DSFL Awards Predictions & Likely Draft Destinations
With awards season looming and the draft around the corner, I wanted to do something a bit different to the normal style mock draft or a straightforward awards prediction. As such, the article is structured with mostly 3 nominees and 1 winner per award, followed by some analysis on where any nominated rookies might end up in the upcoming draft. We first go through the individual position awards on offense and defense before the overall awards, and eventually the MVP trophy.
Disclaimer: To be considered for the awards, you had to have had a recent update (03/28). These awards reflect my personal opinion based on the available stats alone and do not take into account league popularity and activity. However, for the draft destinations, I also considered those factors together with total TPE as well as looking at the NSFL team needs.
Offense - Individual Position Awards:
Quarterback of the Year - Nominees:
Chika Fujiwara @Jackets28 - 118/319 (58.9%), 2043 YDS, 10 TD, 5 INT, 81.8 QBR
Luke Skywalker @[muse316] - 148/268 (55.2%), 1364 YDS, 12 TD, 7 INT, 73.4 QBR
Chris Ramos @[pointgod] - 158/323 (48.9%), 1703 YDS, 12 TD, 10 INT, 64.3 QBR
Fujiwara had an outstanding season at the helm of one of the league’s best passing offenses. She managed to lead the league both in 6.4 YPA and 10.9 YP completion and also had the highest completion percentage & passer rating of QBs with more than 250 Attempts. Add to that the 2nd highest number of yards (2104), the only knock on the performance is the number of touchdowns (10). However, this was totally mitigated by the touchdown to interception ratio, sitting at a whopping 2.0, in a league where most QBs struggle to have a positive ratio. Fujiwara also rushed the most out of any DSFL QB, adding on an additional rushing TD.
Skywalker had an excellent campaign for a rookie. He co-led the league with his 12 passing touchdowns, while only throwing 7 interceptions, which was the 2nd best ratio in the league behind Fujiwara. He also achieved the 2nd highest passer rating in the league. Where his year fell short, was total yardage (1364) and yards per attempt/completion, which can be forgiven due to his relative inexperience leading to throws closer to the line of scrimmage than some of the other candidates.
Ramos was one of the co-leaders in total touchdowns (12) and posted the 3rd highest yardage total (1703), while having a high ratio of 10.7 yards per completion. Ultimately, the high number of 10 interceptions and the below 50% completion percentage, means he misses out on the award.
Winner: Chika Fujiwara
Destination: As a S21 player, Chika was a Hawks NSFL send down this season, which no doubt helped the stellar season. With Hawks star QB Havran embarking on new ventures having to run the expansion draft in Honolulu, Chika will likely have to step up in the big leagues sooner than she perhaps would have wanted to.
Bonus: Since Chika was already drafted, we take a look at where Skywalker may go. While there are a few QBs with higher TPE available, two of them are GM-locked-in picks, which leaves only Slothisberger and Waters with slightly higher TPE. Therefore, a team like OCO or NOLA may use one of their mid round picks to draft a replacement project for their aging superstar QBs.
Runningback of the Year - Nominees:
Dax Frost @[Frostbite] - 327 ATT, 1592, 4.87 YPA, 12 TD
Acura Skyline @[Skyline] - 349 ATT, 1761 YDS, 5.05 YPA, 10 TD
Tatsu Nakamura @[qWest] - 265 ATT, 1256 YDS, 4.74 YPA, 10 TD
Frost established himself as one of the premiere RB options in the league practically overnight after switching from CB to RB, and lead the league with a total of 12 rushing touchdowns. His efficiency was also pretty good at 4.87 yards per attempt. One thing that should not be overlooked, is the significant TPE advantage that he had over the other nominees at the beginning of what was his 2nd season in the league.
Skyline’s rookie campaign was nothing short of astonishing. He led the league in yards with 1761 (nearly 200 more than Frost) and had a great average of over 5 yards per attempt. So even if Frost had had the same amount of carries, Acura Skyline would have still had a comfortable cushion in total yards. Yes, the Royals were a run first team, but being on an expansion team, he also had to deal with a worse O-Line than the other two nominees. He recorded an 87 yards TD run, longer than anyone else this season as well as a memorable 74 yards game winning overtime walk-off TD against the defending champions.
Nakamura also had a memorable rookie year, equalling Skyline’s 10 TDs. However, two factors count against him in the awards voting. First, he only averaged around 4.74 yards per attempt, and secondly, he had much less of a running back by committee to deal with than Frost or Skyline. Let’s not forget however that the Pythons were a much less run heavy team than others (2nd fewest attempts in the league), which limited Nakamura’s total carries.
Winner: Acura Skyline
Destination: Skyline’s rookie performance will have put him on many radars for the upcoming draft. Coupled with his activity level and high TPE he is one of the best RB prospects of the year. The Otters are perhaps the most likely landing spot with their late second round pick, as they are in dire need of a RB after they lost one to expansion, and the other unexpectedly changed position.
Wide Receiver of the Year - Nominees:
Thomas Passmann @[StamkosFan] - 64 REC, 831 YDS, 12.98 YPC, 3 TD
Raheem Okusi @[Raheem James] - 66 REC, 894 YDS, 13.55 YPC, 6 TD
Eddie Jeeta @[QuirkyTurtle] - 59 REC, 769 YDS, 13.03 YPC, 5 TD
Honourable Mention: Jeffrey Phillips @[DrunkenTeddy] - 424 YDS, 6 TD
The standout at wide receiver this season was Okusi, boasting the most yards, the highest yards per catch and the joint most touchdowns (together with Phillips). The Pythons didn’t focus as much on the rushing game, and the passing offense mostly went through Okusi.
Eddie Jeeta, one of the most well developed rookies of the S22 class also had a really good season, coming up just short of Okusi in most key metrics. Eddie had a great connection with Fujiwara and having such a reliable target was a major reason for Fujiwara to dominate the QB position this year.
Passmann was another rookie that impressed his team and the league all year long, posting the second most receiving yards for the year, albeit at a slightly lower average yards per reception. If he improves on his touchdown volume, he will be a great addition to any NSFL team.
Winner: Raheem Okusi
Destinations: As a high earner and with a great on and off the field presence, Eddie Jeeta will probably be the top receiver off the board in the upcoming draft and may even go towards the end of the first round. There are several teams that need some help at wide receiver. NOLA has a great RB duo, but their receiving room is lacking quality depth. They currently have only two receivers on the roster, one of which is aging and starting to be deep into regression.
The Wraiths might be another potential landing spot for Eddie, as they will loose Rayne Gordon to the expansion and Nate Swift is a S13 veteran who is battling with regression, that has been rumoured to be contemplating retirement. Two other teams that are likely to have wide receivers near the top of their needs list are Liberty and Yeti. Passmann will surely end up on one of these four teams as well within the first 2-3 rounds.
Tight End of the Year - Nominees:
Rainer Wolfcastle @[thefrowntownclown] - 21 REC, 244 YDS, 11.6 YPC, 4 TD
Reynaud Haugland @[Boomcheck] - 50 REC, 594 YDS, 11.9 YPC, 7 TD
Heath Evans @[Feeler] - 37 REC, 491 YDS, 13.3 YPC, 2 TD
Evans had a nice rookie campaign, collecting close to 500 yards and setting a monstrous 13.3 yards per catch. However, the touchdown numbers weren’t as impressive, as Evans was only able to find the end zone twice all year. He did shine in the blocking game however, with 27 pancakes, which was most among all tight ends, while only allowing a single sack.
At first glance, you may dismiss Wolfcastle’s nomination if you simple consider the top-line numbers. Dive a little deeper however, and you will see that his production was outstanding, given the few targets and receptions he saw all year. Maybe if the Greyducks had used him more, they would have had a better season. He recorded a touchdown roughly every 5 receptions, which is a simply ludicrous rate.
All that said, the award for the best tight end in the league should not be close at all this year. Haugland, the TE-FB hybrid had an incredible 7 receiving touchdowns. This does not only dwarf every other TE, it was actually enough to lead the entire league in receiving touchdowns, leaving several star wide receivers behind with his numbers. Nearly 600 yards was also the best among tight ends. Reynaud was also not afraid of the dirty work in the trenches, with 11 pancakes and no sacks allowed for the season.
Offensive Line of the Year - Nominees:
Byron Dolls @[Symmetrik] - 66 Pancakes - 1 Sack Allowed
Douglas Quail @[DynamicDoug] - 59 Pancakes - 1 Sack Allowed
Simon Tremblay @[Briedaqueduc] - 53 Pancakes – 1 Sack Allowed
Offensive line is one of the most underrated positions in the league, and sadly we don’t have a lot of stats to write home about. To understand just how important a good offensive line is, just look at the Birddogs, who allowed 18 sacks and recorded a meagre 195 pancakes on the year, which ultimately resulted in the worst passing offense in the league in terms of total passing yards. Alternatively, just read one of Stego’s excellent analytical pieces, which no doubt will be put to good use by many teams next year.
Back to the matter at hand, the lack of stats makes this selection a fairly straight forward one. All three nominees allowed just a single sack each, so the voting will come down to pancakes. Who doesn’t love a good pancake? Well, if you want to have a huge stack of them, look no further than the impressive rookie for the Pythons, who managed to flatten his opponents a total of 66 times.
Winner: Byron Dolls
Destination: Pretty much any team can use a good o-liner, especially if they are available later on in the middle rounds of the draft. Active player o-liners are just as good if not better than bots, and they are every GM’s dream when fighting with the available cap space. All that said, we do expect someone of Dolls calibre to go as early as the 4th or 5th round, with a likely landing spot being San Jose, Austin or the Wraiths.
Defense - Individual Position Awards:
Linebacker of the Year - Nominees:
Lawrence Bass @[RussDrivesTheBus] - 147 TKL, 6 TFL, 1 FF, 6SCK, 1INT, 1PD
Derred de Ville @[Exilizer] - 147 TKL, 1TFL, 2 FF, 2 FR, 9 SCK, 1 INT, 8PD
Benson Bayley Jr. @[BayleyIsland] 99 TKL, 3 TFL, 10 SCK, 12 PD, 1SFTY
Honourable mentions: MacGregor 161 TKL,2TFL,1SCK, 2INT, 2PD, O’Donohue 106 TKL, 5TFL, 8 SCK, 14PD
Trying to evaluate the linebacker position is really difficult and as a result this is quite a tight race. Just looking at tackles is not enough, we have to consider other impact plays as well. For example, MacGregor led the league in tackles (by 14) but didn’t record more than a few big plays. O’Donohue had 14 PDs and 8 sacks but lagged behind in the tackle total.
In contrast, Lawrence Bass was another impressive rookie this year, racking up the joint-2nd most tackles, and also adding 6 tackles for loss and 6 sacks, a true impact player against the run and in hunting down the QB. One area of improvement would be pass coverage such as passes defended, which Lawrence did only a single time all year.
Bayley, yet another rookie in this stacked defensive classs, was the league leader with 10 sacks and also defended 12 passes. However, being nearly 50 tackles behind the other candidates and no fumbling involvement means that the award slips just out of reach.
Derred de Ville arguably had the most well rounded campaign out of the entire field and was a rookie season standout for London. His stats included the 2nd most tackles (147 - shared with Bass), 2 forced and 2 recovered fumbles as well as 9 sacks and 8 passes defended and a lone interception. Overall, he was a force to be reckoned with in the pass rush, pass coverage and against the run.
Winner: Lawrence Bass
Destinations: Linebackers are in demand this year, and there will certainly be room for all these rookies. Bayley will naturally be drafted by Chicago as their new GM, but both expansion teams will be looking for some key defensive pieces. Some of the established teams also have needs at linebacker, for example no team more so than the Hawks, with their current linebackers on the brink of retirement or deep into regression. OCO’s linebacker core seems to have gone inactive, and they may end up losing someone to expansion, so that’s another likely landing spot for de Ville, Donohue or Bass. De Ville has been projected by many mock drafts to be a first round prospect, we will have to wait and see how things shake out.
Defensive Line of the Year - Nominees:
Logan Noble Jr @[ItsJustBarry] - 57 TKL, 24 TFL, 1FR, 9 SCK
Dorfus Jimbo Jr @[ScorpXCracker] - 53 TKL, 23 TFL, 1FF, 9 SCK
Patrik Money @[PMoney] - 39 TKL, 14 TFL, 8 SCK
PMoney had a strong outing this season, bagging 8 sacks, which is just one behind the league leaders at DL. As a rookie, this was a truly impressive performance, even if his tackles and tackles for loss quite match up to the other two candidates here.
Both Noble Jr and Jimbo Jr share the most sacks at the position (9) and the are virtually inseparable in the other stats as well with 57-53 tackles an 24-23 for loss. This race is so close, that we predict that the awards committee voting will be split evenly between the two, resulting in a rare but not unheard of tied result with two winners.
Winners: Logan Noble Jr & Dorfus Jimbo Jr
Destination: Patrik is the only rookie of the three and while he had a hell of a season, there are other d-line players out there that are projected to go well above him in the draft. Names like Phat Boi and Magnus Rikiya come to mind. Liberty and Yeti are perhaps the most likely desitinations with an 3rd to 4th round pick, or depending on how far Patrik falls, he may see himself at Chicago or one of the expansion teams next year.
Defensive Back of the Year - Nominees:
Alexander Hamilton II @[Alexander Hamilton II] - 85TKL, 2FF, 1FR, 4 INT, 6 PD
Buck Thornton @[FurFurFurson] - 64 TKL, 3 FF, 1 FR, 6 SCK, 2 INT, 2 PD
Literally a Hexagon @[JPach] - 103 TKL, 1 FF, 1FR, 3 INT, 5 PD
Atlas Quin @[Pieanator] 58 TKL, 1 FF, 3 INT, 19 PD
Honorable Mentions:
Zamir Kehla @[retrospace111] ;pythons: - 37 TKL, 5 INT, 10 PD
Ben Stackinpaper @[benstackinpaper] - 122 TKL, 3TFL, 3 FF, 1FR, 1 INT, 5 PD
Sebastien Vettel @[Phalanx32] - 50 TKL, 2 TFL, 3SCK, 4 INT, 4 PD
Defensive Back is perhaps the most crowded position, as there is no separate award for Safeties. As an aside, somebody care to explain why this is not a thing? Traditionally, most defensive back awards have been given out by simply looking at interceptions. This year though, there were a total of 11 players with 3-5 interceptions, so not a lot of separation there. The awards committee therefore should perhaps look towards the more balanced players to bring home the awards and a lot of this comes down to how much you value passes defended against tackles.
Hamilton clearly fits the bill as a true slot corner with a whopping 85 tackles but still shutting down the pass getting 4 interceptions, but lacking a little in the overall passes defended department. Hexagon got even more tackles (103) but wasn’t as productive against the pass. The Greyducks rookie Thornton was the opposite, not much to show in coverage but lethal as a pass rusher with 6 sacks and also forcing 3 fumbles. Then there was Quin, who recorded a league high 19 passes defended but only 3 interceptions and 58 tackles. Boy, I wouldn’t want to have to vote on this award, there are just too many good options.
Winners - One Cornerback and one Safety share the accolades:
Literally a Hexagon @[JPach]
Atlas Quin @[Pieanator]
Destinations: This is a very deep class at both corner and safety. While Hexagon had a great year, he has only an average amount of TPE and will therefore be drafted more towards the 4th to 6th rounds of the draft. At that stage he may be one of the steals of the draft, and could see himself playing for the Hawks, Butchers or Copperheads. Buck Thornton has been touted to become a future Sabercat, as they are looking for more active safeties that aren’t regressing. The Portland pair of corners could really end up anywhere, especially given reports of behavioural issues coming from unconfirmed sources within the Pythons locker room.
Special Teams - Individual Position Awards:
Returner of the Year – Winner: Flash Panda @[juniped]
Honorable Mentions: Eddie Jeeta @[QuirkyTurtle] , Thubba Bumper
Panda takes home this award on the back of 379 PR YDS, 2 PR TDs and an outstanding, 14.6 yards per return, a figure that no one else got close to. He also was a good kick returner with 551 yards and an average of 18.4 yards, while having to compete with his own teammate, Thubba Bumper. Those Special Team coaches at Norfolk sure know what they are doing.
Punter of the Year – Winner: Matt McDairmid @[Matty7478]
For this category, McDairmid wins by default, since we discarded any kickers that also happen to be punting. Being a dedicated punter is hard and should be recognised, and McDairmid is deserving of the title with an average of 42.8 yards, a long of 64 and 8 inside the 20.
Destination: As highest TPE punter or kicker in this draft class, he should be the first special teamer off the board, likely towards the end of the 5th round. Potential landing spots include San Jose and Austin.
Kicker of the Year – Winner: Kal Solarin @[Kalakar] 32/33 XP, 23/29 FG, 54 Long
Honorable Mention: Sam Sidekick @[Evok] 40/40 XP, 13/17 FG, 47 Long
Solarin had a solid kicking year as a rookie in the league, with most field goals made and the highest kicking percentage among active non bot kickers. He also converted almost all his extra points but seemed to struggle with those short range field goals missing 3 from under 30 yards. His 54 yard season long field goal was just two yards short of the TBB franchise record.
Destination: Predicting where these two kickers will end up with is no easy feat. Both are active though and over time that will win out against any bot. We see them going after the 5th round.
Overall Awards:
Breakout Player of the year:
Winner: Dax Frost @[Frostbite]
After a debut season to forget at cornerback, Dax and his coaches made the brave decision to move him to running back instead. They were looking to capitalise on his insane speed and juke and spin moves that have been known to leave defenders frozen. And boy did Frost burst onto the scene this year, being one of the standout players in the league.
Performance of the Year – Nominees:
Acura Skyline @[Skyline] - RB Week 6 - 20 ATT, 133 YDS (6.65 YPC), 2 TD
Quinn Hughes @[Isidore94] – FS Week 1 - 3 TCK, 2 SCK, 1 PD, 1 Pick Six and a Safety
Magnus Valdydr @[KamiCommie] - SS Week 7 - 3 Tck, 2PD and 2 Pick Sixes
Winner: Quinn Hughes
While Valdydr’s two pick six game is a rare feat, and Skyline’s 74 yard walk-off game winning overtime touchdown was super exciting, this one has to go to Quinn Hughes for his incredible debut performance in Week 1. The two sacks coupled with a pick six and a safety, helped cement a statement win over the other expansion team.
GMs of the Year
Winners: Portland Pythons @[AirCrou] @[KanakoTheSquirrel]
The turnaround from the Pythons this year was a great show of what happens when you draft well on defense in the DSFL. The previous season was one to forget for the Pythons with an abysmal 2-12 record. This year, they got a winning season with an 8-6 record and a playoff spot and their rookie-rich defense allowed the fewest points against (221) in the league. They now have everything to gain in the playoffs.
Offensive Rookie of the Year - Nominees:
Acura Skyline - 349 ATT, 1761 YDS, 5.05 YPA, 10 TD
Luke Skywalker - 148/268 (55.2%), 1364 YDS, 12 TD, 7 INT, 73.4 QBR
Eddie Jeeta - 59 REC, 769 YDS, 13.03 YPC, 5 TD
Winner: Eddie Jeeta
Eddie worked hard all year both as a receiver and as a returner on special teams, missing out on an individual position award in both categories. Combine this into a total package however, and he is more than deserving to take this award home.
Defensive Rookie of the Year - Nominees:
Buck Thornton - 64 TKL, 3 FF, 1 FR, 6 SCK, 2 INT, 2 PD
Derred de Ville - 147 TKL, 1TFL, 2 FF, 2 FR, 9 SCK, 1 INT, 8PD
Benson Bayley Jr. 99 TKL, 3 TFL, 10 SCK, 12 PD, 1SFTY
Winner: Benson Bayley Jr.
Bayley’s 10 league leading sacks clinch this award, capping off a great rookie campaign where Bayley also locked down opposing TEs on a regular basis, defending a total of 12 passes.
Offensive Player of the Year – Nominees:
Acura Skyline - 349 ATT, 1761 YDS, 5.05 YPA, 10 TD
Chika Fujiwara - 118/319 (58.9%), 2043 YDS, 10 TD, 5 INT, 81.8 QBR
Reynaud Haugland - 50 REC, 594 YDS, 11.9 YPC, 7 T
Winner: Acura Skyline
Skyline had an incredible year and led the league in total rushing yards. He asserted himself on every game and paired up incredibly well with Batista. 10 touchdowns and over 5 yards per attempt means that he gets to take home this prestigious award.
Defensive Player of the Year – Nominees:
Dorfus Jimbo Jr - 53 TKL, 23 TFL, 1FF, 9 SCK
Derred de Ville - 147 TKL, 1TFL, 2 FF, 2 FR, 9 SCK, 1 INT, 8PD
Logan Noble Jr - 57 TKL, 24 TFL, 1FR, 9 SCK
Winner: Derred de Ville
It’s hard to deny that de Ville was the most complete defensive player in the league, a menace to opposing quarter backs, consistently in among pretty much every tackle, he was as disruptive as one can be on the defensive side of the ball.
MVP
Chika Fujiwara - 118/319 (58.9%), 2043 YDS, 10 TD, 5 INT, 81.8 QBR, 137 RUSH YDS, 1 RUSH TD
Acura Skyline - 349 ATT, 1761 YDS, 5.05 YPA, 10 TD
Derred de Ville - 147 TKL, 1TFL, 2 FF, 2 FR, 9 SCK, 1 INT, 8PD
Winner: Chika Fujiwara
Chika was simply dominant this season and carried her team to the number one seed in the North. The touchdown to interception ratio was incredible by DSFL standards and capping things off with a rush touchdown is always nice. We will see what she can do at the helm of the Hawks next year.
With awards season looming and the draft around the corner, I wanted to do something a bit different to the normal style mock draft or a straightforward awards prediction. As such, the article is structured with mostly 3 nominees and 1 winner per award, followed by some analysis on where any nominated rookies might end up in the upcoming draft. We first go through the individual position awards on offense and defense before the overall awards, and eventually the MVP trophy.
Disclaimer: To be considered for the awards, you had to have had a recent update (03/28). These awards reflect my personal opinion based on the available stats alone and do not take into account league popularity and activity. However, for the draft destinations, I also considered those factors together with total TPE as well as looking at the NSFL team needs.
Offense - Individual Position Awards:
Quarterback of the Year - Nominees:
Chika Fujiwara @Jackets28 - 118/319 (58.9%), 2043 YDS, 10 TD, 5 INT, 81.8 QBR
Luke Skywalker @[muse316] - 148/268 (55.2%), 1364 YDS, 12 TD, 7 INT, 73.4 QBR
Chris Ramos @[pointgod] - 158/323 (48.9%), 1703 YDS, 12 TD, 10 INT, 64.3 QBR
Fujiwara had an outstanding season at the helm of one of the league’s best passing offenses. She managed to lead the league both in 6.4 YPA and 10.9 YP completion and also had the highest completion percentage & passer rating of QBs with more than 250 Attempts. Add to that the 2nd highest number of yards (2104), the only knock on the performance is the number of touchdowns (10). However, this was totally mitigated by the touchdown to interception ratio, sitting at a whopping 2.0, in a league where most QBs struggle to have a positive ratio. Fujiwara also rushed the most out of any DSFL QB, adding on an additional rushing TD.
Skywalker had an excellent campaign for a rookie. He co-led the league with his 12 passing touchdowns, while only throwing 7 interceptions, which was the 2nd best ratio in the league behind Fujiwara. He also achieved the 2nd highest passer rating in the league. Where his year fell short, was total yardage (1364) and yards per attempt/completion, which can be forgiven due to his relative inexperience leading to throws closer to the line of scrimmage than some of the other candidates.
Ramos was one of the co-leaders in total touchdowns (12) and posted the 3rd highest yardage total (1703), while having a high ratio of 10.7 yards per completion. Ultimately, the high number of 10 interceptions and the below 50% completion percentage, means he misses out on the award.
Winner: Chika Fujiwara
Destination: As a S21 player, Chika was a Hawks NSFL send down this season, which no doubt helped the stellar season. With Hawks star QB Havran embarking on new ventures having to run the expansion draft in Honolulu, Chika will likely have to step up in the big leagues sooner than she perhaps would have wanted to.
Bonus: Since Chika was already drafted, we take a look at where Skywalker may go. While there are a few QBs with higher TPE available, two of them are GM-locked-in picks, which leaves only Slothisberger and Waters with slightly higher TPE. Therefore, a team like OCO or NOLA may use one of their mid round picks to draft a replacement project for their aging superstar QBs.
Runningback of the Year - Nominees:
Dax Frost @[Frostbite] - 327 ATT, 1592, 4.87 YPA, 12 TD
Acura Skyline @[Skyline] - 349 ATT, 1761 YDS, 5.05 YPA, 10 TD
Tatsu Nakamura @[qWest] - 265 ATT, 1256 YDS, 4.74 YPA, 10 TD
Frost established himself as one of the premiere RB options in the league practically overnight after switching from CB to RB, and lead the league with a total of 12 rushing touchdowns. His efficiency was also pretty good at 4.87 yards per attempt. One thing that should not be overlooked, is the significant TPE advantage that he had over the other nominees at the beginning of what was his 2nd season in the league.
Skyline’s rookie campaign was nothing short of astonishing. He led the league in yards with 1761 (nearly 200 more than Frost) and had a great average of over 5 yards per attempt. So even if Frost had had the same amount of carries, Acura Skyline would have still had a comfortable cushion in total yards. Yes, the Royals were a run first team, but being on an expansion team, he also had to deal with a worse O-Line than the other two nominees. He recorded an 87 yards TD run, longer than anyone else this season as well as a memorable 74 yards game winning overtime walk-off TD against the defending champions.
Nakamura also had a memorable rookie year, equalling Skyline’s 10 TDs. However, two factors count against him in the awards voting. First, he only averaged around 4.74 yards per attempt, and secondly, he had much less of a running back by committee to deal with than Frost or Skyline. Let’s not forget however that the Pythons were a much less run heavy team than others (2nd fewest attempts in the league), which limited Nakamura’s total carries.
Winner: Acura Skyline
Destination: Skyline’s rookie performance will have put him on many radars for the upcoming draft. Coupled with his activity level and high TPE he is one of the best RB prospects of the year. The Otters are perhaps the most likely landing spot with their late second round pick, as they are in dire need of a RB after they lost one to expansion, and the other unexpectedly changed position.
Wide Receiver of the Year - Nominees:
Thomas Passmann @[StamkosFan] - 64 REC, 831 YDS, 12.98 YPC, 3 TD
Raheem Okusi @[Raheem James] - 66 REC, 894 YDS, 13.55 YPC, 6 TD
Eddie Jeeta @[QuirkyTurtle] - 59 REC, 769 YDS, 13.03 YPC, 5 TD
Honourable Mention: Jeffrey Phillips @[DrunkenTeddy] - 424 YDS, 6 TD
The standout at wide receiver this season was Okusi, boasting the most yards, the highest yards per catch and the joint most touchdowns (together with Phillips). The Pythons didn’t focus as much on the rushing game, and the passing offense mostly went through Okusi.
Eddie Jeeta, one of the most well developed rookies of the S22 class also had a really good season, coming up just short of Okusi in most key metrics. Eddie had a great connection with Fujiwara and having such a reliable target was a major reason for Fujiwara to dominate the QB position this year.
Passmann was another rookie that impressed his team and the league all year long, posting the second most receiving yards for the year, albeit at a slightly lower average yards per reception. If he improves on his touchdown volume, he will be a great addition to any NSFL team.
Winner: Raheem Okusi
Destinations: As a high earner and with a great on and off the field presence, Eddie Jeeta will probably be the top receiver off the board in the upcoming draft and may even go towards the end of the first round. There are several teams that need some help at wide receiver. NOLA has a great RB duo, but their receiving room is lacking quality depth. They currently have only two receivers on the roster, one of which is aging and starting to be deep into regression.
The Wraiths might be another potential landing spot for Eddie, as they will loose Rayne Gordon to the expansion and Nate Swift is a S13 veteran who is battling with regression, that has been rumoured to be contemplating retirement. Two other teams that are likely to have wide receivers near the top of their needs list are Liberty and Yeti. Passmann will surely end up on one of these four teams as well within the first 2-3 rounds.
Tight End of the Year - Nominees:
Rainer Wolfcastle @[thefrowntownclown] - 21 REC, 244 YDS, 11.6 YPC, 4 TD
Reynaud Haugland @[Boomcheck] - 50 REC, 594 YDS, 11.9 YPC, 7 TD
Heath Evans @[Feeler] - 37 REC, 491 YDS, 13.3 YPC, 2 TD
Evans had a nice rookie campaign, collecting close to 500 yards and setting a monstrous 13.3 yards per catch. However, the touchdown numbers weren’t as impressive, as Evans was only able to find the end zone twice all year. He did shine in the blocking game however, with 27 pancakes, which was most among all tight ends, while only allowing a single sack.
At first glance, you may dismiss Wolfcastle’s nomination if you simple consider the top-line numbers. Dive a little deeper however, and you will see that his production was outstanding, given the few targets and receptions he saw all year. Maybe if the Greyducks had used him more, they would have had a better season. He recorded a touchdown roughly every 5 receptions, which is a simply ludicrous rate.
All that said, the award for the best tight end in the league should not be close at all this year. Haugland, the TE-FB hybrid had an incredible 7 receiving touchdowns. This does not only dwarf every other TE, it was actually enough to lead the entire league in receiving touchdowns, leaving several star wide receivers behind with his numbers. Nearly 600 yards was also the best among tight ends. Reynaud was also not afraid of the dirty work in the trenches, with 11 pancakes and no sacks allowed for the season.
Offensive Line of the Year - Nominees:
Byron Dolls @[Symmetrik] - 66 Pancakes - 1 Sack Allowed
Douglas Quail @[DynamicDoug] - 59 Pancakes - 1 Sack Allowed
Simon Tremblay @[Briedaqueduc] - 53 Pancakes – 1 Sack Allowed
Offensive line is one of the most underrated positions in the league, and sadly we don’t have a lot of stats to write home about. To understand just how important a good offensive line is, just look at the Birddogs, who allowed 18 sacks and recorded a meagre 195 pancakes on the year, which ultimately resulted in the worst passing offense in the league in terms of total passing yards. Alternatively, just read one of Stego’s excellent analytical pieces, which no doubt will be put to good use by many teams next year.
Back to the matter at hand, the lack of stats makes this selection a fairly straight forward one. All three nominees allowed just a single sack each, so the voting will come down to pancakes. Who doesn’t love a good pancake? Well, if you want to have a huge stack of them, look no further than the impressive rookie for the Pythons, who managed to flatten his opponents a total of 66 times.
Winner: Byron Dolls
Destination: Pretty much any team can use a good o-liner, especially if they are available later on in the middle rounds of the draft. Active player o-liners are just as good if not better than bots, and they are every GM’s dream when fighting with the available cap space. All that said, we do expect someone of Dolls calibre to go as early as the 4th or 5th round, with a likely landing spot being San Jose, Austin or the Wraiths.
Defense - Individual Position Awards:
Linebacker of the Year - Nominees:
Lawrence Bass @[RussDrivesTheBus] - 147 TKL, 6 TFL, 1 FF, 6SCK, 1INT, 1PD
Derred de Ville @[Exilizer] - 147 TKL, 1TFL, 2 FF, 2 FR, 9 SCK, 1 INT, 8PD
Benson Bayley Jr. @[BayleyIsland] 99 TKL, 3 TFL, 10 SCK, 12 PD, 1SFTY
Honourable mentions: MacGregor 161 TKL,2TFL,1SCK, 2INT, 2PD, O’Donohue 106 TKL, 5TFL, 8 SCK, 14PD
Trying to evaluate the linebacker position is really difficult and as a result this is quite a tight race. Just looking at tackles is not enough, we have to consider other impact plays as well. For example, MacGregor led the league in tackles (by 14) but didn’t record more than a few big plays. O’Donohue had 14 PDs and 8 sacks but lagged behind in the tackle total.
In contrast, Lawrence Bass was another impressive rookie this year, racking up the joint-2nd most tackles, and also adding 6 tackles for loss and 6 sacks, a true impact player against the run and in hunting down the QB. One area of improvement would be pass coverage such as passes defended, which Lawrence did only a single time all year.
Bayley, yet another rookie in this stacked defensive classs, was the league leader with 10 sacks and also defended 12 passes. However, being nearly 50 tackles behind the other candidates and no fumbling involvement means that the award slips just out of reach.
Derred de Ville arguably had the most well rounded campaign out of the entire field and was a rookie season standout for London. His stats included the 2nd most tackles (147 - shared with Bass), 2 forced and 2 recovered fumbles as well as 9 sacks and 8 passes defended and a lone interception. Overall, he was a force to be reckoned with in the pass rush, pass coverage and against the run.
Winner: Lawrence Bass
Destinations: Linebackers are in demand this year, and there will certainly be room for all these rookies. Bayley will naturally be drafted by Chicago as their new GM, but both expansion teams will be looking for some key defensive pieces. Some of the established teams also have needs at linebacker, for example no team more so than the Hawks, with their current linebackers on the brink of retirement or deep into regression. OCO’s linebacker core seems to have gone inactive, and they may end up losing someone to expansion, so that’s another likely landing spot for de Ville, Donohue or Bass. De Ville has been projected by many mock drafts to be a first round prospect, we will have to wait and see how things shake out.
Defensive Line of the Year - Nominees:
Logan Noble Jr @[ItsJustBarry] - 57 TKL, 24 TFL, 1FR, 9 SCK
Dorfus Jimbo Jr @[ScorpXCracker] - 53 TKL, 23 TFL, 1FF, 9 SCK
Patrik Money @[PMoney] - 39 TKL, 14 TFL, 8 SCK
PMoney had a strong outing this season, bagging 8 sacks, which is just one behind the league leaders at DL. As a rookie, this was a truly impressive performance, even if his tackles and tackles for loss quite match up to the other two candidates here.
Both Noble Jr and Jimbo Jr share the most sacks at the position (9) and the are virtually inseparable in the other stats as well with 57-53 tackles an 24-23 for loss. This race is so close, that we predict that the awards committee voting will be split evenly between the two, resulting in a rare but not unheard of tied result with two winners.
Winners: Logan Noble Jr & Dorfus Jimbo Jr
Destination: Patrik is the only rookie of the three and while he had a hell of a season, there are other d-line players out there that are projected to go well above him in the draft. Names like Phat Boi and Magnus Rikiya come to mind. Liberty and Yeti are perhaps the most likely desitinations with an 3rd to 4th round pick, or depending on how far Patrik falls, he may see himself at Chicago or one of the expansion teams next year.
Defensive Back of the Year - Nominees:
Alexander Hamilton II @[Alexander Hamilton II] - 85TKL, 2FF, 1FR, 4 INT, 6 PD
Buck Thornton @[FurFurFurson] - 64 TKL, 3 FF, 1 FR, 6 SCK, 2 INT, 2 PD
Literally a Hexagon @[JPach] - 103 TKL, 1 FF, 1FR, 3 INT, 5 PD
Atlas Quin @[Pieanator] 58 TKL, 1 FF, 3 INT, 19 PD
Honorable Mentions:
Zamir Kehla @[retrospace111] ;pythons: - 37 TKL, 5 INT, 10 PD
Ben Stackinpaper @[benstackinpaper] - 122 TKL, 3TFL, 3 FF, 1FR, 1 INT, 5 PD
Sebastien Vettel @[Phalanx32] - 50 TKL, 2 TFL, 3SCK, 4 INT, 4 PD
Defensive Back is perhaps the most crowded position, as there is no separate award for Safeties. As an aside, somebody care to explain why this is not a thing? Traditionally, most defensive back awards have been given out by simply looking at interceptions. This year though, there were a total of 11 players with 3-5 interceptions, so not a lot of separation there. The awards committee therefore should perhaps look towards the more balanced players to bring home the awards and a lot of this comes down to how much you value passes defended against tackles.
Hamilton clearly fits the bill as a true slot corner with a whopping 85 tackles but still shutting down the pass getting 4 interceptions, but lacking a little in the overall passes defended department. Hexagon got even more tackles (103) but wasn’t as productive against the pass. The Greyducks rookie Thornton was the opposite, not much to show in coverage but lethal as a pass rusher with 6 sacks and also forcing 3 fumbles. Then there was Quin, who recorded a league high 19 passes defended but only 3 interceptions and 58 tackles. Boy, I wouldn’t want to have to vote on this award, there are just too many good options.
Winners - One Cornerback and one Safety share the accolades:
Literally a Hexagon @[JPach]
Atlas Quin @[Pieanator]
Destinations: This is a very deep class at both corner and safety. While Hexagon had a great year, he has only an average amount of TPE and will therefore be drafted more towards the 4th to 6th rounds of the draft. At that stage he may be one of the steals of the draft, and could see himself playing for the Hawks, Butchers or Copperheads. Buck Thornton has been touted to become a future Sabercat, as they are looking for more active safeties that aren’t regressing. The Portland pair of corners could really end up anywhere, especially given reports of behavioural issues coming from unconfirmed sources within the Pythons locker room.
Special Teams - Individual Position Awards:
Returner of the Year – Winner: Flash Panda @[juniped]
Honorable Mentions: Eddie Jeeta @[QuirkyTurtle] , Thubba Bumper
Panda takes home this award on the back of 379 PR YDS, 2 PR TDs and an outstanding, 14.6 yards per return, a figure that no one else got close to. He also was a good kick returner with 551 yards and an average of 18.4 yards, while having to compete with his own teammate, Thubba Bumper. Those Special Team coaches at Norfolk sure know what they are doing.
Punter of the Year – Winner: Matt McDairmid @[Matty7478]
For this category, McDairmid wins by default, since we discarded any kickers that also happen to be punting. Being a dedicated punter is hard and should be recognised, and McDairmid is deserving of the title with an average of 42.8 yards, a long of 64 and 8 inside the 20.
Destination: As highest TPE punter or kicker in this draft class, he should be the first special teamer off the board, likely towards the end of the 5th round. Potential landing spots include San Jose and Austin.
Kicker of the Year – Winner: Kal Solarin @[Kalakar] 32/33 XP, 23/29 FG, 54 Long
Honorable Mention: Sam Sidekick @[Evok] 40/40 XP, 13/17 FG, 47 Long
Solarin had a solid kicking year as a rookie in the league, with most field goals made and the highest kicking percentage among active non bot kickers. He also converted almost all his extra points but seemed to struggle with those short range field goals missing 3 from under 30 yards. His 54 yard season long field goal was just two yards short of the TBB franchise record.
Destination: Predicting where these two kickers will end up with is no easy feat. Both are active though and over time that will win out against any bot. We see them going after the 5th round.
Overall Awards:
Breakout Player of the year:
Winner: Dax Frost @[Frostbite]
After a debut season to forget at cornerback, Dax and his coaches made the brave decision to move him to running back instead. They were looking to capitalise on his insane speed and juke and spin moves that have been known to leave defenders frozen. And boy did Frost burst onto the scene this year, being one of the standout players in the league.
Performance of the Year – Nominees:
Acura Skyline @[Skyline] - RB Week 6 - 20 ATT, 133 YDS (6.65 YPC), 2 TD
Quinn Hughes @[Isidore94] – FS Week 1 - 3 TCK, 2 SCK, 1 PD, 1 Pick Six and a Safety
Magnus Valdydr @[KamiCommie] - SS Week 7 - 3 Tck, 2PD and 2 Pick Sixes
Winner: Quinn Hughes
While Valdydr’s two pick six game is a rare feat, and Skyline’s 74 yard walk-off game winning overtime touchdown was super exciting, this one has to go to Quinn Hughes for his incredible debut performance in Week 1. The two sacks coupled with a pick six and a safety, helped cement a statement win over the other expansion team.
GMs of the Year
Winners: Portland Pythons @[AirCrou] @[KanakoTheSquirrel]
The turnaround from the Pythons this year was a great show of what happens when you draft well on defense in the DSFL. The previous season was one to forget for the Pythons with an abysmal 2-12 record. This year, they got a winning season with an 8-6 record and a playoff spot and their rookie-rich defense allowed the fewest points against (221) in the league. They now have everything to gain in the playoffs.
Offensive Rookie of the Year - Nominees:
Acura Skyline - 349 ATT, 1761 YDS, 5.05 YPA, 10 TD
Luke Skywalker - 148/268 (55.2%), 1364 YDS, 12 TD, 7 INT, 73.4 QBR
Eddie Jeeta - 59 REC, 769 YDS, 13.03 YPC, 5 TD
Winner: Eddie Jeeta
Eddie worked hard all year both as a receiver and as a returner on special teams, missing out on an individual position award in both categories. Combine this into a total package however, and he is more than deserving to take this award home.
Defensive Rookie of the Year - Nominees:
Buck Thornton - 64 TKL, 3 FF, 1 FR, 6 SCK, 2 INT, 2 PD
Derred de Ville - 147 TKL, 1TFL, 2 FF, 2 FR, 9 SCK, 1 INT, 8PD
Benson Bayley Jr. 99 TKL, 3 TFL, 10 SCK, 12 PD, 1SFTY
Winner: Benson Bayley Jr.
Bayley’s 10 league leading sacks clinch this award, capping off a great rookie campaign where Bayley also locked down opposing TEs on a regular basis, defending a total of 12 passes.
Offensive Player of the Year – Nominees:
Acura Skyline - 349 ATT, 1761 YDS, 5.05 YPA, 10 TD
Chika Fujiwara - 118/319 (58.9%), 2043 YDS, 10 TD, 5 INT, 81.8 QBR
Reynaud Haugland - 50 REC, 594 YDS, 11.9 YPC, 7 T
Winner: Acura Skyline
Skyline had an incredible year and led the league in total rushing yards. He asserted himself on every game and paired up incredibly well with Batista. 10 touchdowns and over 5 yards per attempt means that he gets to take home this prestigious award.
Defensive Player of the Year – Nominees:
Dorfus Jimbo Jr - 53 TKL, 23 TFL, 1FF, 9 SCK
Derred de Ville - 147 TKL, 1TFL, 2 FF, 2 FR, 9 SCK, 1 INT, 8PD
Logan Noble Jr - 57 TKL, 24 TFL, 1FR, 9 SCK
Winner: Derred de Ville
It’s hard to deny that de Ville was the most complete defensive player in the league, a menace to opposing quarter backs, consistently in among pretty much every tackle, he was as disruptive as one can be on the defensive side of the ball.
MVP
Chika Fujiwara - 118/319 (58.9%), 2043 YDS, 10 TD, 5 INT, 81.8 QBR, 137 RUSH YDS, 1 RUSH TD
Acura Skyline - 349 ATT, 1761 YDS, 5.05 YPA, 10 TD
Derred de Ville - 147 TKL, 1TFL, 2 FF, 2 FR, 9 SCK, 1 INT, 8PD
Winner: Chika Fujiwara
Chika was simply dominant this season and carried her team to the number one seed in the North. The touchdown to interception ratio was incredible by DSFL standards and capping things off with a rush touchdown is always nice. We will see what she can do at the helm of the Hawks next year.
Code:
4005 words, hopefully 1.5x draft media