So, I did my quick thoughts on every team, and a deep dive into what I'm guessing is one of the worst constructed teams of all time (at least for Season 28, it should be great in a few years), so now it's time to do more.
Berlin:
QB: Nick Kaepercolin, S22 (1224 TPE, 4th among QBs) -> Nick Kaepercolin, S22 (1411 TPE, 2nd among QBs)
As far as QBs go, Kaepercolin's second to one, and his TPE means he should make for a pretty great QB for at least 2 seasons of regression.
RB1: Joseph Petrongolo, S23 (928 TPE, 9th among RBs) -> Joseph Petrongolo, S23 (1087 TPE, 6th among RBs)
RB2: Terry Yaki, S25 RB (382 TPE, 29th among RBs) -> Terry Yaki, S25 (448 TPE, 26th among RBs)
This position's seen quite a bit of improvement, including over 50 TPE from the RB2, and an RB1 over 1000. Due to the power at the position, Petrongolo's actually lower than you'd expect. That said, only one person from a later class is above him, and the only person in regression who's above him is Frost.
WR1: Achtfunf, S23 WR (827 TPE, 16th among WRs) -> Achtfunf, S23 WR (1003 TPE, 12th among WRs)
WR2: Cmon Skiuuup, S25 WR (655 TPE, 27th among WRs) -> Cmon Skiuuup, S25 WR (818 TPE, 21st among WRs)
WR3: Susan Cash Jr, S22 WR (687 TPE, 22nd among WRs) (IA) -> Susan Cash Jr, S22 WR (687 TPE, 29th among WRs) (IA)
Achtfunf as a WR1 is more excusable this season than last season, but due to the premium of talent he still ends up a lower end WR1 while still being quite excellent. Cmon Skiuup as a WR2 is also below average but fine for the position, while Susan Cash ends up pretty average for a WR3. This group could look very exciting in a couple years assuming they get a replacement for Cash, but as is, for Kaepercolin's peak season, he has quite a nice group of wideouts.
TE: Clark Boyd, S22 TE (993 TPE, 4th among TEs) -> Clark Boyd, S22 TE (1161 TPE, 3rd among TEs)
Clark Boyd is the lowest of the 3 top tier S22 TEs by TPE, but he's more than impressive enough to be a good 1st or 2nd option to make up for the not mindblowing quality of the WR position.
OL1: Byron Dolls, S22 OL (751 TPE, 10th among OLs) -> Byron Dolls, S22 OL (924 TPE, 6th among OLs)
OL2: Taylor Cooper, S22 OL (576 TPE, 17th among OLs) -> Ananda Adyan, S25 OL (701 TPE, 11th among OLs)
OL3: Ananda Adyan, S25 OL (546 TPE, 18th among OLs) -> Taylor Cooper, S22 OL (614 TPE, 15th among OLs)
Last season, this group was a pretty respectable Oline. This season they're quite powerful, albeit for this one season before 2 of them regress. Adyan in particular has amassed quite a bit of TPE over the course of the season, especially for someone who did not max earn before this in his career.
DT1: Claude Miller II, S22 DT (876 TPE, 11th among DTs) -> Claude Miller, S22 DT (1019 TPE, 9th among DTs)
DT2: Hank Steel, S22 DT (810 TPE, 12th among DTs) -> Hank Steel, S22 DT (906 TPE, 12th among DTs)
Due to there being like 5 max earning S21 DTs that all have more TPE than Miller, it seems likely that this will be Claude's one year of truly elite TPE level of his career. That being said, he'll certainly be elite, especially if he continues to gain more TPE over the season. Him and Steel will both regress next season, probably out of good TPE levels for Steel, but for this season the Salamanders can't complain, especially considering the rest of their line.
DE1: Mario VonPebbles, S22 DE (1105 TPE, 4th among DEs) -> Mario VonPebbles, S22 DE (1250 TPE, 4th among DEs)
DE2: Nobody -> Marlon Brando, S27 DE (504 TPE, 24th among DEs)
Considering the DTs, VonPebbles is all that's really needed for this line, especially if they run a 3-4. Brando is a good enough stopgap with the rest of the line, and should only get better over the seasons to come.
LB1: Adam Schell, S24 LB (835 TPE, 16th among LBs) -> Adam Schell, S24 LB (1027 TPE, 15th among LBs)
LB2: BamBam McMullet, S26 LB (536 TPE, 30th among LBs) -> BamBam McMullet, S26 LB (703 TPE, 31st among LBs)
LB3: Hingle McCringleberry, S23 LB (533 TPE, 31st among LBs) (IA) -> Hingle McCringleberry, S23 LB (533 TPE, 37th among LBs) (IA)
I'm not sure how this line will function in sim. Better than last season, for sure, but for all McMullet and Schell's growth, to the point that Schell is a stud and McMullet is a contributor, they didn't really jump anyone over the course of last season. Granted, that's partly because the position is very stacked, but it's very easy to see a world where McCringleberry drags this unit down a lot. Will it override their amazing front 4, probably not, but it could be a problem.
CB1: Matt Krause, S22 CB (1066 TPE, 6th among CBs) -> Matt Krause, S22 CB (1213 TPE, 4th among CBs)
CB2: Swantavious Jones, S25 CB (701 TPE, 19th among CBs) -> Swantavious Jones, S25 CB (880 TPE, 17th among CBs)
CB3: Jeeeroy Lenkins, S25 CB (642 TPE, 30th among CBs) -> Jeeeeroy Lenkins, S25 CB (831 TPE, 24th among CBs)
This group gained a lot of TPE, especially Lenkins, and in doing so became one of the top groups in the league right now. Krause is a top CB who should be great this year, and Jones and Lenkins are getting much better, Jones in particular. This should be one of the better groups in the league, although right now I think Jones is merely average for a CB2 right now? Don't quote me on that.
S1: Benoit Blanco, S23 S (467 TPE, 31st among S) (IA) -> Eldrick Avery, S22 S (1170 TPE)
S2: Derek Wildstar, S26 S (463 TPE, 34th among S) -> Derek Wildstar, S26 S (554 TPE)
S3: Nobody -> Quentin Button, S24 S (410 TPE)
Man, this group improved MASSIVELY. Trading for Avery, moving him to Safety, and apparently getting him back active for 100+ TPE more, was quite a masterpiece. At this point the only weak link in the secondary is Wildstar, really, and one weak link is much better than an entire position of weak spots.
K: Danny King, S24 KR (543 TPE, 9th among Krs) Danny King, S23 KR (575, 8th among Krs)
Not much to say on this front other than apparently Danny King aged a season and I didn't notice. Other than that, he didn't get all that much TPE this season and is probably not going to survive regression too long unless he decides to pull an Alex Longname.
Overall, an extremely talented group, especially on D. My guess about what might hold them back is the lack of truly top flight weapons on Offense, but maybe the Tight End could make up for it.
Chicago:
QB: George O'Donnell, S21 QB (1236 TPE, 3rd among QBs) -> George O'Donnell, S21 QB (1074 TPE, 9th among QBs)
After a season of regression, O'Donnell got passed up by a number of S24 QBs, which makes me feel that he might be past his prime. Only one guy above him doesn't have the Game Manager trait that he lacks, in fact his only trait is Gunslinger at this point. It should be enough to keep the team in contention, but they have other problems.
RB1: Baby Yoda, S21 RB (986 TPE, 6th among RBs) -> Baby Yoda, S21 RB (773 TPE, 14th among RBs) (IA)
RB2: Julio Tirtawidjaja, S22 RB (706 TPE, 14th among RBs) (IA) -> Madison Hayes, S27 RB (527 TPE, 22nd among RBs)
RB3: Zed Keppler, S22 RB (416 TPE, 24th among RBs) (IA) -> Keynel McZeal, S23 RB (271 TPE, 41st among RBs) (IA)
Oh my goodness, I saw massive problems coming up with this unit if Yoda didn't stay active, and there his TPE goes. That 14th is flattering to him, he's going to be passed up by at least 2 more RBs over the course of the season if they stay active, and even then 773 is NOT enough for a starting back. Phillips last year had 50 more TPE, and also held back the Otters. I remember this being a massive pickup back when I first joined the league and it did not turn out that way. Hayes should be great in a few more seasons, but right now...she's just OK for an RB2 and there's not much else to say about it. Finally, their fullback has gotten much worse, although that might not matter all that much.
WR1: Luca Scabbia, S23 WR (905 TPE, 13th among WRs) -> Luca Scabbia, S23 WR (1050 TPE, 10th among WRs)
WR2: Sean O'Leary, S19 WR (748 TPE, 20th among WRs) -> Joshua Campbell, S24 WR (841 TPE, 19th among WRs)
WR3: Nobody -> Mike Hunt, S27 WR (421 TPE, 42nd among WRs)
The way I view this team's Wide Receivers is that their WR1 is below average but still respectable, their WR2 is above average, and then they might as well not have a WR3. Getting Campbell in the mass sell off from Baltimore last season was quite necessary to help this team out this season. This might not be enough to lift up a poor QB, but I wouldn't call O'Donnell a poor QB yet, just not an elite one.
TE1: Tree Gelbman, S21 TE (973 TPE, 5th among TEs) -> Tree Gelbman, S21 TE (912 TPE, 6th among TEs)
TE2: Nobody -> Daniel George, S22 TE (310 TPE, 17th among TEs) (IA)
Due to Gelbman earning so much last season, she actually didn't go down all that much from last season despite regression. She probably ends up above her old total if she continues to earn. She's about where she was last season, great but not elite.
OL1: Benson Bayley Jr, S22 OL (985 TPE, 3rd among OLs) -> Mo "Mamba" Magic, S22 OL (1088 TPE, 2nd among OLs)
OL2: Julio Jones, S23 OL (900 TPE, 6th among OLs) -> Julio Jones, S23 OL (1066 TPE, 4th among OLs)
OL3: Givussafare Rubbe, S18 OL (730 TPE, 11th among OLs) -> Icebox Riposte, S24 OL (863 TPE, 7th among OLs)
OL4: Icebox Riposte, S24 OL (650 TPE, 14th among OLs) -> Givussafare Rubbe, S18 OL (494 TPE, 22nd among OLs)
OL5: Alexander Franklin, S26 OL (424 TPE, 27th among OLs) ->James Gath, S25 OL (388 TPE, 33rd among OLs)
OL6: Perry Tucker Jr, S21 OL (322 TPE, 35th among OLs) (IA) -> Nobody
While this team doesn't have fucking 6 OLINE anymore, having lost 3 in the offseason due to Free Agency or Retirement, Chicago still is rocking a full Oline of warm bodies, and due to the strength of some of their improvements they didn't fall that far in terms of total TPE or total placement despite Rubbe regressing to S27 player levels. They have 2 monsters over 1000 TPE on the line and a third over 850. If the rest of the line doesn't matter too much, then the fact that Rubbe and Gath have less than 500 TPE might not matter. That being said, I can't tell if this line is stronger or not than their last one with a stronger top 3 but a weaker bottom 2.
DT1: John "Tripod" Smith, S21 DT (1030 TPE, 9th among DTs) -> Daymond Brooks, S22 DT (1068 TPE, 7th among DTs)
DT2: Daymond Brooks, S22 DT (978 TPE, 10th among DTs) -> John "Tripod" Smith, S21 DT (824 TPE, 15th among DTs)
DT3: Timmy Dimbi, S25 DT (499 TPE, 21st among DTs) -> Timmy Dimbi, S25 DT (623 TPE, 18th among DTs)
First thought, man is there a vast wasteland between 824 and 623 in terms of DTs, with only 2 players in that range. Anyways, Smith was one of the weaker DTs from Season 21 over 1000, he actually didn't earn at all over the course of last season, and thus has not held up all that well from regression. That probably makes this group a bit weaker on the whole than last season, although Dimbi's continued growth is quite nice to see for someone who probably replaces Smith in the starting lineup next season.
DE1: Von Hayes, S22 DE (1171 TPE, 5th among DEs)
DE2: Oliver Sloan, S24 DE (528 TPE, 22nd among DEs)
Oh BOY is there a gap between the 2 guys here. Hayes is elite, although it looks like he only survives one bout with regression unless he earns a ton this season and next, and Sloan...when you're a single TPE ahead of your team's RB2 who is 3 seasons younger, that's not a great sign. That being said, he IS the only weak link on the line, it's just that he's a pretty weak link.
LB1: Juan Domine, S24 LB (905 TPE, 12th among LBs) -> Juan Domine, S24 LB (1089 TPE, 11th among LBs)
LB2: Alejandro Chainbreaker, S24 LB (685 TPE, 23rd among LBs) -> Alejandro Chainbreaker, S24 LB (830 TPE, 23rd among LBs)
LB3: Wasrabi Gleel, S25 LB (637 TPE, 27th among LBs) -> Wasrabi Gleel, S25 LB (811 TPE, 25th among LBs)
LB4: Mike Hockhurtz, S18 LB (409 TPE, 41st among LBs) -> Nobody
This is a group that barely moved up at all in terms of overall positions, but by gaining as much TPE as they did, Domine has broken into the ranks of the elite and both Chainbreaker and Gleel are very useful as LB2 and LB3. A pretty average group in all.
CB1: Osiris Firestorm Fjord, S21 CB (1156 TPE, 4th among CBs) -> Tyron Shields, S22 CB (1211 TPE, 5th among CBs)
CB2: Tyler Oles Jr, S22 CB (1031 TPE, 8th among CBs) -> Osiris Firestorm-Fjord, S21 CB (970 TPE, 10th among CBs)
CB3: Tyron Shields, S22 CB (1030 TPE, 9th among CBs) -> HeHateMe PickSix II, S27 CB (488 TPE, 34th among CBs)
On one hand, this still should be an extremely strong group, on the other hand this is nothing compared to the 1000 TPE CB3 they had last season. Still, 2 CBs in the top 10 should be extremely strong for at least this season before both take hits of regression in the coming season. As for HeHateMe, he's fine for a CB3, but he could be picked on in nickel packages against certain teams with good WR3s.
S1: Damian Blackfyre, S25 S (644 TPE, 23rd among S) -> Damian Blackfyre, S25 S (764 TPE, 19th among S)
S2: Oliver Sloan, S24 S (451 TPE, 35th among S) -> Evan Jones, S26 S (539 TPE, 29th among S)
This is without a doubt a stronger group than last season, with Blackfyre making strides of improvement and Sloan moving to DE while Jones comes up from the DSFL. That being said, it's going to have to take up a bit of the slack from last season's CB group. In general though, this is a strong group that, while not last season's top fantasy defense, could still be extremely strong.
KR: Sam Sidekick, S22 KR (885 TPE, 4th among KRs) -> Sam Sidekick, S22 KR (1036 TPE, 2nd among KRs)
Sidekick has become one of the best kickers in the league TPE-wise. Not much else to say about kickers.
If I had to compare these two teams, I'd say that Berlin has the stronger offense outside of Oline, and Chicago has the stronger Defense, although I think Berlin's secondary is a bit better. Both should still compete for playoff spots.
(2635 words)
Berlin:
QB: Nick Kaepercolin, S22 (1224 TPE, 4th among QBs) -> Nick Kaepercolin, S22 (1411 TPE, 2nd among QBs)
As far as QBs go, Kaepercolin's second to one, and his TPE means he should make for a pretty great QB for at least 2 seasons of regression.
RB1: Joseph Petrongolo, S23 (928 TPE, 9th among RBs) -> Joseph Petrongolo, S23 (1087 TPE, 6th among RBs)
RB2: Terry Yaki, S25 RB (382 TPE, 29th among RBs) -> Terry Yaki, S25 (448 TPE, 26th among RBs)
This position's seen quite a bit of improvement, including over 50 TPE from the RB2, and an RB1 over 1000. Due to the power at the position, Petrongolo's actually lower than you'd expect. That said, only one person from a later class is above him, and the only person in regression who's above him is Frost.
WR1: Achtfunf, S23 WR (827 TPE, 16th among WRs) -> Achtfunf, S23 WR (1003 TPE, 12th among WRs)
WR2: Cmon Skiuuup, S25 WR (655 TPE, 27th among WRs) -> Cmon Skiuuup, S25 WR (818 TPE, 21st among WRs)
WR3: Susan Cash Jr, S22 WR (687 TPE, 22nd among WRs) (IA) -> Susan Cash Jr, S22 WR (687 TPE, 29th among WRs) (IA)
Achtfunf as a WR1 is more excusable this season than last season, but due to the premium of talent he still ends up a lower end WR1 while still being quite excellent. Cmon Skiuup as a WR2 is also below average but fine for the position, while Susan Cash ends up pretty average for a WR3. This group could look very exciting in a couple years assuming they get a replacement for Cash, but as is, for Kaepercolin's peak season, he has quite a nice group of wideouts.
TE: Clark Boyd, S22 TE (993 TPE, 4th among TEs) -> Clark Boyd, S22 TE (1161 TPE, 3rd among TEs)
Clark Boyd is the lowest of the 3 top tier S22 TEs by TPE, but he's more than impressive enough to be a good 1st or 2nd option to make up for the not mindblowing quality of the WR position.
OL1: Byron Dolls, S22 OL (751 TPE, 10th among OLs) -> Byron Dolls, S22 OL (924 TPE, 6th among OLs)
OL2: Taylor Cooper, S22 OL (576 TPE, 17th among OLs) -> Ananda Adyan, S25 OL (701 TPE, 11th among OLs)
OL3: Ananda Adyan, S25 OL (546 TPE, 18th among OLs) -> Taylor Cooper, S22 OL (614 TPE, 15th among OLs)
Last season, this group was a pretty respectable Oline. This season they're quite powerful, albeit for this one season before 2 of them regress. Adyan in particular has amassed quite a bit of TPE over the course of the season, especially for someone who did not max earn before this in his career.
DT1: Claude Miller II, S22 DT (876 TPE, 11th among DTs) -> Claude Miller, S22 DT (1019 TPE, 9th among DTs)
DT2: Hank Steel, S22 DT (810 TPE, 12th among DTs) -> Hank Steel, S22 DT (906 TPE, 12th among DTs)
Due to there being like 5 max earning S21 DTs that all have more TPE than Miller, it seems likely that this will be Claude's one year of truly elite TPE level of his career. That being said, he'll certainly be elite, especially if he continues to gain more TPE over the season. Him and Steel will both regress next season, probably out of good TPE levels for Steel, but for this season the Salamanders can't complain, especially considering the rest of their line.
DE1: Mario VonPebbles, S22 DE (1105 TPE, 4th among DEs) -> Mario VonPebbles, S22 DE (1250 TPE, 4th among DEs)
DE2: Nobody -> Marlon Brando, S27 DE (504 TPE, 24th among DEs)
Considering the DTs, VonPebbles is all that's really needed for this line, especially if they run a 3-4. Brando is a good enough stopgap with the rest of the line, and should only get better over the seasons to come.
LB1: Adam Schell, S24 LB (835 TPE, 16th among LBs) -> Adam Schell, S24 LB (1027 TPE, 15th among LBs)
LB2: BamBam McMullet, S26 LB (536 TPE, 30th among LBs) -> BamBam McMullet, S26 LB (703 TPE, 31st among LBs)
LB3: Hingle McCringleberry, S23 LB (533 TPE, 31st among LBs) (IA) -> Hingle McCringleberry, S23 LB (533 TPE, 37th among LBs) (IA)
I'm not sure how this line will function in sim. Better than last season, for sure, but for all McMullet and Schell's growth, to the point that Schell is a stud and McMullet is a contributor, they didn't really jump anyone over the course of last season. Granted, that's partly because the position is very stacked, but it's very easy to see a world where McCringleberry drags this unit down a lot. Will it override their amazing front 4, probably not, but it could be a problem.
CB1: Matt Krause, S22 CB (1066 TPE, 6th among CBs) -> Matt Krause, S22 CB (1213 TPE, 4th among CBs)
CB2: Swantavious Jones, S25 CB (701 TPE, 19th among CBs) -> Swantavious Jones, S25 CB (880 TPE, 17th among CBs)
CB3: Jeeeroy Lenkins, S25 CB (642 TPE, 30th among CBs) -> Jeeeeroy Lenkins, S25 CB (831 TPE, 24th among CBs)
This group gained a lot of TPE, especially Lenkins, and in doing so became one of the top groups in the league right now. Krause is a top CB who should be great this year, and Jones and Lenkins are getting much better, Jones in particular. This should be one of the better groups in the league, although right now I think Jones is merely average for a CB2 right now? Don't quote me on that.
S1: Benoit Blanco, S23 S (467 TPE, 31st among S) (IA) -> Eldrick Avery, S22 S (1170 TPE)
S2: Derek Wildstar, S26 S (463 TPE, 34th among S) -> Derek Wildstar, S26 S (554 TPE)
S3: Nobody -> Quentin Button, S24 S (410 TPE)
Man, this group improved MASSIVELY. Trading for Avery, moving him to Safety, and apparently getting him back active for 100+ TPE more, was quite a masterpiece. At this point the only weak link in the secondary is Wildstar, really, and one weak link is much better than an entire position of weak spots.
K: Danny King, S24 KR (543 TPE, 9th among Krs) Danny King, S23 KR (575, 8th among Krs)
Not much to say on this front other than apparently Danny King aged a season and I didn't notice. Other than that, he didn't get all that much TPE this season and is probably not going to survive regression too long unless he decides to pull an Alex Longname.
Overall, an extremely talented group, especially on D. My guess about what might hold them back is the lack of truly top flight weapons on Offense, but maybe the Tight End could make up for it.
Chicago:
QB: George O'Donnell, S21 QB (1236 TPE, 3rd among QBs) -> George O'Donnell, S21 QB (1074 TPE, 9th among QBs)
After a season of regression, O'Donnell got passed up by a number of S24 QBs, which makes me feel that he might be past his prime. Only one guy above him doesn't have the Game Manager trait that he lacks, in fact his only trait is Gunslinger at this point. It should be enough to keep the team in contention, but they have other problems.
RB1: Baby Yoda, S21 RB (986 TPE, 6th among RBs) -> Baby Yoda, S21 RB (773 TPE, 14th among RBs) (IA)
RB2: Julio Tirtawidjaja, S22 RB (706 TPE, 14th among RBs) (IA) -> Madison Hayes, S27 RB (527 TPE, 22nd among RBs)
RB3: Zed Keppler, S22 RB (416 TPE, 24th among RBs) (IA) -> Keynel McZeal, S23 RB (271 TPE, 41st among RBs) (IA)
Oh my goodness, I saw massive problems coming up with this unit if Yoda didn't stay active, and there his TPE goes. That 14th is flattering to him, he's going to be passed up by at least 2 more RBs over the course of the season if they stay active, and even then 773 is NOT enough for a starting back. Phillips last year had 50 more TPE, and also held back the Otters. I remember this being a massive pickup back when I first joined the league and it did not turn out that way. Hayes should be great in a few more seasons, but right now...she's just OK for an RB2 and there's not much else to say about it. Finally, their fullback has gotten much worse, although that might not matter all that much.
WR1: Luca Scabbia, S23 WR (905 TPE, 13th among WRs) -> Luca Scabbia, S23 WR (1050 TPE, 10th among WRs)
WR2: Sean O'Leary, S19 WR (748 TPE, 20th among WRs) -> Joshua Campbell, S24 WR (841 TPE, 19th among WRs)
WR3: Nobody -> Mike Hunt, S27 WR (421 TPE, 42nd among WRs)
The way I view this team's Wide Receivers is that their WR1 is below average but still respectable, their WR2 is above average, and then they might as well not have a WR3. Getting Campbell in the mass sell off from Baltimore last season was quite necessary to help this team out this season. This might not be enough to lift up a poor QB, but I wouldn't call O'Donnell a poor QB yet, just not an elite one.
TE1: Tree Gelbman, S21 TE (973 TPE, 5th among TEs) -> Tree Gelbman, S21 TE (912 TPE, 6th among TEs)
TE2: Nobody -> Daniel George, S22 TE (310 TPE, 17th among TEs) (IA)
Due to Gelbman earning so much last season, she actually didn't go down all that much from last season despite regression. She probably ends up above her old total if she continues to earn. She's about where she was last season, great but not elite.
OL1: Benson Bayley Jr, S22 OL (985 TPE, 3rd among OLs) -> Mo "Mamba" Magic, S22 OL (1088 TPE, 2nd among OLs)
OL2: Julio Jones, S23 OL (900 TPE, 6th among OLs) -> Julio Jones, S23 OL (1066 TPE, 4th among OLs)
OL3: Givussafare Rubbe, S18 OL (730 TPE, 11th among OLs) -> Icebox Riposte, S24 OL (863 TPE, 7th among OLs)
OL4: Icebox Riposte, S24 OL (650 TPE, 14th among OLs) -> Givussafare Rubbe, S18 OL (494 TPE, 22nd among OLs)
OL5: Alexander Franklin, S26 OL (424 TPE, 27th among OLs) ->James Gath, S25 OL (388 TPE, 33rd among OLs)
OL6: Perry Tucker Jr, S21 OL (322 TPE, 35th among OLs) (IA) -> Nobody
While this team doesn't have fucking 6 OLINE anymore, having lost 3 in the offseason due to Free Agency or Retirement, Chicago still is rocking a full Oline of warm bodies, and due to the strength of some of their improvements they didn't fall that far in terms of total TPE or total placement despite Rubbe regressing to S27 player levels. They have 2 monsters over 1000 TPE on the line and a third over 850. If the rest of the line doesn't matter too much, then the fact that Rubbe and Gath have less than 500 TPE might not matter. That being said, I can't tell if this line is stronger or not than their last one with a stronger top 3 but a weaker bottom 2.
DT1: John "Tripod" Smith, S21 DT (1030 TPE, 9th among DTs) -> Daymond Brooks, S22 DT (1068 TPE, 7th among DTs)
DT2: Daymond Brooks, S22 DT (978 TPE, 10th among DTs) -> John "Tripod" Smith, S21 DT (824 TPE, 15th among DTs)
DT3: Timmy Dimbi, S25 DT (499 TPE, 21st among DTs) -> Timmy Dimbi, S25 DT (623 TPE, 18th among DTs)
First thought, man is there a vast wasteland between 824 and 623 in terms of DTs, with only 2 players in that range. Anyways, Smith was one of the weaker DTs from Season 21 over 1000, he actually didn't earn at all over the course of last season, and thus has not held up all that well from regression. That probably makes this group a bit weaker on the whole than last season, although Dimbi's continued growth is quite nice to see for someone who probably replaces Smith in the starting lineup next season.
DE1: Von Hayes, S22 DE (1171 TPE, 5th among DEs)
DE2: Oliver Sloan, S24 DE (528 TPE, 22nd among DEs)
Oh BOY is there a gap between the 2 guys here. Hayes is elite, although it looks like he only survives one bout with regression unless he earns a ton this season and next, and Sloan...when you're a single TPE ahead of your team's RB2 who is 3 seasons younger, that's not a great sign. That being said, he IS the only weak link on the line, it's just that he's a pretty weak link.
LB1: Juan Domine, S24 LB (905 TPE, 12th among LBs) -> Juan Domine, S24 LB (1089 TPE, 11th among LBs)
LB2: Alejandro Chainbreaker, S24 LB (685 TPE, 23rd among LBs) -> Alejandro Chainbreaker, S24 LB (830 TPE, 23rd among LBs)
LB3: Wasrabi Gleel, S25 LB (637 TPE, 27th among LBs) -> Wasrabi Gleel, S25 LB (811 TPE, 25th among LBs)
LB4: Mike Hockhurtz, S18 LB (409 TPE, 41st among LBs) -> Nobody
This is a group that barely moved up at all in terms of overall positions, but by gaining as much TPE as they did, Domine has broken into the ranks of the elite and both Chainbreaker and Gleel are very useful as LB2 and LB3. A pretty average group in all.
CB1: Osiris Firestorm Fjord, S21 CB (1156 TPE, 4th among CBs) -> Tyron Shields, S22 CB (1211 TPE, 5th among CBs)
CB2: Tyler Oles Jr, S22 CB (1031 TPE, 8th among CBs) -> Osiris Firestorm-Fjord, S21 CB (970 TPE, 10th among CBs)
CB3: Tyron Shields, S22 CB (1030 TPE, 9th among CBs) -> HeHateMe PickSix II, S27 CB (488 TPE, 34th among CBs)
On one hand, this still should be an extremely strong group, on the other hand this is nothing compared to the 1000 TPE CB3 they had last season. Still, 2 CBs in the top 10 should be extremely strong for at least this season before both take hits of regression in the coming season. As for HeHateMe, he's fine for a CB3, but he could be picked on in nickel packages against certain teams with good WR3s.
S1: Damian Blackfyre, S25 S (644 TPE, 23rd among S) -> Damian Blackfyre, S25 S (764 TPE, 19th among S)
S2: Oliver Sloan, S24 S (451 TPE, 35th among S) -> Evan Jones, S26 S (539 TPE, 29th among S)
This is without a doubt a stronger group than last season, with Blackfyre making strides of improvement and Sloan moving to DE while Jones comes up from the DSFL. That being said, it's going to have to take up a bit of the slack from last season's CB group. In general though, this is a strong group that, while not last season's top fantasy defense, could still be extremely strong.
KR: Sam Sidekick, S22 KR (885 TPE, 4th among KRs) -> Sam Sidekick, S22 KR (1036 TPE, 2nd among KRs)
Sidekick has become one of the best kickers in the league TPE-wise. Not much else to say about kickers.
If I had to compare these two teams, I'd say that Berlin has the stronger offense outside of Oline, and Chicago has the stronger Defense, although I think Berlin's secondary is a bit better. Both should still compete for playoff spots.
(2635 words)