.64% CATCH
Clemente brings home the award because of his seven interceptions, however the more I look at it the more I really like Zelos’ season as well. It all depends on what you want from your safety, but in the end forcing a guaranteed eight turnovers with the potential that the other two forced fumbles were recovered by his team is something no one is going to turn down.
Returner of the Year
Runner Up: Chizuru Ichinose
25 KR, 740 KR YDS, 29.6 KR AVG, 107 KR LNG, 1 KR TD, 32 PR, 325 PR YDS, 10.2 PR YDS, 72 PR LNG
Ichinose had a solid year for both kick returns and punt returns. They had one of the highest kick return averages with the level of volume that they saw. In the end I had to weigh a higher kick return average or punt return average to decide the winner.
Winner: Flash Panda
28 KR, 708 KR YDS, 25.3 KR AVG, 74 KR LNG, 18 PR, 340 PR YDS, 18.9 PR AVG, 88 PR LNG, 1 PR TD
Panda had one of the highest punt return averages in the league but did it on substantially less returns than most other primary returners. It was hard to decide whether that was a knock of not because in the end she produced similar total punt return yards to most others on less returns which I took as a positive - you can count on her to produce more consistently.
Kicker of the Year
Runner Up: Taipan Pete
44/44 XPM, 100% XP%, 30/33 FGM, 90.9% FG%, 2/2 <20, 2/2 20-29, 12/12 30-39, 7/8 40-49, 7/9 50+, 57 LNG
Taipan Pete had an incredible year with a perfect extra point record and near perfect field goal record. With two of his misses coming from 50+ yards and the other coming from between 40 and 49 yards it was hard to find a better statistical year for a kicker.
Winner: Cade York
50/51 XPM, 98% XP%, 33/36 FGM, 91.7% FG%, 1/1 <20, 8/8 20-29, 10/10 30-39, 8/10 40-49, 6/7 50+, 54 LNG
York was almost perfect on extra points while having an amazing record with field goals. With two misses coming from 40-49 yards and one coming from 50+ he was very close to Taipan Pete on production. I gave him the edge because he had more volume as it came to extra points and field goals.
Punter of the Year
Runner Up: Matthew McDairmid
69 PUN, 3379 YDS, 49 AVG, 32 Inside 20, 71 LNG
I think there’s a legitimate argument for McDairmid to take the award home. A 49 yard average on his punts and nailing 32 inside the 20 yard mark is an impressive season. You can’t really fault someone for not having the same volume of punts, however I do wonder what that average would look like with more.
Winner: Taipan Pete
76 PUN, 3508 Yds, 46.2 AVG, 38 Inside 20, 63 LNG
I went with Taipan Pete because he had a similar average on more punts but he also nailed more inside the 20 yard mark comparably. He only had seven more punts on the season than McDairmid but put six more inside the 20 which is a higher percentage. In the end I valued the accuracy over the power but felt like Pete had a good blend of both.
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