2004 LFFL Week 14 Power Poll

1) Latrobe Brewers (11-2, 1277.56 pts) Calling the Brewers number one is an understatement. They are far and away the best team in the LFFL and are on an 11 game winning streak after dropping their first two decisions all the way back in September. Leading the Brewers is cyborg quarterback Peyton Manning who has put winning the LFFL championship his top priority (right after shattering Marino’s touchdown record). This team is strong everywhere though, Manning at QB, Ward and Muhammad at WR, Droughns, McGahee and Taylor at RB, Wiggins at TE, Longwell kicking, and the Indy defense which surprisingly scores points. This team is on cruise control and has to be odds on favourite to win the Leight Cup at Leight Bowl II.

2) Indiana Ignition (9-4, 1190.78 pts) This is a quiet, sneaky team. Owner Ryan Alexander is a quiet owner, rarely posting messages or trash talk, and hitting the free agent market and waiver wire sparsely. Where you do hear from him is in the win column. This team wins games, it’s that simple. While in total points scored they are down by a weeks worth of points to Latrobe, they have sewn up the second playoff seed and are in fair position to make a run at the Leight Cup. Questions though remain at QB, Bulger is injured and Penningtion is healthy now, but who knows for how long. Having an Indy receiver doesn’t hurt though, and neither does having Edggerin James pounding the ball home. What could have been a disaster, the loss of Priest Holmes, was softened when Indiana acquired Derrick Blaylock in a trade with Koppel. This team can go either way any week though, and they are a long way from saying they are the best chance to upend Latrobe.

3) Koppel Koonhunters (7-6, 1146.38 pts) Don’t think the loss of Randy Moss hurt the Koonies? Ask owner Kurt Presnar who saw his team fall from the top echelon of the league to the middle of the pack when the best receiver in football went down. However, Koppel has bounced back, and while losing this past week to an Edinburg team putting up a rare strong effort, they remain in the hunt and on paper are one of the better teams out there. Culpepper is the heart of this team, and a healthy Moss could prove to be trouble for any opponent. Westbrook has proven to be a threat finally at RB after starting the season very slow, and the pickup of Nick Goings has proven to be valuable. However, it would be fair to question the team’s strategic team management when a few weeks ago Koppel traded away Priest Holmes’ stud of a backup, Derrick Blaylock, for Chris Chambers and a swap of defenses. Giving the most important backup in football away to your #1 competitor while you are both jockeying for playoff position in exchange for a Miami player is probably not best decision ever. It goes right up there with the Indians selling the island of Manhattan for 27 dollars with of beads and trinkets. Anyway, Koppel looks ok right now, and could make a push, provided they make the playoffs.

4) Akron Assault (7-6, 1089.83 pts) Two words: Antonio Gates. Akron gets the production of a wide receiver from their tight end every week, giving them an edge that has helped them stay above .500. The rebirth of Drew Brees hasn’t hurt either, and they do have an Indy receiver too. However, their running backs are a little underwhelming, considering the cool down of Thomas “Tom” Jones, and the benching of Lee Suggs (although that’s not unusual). The New England defense though is another key puzzle piece for this team that has playoff hopes. Their play in these final weeks could well determine a game or two. If this team does have a weak link it is the existence of underachieving Cleveland Browns players. Phil Dawson is only a good kicker when you consider accuracy, and Lee Suggs is not the man you want backing up your running backs should an injury or act of terror occur. Surely there is a better use of roster space than carrying former Brown Quincy Morgan. That said, this team is not bad. They’re not great. But they’re not bad either. A middle of the pack team, they could emerge as leader, but it will take a little luck and a lot of points.

5) Allentown Iron Men (7-6 1016.28 pts) Defending league champion Allentown sits upon a bubble so large, it stretches as far as the eye can see. After starting strong they began to fizzle mid season thanks to inconsistent quarterback play, and poor wide receiver production. Thanks to a couple of trades though they have shored up the quarterback and wide receivers at the cost of knocking their famous running back corps down a couple pegs. For this team it has been feast or famine all year, producing high scoring wins and low scoring defeats. Consistency has been lacking from this club and their record shows it. However, after laying a whooping to arch-rival Prospect this week, this team feels recharged and excited at the potential for a run at the Leight Cup, which would be their second in as many years. Quarterback Plummer can break open a game when he isn’t playing in the snow or throwing four picks, and of late the wide receivers look to be this team’s strength. TO is flying high, Chad Johnson is producing points, and Jerry Porter is a legitimate threat now that Propect’s Ronald Curry is likely out for the remainder of the season. Running back is a little dicey for the Iron Men though, Steven Jackson, Marshall Faulk, Chris Brown and Duce Staley have all been bitten by the injury bug, and who will start will come down to who will actually dress and play. Health is a major concern. For the second year Allentown has the best kicker in football, this year with Adam Vinatieri making GM Todd Leight look like the master at picking kickers. Also, a resurgent Tampa Bay defense is important to this team’s chances. While they are not as stacked as other teams in the league, they do have the most upside for breakout games that can crush opponents. The fact that they have nothing to lose makes them a dangerous team, one that may cause headaches for someone, should they qualify for the playoffs.

6) Prospect Pioneers (6-7 1079.77 pts) While still in playoff contention, this team has some serious problems. Their “star” QB, Steve McNair has been talking retirement, one of their top WRs is out for the year, their top RB is still down with and ankle injury, and their best player right now, Kevin Jones, was acquired not by GM Dan Coulter, but by league commissioner Todd Leight who managed the Pioneers while team leadership staged a 2 game walk out protest. With the exception of 2 of 3 of their QBs and their strong Philly defense, this team is without a 3 digit scorer. That spells inconsistency, and that spells trouble. This team can still make the playoffs with some help, but the question is, do they even want to make the playoffs, as an early exit is all but certain. With the juggernaut that is Latrobe out there, and forces such as Indiana, Koppel and even Akron, the bottom playoff spots might be better served if they were represented by teams that could actually make a run at the top. Prospect may want to start considering their for draft next year, rather than their starting roster in the next couple weeks, because the way they’re going, drilling holes in a boat to let out the water that’s coming in is not the way to right a sinking ship.

7) Chewton Champs (6-7 1020.33 pts) Chewton, like Prospect, is still technically in the hunt for a playoff spot, but they need lots of help. Their QB is as solid as they come with McNabb, and the WRs have a lot of upside with Wayne, Mason, Rod Smith, and Drew Bennett can explode providing Volek throws to him. Also Julius Jones is the hottest back in football right now, and Ahmad Green is spotty, but usually there. Team weaknesses are kicker and defense, places that do make a difference. Of all the sub .500 teams Chewton is the best and would probably fare better than Prospect, should they make the playoffs. However, it appears that Chewton’s revival is coming a couple weeks too late, and key losses have put them in a position that even while they may be strong, they have too many losses. However, Chewton can play spoiler this week to Prospect, so at the end of the day, someone is going to be in ok shape, and someone will be definitely hoping for the best out of the loser’s bracket.

8) Edinburg Epidemic (5-8 1018.36 pts) Edinburg is out of playoff contention, and has been for quite a while. However, they certainly complicated things last week with their beating of Koppel. This team is a little better than their record indicates, certainly their running back say so. However, they’ve been plagued by inconsistent play and a lack of team management. Next week they face a solid Indiana squad in a meaningless game, as the Ignition are solidly in 2^nd place and the Epidemic are solidly in 8^th place. The best each team can hope for is a high scoring affair to pad their total points scored in order to gain respectability.

9) Ellwood Dishsoaps (4-9 974.23 pts) Ellwood is also out of the playoff hunt, but is in ok shape to avoid being in last overall. While they boast two of the most excellent defenses with Pittsburgh and Baltimore, the great Brett Favre and Curtis Martin, this team has lacked the points needed to get wins on a consistent basis. Clinton Portis only decided to start scoring last week, and carrying two players on their roster who are on IR hasn’t helped either. However, Ellwood, for all its’ flaws, is not as bad as Eastbrook.

10) Eastbrook Mooncrickets (3-10 954.23 pts) One of only 2 teams to have yet cracked 1000 points this season, Eastbrook is very simply a terrible team. On paper this team should be much better. However, they their record says otherwise, having collected 10 losses already. Starting Joey Harrington has proven disastrous, and losing Tomlinson for the majority of the season was just too much for this team to take. While Tomlinson is back, the damage has already been done, and this team is in dire straits. Poor team management doomed this team from the beginning, but a clear lack of understanding by the ownership was demonstrated throughout the season by the making of questionable trades and less than intelligent starting lineups. Also, Eastbrook’s failure to address their problems at defense and kicker has cost them games. Those two positions were clearly overlooked and could have been the source of many lost points. This team now is taking a serious look at how this season has gone in hopes of making changes that will allow them to move forward next year and avoid the pitfalls that have sunk them this year.

2004 LFFL Week 3 Power Poll

1) Indiana Ignition (2-0) You can’t argue with results, and that’s just what the Ignition get, results. Sure being undefeated after two weeks isn’t exactly the most difficult task; after all, Chewton is 2-0 also. What is impressive is the league high 205 points scored by Indiana, 26 points more than runner up Allentown. Indiana is well armed at every position, anchored by Priest Holmes and Edgerrin James at running back. However, this week it may be rough for the Ignition as both Holmes and The Edge are hurting, and may be held out of their respective games. Last week they embarrassed Akron, thanks to impressive performances from James, Pennington and the Seattle defense. Injuries aside, this team is built for speed, and can be explosive each week.

2) Allentown Iron Men (1-1) Seven of Allentown's ten players were in double digits last week, and each week this team has the ability to light up the scoreboard. Chalking their game one loss up to opening week jitters, the Iron Men are beginning to step their game up, as QB Aaron Brooks is about to be heavily relied up on in New Orleans, Laveranues Coles looks catch more balls from Patrick Ramsey, and the best backfield in the LFFL consisting of Tomlinson, Lewis, Brown and Griffin take on favorable matchups in the coming weeks. If this team can find one consistent producer at WR, and QB Brooks can play within himself, this team will roll. Don't discount Allentown’s oddball positions as Shockey, Adam Vinatieri and the Dallas D all have the potential to overachieve at their positions. This week the Iron Men take on the Assault, who hope to deliver a measure of revenge against an Allentown team that was very critical of Akron's draft and team management. Conversely, the Iron Men will hope to bury and further embarrass the Assault. This one will be settled on the field starting Sunday.

3) Chewton Champs (2-0) For all practical purposes, this team should be further down the power poll, as their total points is 4th lowest, and a glace at their roster shows the presence of Eddie George and Charlie Garner, signifying a desperate team. However, the most important stat suggest otherwise, as this team is 2-0. The Champs are strong, having key players at each position, McNabb, Mason, Ahman Green, Heap, Vanderjagt and Denver. The problem however is the players who back up these studs. Marcus Robinson, Charlie Garner and Eddie George don’t exactly strike fear into the hearts of their opponents. That said, on weeks when the key players really produce, their shortcomings are overcome, and this team wins. Chewton takes on injured Latrobe this week, but wont get away with the poor performance they put together last week prior to McNabb's taking of the field. This team can’t expect a 24 point effort each week from McNabb, so they'll need to get production of some sort from bye week players and backups. That remains to be seen though, despite their 2-0 standing. For now though, until they get an L, Chewton is #3.

4) Koppel Koonhunters (1-1) Koppel is riding high after last week's big win over arch-rival Prospect. They've got a powerful assembly of starters, including Culpepper and Moss, Brian Westbrook (who is due to find the end zone soon), and Daniel Graham is proving to be a valuable asset. That said, this team is not the offensive juggernaut it was last year. There is a significant talent drop off at WR after Moss, and at RB Westbrook has yet to find the end zone, and Barlow may have 2 injuries to concern himself over, his and his offensive line's. WR Jerry Porter may suffer from a feast or famine Oakland passing attack that likes to spread the ball around, and Kicker Josh Brown has only connected on one field goal thus far this year. Taking this into consideration, along with this week's off players Daniel Graham and Justin McCareins, Koppel will probably have their hands full with Ellwood this week, who are looking to prove that last week was not a fluke. Perhaps though the Power Poll is being too critical, it is very likely that Koppel will soon begin to klick, and if that happens, Koppel may be able to compare itself to last year's stellar team.

5) Akron Assault (1-1) It's funny how in the NFL Tom Brady was a backup who took over behind the wheel of the Patriots offense and put Drew Bledsoe in the rear view mirror. The same thing has happened it would seem in the LFFL. Owner Ryan Alessio took QB Michael "Don’t call me Mike anymore" Vick with the third pick overall in the draft this year, but has found that Brady is his starting man on game day. Vick has yet to start a game, but that changes this week, as Brady has a bye. Was taking Vick with the third choice overall the best decision ever? Many have criticized this move on the record, including the owner of the Assault's opponent this week, Allentown. Overall though, Akron isn’t a bad team. Far from it. Marvin Harrison is of course an all world receiver, and Terry Glenn, Plaxico Burress and Qunicy Morgan are serviceable receivers. The loss of Charles Rogers though has hurt the receiving corps. At running back Rudi Johnson will be solid this year, and while during the draft it was clear Akron didn’t know who Thomas Jones was, he may prove to be Akron's best pick. Randy McMichael is a perfect example of the strategy of picking the best player on a bad team, and for Akron, it works. As stated before, as Akron takes on Allentown this week, Brady, DeShaun Foster and the New England D are all off with bye weeks, making this game a little more difficult for the Assault, who are looking to leap to the head of the LFFL class. They'll need solid performances from every position though, because Allentown is a powerhouse that can't be beaten by only one player (read: even if Vick throws for 200 yards and rushes for 100 of his own).

6) Ellwood Dishsoaps (1-1) This is a good team. Not a deep team, but a good team none the less. Last week the 'Soaps crossed the century mark against the Epidemic and got solid games from all but two of their players. Ellwood has the goods at QB with Air McNair, skill and speed at WR with all world Tory Holt, power at running back with Stephen Davis, Dunn and ever young Curtis Martin. Sure, Boo Williams' worth is up in the air, and Pittsburgh laid an egg last week against Baltimore, but Ellwood wont make that mistake again, and will look to start the Philly D from here on out. This week Ellwood takes on Koppel and will really need to put together a strong roster to get a W. As of this writing they are without a starting running back because of Martin's bye week and Davis' inactivity due to bye week and injury. Should they find someone to plug that hole and get at least some production from them, the rest of the Dishsoaps roster could still make it a long day for the Koonies. The top two receivers (Holt and Horn) and running back Dunn have favorable matchups this week, and assuming that Steve McNair is due to get back to his MVP caliber game play, Ellwood may be able to hold off Koppel and go above .500. This is an early season test for the 'Soaps and their coach, who hopes to prove to all that he's as good a fantasy player as he is an asshole (that is to say, a very very good asshole).

7) Prospect Pioneers (1-1) I know, you have questions about this team. Chances are it sounds something like this: So, what's the deal with Prospect this year? Are they good? Are they bad? Doug Gabriel? Why? Yeah, the fact of the matter is, this team is up in the air. A quick glance of their roster would suggest that they're awesome. As awesome as last year? Ah,no. But still awesome. However, these awesome players may not produce awesome numbers. Last week, only two starters turned in double digit performances, QB Joey Harrington and the Baltimore D. This week, Prospect has elected to not even start Harrington, opting instead for Jake Plummer against the San Diego secondary. The main reason for the problems with this roster though is probably owner Dan Coulter's obsession with the use of the waiver wire. Every flavor of the week is picked up and inserted into the following week's starting line up. For example: Doug Gabriel catches a long bomb in the first half of the Raiders Steelers game. By the middle of the 3rd quarter he had been picked up by Prospect, and by the next week started at the #3 WR slot, where he collected exactly zero points. Poor as their performances were, Keyshawn Johnson and Ashley Lelie could have improved upon that. Team bright spots include Coulter's main man Clinton Portis, Marshall Faulk, Alge Crumpler and the Baltimore defense. This week the Pioneers will take on the Ignition, who are nursing injuries, and ripe for an upset by a Prospect team that is feeling surprisingly desperate this early in the season.

8) Latrobe Brewers (0-2) Latrobe is the exact opposite of rival Chewton. On paper, they look very strong, but in reality have been on the receiving end of two losses. Chewton however, looks weak on paper, but has managed to win twice this year. At QB Latrobe has one of the best in Peyton Manning, and a top 5 receiving threat with Hines Ward at WR. Javon Walker and Mushin Muhammad round out the receivers, and Fred Taylor anchors the backfield with uber tough Travis Henry making for an excellent #2 back. However, these position players have yet to produce this year, leaving Latrobe at 0-2. The injury to Kellen Winslow II hurts the Brewers who were counting on his wide receiver like production. This doesn’t bode well for owner Lisa Andrews who did some house cleaning this week in hopes to turn around her injured team. Andrews brought in Aaron Stecker who will be playing for the injured Deuce McAllister in New Orleans, and Tennessee's tight end Erron Kinney. Will these moves pay off? The answer comes this week as Latrobe takes on arch-rival Chewton. A Chewton win would put the Champs at 3-0 and the Brewers at 0-3, a place Latrobe doesn't want to be so early in the season.

9) Eastbrook Mooncrickets (1-1) This team could very well be in trouble. We're talking serious, legitimate peril. Eastbrook boasted the lowest point total last week, a shade over 48, and may not do much better this week. They still have the best wide receiving corps in the league, that hasn't changed. What has changed is the surrounding cast of characters around those three ball catchers. Trent Green and the Chiefs are in trouble, McAllister is injured (and Eastbrook is without his backup), Duce Staley will be the recipient of a stacked line of scrimmage to force Pittsburgh's rookie QB to throw, Eddie Kennison is horrible, TJ Duckett has to deal with ball hog Michael Vick, and William Green is always a knife fight away from the IR. This week though, the 'Maniacs take on equally hapless Edinburg, and may luck out in this basement battle. This week's game will come down to the play of Eastbrook's ball catchers, who will all need to have a big day to make up for the deficiencies the rest of the offense brings to the table.

10) Edinburg Epidemic (0-2) If Eastbrook MIGHT be in trouble, then Edinburg IS in trouble. With injuries to top players Shaun Alexander and Deon Branch, no production thus far from position players, and an underwhelming showing so far from Matt Hasselbeck the Epidemic have problems. Even Tony Gonzalez is hoofin it. If the production from the starters has been poor, the bench has been even more dismal, with backups such as Ron Dayne, Brandon Lloyd and Justin Fargus. The thing is, there's no hiding the fact that this is a not a great team. Shaun Alexander can't be expected to carry the load each week, and if past performances are any indication, he won't. However, until the team management can work out a trade or a plan to get this team back into it, they may be the recipient of a team's poor outing, and squeak out a win or two here or there. This week may prove to be one of those weeks, as the Epidemic take on a hurting Eastbrook team that is vulnerable.

2004 LFFL Preseason Power Poll

During this fortnight between the draft and the start of the regular season, the weekly LFFL Power Poll presents its draft review and preseason rankings. Sure, not a single down has been played, but the separation has already begun.

These rankings were computed by the following method: Each player on each roster was checked against The Sporting News rankings, which break each position into several categories. Top three classifications of players are premium picks, a notch below, and run of the mill. For each player a team had under the premium picks section, the team received 5 points. For each player under the notch below premium classification, the team received 3 points. For each player that was ranked run of the mill, the team received 1 point. Any player ranked lower than those three categories (ex. reaches and desperation picks) received no points. (Example: Priest Holmes and Edgerrin James are premium picks, 5 pts each; Dominick Davis and Michael Bennett are notch below premium, 3 pts each. Total pts for running back position= 16) Each position received a total score, and each team had a total team score. These scores aided in the rankings, but were not the sole criteria for judging.

2004 LFFL Preseason Power Poll

1) Allentown Iron Men (Overall pts: 43) Being the defending champions of the LFFL should be enough to make Allentown the preseason favorite, but it turns out the Iron Men also had one of the strongest drafts. That, combined with the experience of veteran owner Todd Leight and the youth of his 2004 club, makes Allentown a force to be reckoned with.

The Iron Men are anchored by the one two punch of starting running backs Deuce McAllister and Jamal Lewis. With quality running backs in such short supply, Lewis was a steal with the second round pick. His drug issues aside, there is no reason he shouldn't rush for 1600-1800 yards, or perhaps more should his trial be dismissed or rescheduled. Backup rbs include Chris Brown, Steven Jackson and Duce Staley.

Also looking to score are the Iron Men's WRs, Laveranues Coles, Darrell Jackson and Isaac Bruce. Backups include rookies Larry Fitzgerald and Roy Williams. Last year Allentown suffered from inconsistent play from their wrs. While this year's corps isn’t as explosive, they should prove more consistent.

At tight end the Iron Men scored one of the best in Jeremy Shockey, who is looking to return from a foot injury in order to put up big points for Allentown's offense.

Allentown also has quality quarterbacks with Aaron Brooks and Carson Palmer, reliable kickers with Adam Vinatieri and Aaron Elling, and solid defenses with Dallas and Tampa Bay.

The Iron Men are the youngest team in the league, with 3 rookies and 2 second year players on their rosters. If the running game can produce and the wide receivers play to their potential, Allentown will be a tough team to beat. It's obvious the Allentown Iron Men are serious about defending their title.

2) Koppel Koonhunters (Overall pts: 43) Koppel was one of the strongest teams in the LFFL last year, and it would seem the Koonhunters are ready to pick right up where they left off. The Koonies lost last year’s championship to rival Allentown, and following this year’s draft they find themselves tied with the Iron Men for most quality player points. Koppel equals Klass though, as they offer a solid 2004 team.

Last year Koppel lead with the 1-2 punch of Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison. This year’s dynamic duo is Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss. However, Culpepper and Moss came at the cost of accepting middle of the road receivers and running backs. Amani Toomer and Tiki Barber aren’t the Giants they used to be, Eric Moulds had a horrible season last year, Brian Westbrook has durability issues thanks to his size, and Kevin Jones is unproven. That said, it’s very possible that all of the above players may explode and have terrific seasons. There is a definite upside to this Koppel team.

The Koonies did keep their connections to Indianapolis with the drafting of Marcus Pollard at tight end, and have good kickers in Josh Brown and veteran John Hall, and solid defenses with the young teams of Jacksonville and Carolina.

If Koppel’s players can play up to their full potential, then it’s very possible Koppel will have another shot at the coveted championship of the LFFL.

3) Indiana Ignition (Overall pts: 39) Indiana is one of the three new teams in the LFFL this year, but the veteran leadership of owner Ryan Alexander makes this team an instant contender. The Ignition put together a very strong draft this year, drawing the first overall pick. However, the strength of this roster lies in its depth.

With the first overall pick Indiana drafted running back Priest Holmes. While that was no surprise, it was stunning that 19 picks later running back Edgerrin James was still on the board. With that, the Ignition solidified their backfield. The following three picks saw solid wrs Santana Moss, Chris Chambers and Jimmy Smith all fall into the Ignition’s lap. After that, attention was turned to qb with the drafting of Marc Bulger, who, if the offensive line will protect him, can put together a fantastic year.

The depth of Indiana lies with running backs Dominick Davis and Michael Bennett, and developing wide receivers Tyrone Calico and David Givens. Indiana’s kicking tandem of David Akers and Joe Nedney is solid, but questions remain at tight end with sleeper L. J. Smith, and a defensive trio of Minnesota, Seattle and St. Louis which got the Ignition only 2 quality player points. What’s interesting was Indiana’s selection of these three defenses while teams like Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, and Pittsburgh were still on the board.

However, any question marks on this Indiana team are clearly overshadowed by their offense, which includes the best running back in football (even if he did think about retiring during the off-season) quality backups at running back and wide receivers, and a good qb (even if he throws a ton of ints). Yes, the Indiana Ignition have come to play, and the league will find out for sure what this team is made of when they open their inaugural season against fellow expansion team Latrobe on opening weekend.

4) Prospect Pioneers (Overall pts: 35) Last year Coulter’s Cardiac Kids were the class of the LFFL. Losing only one game the entire regular season, they were all but a sure lock to win it all. That is, until they were upset by the Allentown Iron Men in the opening round of the playoffs. While the Pioneers were statistically the best team in the LFFL, they were denied a championship. As they say though, that’s why they play the games. This year though, the Pioneers are clearly weaker on paper to start, and the Leight Trophy they were denied last year will be at the end of a long road, following a tough battle.

It’s obvious though that this years Pioneers will be sink or swim team as they are a team filled with “ifs”. The trio of quarterbacks includes 2 qbs who are due for a breakout year (Plummer and Harrington) and a backup who was a fantasy stud last year (Brad Johnson). However none of these three are a sure thing.

Owner Dan Coulter once called Clinton Portis his “main man”. Well, Coulter and Portis have been reunited again, and it feels so good. Or does it? Portis has moved to Washington, where the offensive line is not even half as good as the one Denver fielded last year. While Portis will get yards and carries, the question is will they be enough? Coulter did keep a Denver connection though, drafting Mike Anderson who when told of his being picked by the Pioneers, promptly popped his groin and went directly to, without passing go, the injured reserve list. On Wednesday the 25^th Prospect picked up Tyrone Wheatley off waivers. While he may be the first team back in Oakland, it has been a long time since the Raiders produced a solid fantasy back. The running back group is rounded out with an older and slower Marshall Faulk and aging Jerome Bettis.

Like Portis, Chad Johnson returns to the Pioneers roster with hopes to make a statement at wide receiver. Following Johnson is number two receiver Peerless Price who looks to have an improved season with a steady quarterback. After Johnson though, the talent drops off significantly, Keenen McCardell isn’t even in camp, and Keyshawn Johnson and Tim Brown aren’t the players they used to be. Also, wide receiver Ashley Lelie is about a stone’s throw away from being a bust. One possibility may be the addition of Marty Booker, who joined Prospect off waivers. He will attempt to steal receptions from Chambers in a weakened Miami offense.

A bright spot on the Pioneer’s roster is Alge Crumpler at tight end, who is an up and coming player hoping for many hookups with his fulltime qb. Also, Prospect is lucky to have the services of an excellent kicker in Jason Elam, along with the services of the best defense in football, Baltimore.

So, IF one of Prospect’s three qbs can step up, IF Portis can find some holes, IF Faulk isn’t too old, IF Johnson isn’t double teamed all year, IF Crumpler is found by Vick, and IF Baltimore dominates as usual, then Prospect can be as good as any team in the LFFL. We’ll find out IF that will be the case when Prospect opens up against Edinburg in week one.

5) Ellwood Dishsoaps (Overall pts: 36) Don’t rub your eyes in disbelief, the Dishsoaps arnt that bad this year. Seriously. Ok, maybe taking Stephen Davis as the number one choice while Culpepper and Moss were still on the board wasn’t the best decision ever, but Ellwood is pretty ok in every position.

At QB Ellwood has last year’s Co-MVP Steve McNair and quality veteran Mark Brunell. McNair is as tough as they come, and with a better backfield should be able to more easily hook up with quality receivers.

If Davis can stay rested and injury free, he is an excellent #1 running back, and Warrick Dunn could have a breakout year. Curtis Martin may be getting older, but he is still the ball carrier Ellwood needs and makes an attractive backup.

The Dishsoaps also have the best wide receiver in football with Tory Holt. Combined with Joe Horn who has promised more game and less show, Ellwood will put 2 great WRs on the field each week. Backups include Joey Galloway, Rod Smith and Reggie Wayne. Each have upside as the #3 receiver, Wayne especially. Also, Anquan Boldin rides the bench nursing an injury.

Ellwood rounds out their team with 3 sets of interesting players, first, two interesting tight ends, with interesting names, Boo Williams and Bubba Franks. Next comes a pair of kicking Johns with John Kasay and John Carney, and the Pennsylvania defense, drafting both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

Clearly this team has a chance to outperform last year’s squad, and the Dishsoaps are just a couple of key quality performances away from being a marquee LFFL team.

6) Eastbrook Mooncrickets (Overall pts: 34) Danny Palumbo has successfully made the transition from fantasy baseball to fantasy football with the solid team Eastbrook has put together. From top to bottom, the Egomaniacs are solid.

At quarterback, the trio consists of Trent Green, Jeff Garcia and Drew Bledsoe, each of who have a chance to put together better seasons than the last. At running back, Eastbrook has the best running back in football with LaDainian Tomlinson, probable Denver starter Quinton Griffin and goal line stud T. J. Duckett.

Also, the Egomaniacs assembled a corps of durable and explosive wide receivers. Terrell Owens will benefit from the new location, and Steve Smith and Koren Robinson are on the upswing. Backups Andre’ Johnson and Freddie Mitchell were sleeper favorites and Ike Hillard is an experienced vet who can pinch hit when needed.

Other positions of strength on this first Eastbrook squad include the tight end position, lead by Jason Witten, who could have a breakout season, and kicker stud Jeff Wilkens. The only question mark on this Egomaniac team is the defense, as the Miami defense isn’t what it used to be, and they could be playing from behind most of the year.

All things considered though, Eastbrook is a very solid team, one which will attempt to storm the LFFL and make waves early. If rookie owner Palumbo can keep this team running on all cylinders, then Eastbrook will be a team to watch out for on the schedule.

7) Edinburg Epidemic (Overall pts: 32) Edinburg started strong last year, but faded fast. This year, the Epidemic look to start strong, and stay strong, and that’s not totally out of the question with the team they’ve put together.

At quarterback the Epidemic are strong with Matt Hasselback starting, and Baron von Byron Leftwich and Josh McCown make for good backups. With running backs, Edinburg has one of the best with Shaun Alexander, and Corey Dillon should have a good season if he can be a team player. However, the rb talent drops off after Dillon, as Justin Fargus, Travis Minor, and Ron Dayne don’t exactly strike fear into the hearts of defenses.

There are also question marks at wide receiver, where Andre Johnson is the #1 receiver. Peter Warrick and Deon Branch round out the starting three. Backups Reggie Williams and Brandon Lloyd may not bring the depth to Edinburg that they’ll need deep into the season.

One bright spot for Edinburg is tight end where stud Tony Gonzalez sits atop the pack to give the Epidemic the performance of the wide receiver. Also, Matt Stover is a quality kicker and the Buffalo defense should provide adequate points.

So, while qb and te are solid, the questions presented by the wide receiver position might be a serious problem for the Epidemic, but it’s certainly not impossible for this team to perform.

8) Chewton Champs (Overall pts: 29) Chewton looks better on paper than the overall quality player points suggest. Donovan McNabb at qb should be much better this year than last now that he has an actual legitimate receiver to pass too, and Brett Favre is a great insurance policy to have at such a valuble position.

However, quality issues exist at running back and wide receiver, where the only marquee player is Ahman Green. Second rb Charlie Garner is questionable at best, and Eddie George is old at best. Julius Jones adds some youth (to balance George’s age) and Musa Smith might get carries if Jamal Lewis is sent away where he has to bunk with a fat man named Tiny.

Derrick Mason looks to have a better year than last, and Donte’ Stallworth will attempt to have a breakout year. However, the rest of the wr crew, Rod Garner, Marcus Robinson, and Alvis Whitted aren’t the guys you want to round out your starting three. Considering Robinson’s injuries and fall on the depth chart, the Champs added Nate Burleson from waivers and will keep the two on the bench until the depth chart is settled.

Tight end Todd Heap is valuable as Baltimore’s best receiver, and will hopefully produce much need points. Mike Vanderjagt was the league’s best kicker last year, connecting on every field goal and point after. Now he’s on the Champs roster. The squad is rounded off with the Denver defense, which is improved with the addition of Champ Bailey and John Lynch.

All in all, Chewton is not in as good a shape as they were last year after the draft, but with the right roster moves and plays, the Champs might be able to get out of the basement. Chewton Champs woooo!

9) Latrobe Brewers (Overall pts: 27) Latrobe, lead by first year LFFL team owner Lisa Andrews isn’t as bad as the quality player points suggest, but they do have some glaring question marks that’ll have to be addressed or answered before they can hope to reach the upper echelon of the league.

The strength of this team is obviously quarterback Peyton Manning. Manning is a fantasy gem, and there’s no reason he can’t improve upon his game from last year. Backup David Carr isn’t good enough to start on a regular basis, but if facing a favorable match up, he may make for a good bye week play.

At running back there are three main questions: Durability, Committee Play, and Age. Fred Taylor anchors the running backs, but many see him as an injury waiting to happen. Second are the duo of Travis Henry and Willis McGahee. Both are quality running backs, both should be starters somewhere. Problem is, they’re on the same team, and it doesn’t look like that’s changing. Who will start? Who will get the carries? Who will get the most when it counts? This one is up in the air right now, and will make for a difficult decision come game time. Finally, Emmitt Smith found a home in the LFFL, but at age 74 can the NFL’s all-time leading rusher really get it done anymore?

With wide receivers Hines Ward and Javon Walker, Latrobe fields two of the leagues best go to guys. Tommy Maddox trusts Hines Ward with his life and Brett Favre and Javon Walker are best buddies on the turf. However, after the top two the talent drops off, with underperforming/underwhelming Muhsin Muhammad, Bobby Engram, James Thrash, and Buffalo rookie Lee Evans finishing off the corps. Depth will be problem on bye weeks for Latrobe.

At tight end is rookie Kellen Winslow II, who is just one tirade from NFL anger management therapy. The Power Poll looks forward to Winslow snapping at some point during the season, possibly fatally injuring someone. Winslow will either be a boom or a bust, as his talent will either surpass that of the defenses who will try to welcome him to the NFL in their own special way, or he will be folded in half the first time he’s hit by Ray Lewis. Either way, it’ll be entertaining, and it could make or break Latrobe’s year.

Reliable kicker Ryan Longwell joins the Brewers to nail long field goals, and the Indianapolis defense will attempt to score some points for Latrobe.

All in all, Latrobe has not put together a bad team, just not a very deep team. How long this team can maintain winning ways without a stocked bench is anyone’s guess, but anyone who remembers last season will tell you that Prospect didn’t win all but one game in the regular season just because they were good, they won because they filled holes with quality players that didn’t skip a beat. That could be a problem for Latrobe this year.

10) Akron Assault (Overall pts: 31) Akron put together an odd draft this year, leading many to wonder if the chemo has finally gotten to owner Ryan Alessio. However, after further investigation, the Power Poll has found out that Alessio wasn’t ever on chemo, suggesting that maybe he’s just not very good at drafting.

The draft began with Akron taking QB Michael Vick 4^th overall. With so few quality running backs out there, and Clinton Portis, Shaun Alexander, Deuce McAllister, Jamal Lewis and Stephen Davis all still on the board, its boggling that Akron went with Vick, even with stud QBs Daunte Culpepper and Peyton Manning still undrafted as well. Sure, Vick is good, but is he so good you can go without the guaranteed quality of a stud RB or the thousands of yards that Culpepper or Manning provide? Only time will tell it seems.

Tom Brady and Eli Manning round out the backup qbs, and provide significant depth at the position for the Assault.

At running back Akron had to settle for Rudi Johnson and Thomas (Tom) Jones because for some reason, by the time they were drafted, all the stud running backs were taken. Also, the Assault reverted to classic form with the drafting of Cleveland’s Lee Suggs in the 9^th round. Should Stephen Davis go down, DeShaun Foster will get the carries to make him a quality number 2 or 3 running back.

Marvin Harrison makes for a fantastic wide receiver, but the talent drops off significantly with Charles Rogers and Plaxico Burress rounding out the top three. With the number 4 receiver comes yet another Cleveland player, Quincy Morgan, taken in the 15^th round. The bottom two wide receivers are Robert Ferguson and Donald Driver, who was stunningly drafted, in the 11^th round no less.

On the plus side Akron has solid tight ends in Randy McMichael and Antonio Gates. Cleveland kicker Phil Dawson was drafted in the 16^th round, ahead of Joe Nedney, Sebastian Janakowski, John Hall and Aaron Ellings.

The strongest position on this team is the defense, with one of the best in New England.

For those of you counting at home, Akron only drafted 3 Cleveland players this year, which is 2 less than last year when at one point they housed 5 Cleveland players (Couch, Green, K Johnson, Heiden, Dawson).

If the wide receivers can produce, and Vick stays off the bench, Akron may have a chance this year, but they’ll have to make a move fast, because with powerhouses such as Allentown, Koppel and Indiana ready to roar, they’ll be left in the dust fast.

Well, that does it for the preseason power poll. Hopefully it has introduced you to the other teams in the league and gives a better overall picture of the league and stirs up some debate.