Categories: DivisionDivision CSpring

Early Season Div C Predictions

Welcome back FPF readers!! It is so damn good to be back here writing about the league: Talking about standout performances, failed team expectations and the long road ahead towards a championship, which began last Friday.

Let me quickly introduce myself as the Division C writer for this year. I’ve been playing FPF since the inaugural Fall Cup season in 2017 and have been writing (only) since Winter 2020. Some of you know me, some of you don’t, so if you see me on the field, you can call me Iggy, but I have also been bestowed the name Iggy Magnets or Magento, by CTV’s own weatherman and Calling The Audible co-host, Moe Khan. You can expect a weekly article with the ins and outs of the FPF world and providing a weekly pulse on Division C, talking all things like notable division storylines, a state of the standings, weekly Power Rankings, Game Recaps and Previews for the following week, as well highlighting standout performances with a Fantasy Roster of the week.

Hope you enjoy the content this year, so without further ado, let’s get the debate going for the best team in the division as this is one that will last all season long.

Team Expectations and Projected Final Standings

Let’s start this with a preview and expectations of some teams chosen at random, starting the first team to 2 wins this season, Blessed. With the entire division loaded with talent, including Blessed, what this team has a leg up on everyone is chemistry and practice… PRACTICE!? A majority of players on this team have been practicing together for about 9 months now, including outdoors this past winter. Yes, I said OUTDOORS and yes, I said WINTER. It is really hard to find a weakness on this team, and when Will Power is arguably your worst player on the roster, there is something to be said about that.  

I want to preface my preview of Les Gros Coqs by saying that I love the team and think that Dom Lefort is an absolute beast at the QB position. I also really like that LGC have challenged themselves by moving up to Division C, and while I don’t believe they will get blown out of many games, if any, it is still a step above the competition they are used to having faced in past FPF seasons. A projected 4-6 record is not a slight to them at all; in fact, it is a decent record in this division, and a below .500 record is not uncommon when moving up a division.

Last Fall Cup was the first time I saw Les Centaures play, and man, one week I would see some outstanding football, only to be disappointed the following week (based off my expectations). So when this season, right out of the gates, Jordan Rossie played his patented style and was clutch in the final drive of the game, enabling his team to come away with the tying score and the +1 convert for the victory. I love the addition of Carmine Pollice as a veteran presence on this team, who made an immediate impact in week 1, particularly on that final drive I alluded to with a huge wheel route catch to put his team within 5 yards of the endzone.  

Despite a week 1 loss to BBALLERS, Sheeeesh will be looking to be part of the top 8 playoff teams. While Andrew Langburt-led teams haven perennially been atop their respective divisions as the #1 or #2 seed, I see them hovering around the bottom half playoff teams this year in an extremely strong Div C. While they’ve replaced Noah Groper and Kevin Smuda with the likes of Marco Bertoldi and Vincent Benjamin, 2 very big FPF household names, I wonder whether they can, in a fast enough manner, replace the timing and accumulated reps left behind by Groper and Smuda. I’m not quite sure they have a quality rusher like what Groper provided them in seasons past. Don’t get me wrong, the team has talent and overall FPF knowledge and experience but scrolling through the schedule has me predicting a 6-4 record. If they can build that chemistry fast enough, this is a team that can prove me wrong.  

Projected Season Standings

Having gone through each team’s schedule, here’s a preview of how I believe the standings will look like at the end of Week 11. I’ll obviously be comparing my predictions vs. the truth in my Week 11 article, so I can tell you how right I was, and you can similarly lay it on me (I’m thinking Sheeeesh and EZW will be utterly confused with my predictions and will be looking to prove me wrong all season).

  1. BBALLERS: 9-1
  2. Blessed: 8-2
  3. Blue Dreamers: 8-2
  4. Les Centaures: 7-3
  5. Mangoose: 6-4
  6. Sheeeesh: 6-4
  7. EZW: 5-5
  8. The Infantry: 5-5
  9. Les Gros Coqs: 4-6
  10. Top Sauce: 3-7
  11. Silent Ticklers: 2-8
  12. South Harmon Institute of Technology: 2-8
  13. Ballz Deep: 1-9

(Way too Early) Power Rankings – Top 8

1. Blessed (2-0): Perfect start to the season, with Harripersaud putting up 12 TDs to 0 INTs, putting up 88 points to their 33 allowed. Oh, and they put up all that offence with, Isiah Allard, probably their best player only putting up 2 receptions for 9 yards. Scary.

2. Blue Dreamers: (1-0): AJ Gomes is the best receiver in the division. Look for him to win the WR of year in Div C by season’s end. Much of the season success will fall on the QB play of Barazzoni, and he’s showed in week 1 he can move the ball with this offense. While much of that offense will be feeding his #1 receiver (which will work most weeks), he will need to spread the ball and get his other talented receivers involved (Gomes-Risso, Siggia, etc.)

3. BBALLERS (1-0): Look for the BBALLERS to be in the top 3 of the Power Rankings for most of the season. While they can definitely pile up the points (51 in week 1), they will need to work on their D (allowed 42 in week 1) to be a championship contender.

4. Les Centaures (1-0): Loved the clutch drive against a quick, tough defense in Mangoose. And if their roster suggests that they have Alex Noel too… just who exactly do you defend? Goodluck Div C defenses!

5. The Infantry (1-0): I like The Infantry as a dark horse team that can sneak up on others. If you don’t know the name Jaylan Greaves in FPF, you’ve been likely hiding in quarantine and curfew… oh wait.. right.. well, the ability for Corey Walwaski to get the timing down with top notch receivers like Rory Semerjian and Jaylan is something that I think will happen sooner rather than later, as suggested by their week 1 combined stats of 6 receptions, 112 yards and 4 TDs.

6. Mangoose (0-1): Mangoose are the model of consistency in the middle FPF divisions. There aren’t too many QBs like Nic Schaefer, honestly. He’s taken his tackle football game and adapted it to FPF really well, and their offense is extremely difficult to stop. This is true year in and year out, and this season doesn’t seem to suggest anything different.

7. Les Gros Coqs (1-0): LGC’s combination of size, speed and athletic ability will keep them in most games and I predict they move in and out of the Top 8 Power Rankings during the season. Taking down EZW and limiting Jeremy White to 2 passing TDs and 16 rushing yards is an amazing feat in their season opener and is a very good sign for this team moving forward. That said, expect them to be on the other side of a 1-point football game as well.

8. Sheeeesh (0-1): Despite losing their season opener, Sheeeesh still put up 42 points, including three, yes THREE 2-pt conversions. That’s an extra touchdown on the board. Uncharacteristically though, Langburt thew two pick 6’s, which clearly swung the game in the BBALLERS direction. I might already be wrong about the slow chemistry between QB and new WRs, as Bertoldi and Benjamin combined for 8 receptions, 139 yards and 3 TDs.

Week 1 Ballers and Ultimate Fantasy Roster

Week 1 saw a lot of outstanding performances, and so, here are your top performers of the week in Div C’s Week 1 Fantasy Roster:

Top 2 QB’s

QB1 – Gianni Casati (BBALLERS): 14/19, 282 yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT, QBR 133.2

QB2 – Stephen Harripersaud (Blessed – Game #2): 25/32, 223 yards, 6 TDs, 0 INTs, QBR 135.3

Top 3 Receivers

WR1 – AJ Gomes (Blue Dreamers): 9 targets, 8 receptions, 118 yards, 4 TDs

WR2 – Marvin Steinberg (Blessed – Game #2): 8 targets, 7 receptions, 113 yards, 3 TDs

WR3 – Thomas Coutu (Mangoose): 8 targets, 6 receptions, 99 yards, 3 TDs

Top 3 Defenders

DB1 – Oliver Suri (EZW): 2 tackles, 3 INTs, 2 Def TDs

DB2 – Marvin Steinberg (Blessed – Game #1): 1 tackle, 2 INTs, 2 PDs, 1 Def TD

DB3 – Jonathan Svetna (Blessed – Game #2): 3 INTs

Honourable Mentions

QB: Jordan Rossie (Les Centaures): 19/29, 246 yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs, 25 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD, 102.9 QBR

WR : Armand Balla (Les Centaures) : 6 targets, 4 receptions, 60 yards, 4 TDs

DB: Charles Presser (Silent Ticklers) : 2 tackles, 1 INT, 1 Def TD

Well that does it for the first article for Div C, hope you enjoyed, and if you have anything you want to see in these articles, hit me up on socials IG @iggymanz and Ignacio Valdes-Manzanedo (see why Iggy is easier?) on FB and for those still using email, [email protected].

Remember that when your game planning against your opponents, to take a look at the advanced team stats that are now available! Now go ball out in week 2 Div C!!