Week 14 NBA Power Rankings
Week 14 Power Rankings
Tier 1
1- Win’s Up Doc (10-3) [-]
2- The Pullies (9-4) [+1]
3- Sporty Strauss (9-4) [+1]
4- DTC Porkchop Express (9-4) [-2]
Tier 2
5- Wait ‘ Til Next Year (7-6) [+1]
6- Minnesota Moose Knuckles (8-5) [-1]
7- Ornery Otters (7-6) [-]
8- Las Cabras (6-7) [-]
Tier 3
9- Cooper Troopers (4-9) [+1]
10- The BamO’s (4-9) [-1]
11- Shepherd Goods Choppers (2-11) [-]
12- $traight Cash Homie (3-10) [-]
(Tier 1) This week was the Revenge of the BOTTOM Boyz! Two Tier 3 squads completed upsets against the (previous) TOP-2 teams in the league, Win’s Up Doc and DTC Porkchop Express! Suddenly, there’s more parity in the League of Leagues than there’s been in months, making for an superbly exciting final-6 weeks of play.
Win’s Up Doc (1) was still top-4 in scoring last week, only 40-or-so points behind the lead. It was an unlucky draw, something that hasn’t happened to him much. There’s no REAL concern with Doc’s future, especially with 10 wins already in the bank and a schedule that isn’t terrible, starting with Las Cabras this week.
Win’s Up Doc (1) Schedule
Week 14: Las Cabras (8)
Week 15: MN Moose Knuckles (6)
Week 16: $traight Cash Homie (12)
Week 17: Ornery Otters (7)
Week 18: DTC Porkchop Express (4)
Week 19: Sporty Strauss (3)
DTC Porkchop Express (4), however, is opening itself up to a (sex)world of hurt with its loss to the 1-win Shepherd Goods Choppers. DTC has ONE game against an easy opponent left in the Cooper Troopers (who weren’t so easy last week), and then it’s an absolute GAUNTLET:
DTC Porkchop Express (4) Schedule
Week 14: Cooper Troopers (9)
Week 15: Wait ‘Til Next Year (5)
Week 16: The Pullies (2)
Week 17: Sporty Strauss (3)
Week 18: Win’s Up Doc (1)
Week 19: Ornery Otters (7)
DTC Porkchop Express plays the toughest schedule possible over that middle 4-week stretch. If he’s gonna make the playoffs, he needs to put up better performances than he did last week. He’s by no means a lock, and that final game against the Otters looms large.
The Pullies (2) move up a spot in the Power Rankings due to the opposite effect – their schedule is EASY, especially after this week.
The Pullies (2) Schedule
Week 14: Minnesota Moose Knuckles (6)
Week 15: Cooper Troopers (9)
Week 16: DTC Porkchop Express (4)
Week 17: Shepherd Goods Choppers (11)
Week 18: The BamO’s (10)
Week 19: $traight Cash Homie (12)
We’re getting close to locking The Pullies in for a BYE, especially if they can take advantage of recovering MN Moose Knuckles this week.
Sporty Strauss (3) is one of the two biggest beneficiaries in the faltering of the previous top-2 teams – the other being the Ornery Otters. As the favorite to win the entire league, Sporty Strauss getting his 9th win (and 3rd straight) is a big milestone – he’s only one win away from clinching being above .500 in a league where half the teams make the playoffs. And while it’s not GUARANTEED that he will finish with a playoff spot, getting to 9 wins with a moderate schedule is promising. We’ll know after the next TWO WEEKS if Strauss is in or if he needs to sweat it out. He’s got his only ‘easy’ games the next couple of weeks.
Sporty Strauss (3) Schedule
Week 14: The BamO’s (10)
Week 15: Shepherd Goods Choppers (11)
Week 16: MN Moose Knuckles (6)
Week 17: DTC Porkchop Express (4)
Week 18: Ornery Otters (7)
Week 19: Win’s Up Doc (1)
Those last 4 weeks are tough, but the next two weeks are completely winnable, though The BamO’s is getting some reinforcements back tonight that should push Sporty Strauss. As always, a game against 7th-place Ornery Otters looms large late in the season. Oh, the joys of being in Nolo’s Division!
(Tier 2) The first team in this tier is Wait ‘Til Next Year (5) who is in a bit of trouble. However, it’s not dire yet. Kyle is tied with the Ornery Otters record-wise, but still claims the final playoff spot (for now). He’s on a horrible 4-game losing streak, but he’s lucky he built up wins over the first part of the season. Now, he’s getting out of the worst 3-week schedule stretch in the entirety of the League of Leagues so far – 2 games against the red hot Pullies peppers and 1 game against the jugger-Doc. Things get much easier down the stretch, which is why he’s ahead of MN Moose Knuckles on the Power Rankings.
Wait ‘Til Next Year (5) Schedule
Week 14: $traight Cash Homie (12)
Week 15: DTC Porkchop Express (4)
Week 16: The BamO’s (10)
Week 17: MN Moose Knuckles (6)
Week 18: Cooper Troopers (9)
Week 19: Las Cabras (8)
Kyle would ideally like to go 4-2 down the stretch to 100% lock up a playoff spot. As long as his team is moderately healthy, he should be able to do at least that, and that Pullies BYE isn’t an afterthought for him yet.
The Minnesota Moose Knuckles (6) are still the most likely team to miss the playoffs. For not being in Nolo’s division, their season-ending schedule is beyond brutal.
MN Moose Knuckles (6) Schedule
Week 14: The Pullies (2)
Week 15: Win’s Up Doc (1)
Week 16: Sporty Strauss (3)
Week 17: Wait ‘Til Next Year (5)
Week 18: Las Cabras (8)
Week 19: Cooper Troopers (9)
Hall would like to go 3-3 down the stretch, and even that might not be enough depending on how other teams (Otters/Cabras) perform. All roads lead to that week 17 game against Wait ‘Til Next Year that could decide the final playoff spot between Hall, Kyle and Korey. It also begs the question: why are the Moose Knuckles so gung-ho on making these NBA playoffs? They should certainly be trying to win this week against The Pullies, because a BYE is too advantageous. But if they lose this week, what are they really playing for? It’s possible to win a playoff game, but that likely won’t do enough to help on the end-of-season score. And with excess keepers, the Moose Knuckles might be better served to keep making moves for next season. With the right trades, the MN Moose Knuckles could come into the year as favorites to win the entire League of Leagues in ‘22-’23.
The next team on the list SHOULD NOT be discounted! The Ornery Otters’ schedule is perfectly middle-of-the-pack, DESPITE the Nolo’s gauntlet at the end of the season where he has to play 3 of the best 4 teams that are all in his division. Out of any team, the Ornery Otters could use a trade to help bolster a makeshift roster down the stretch. There has to be some mutually advantageous trade between the Otters and Moose Knuckles. The Otters still have a chance to place this year – 3rd and 4th places are clearly within reach if the Otters can make the NBA playoffs.
Ornery Otters (7) Schedule
Week 14: Shepherd Goods Choppers (11)
Week 15: The BamO’s (10)
Week 16: Las Cabras (8)
Week 17: Win’s Up Doc (1)
Week 18: Sporty Strauss (3)
Week 19: DTC Porkchop Express (4)
Unfortunately, Korey likely needs to go 4-2 down the stretch to sneak into the playoffs, meaning he needs to steal a game against Nolo’s and not drop his 3 ‘easy’ games. The odds still favor the current top-6 ending up in the playoffs, but a lot can change quickly in the League of Leagues.
Last in Tier 2 is Las Cabras (8) who are stuck in absolute no-man’s land. Las Cabras have enjoyed a resurgent past month or two, overcoming a slow start. However, the amount of bad teams in the league is raising the win’s bar for that last playoff spot a little bit too high for them, and they likely have to finish with a 5-1 record to sneak into the playoffs. Without reinforcements, that is likely too much, despite an exploitable schedule.
Las Cabras (8) Schedule
Week 14: Win’s Up Doc (1)
Week 15: $traight Cash Homie (12)
Week 16: Ornery Otters (7)
Week 17: Cooper Troopers (9)
Week 18: MN Moose Knuckles (6)
Week 19: Wait ‘Til Next Year (5)
This week is HUGE for Las Cabras. If they can upset the Doc, they stand a really solid chance of playing for the playoffs in the final week of the season. If they snuck out a win this week, they’d potentially be motivated to add a piece or two for a late stretch run. They’d at least have a chance. Without a win and an almost-necessity to win out, it’s just easier for them to play it safe for the Consolation BYE and not making any risky moves.
(Tier 3) We aren’t as worried about the schedules Tier 3 teams, but we just want to extend a huge shout-out to the Cooper Troopers (9) and Shepherd Goods Choppers (11) for hard-fought victories against top teams. Teams in the middle of the league love to see that kind of fight, and it gives both of these teams hope for next year. As mentioned before, the Choppers have one of the best Big 3’s in the League of Leagues. They just don’t have the depth. With a re-set on the depth portion of the draft, the Choppers could be back with a vengeance next season. The Cooper Troopers have one of the best subset of keepers going into next year, and he could make his wife a very happy woman with a dominant ‘22-’23 performance.
For The BamO’s (10), injuries have crushed what should have been a solid team. Sam made good draft picks, but this is the real cost of not having that extra $30 in NBA – lack of depth. He simply couldn’t adjust his roster on the fly when people went down. But he took too many injuries anyways. The BamO’s have amongst the worst future outlooks of any squads, and their chances to compete are coming down to performance and health in the Consolation Bracket. The season isn’t over, but his upside is capped.
$traight Cash Homie is down to 12th in the power rankings again after a good showing from Dye. It’s his 3rd straight loss in a row, but there isn’t much separating Jordan and Jack, the clear worst two teams in the NBA leg of the League of Leagues. But what does that say about DTC Porkchop Express who just lost to one of them? Maybe all of these teams aren’t as far apart as you’d thin, and the crazy playoff shenanigans could happen!
Week 13 High Score
The Pullies (Peter/Eric)
1366.5 points
Notes: The Pullies are on an ABSOLUTE tear, but now… a wet tear is slipping down their cheek as they’ll likely miss Kevin Durant for the rest of the regular season. The Pullies might want to add a body to ensure their status as a BYE team, as they probably won’t be getting any more high scores without KD. But they could clinch a playoff berth THIS week with a win and a BamO’s loss, so it’s hard to be super motivated to make moves with that kind of certainty and 0 points in NFL, handicapping their chances of placing by a significant amount. The Pullies are in it for pride right now.
Week 13 Low Score (AKA the JordJack Award)
The BamO’s (Sam)
1086 points
Notes: The season already slipped away and The BamO’s didn’t set a full lineup. With Paul George likely out for the rest of the season, The BamO’s ceiling is capped. There’s still a chance they win the Consolation Bracket, as they still have the best team in the field when healthy. But Sam needs to be diligent in improving his roster if he wants to compete in that tourney.
Week 13 MVP
James Harden
Cooper Troopers (Coop)
173 points
Notes: James Harden and steal of the draft Dejountay Murray went toe-to-toe this week. Murray was the better fantasy player with over 200 points, but James Harden proved to be more valuable to the win. It was a mere 13-point UPSET EXTRAVAGANZA win by the Cooper Troopers who took down the top-ranked team in the League of Leagues. Harden was the primary reason Coop won.
Week 13 LVP
Isaiah Stewart
Wait ‘Til Next Year (Kyle)
66 points
Notes: Wait ‘Til Next Year’s depth has dropped off substantially since the beginning of the season. It was exacerbated last week by 3 poor performances by Isaiah Stewart, the big man in Detroit. Stewart is still a #Hunk, but isn’t showing as much promise as he seemed to earlier on. And in the immediacy, Wait ‘Til Next Year desperately needs more production out of players like this to shake his 4-game losing streak.
Current Playoff Seeding
Playoffs
Win’s Up Doc – BYE
The Pullies – BYE
MN Moose Knuckles
DTC Porkchop Express
Sporty Strauss
Wait ’Til Next Year
Consolation
Ornery Otters – BYE
Las Cabras – BYE
The BamOs
Cooper Troopers
$traight Cash Homie
Shepherd Goods Choppers
Week 14 Matchups
Win’s Up Doc (1) vs Las Cabras (8)
The Pullies (2) vs MN Moose Knuckles (5)
Sporty Strauss (3) vs The BamOs (10)
DTC Porkchop Express (4) vs Cooper Troopers (9)
Wait ’Til Next Year (5) vs $traight Cash Homie (12)
Ornery Otters (7) vs Shepherd Goods Choppers (11)
Week 14 MATCHUP of the WEEK
The Pullies [9-4] (2nd) vs MN Moose Knuckles [8-5] (6th)
It’d be nice to stop throwing The Pullies into every single matchup of the week, but this is the last big game they have all season. If they win this, it’s EXTREMELY likely that they’ll sneak away with a BYE. Cue up NSYNC if they win, cuz they’ll be singing BYE BYE BYE all the way home.
For MN Moose Knuckles, every game is important if they want to hold off the Ornery Otters to keep a playoff spot. Wins over the top teams like Pullies go a long way to Hall stating his case as a legitimate contender in the League of Leagues NBA.
A lot of this matchup comes down to whether or not Gary Trent Jr. plays. If he does, The Pullies have a good chance to keep this close. If he doesn’t, the Moose Knuckles have a far superior lineup.
PG1 – Ja Morant vs Devin Booker
PG2 – Patrick Beverley vs Terry Rozier
SG1 – Darius Garland vs Bradley Beal
SG2 – Jordan Clarkson vs Devin Vassell
SF3 – Anthony Edwards vs RJ Barrett
SF4 – OG Anunoby vs Otto Porter Jr.
PF1 – LeBron James vs Julius Randle
PF2 – Bojan Bogdanovic vs Bobby Portis
C1 – Montrezl Harrell vs Rudy Gobert
C1 – Thaddeus Young vs Richaun Holmes
FLEX1 – Anfernee Simons vs Jarred Vanderbilt
FLEX2 – Dorian Finney-Smith vs Jalen Suggs
FLEX3 – Gary Trent Jr. / Deni Avdija vs Pat Connaughton
The Pullies: Advantage at 7/13 positions
MN Moose Knuckles: Advantage at 6/13 positions
INJURIES:
The Pullies: Gary Trent Jr. (Q - Ankle), Kevin Durant (O - Knee), Luke Kennard (Q - COVID)
MN Moose Knuckles: Wendell Carter (Q - Hamstring), Cameron Johnson (Q - Ankle)