05-11-2020, 07:23 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-12-2020, 06:02 PM by mithrandir.)
I am NOLA's delegate for the NSFL awards committee this season. The following are my nominees and favorites for each NSFL award at the midpoint of the season. (Note: this was written during the week 8 games, so defensive stats are current through week 7 and the offensive stats are through eight weeks because the index updated) (Note #2: I have edited to include week 8 updates)
Returner of the Year:
So far we have yet to see a kick or punt returned for a touchdown. A touchdown would likely earn someone an automatic nomination, but touchdowns not withstanding, the nominations should go to the most efficient returners. There are 27 qualified returners who have at least ten kick returns or punt returns. Four players have at least 30 yards per return on at least 10 kickoffs: Purchase, Pick-Six, Gump, and Blaylock. The fifth highest qualified kick returner (Owens) also leads the league in punt returns, so is also deserving of a spot.
Nominees:
Louisiana Purchase - 14 KR, 443 YDS, 31.6 AVG, 57 LONG
HeHateMe PickSix - 13 KR, 397 YDS, 30.5 AVG, 73 LONG
Forrest Gump - 11 KR, 331 YDS, 30.1 AVG, 43 LONG, 13 PR, 111 YDS, 8.5 AVG, 16 LONG
Mason Blaylock - 12 KR, 360 YDS, 30 AVG, 44 LONG
Ashley Owens - 16 KR, 450 YDS, 28.1 AVG, 43 LONG, 12 PR, 129 YDS, 10.8 AVG, 74 LONG
Snubs:
Scarlett and Lavelle Jr have high volume but low efficiency in both KR and PR. D'Attoria has great PR efficiency but is poor KR numbers.
Favorite:
Ashley Owens - Owens checks all the boxes. His versatility and efficiency is evident as one of two players with top five average return in both kick and punt returning. Additionally, Owens has explosiveness, with the second longest punt return of the season (74). This award is still wide open, as a long return for a touchdown could catapult a contender to the top of the list.
Runner-Up:
Forrest Gump - Gump, like Owens, is effective as both a punt and kick returner, and is top five in both averages. Gump is a slightly better kick returner while Owens is a slightly better punt returner. The deciding factor in this case is Owens's long punt return of 74, where as Gump's longest PR is only 16.
Week 8 Update:
Rayne Gordon deserves a nominations due to his 105 yard KR for a touchdown in week 8. Purchase falls off the ballot as his return average dropped by three and a half yards to 28.2
Punter of the Year:
There are really only two considerations for punter of the year: punt average and inside 20. Two players lead the pack in efficiency (Powers and Crisco) and three are in double digit pins inside the 20 (Louis, Powers, and Brand).
Nominees:
Venus Powers - 48.3 AVG, 12 inside 20
Alfredo Crisco - 47.9 AVG, 7 inside 20
ForThe Brand - 47.2 AVG, 10 inside 20
Lefty Louis - 47.1 AVG, 13 inside 20
Snubs:
Matty McDairmid is fifth place in both average and pins, but isn't elite in either category so I did not include him. Given his very high TPE earning relative to his peers, I expect him to be one of the best punters of the next decade, but he's not quite there yet.
Alex D was a very close runner up last year, but is not having a great year. His average is in line with Louis, Brand, and McDairmid, but he only has 3 inside the 20 punts.
Favorite:
Venus Powers is the best punter in the league without a doubt. The reigning punter of the year is only a S20 player and already has the most TPE of any player of the league so expect to see Powers win a lot of these awards in the future.
Runner-up:
Alfredo Crisco. His efficiency is the only thing close to Powers, and he has decent pin numbers. I don't think he stands much of a chance of catching Powers though.
Week 8 Update:
Crisco made a push in week 8 with two inside 20 pins and an increase in average to 48.8, which is 0.6 yards better than second place Powers. I still think Powers is the favorite, but Crisco has made it closer
Kicker of the Year:
Another simple position to evaluate, kickers should make kicks, not miss them. There are five kickers that have missed one or fewer kicks, and they will be my nominees.
Alex Dasistwirklichseinnachname - 19/19 PAT, 17/17 FG
Silver Banana - 21/21 PAT, 13/14 FG
ForThe Brand - 9/9 PAT, 18/19 FG
Venus Powers - 13/13 PAT, 8/9 FG
Matty McDairmid - 20/21 PAT, 8/8 FG
Snubs:
Jay-Jaymison is a perfect 8/8 on FGs but has missed two extra points. Smalls and Crisco have been good but not great.
Favorite:
Alex Dasistwirklichnachname - Alex D, whose last name roughly translates to "this is a real last name" in my limited knowledge of the German language, has been perfect so far on quite high volume. If he can avoid missing more than a kick or two, he should be the favorite to repeat as kicker of the year.
Runner-up:
ForThe Brand has only missed one field goal all season and leads the league in made field goals. His only miss was a 50+ yarder, so if Alex D slips up, Brand becomes the favorite to win.
Week 8 Update:
None of our nominees missed in Week 8, so these results hold for now.
Cornerback of the Year:
This is the first season that we get separate awards for safeties and cornerbacks. These different positions have very different roles. The cornerback of the year should have good interception and passes defended totals. Though nickelbacks such as NOLA's Xavien Adams play a valuable role on defense and often have large tackle numbers, tackles are typically seen as negative by voters because they might indicate receptions allowed.
Nominees:
AJ Lattimer - 4 INT, 16 PD
David Rector - 4 INT, 9 PD
Brandon Booker - 3 INT, 8 PD
Rotticus Scott - 2 FF, 2 INT, 6 PD, 1 TD
Louisiana Purchase - 1 FF, 2 INT, 8 PD, 1 TD
Snubs:
There are a lot of good CBs in the league. Victor Moreno has 3 picks, but I thought that the forced fumbles and pick sixes by Scott and Purchase were more valuable. Moreno, Firestorm-Fjord, J. Andrews, Scarlett, Leonard, or Dream all have cases for nominations.
Favorite:
Lattimer has the most PDs by a wide margin and also has a share of the interception lead. He is the runaway favorite right now and it would take quite a push by someone else to usurp him.
Runner up:
David Rector has come out of nowhere. He had a 3 interception, 6 PD game in week 6, and followed it up with another pick in week 7. If he has turned a corner, then he probably has the best chance of chasing down Lattimer.
Week 8 Update:
Rector continues to close in on Lattimer with another INT and another PD in Week 8. Rotticus Scott shores up his nomination with a third interception. Zamir Kehla grabs a nomination with his second pick six of the season, and in a corresponding move, Purchase falls off his second ballot in this update due to a quiet week in the Yeti's free fall.
Safety of the Year:
Safeties are much more difficult to evaluate. They might have large tackle numbers as run stuffers, could have TFL and sack numbers as blitzers, and might have INT and PD stats in coverage. For this category I'm looking for well-rounded players who are difference makers in multiple roles.
Nominees:
Coverage safety:
Johnny Hellzapoppin - 31 TCK, 1 SCK, 2 INT, 4 PD
Awkward Sex Joke - 74 TCK, 5 PD
Ragna Rok - 51 TCK, 2 TFL, 1 INT, 6 PD
Thor Kirkby - 31 TCK, 1 FR, 2 SCK, 2 INT, 2 PD, 1 TD
Matt Cross - 32 TCK, 1 FF, 1 FR, 2 SCK, 2 INT, 3 PD
Snubs:
Uchicha (5), Jensen (4), and Witten (4) have great sack totals but aren't great in other areas. Rambo has 8 PDs. McAndrew has 3 INT in one game but pretty much nothing else the rest of the season.
Favorite:
Thor Kirkby by a slim margin. His defensive touchdown puts him on top in my opinion. He has been in pass rush and in coverage.
Runner up:
Matt Cross has nearly identical numbers to Kirkby minus the touchdown. He's a versatile player having a great rookie year.
Week 8 Update:
Sexjoke gets 10 tackles and 2 PDs to cement his place on this list. Quinn Hughes had a sack, a PD, and an interception in week 8 and all of a sudden looks like the favorite over Kirkby and Cross. Someone has to come off the ballot, so I choose Hellzapoppin, who had a quiet week 8.
Linebacker of the Year:
This is another position with a variety of roles and a number of significant statistical factors. Coverage, tackles, blitzing, and forcing turnovers are all important roles played by linebackers. I will nominate players with either great all-around numbers or ridiculous numbers in one category.
Nominees:
Stanislaw Koniecpolski - 74 TCK, 1 TFL, 1 FR, 2 INT, 3 PD
Galf Wilf - 62 TCK, 2 TFL, 7 SCK, 9 PD
Mo Berry - 58 TCK, 1 FF, 6 SCK, 1 INT, 8 PD
Ugarth the Dissector - 53 TCK, 3 FF, 6 SCK, 1 INT, 11 PD
Wayne Howyanow - 44 TCK, 1 TFL, 2 FF, 1 FR, 5 SCK, 1 INT, 7 PD, 1 TD
Snubs:
DeVille, Virtanen, and Grievous all have 4+ sacks and 6+ PDs, evidence of their versatility. Hockhertz has had a great season for Chicago, leads the league in tackles, and has 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 3 passes defended.
Favorite:
Ugarth the Dissector - this guy has been wrecking defenses all year. He leads all linebackers in forced fumbles and passes defended, is one behind the sack leader Wilf, and also has an interception.
Runner-up:
There are so many great linebackers this season, but I have to give runner-up to Howyanow. This guy is not a high earner at all but has had an incredible season anyway.
Week 8 Update:
Ugarth, Howyanow, and Koniecpolski all had quiet week 8 games, while Wilf (1), Berry (1), and Virtanen (2) had sacks in week 8. Virtanen takes Koniecpolski's nomination, and the field close in on Ugarth and Howyanow, who have very slim margins over the field now.
Defensive End of the Year:
Tackles for Loss are the bread and butter of the defensive end. They fly past the offensive tackles and seal the edge to tackle the runner behind the line of scrimmage. The true difference makers find ways to contribute beyond run stuffing.
Nominees:
Lawrence Bass - 22 TCK, 9 TFL, 1 SFTY
James Cho - 22 TCK, 9 TFL, 3 SCK
Matt Hole - 19 TCK, 8 TFL, 2 SCK
Dorfus Jimbo Jr - 20 TCK, 7 TFL, 2 SCK
Immanuel Blackstone, 21 TCK, 5 TFL, 1 FF, 1 FR, 4 SCK, 1 SFTY
Snubs:
Gimmy and Kuusela have a share of the TFL at 9, but not much else. Idlewyld has 4 sacks but only 2 TFL.
Favorite:
James Cho is tied for the most TFL and also has three sacks at a difficult position to pass rush. He's been a difference maker for the Wraiths. S21 nominee Terry Taffy has had an even better season but is ineligible to win due to inactivity.
Runner-up:
Blackstone has eye-popping stats but doesn't have the same TFL as the other nominees. If he can boost his TFL numbers he'll become the favorite.
Week 8 Update:
For some reason, the index sorts TFL wrong and puts the double digit holders between 1 and 2 TFLs. Therefore, we have a whole new nomination board for Defensive end:
Lawrence Bass - 28 TCK, 11 TFL, 2 SCK, 1 SFTY
James Cho - 23 TCK, 9 TFL, 3 SCK
Matt Hole - 25 TCK, 10 TFL, 2 SCK
Dorfus Jimbo Jr - 22 TCK, 9 TFL, 2 SCK
ILove Gimmy - 25 TCK, 10 TFL, 2 SCK
All these guys are close, but Bass has the slight edge right now. Sandro Ryeu also has 11 TFL, but does not have any other significant plays.
Defensive Tackle of the Year:
It's very hard to get recognition as a defensive tackle. They slave away in the trenches and let their teammates put up the big numbers. These nominees show that defensive tackles can do more than eat up space.
Nominees:
Bubba Thumper - 26 TCK - 1 FR - 6 SCK
Giannis Kroustis - 25 TCK - 1 TFL - 6 SCK
Pete Miller - 19 TCK - 1 TFL - 5 SCK
Tristan Gronlie - 23 TCK - 2 FF - 4 SCK
Shane Masters - 20 TCK - 5 TFL - 3 SCK
Snubs:
Big Edd is pretty much the only other player worth mentioning with 3 TFL and 3 sacks from the DT spot.
Winner:
Thumper by a hair. I prefer his one extra tackle and fumble recovery over Kroustis's TFL. These divisional rivals should battle it out for the first ever DT of the year award all season.
Runner-up: Kroustis is hot on Thumper's trail. Masters is also having a nice season with those five TFL.
Week 8 Update:
Thumper extends his lead with another sack in week 8. Pete Miller jumps into runner-up spot with 2 TFL and a sack against Chicago.
Offensive Lineman of the Year:
Offensive linemen have this weird stat called pancakes. Not sure if they're indicative of good performance, but they should be considered. Also considered is sacks allowed and team rushing yards. By my count there are now 7 active OL in the league, so I only nominated four players.
Laszlo Forty-Two - 45 Pancakes - 0 Sacks Allowed - 1355 Team Rushing Yards
Givussafare Rubbe - 43 Pancakes - 0 Sacks Allowed - 1332 Team Rushing Yards
Bruce Buckley - 41 Pancakes - 0 Sacks Allowed - 944 Team Rushing Yards
Brave Ulysses - 36 Pancakes - 0 Sacks Allowed - 1332 Team Rushing Yards
Snubs:
All the other OL had fewer pancakes and had given up a sack, so I don't think they've been snubbed.
Favorite:
Laszlo Forty-Two left Colorado to join Yellowknife this season and switched from wide receiver to offensive line, instantly becoming the highest TPE lineman ever. He leads the active players in pancakes and has not allowed a sack. He also is part of the third best rushing attack in the league by total yardage.
Runner-up:
Rubbe has won this award in each of the last two seasons but now has stiff competition in Forty-Two. They are neck and neck, and Rubbe could easily surpass him with a good second half.
Tight End of the Year:
Tight end of the year is pretty much always going to go to the best receiving tight end, though pancakes could serve as a tiebreaker. Given that some teams do not employ a tight end, there are not very many players with strong cases.
Nominees:
Austin McCormick - 41 REC, 515 YDS, 3 TD
Jeffrey Phillips - 39 REC, 509 YDS, 2 TD
Jammerson Irving - 34 REC, 422 YDS, 0 TD
Heath Evans - 38 REC, 297 YDS, 2 TD
Snubs:
None.
Favorite:
McCormick is leading in all the statistical categories. He's the best tight end in the game right now and is featuring in NOLA's pass game.
Runner-up:
Phillips is right behind McCormick in receiving stats. He is having an excellent rookie season and will continue to push McCormick for this award all season long.
Wide Receiver of the Year:
This group of wide receiver nominees have lit up the scoreboards, combining for 30 touchdowns between the five players.
Nominees:
Saba Donut - 44 REC, 785 YDS, 4 TD
Nate Swift - 42 REC, 720 YDS, 5 TD
Action Jackson - 42 REC, 703 YDS, 6 TD
Deondre Thomas-Fox - 47 REC, 687 YDS, 8 TD
Rod Tidwell - 36 REC, 623 YDS, 7 TD
Snubs:
O'Leary has over 700 yards but only two touchdowns. Mongo and Bishop have 5 touchdowns apiece but have fewer yards than our nominees.
Favorite:
Thomas-Fox has paired up with Action Jackson to form a dominant wide receiver duo that has led San Jose to a surprisingly stellar season. The pair have caught 14 of San Jose's league leading 16 receiving touchdowns. Jackson has a few more yards, but Thomas-Fox leads the league in catches and receiving touchdowns. He's the favorite going forward.
Runner-up:
Action Jackson. The Sabercats offense has been very good and I think whichever Sabercat receiver finishes with better numbers will win the award.
Running Back of the Year Award:
In today's pass heavy league, running backs also make their money catching balls out of the backfield. These nominees do it all. Yardage and touchdowns are rushing and receiving combined.
Nominees:
Mathias Hanyadi - 1,114 yards, 7 TD
Forrest Gump - 827 yards, 5 TD
Ryan Leaf Jr. - 835 yards, 8 TD
Marcell Toriki - 780 yards, 6 TD
Baby Yoda - 783 yards, 7 TD
Snubs:
Everyone who got to at least 750 combined yards and 5 combined touchdowns got a nomination, excluding ineligible Ruff Ruff. Apollo Reed has only one touchdown despite high rushing totals. Darrell Williams has no receiving yardage to supplement his rushing. Ashley Owens, Sam Torensen, Dax Frost, and Q. Tyerucker all deserve mention as well.
Favorite:
Hanyadi by a mile. He is racking up yardage on the ground and through the air, and is second in both among running backs. Add seven touchdowns in and you have a winner.
Runner up:
Leaf Jr. is having a great final season for the struggling Copperheads. He is leading running backs in receiving yards and has six rushing touchdowns.
Quarterback of the Year:
It is hard to become an elite QB, and the same people tend to be on this list every season. This year is no different, with mostly old faces getting nominated.
Nominees:
Jay Cue - 2047 YDS, 56.8%, 11 TD, 5 INT, 81.5 RT
Easton Cole - 1986 YDS, 55.2%, 13 TD, 7 INT, 81.5 RT
Cooter Bigsby - 1967 YDS, 56.2%, 15 TD, 7 INT, 86.1 RT
Franklin Armstrong - 1899 YDS, 60.4%, 13 TD, 5 INT, 93.1 RT, 486 Rushing YDS, 5 TD
Dan Wright - 1760 YDS, 61.9%, 16 TD, 6 INT, 98.3 RT
Snubs:
Fransisco and McDummy both are victims of playing in low-volume passing offenses. Nevertheless, McDummy has nice rushing totals, and Francisco has an impressive 13:4 TD to INT ratio.
Favorite:
The journeyman Dan Wright has had an unbelievable year. Given that this is the category for passers, I'll take his league leading completion percentage, rating, and 16 passing touchdowns. His efficiency and high scoring get the job done for this award, and have put SJS in position to make the playoffs.
Runner-up:
Franklin Armstrong has been the next most efficient QB after Wright, and also has fantastic rushing numbers. He's the league's biggest superstar and it wouldn't be a surprise if he won this award.
Now the big awards!
Breakout Player of the Year:
This is a tough award to pick nominees for. Breakout implies that a player is suddenly much better than the previous year, so it needs to be a veteran who has had a mediocre career and then surprised people this year. Given that most of the positional nominees are either rookies or established superstars, this was a difficult ballot to fill.
Nominees:
WR Deondre Thomas-Fox
QB Dan Wright
LB Wayne Howyanow
LB Galf Wilf
CB David Rector
Favorite:
Dan Wright - What an incredible story! San Jose has not been very good the last several seasons. A large factor in San Jose's struggles has been the poor play of QB Wright. Wright, who is in his final season of his career, has been last or second to last in passer rating in every season of his career before S22. This season he has turned over a new leaf, and leads the league in completion percentage, passing touchdowns and passer rating. The Sabercats have been the big surprise of the season, and Wright's fantastic play has elevated his team into playoff contention.
Runner-up:
I thought about Thomas-Fox here, but he owes much of his improvement to his quarterback, Wright. I instead pick Rector as the runner-up. He only had 3 career interceptions before this season, and already has five this year, which is already tied for the most interceptions in a season over the last three years. If he can get a couple more picks, it will be a truly special season worthy of recognition.
Defensive Rookie of the Year:
This rookie class is so good. Besides the huge S22 class, there are a number of S21 rookies who are playing extremely well. In fact, 12 out of 25 of my current nominees for defensive positional awards are rookies from either S21 or S22! It was tough to cut this list to five, but here it is:
CB Rotticus Scott - 53 TCK, 2 FF, 3 INT, 7 PD, 1 TD
S Quinn Hughes - 46 TCK, 1 TFL, 1 FF, 2 FR, 2 SCK, 2 INT, 2 PD, 1 TD
LB Ugarth the Dissector - 55 TCK, 3 FF, 6 SCK, 1 INT, 11 PD
DE Lawrence Bass - 28 TCK, 11 TFL, 2 SCK, 1 SFTY
CB Zamir Kehla - 56 TCK, 1 TFL, 2 INT, 7 PD, 2 TD
Snubs:
So many players have had great seasons and might be nominated in years without so many rookies:
Brandon Booker, Matt Cross, Johnny Hellzapoppin, Stanislaw Koniecpolski, James Cho, Dorfus Jimbo Jr, Matt Hole, Ragna Rok, Sandro Ryeu and many others deserve mention.
Favorite:
Ugarth the Dissector - It's hard to win these awards as a defensive back. Voters tend to like the big TFL and sack numbers, and defensive ends have won this the last two years. I think the voters will take the rookie leader in sacks, Ugarth, especially given his production in PDs and FFs as well. Ugarth has had a few slow weeks, so he needs to turn it back on if he wants to remain the favorite.
Runner up:
Lawrence Bass - Given that the last two winners of this award (Blackstone and Idlewyld) were both DEs, I think Bass could make a push for this award. If he can keep compiling TFLs while also getting a few more sacks, he could become the favorite. He'll probably need about 16 TFLs and 6+ sacks to win.
Offensive Rookie of the Year:
Whereas half the defensive nominations were nabbed by rookies, the offensive side of the ball saw only four rookies earn a spot on the ballot. Rookie QBs don't typically do well in this league, and this season was no different. No rookie wide receivers have had great seasons, as Ed Barker and Red Arrow are the only rookie WRs in the top 20 in yards.
Nominees:
OL Bruce Buckley - 41 Pancakes - 0 Sacks Allowed - 944 Team Rushing Yards
TE Jeffrey Phillips - 39 REC, 509 YDS, 2 TD
RB Dax Frost - 738 total yards, 3 TD
RB Ke?oke?o K?ne-Maika?i - 743 total yards, 3 TD
RB Baby Yoda - 783 yards, 7 TD
Snubs:
The sad reality of rookie awards is that players who spent a second season down in the DSFL get an entire extra year to earn TPE, so third year players tend to win these awards. Some S22 rookies deserve mention here: RBs Tirtawidjaja (544), Kane-Maika'i (nominated) (490), Skyline (442), and Nakamura (464) all have over 400 rushing yards already. Phillips (nominated), Evans, Passman, and Kane-Maika'i (nominated) have broken 250 receiving yards as S22 rookies. S21 wide receivers Ed Barker and Red Arrow lead rookie WR with 375 and 382 yards, respectively.
Favorite:
Baby Yoda has the highest yardage total has been a great dual threat for the Outlaws. Add in his seven touchdowns and he is the easy favorite.
Runner-up:
While Frost and K?ne-Maika?i have better numbers by virtue of playing running back, Phillips is having a great season at tight end and is blowing away his fellow rookie pass catchers in production. No other rookie has surpassed 400 receiving yards yet this season. Phillips is the only rookie on offense with a good chance to win his positional award.
Performance of the Year:
What a category! Everyone knows that offensive bias is huge with this award, so I won't even pretend it doesn't exist. Instead, I'm offering three offensive nominations and three defensive nominations. Without combing through every single game log, here is what I could find:
Offensive Nominees:
Jay Cue Week 2 @SJS - 24/39, 334 YDS, 4 TD, 0 INT, 123.2 RT
Franklin Armstrong Week 7 vs COL - 25/37, 326 YDS, 3 TD, 1 INT, 110.9 RT, 7 Rushes, 102 YDS, 1 TD
Rando Cadrissian Week 2 vs ARI - 153 total yards, 3 rushing TD
Snubs:
Leaf Jr., Hanyadi, Ruff Ruff, and Torensen all had three touchdown games, but none broke 150 yards from scrimmage in those games.
Defensive Nominees:
David Rector Week 6 @SAR - 5 TCK, 6 PD, 3 INT
Hamish McAndrew Week 7 @HON - 7 TCK, 3 PD, 3 INT
Ugarth the Dissector Week 3 vs ARI - 12 TCK, 2 FF, 2 SCK
Snubs:
Anyone who has a two interceptions, 2 sacks, or a defensive touchdown are worthy of nomination. Quinn Hughes 7 TCK,1 SCK, 1 INT, 1 TD game deserves special recognition, and Maurice Virtanen has three games with two sacks.
Favorite:
As I said, offensive bias is real, so I think it goes to a QB. Armstrong's performance came in a win against the Yeti, so I think Armstrong Week 7 is the favorite right now.
Runner-up:
Rector and McAndrew both had three interception games, which had not happened since S19. Given that they did it in back-to-back weeks, they will probably steal votes from each other. Rector has slightly better numbers and picked off two passes in the end zone, while McAndrew led Chicago to their first win of the season with his performance, a 9-5 (yes that was the score) defensive slug fest over Honolulu.
Defensive Player of the Year:
As previously mentioned, it is very difficult for DBs to win awards against linebackers and defensive ends, since the best players at defensive back sometimes do not accomplish big statistical feats. Rector and Lattimer both have a lot of interceptions already though, so whichever player ends up winning the CBoTY award might take this one. The best linebacker and defensive end are typically in the running as well.
Nominees:
CB AJ Lattimer - 32 TCK, 4 INT, 16 PD
CB David Rector - 31 TCK, 5 INT, 10 PD
LB Ugarth the Dissector - 55 TCK, 3 FF, 6 SCK, 1 INT, 11 PD
LB Wayne Howyanow - 50 TCK, 2 TFL, 2 FF, 1 FR, 5 SCK, 1 INT, 8 PD, 1 TD
LB Mo Berry - 70 TCK, 1 FF, 7 SCK, 1 INT, 8 PD
Snubs:
There are lots of great players on defense this year. DL often get overlooked, and Thumper and Bass have been the best of those. Wilf and Virtanen are putting up big sack totals as LB. Scott and Hughes have been playmakers in the secondary, doing a little bit of everything.
Favorite:
Again it's Ugarth the Dissector. He got off to such a hot start. As his teammate in Tijuana and NOLA I hope that Ugarth can have a couple more huge games and pull off the sweep of LBoTY, DROY, and DPOY.
Runner-up:
This race is wide open behind Ugarth. It's very murky at the moment, but the season sack leader and the season interception leader will both have great cases. Given that most of Rector's INTs came in one game, I give Lattimer the slight advantage right now.
Offensive Player of the Year:
As you might know, a player cannot win both OPOY/DPOY and MVP. Since pretty much all MVP winners are QBs, this award often turns into the best skill position player, though sometimes the second best QB might win it. Here are the nominees:
QB Dan Wright -1760 YDS, 61.9%, 16 TD, 6 INT, 98.3 RT
RB Mathias Hanyadi - Mathias Hanyadi - 1,114 yards, 7 TD
WR Deondre Thomas-Fox - 47 REC, 687 YDS, 8 TD
QB Franklin Armstrong - 1899 YDS, 60.4%, 13 TD, 5 INT, 93.1 RT, 486 Rushing YDS, 5 TD
RB Ryan Leaf Jr. - 835 yards, 8 TD
Snubs:
Any of the nominees for RB or WR of the year are worthy candidates, but these five are having the best seasons at their respective positions.
Favorite:
The Sabercats have all been great so they might split votes between the two of them. Because of certain league rules which will be obvious to most reading this, I won't give it to Armstrong. Therefore, it's down to the running backs. Leaf Jr. has had a nice season as a dual threat for Austin, but Hanyadi has so many yards and has seven touchdowns as well. He is the favorite for the award.
Runner-up:
I have raved enough about the Sabercat players for you to know that I am impressed with their seasons. Either would be good picks, but I will give the slight edge to Wright.
Most Valuable Player:
Finally, the most prestigious award in the league. This is a quarterbacks league, and given the last section, everyone knows my favorite for the award.
Nominees:
QB Dan Wright -1760 YDS, 61.9%, 16 TD, 6 INT, 98.3 RT
RB Mathias Hanyadi - Mathias Hanyadi - 1,114 yards, 7 TD
WR Deondre Thomas-Fox - 47 REC, 687 YDS, 8 TD
QB Franklin Armstrong - 1899 YDS, 60.4%, 13 TD, 5 INT, 93.1 RT, 486 Rushing YDS, 5 TD
LB Ugarth the Dissector - 55 TCK, 3 FF, 6 SCK, 1 INT, 11 PD
Favorite:
Franklin Armstrong owns this award. He has won MVP three consecutive years, and is putting together another dominant season for the best team in the league. He will likely win this award again, unless someone else can have an incredible stretch to end the season. If he wins a fourth, he will have the most MVPs in NSFL history.
Runner-up:
If voters experience voter fatigue and do not give the award to Armstrong, then there are two favorites in my opinion: QB Dan Wright, who has led his team to the second best record in the tough ASFC, or Ugarth the Dissector, the favorite for defensive player of the year.
Note to grader: Ready to be graded. Thanks, Tesla!
Returner of the Year:
So far we have yet to see a kick or punt returned for a touchdown. A touchdown would likely earn someone an automatic nomination, but touchdowns not withstanding, the nominations should go to the most efficient returners. There are 27 qualified returners who have at least ten kick returns or punt returns. Four players have at least 30 yards per return on at least 10 kickoffs: Purchase, Pick-Six, Gump, and Blaylock. The fifth highest qualified kick returner (Owens) also leads the league in punt returns, so is also deserving of a spot.
Nominees:
Louisiana Purchase - 14 KR, 443 YDS, 31.6 AVG, 57 LONG
HeHateMe PickSix - 13 KR, 397 YDS, 30.5 AVG, 73 LONG
Forrest Gump - 11 KR, 331 YDS, 30.1 AVG, 43 LONG, 13 PR, 111 YDS, 8.5 AVG, 16 LONG
Mason Blaylock - 12 KR, 360 YDS, 30 AVG, 44 LONG
Ashley Owens - 16 KR, 450 YDS, 28.1 AVG, 43 LONG, 12 PR, 129 YDS, 10.8 AVG, 74 LONG
Snubs:
Scarlett and Lavelle Jr have high volume but low efficiency in both KR and PR. D'Attoria has great PR efficiency but is poor KR numbers.
Favorite:
Ashley Owens - Owens checks all the boxes. His versatility and efficiency is evident as one of two players with top five average return in both kick and punt returning. Additionally, Owens has explosiveness, with the second longest punt return of the season (74). This award is still wide open, as a long return for a touchdown could catapult a contender to the top of the list.
Runner-Up:
Forrest Gump - Gump, like Owens, is effective as both a punt and kick returner, and is top five in both averages. Gump is a slightly better kick returner while Owens is a slightly better punt returner. The deciding factor in this case is Owens's long punt return of 74, where as Gump's longest PR is only 16.
Week 8 Update:
Rayne Gordon deserves a nominations due to his 105 yard KR for a touchdown in week 8. Purchase falls off the ballot as his return average dropped by three and a half yards to 28.2
Punter of the Year:
There are really only two considerations for punter of the year: punt average and inside 20. Two players lead the pack in efficiency (Powers and Crisco) and three are in double digit pins inside the 20 (Louis, Powers, and Brand).
Nominees:
Venus Powers - 48.3 AVG, 12 inside 20
Alfredo Crisco - 47.9 AVG, 7 inside 20
ForThe Brand - 47.2 AVG, 10 inside 20
Lefty Louis - 47.1 AVG, 13 inside 20
Snubs:
Matty McDairmid is fifth place in both average and pins, but isn't elite in either category so I did not include him. Given his very high TPE earning relative to his peers, I expect him to be one of the best punters of the next decade, but he's not quite there yet.
Alex D was a very close runner up last year, but is not having a great year. His average is in line with Louis, Brand, and McDairmid, but he only has 3 inside the 20 punts.
Favorite:
Venus Powers is the best punter in the league without a doubt. The reigning punter of the year is only a S20 player and already has the most TPE of any player of the league so expect to see Powers win a lot of these awards in the future.
Runner-up:
Alfredo Crisco. His efficiency is the only thing close to Powers, and he has decent pin numbers. I don't think he stands much of a chance of catching Powers though.
Week 8 Update:
Crisco made a push in week 8 with two inside 20 pins and an increase in average to 48.8, which is 0.6 yards better than second place Powers. I still think Powers is the favorite, but Crisco has made it closer
Kicker of the Year:
Another simple position to evaluate, kickers should make kicks, not miss them. There are five kickers that have missed one or fewer kicks, and they will be my nominees.
Alex Dasistwirklichseinnachname - 19/19 PAT, 17/17 FG
Silver Banana - 21/21 PAT, 13/14 FG
ForThe Brand - 9/9 PAT, 18/19 FG
Venus Powers - 13/13 PAT, 8/9 FG
Matty McDairmid - 20/21 PAT, 8/8 FG
Snubs:
Jay-Jaymison is a perfect 8/8 on FGs but has missed two extra points. Smalls and Crisco have been good but not great.
Favorite:
Alex Dasistwirklichnachname - Alex D, whose last name roughly translates to "this is a real last name" in my limited knowledge of the German language, has been perfect so far on quite high volume. If he can avoid missing more than a kick or two, he should be the favorite to repeat as kicker of the year.
Runner-up:
ForThe Brand has only missed one field goal all season and leads the league in made field goals. His only miss was a 50+ yarder, so if Alex D slips up, Brand becomes the favorite to win.
Week 8 Update:
None of our nominees missed in Week 8, so these results hold for now.
Cornerback of the Year:
This is the first season that we get separate awards for safeties and cornerbacks. These different positions have very different roles. The cornerback of the year should have good interception and passes defended totals. Though nickelbacks such as NOLA's Xavien Adams play a valuable role on defense and often have large tackle numbers, tackles are typically seen as negative by voters because they might indicate receptions allowed.
Nominees:
AJ Lattimer - 4 INT, 16 PD
David Rector - 4 INT, 9 PD
Brandon Booker - 3 INT, 8 PD
Rotticus Scott - 2 FF, 2 INT, 6 PD, 1 TD
Louisiana Purchase - 1 FF, 2 INT, 8 PD, 1 TD
Snubs:
There are a lot of good CBs in the league. Victor Moreno has 3 picks, but I thought that the forced fumbles and pick sixes by Scott and Purchase were more valuable. Moreno, Firestorm-Fjord, J. Andrews, Scarlett, Leonard, or Dream all have cases for nominations.
Favorite:
Lattimer has the most PDs by a wide margin and also has a share of the interception lead. He is the runaway favorite right now and it would take quite a push by someone else to usurp him.
Runner up:
David Rector has come out of nowhere. He had a 3 interception, 6 PD game in week 6, and followed it up with another pick in week 7. If he has turned a corner, then he probably has the best chance of chasing down Lattimer.
Week 8 Update:
Rector continues to close in on Lattimer with another INT and another PD in Week 8. Rotticus Scott shores up his nomination with a third interception. Zamir Kehla grabs a nomination with his second pick six of the season, and in a corresponding move, Purchase falls off his second ballot in this update due to a quiet week in the Yeti's free fall.
Safety of the Year:
Safeties are much more difficult to evaluate. They might have large tackle numbers as run stuffers, could have TFL and sack numbers as blitzers, and might have INT and PD stats in coverage. For this category I'm looking for well-rounded players who are difference makers in multiple roles.
Nominees:
Coverage safety:
Johnny Hellzapoppin - 31 TCK, 1 SCK, 2 INT, 4 PD
Awkward Sex Joke - 74 TCK, 5 PD
Ragna Rok - 51 TCK, 2 TFL, 1 INT, 6 PD
Thor Kirkby - 31 TCK, 1 FR, 2 SCK, 2 INT, 2 PD, 1 TD
Matt Cross - 32 TCK, 1 FF, 1 FR, 2 SCK, 2 INT, 3 PD
Snubs:
Uchicha (5), Jensen (4), and Witten (4) have great sack totals but aren't great in other areas. Rambo has 8 PDs. McAndrew has 3 INT in one game but pretty much nothing else the rest of the season.
Favorite:
Thor Kirkby by a slim margin. His defensive touchdown puts him on top in my opinion. He has been in pass rush and in coverage.
Runner up:
Matt Cross has nearly identical numbers to Kirkby minus the touchdown. He's a versatile player having a great rookie year.
Week 8 Update:
Sexjoke gets 10 tackles and 2 PDs to cement his place on this list. Quinn Hughes had a sack, a PD, and an interception in week 8 and all of a sudden looks like the favorite over Kirkby and Cross. Someone has to come off the ballot, so I choose Hellzapoppin, who had a quiet week 8.
Linebacker of the Year:
This is another position with a variety of roles and a number of significant statistical factors. Coverage, tackles, blitzing, and forcing turnovers are all important roles played by linebackers. I will nominate players with either great all-around numbers or ridiculous numbers in one category.
Nominees:
Stanislaw Koniecpolski - 74 TCK, 1 TFL, 1 FR, 2 INT, 3 PD
Galf Wilf - 62 TCK, 2 TFL, 7 SCK, 9 PD
Mo Berry - 58 TCK, 1 FF, 6 SCK, 1 INT, 8 PD
Ugarth the Dissector - 53 TCK, 3 FF, 6 SCK, 1 INT, 11 PD
Wayne Howyanow - 44 TCK, 1 TFL, 2 FF, 1 FR, 5 SCK, 1 INT, 7 PD, 1 TD
Snubs:
DeVille, Virtanen, and Grievous all have 4+ sacks and 6+ PDs, evidence of their versatility. Hockhertz has had a great season for Chicago, leads the league in tackles, and has 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 3 passes defended.
Favorite:
Ugarth the Dissector - this guy has been wrecking defenses all year. He leads all linebackers in forced fumbles and passes defended, is one behind the sack leader Wilf, and also has an interception.
Runner-up:
There are so many great linebackers this season, but I have to give runner-up to Howyanow. This guy is not a high earner at all but has had an incredible season anyway.
Week 8 Update:
Ugarth, Howyanow, and Koniecpolski all had quiet week 8 games, while Wilf (1), Berry (1), and Virtanen (2) had sacks in week 8. Virtanen takes Koniecpolski's nomination, and the field close in on Ugarth and Howyanow, who have very slim margins over the field now.
Defensive End of the Year:
Tackles for Loss are the bread and butter of the defensive end. They fly past the offensive tackles and seal the edge to tackle the runner behind the line of scrimmage. The true difference makers find ways to contribute beyond run stuffing.
Nominees:
Lawrence Bass - 22 TCK, 9 TFL, 1 SFTY
James Cho - 22 TCK, 9 TFL, 3 SCK
Matt Hole - 19 TCK, 8 TFL, 2 SCK
Dorfus Jimbo Jr - 20 TCK, 7 TFL, 2 SCK
Immanuel Blackstone, 21 TCK, 5 TFL, 1 FF, 1 FR, 4 SCK, 1 SFTY
Snubs:
Gimmy and Kuusela have a share of the TFL at 9, but not much else. Idlewyld has 4 sacks but only 2 TFL.
Favorite:
James Cho is tied for the most TFL and also has three sacks at a difficult position to pass rush. He's been a difference maker for the Wraiths. S21 nominee Terry Taffy has had an even better season but is ineligible to win due to inactivity.
Runner-up:
Blackstone has eye-popping stats but doesn't have the same TFL as the other nominees. If he can boost his TFL numbers he'll become the favorite.
Week 8 Update:
For some reason, the index sorts TFL wrong and puts the double digit holders between 1 and 2 TFLs. Therefore, we have a whole new nomination board for Defensive end:
Lawrence Bass - 28 TCK, 11 TFL, 2 SCK, 1 SFTY
James Cho - 23 TCK, 9 TFL, 3 SCK
Matt Hole - 25 TCK, 10 TFL, 2 SCK
Dorfus Jimbo Jr - 22 TCK, 9 TFL, 2 SCK
ILove Gimmy - 25 TCK, 10 TFL, 2 SCK
All these guys are close, but Bass has the slight edge right now. Sandro Ryeu also has 11 TFL, but does not have any other significant plays.
Defensive Tackle of the Year:
It's very hard to get recognition as a defensive tackle. They slave away in the trenches and let their teammates put up the big numbers. These nominees show that defensive tackles can do more than eat up space.
Nominees:
Bubba Thumper - 26 TCK - 1 FR - 6 SCK
Giannis Kroustis - 25 TCK - 1 TFL - 6 SCK
Pete Miller - 19 TCK - 1 TFL - 5 SCK
Tristan Gronlie - 23 TCK - 2 FF - 4 SCK
Shane Masters - 20 TCK - 5 TFL - 3 SCK
Snubs:
Big Edd is pretty much the only other player worth mentioning with 3 TFL and 3 sacks from the DT spot.
Winner:
Thumper by a hair. I prefer his one extra tackle and fumble recovery over Kroustis's TFL. These divisional rivals should battle it out for the first ever DT of the year award all season.
Runner-up: Kroustis is hot on Thumper's trail. Masters is also having a nice season with those five TFL.
Week 8 Update:
Thumper extends his lead with another sack in week 8. Pete Miller jumps into runner-up spot with 2 TFL and a sack against Chicago.
Offensive Lineman of the Year:
Offensive linemen have this weird stat called pancakes. Not sure if they're indicative of good performance, but they should be considered. Also considered is sacks allowed and team rushing yards. By my count there are now 7 active OL in the league, so I only nominated four players.
Laszlo Forty-Two - 45 Pancakes - 0 Sacks Allowed - 1355 Team Rushing Yards
Givussafare Rubbe - 43 Pancakes - 0 Sacks Allowed - 1332 Team Rushing Yards
Bruce Buckley - 41 Pancakes - 0 Sacks Allowed - 944 Team Rushing Yards
Brave Ulysses - 36 Pancakes - 0 Sacks Allowed - 1332 Team Rushing Yards
Snubs:
All the other OL had fewer pancakes and had given up a sack, so I don't think they've been snubbed.
Favorite:
Laszlo Forty-Two left Colorado to join Yellowknife this season and switched from wide receiver to offensive line, instantly becoming the highest TPE lineman ever. He leads the active players in pancakes and has not allowed a sack. He also is part of the third best rushing attack in the league by total yardage.
Runner-up:
Rubbe has won this award in each of the last two seasons but now has stiff competition in Forty-Two. They are neck and neck, and Rubbe could easily surpass him with a good second half.
Tight End of the Year:
Tight end of the year is pretty much always going to go to the best receiving tight end, though pancakes could serve as a tiebreaker. Given that some teams do not employ a tight end, there are not very many players with strong cases.
Nominees:
Austin McCormick - 41 REC, 515 YDS, 3 TD
Jeffrey Phillips - 39 REC, 509 YDS, 2 TD
Jammerson Irving - 34 REC, 422 YDS, 0 TD
Heath Evans - 38 REC, 297 YDS, 2 TD
Snubs:
None.
Favorite:
McCormick is leading in all the statistical categories. He's the best tight end in the game right now and is featuring in NOLA's pass game.
Runner-up:
Phillips is right behind McCormick in receiving stats. He is having an excellent rookie season and will continue to push McCormick for this award all season long.
Wide Receiver of the Year:
This group of wide receiver nominees have lit up the scoreboards, combining for 30 touchdowns between the five players.
Nominees:
Saba Donut - 44 REC, 785 YDS, 4 TD
Nate Swift - 42 REC, 720 YDS, 5 TD
Action Jackson - 42 REC, 703 YDS, 6 TD
Deondre Thomas-Fox - 47 REC, 687 YDS, 8 TD
Rod Tidwell - 36 REC, 623 YDS, 7 TD
Snubs:
O'Leary has over 700 yards but only two touchdowns. Mongo and Bishop have 5 touchdowns apiece but have fewer yards than our nominees.
Favorite:
Thomas-Fox has paired up with Action Jackson to form a dominant wide receiver duo that has led San Jose to a surprisingly stellar season. The pair have caught 14 of San Jose's league leading 16 receiving touchdowns. Jackson has a few more yards, but Thomas-Fox leads the league in catches and receiving touchdowns. He's the favorite going forward.
Runner-up:
Action Jackson. The Sabercats offense has been very good and I think whichever Sabercat receiver finishes with better numbers will win the award.
Running Back of the Year Award:
In today's pass heavy league, running backs also make their money catching balls out of the backfield. These nominees do it all. Yardage and touchdowns are rushing and receiving combined.
Nominees:
Mathias Hanyadi - 1,114 yards, 7 TD
Forrest Gump - 827 yards, 5 TD
Ryan Leaf Jr. - 835 yards, 8 TD
Marcell Toriki - 780 yards, 6 TD
Baby Yoda - 783 yards, 7 TD
Snubs:
Everyone who got to at least 750 combined yards and 5 combined touchdowns got a nomination, excluding ineligible Ruff Ruff. Apollo Reed has only one touchdown despite high rushing totals. Darrell Williams has no receiving yardage to supplement his rushing. Ashley Owens, Sam Torensen, Dax Frost, and Q. Tyerucker all deserve mention as well.
Favorite:
Hanyadi by a mile. He is racking up yardage on the ground and through the air, and is second in both among running backs. Add seven touchdowns in and you have a winner.
Runner up:
Leaf Jr. is having a great final season for the struggling Copperheads. He is leading running backs in receiving yards and has six rushing touchdowns.
Quarterback of the Year:
It is hard to become an elite QB, and the same people tend to be on this list every season. This year is no different, with mostly old faces getting nominated.
Nominees:
Jay Cue - 2047 YDS, 56.8%, 11 TD, 5 INT, 81.5 RT
Easton Cole - 1986 YDS, 55.2%, 13 TD, 7 INT, 81.5 RT
Cooter Bigsby - 1967 YDS, 56.2%, 15 TD, 7 INT, 86.1 RT
Franklin Armstrong - 1899 YDS, 60.4%, 13 TD, 5 INT, 93.1 RT, 486 Rushing YDS, 5 TD
Dan Wright - 1760 YDS, 61.9%, 16 TD, 6 INT, 98.3 RT
Snubs:
Fransisco and McDummy both are victims of playing in low-volume passing offenses. Nevertheless, McDummy has nice rushing totals, and Francisco has an impressive 13:4 TD to INT ratio.
Favorite:
The journeyman Dan Wright has had an unbelievable year. Given that this is the category for passers, I'll take his league leading completion percentage, rating, and 16 passing touchdowns. His efficiency and high scoring get the job done for this award, and have put SJS in position to make the playoffs.
Runner-up:
Franklin Armstrong has been the next most efficient QB after Wright, and also has fantastic rushing numbers. He's the league's biggest superstar and it wouldn't be a surprise if he won this award.
Now the big awards!
Breakout Player of the Year:
This is a tough award to pick nominees for. Breakout implies that a player is suddenly much better than the previous year, so it needs to be a veteran who has had a mediocre career and then surprised people this year. Given that most of the positional nominees are either rookies or established superstars, this was a difficult ballot to fill.
Nominees:
WR Deondre Thomas-Fox
QB Dan Wright
LB Wayne Howyanow
LB Galf Wilf
CB David Rector
Favorite:
Dan Wright - What an incredible story! San Jose has not been very good the last several seasons. A large factor in San Jose's struggles has been the poor play of QB Wright. Wright, who is in his final season of his career, has been last or second to last in passer rating in every season of his career before S22. This season he has turned over a new leaf, and leads the league in completion percentage, passing touchdowns and passer rating. The Sabercats have been the big surprise of the season, and Wright's fantastic play has elevated his team into playoff contention.
Runner-up:
I thought about Thomas-Fox here, but he owes much of his improvement to his quarterback, Wright. I instead pick Rector as the runner-up. He only had 3 career interceptions before this season, and already has five this year, which is already tied for the most interceptions in a season over the last three years. If he can get a couple more picks, it will be a truly special season worthy of recognition.
Defensive Rookie of the Year:
This rookie class is so good. Besides the huge S22 class, there are a number of S21 rookies who are playing extremely well. In fact, 12 out of 25 of my current nominees for defensive positional awards are rookies from either S21 or S22! It was tough to cut this list to five, but here it is:
CB Rotticus Scott - 53 TCK, 2 FF, 3 INT, 7 PD, 1 TD
S Quinn Hughes - 46 TCK, 1 TFL, 1 FF, 2 FR, 2 SCK, 2 INT, 2 PD, 1 TD
LB Ugarth the Dissector - 55 TCK, 3 FF, 6 SCK, 1 INT, 11 PD
DE Lawrence Bass - 28 TCK, 11 TFL, 2 SCK, 1 SFTY
CB Zamir Kehla - 56 TCK, 1 TFL, 2 INT, 7 PD, 2 TD
Snubs:
So many players have had great seasons and might be nominated in years without so many rookies:
Brandon Booker, Matt Cross, Johnny Hellzapoppin, Stanislaw Koniecpolski, James Cho, Dorfus Jimbo Jr, Matt Hole, Ragna Rok, Sandro Ryeu and many others deserve mention.
Favorite:
Ugarth the Dissector - It's hard to win these awards as a defensive back. Voters tend to like the big TFL and sack numbers, and defensive ends have won this the last two years. I think the voters will take the rookie leader in sacks, Ugarth, especially given his production in PDs and FFs as well. Ugarth has had a few slow weeks, so he needs to turn it back on if he wants to remain the favorite.
Runner up:
Lawrence Bass - Given that the last two winners of this award (Blackstone and Idlewyld) were both DEs, I think Bass could make a push for this award. If he can keep compiling TFLs while also getting a few more sacks, he could become the favorite. He'll probably need about 16 TFLs and 6+ sacks to win.
Offensive Rookie of the Year:
Whereas half the defensive nominations were nabbed by rookies, the offensive side of the ball saw only four rookies earn a spot on the ballot. Rookie QBs don't typically do well in this league, and this season was no different. No rookie wide receivers have had great seasons, as Ed Barker and Red Arrow are the only rookie WRs in the top 20 in yards.
Nominees:
OL Bruce Buckley - 41 Pancakes - 0 Sacks Allowed - 944 Team Rushing Yards
TE Jeffrey Phillips - 39 REC, 509 YDS, 2 TD
RB Dax Frost - 738 total yards, 3 TD
RB Ke?oke?o K?ne-Maika?i - 743 total yards, 3 TD
RB Baby Yoda - 783 yards, 7 TD
Snubs:
The sad reality of rookie awards is that players who spent a second season down in the DSFL get an entire extra year to earn TPE, so third year players tend to win these awards. Some S22 rookies deserve mention here: RBs Tirtawidjaja (544), Kane-Maika'i (nominated) (490), Skyline (442), and Nakamura (464) all have over 400 rushing yards already. Phillips (nominated), Evans, Passman, and Kane-Maika'i (nominated) have broken 250 receiving yards as S22 rookies. S21 wide receivers Ed Barker and Red Arrow lead rookie WR with 375 and 382 yards, respectively.
Favorite:
Baby Yoda has the highest yardage total has been a great dual threat for the Outlaws. Add in his seven touchdowns and he is the easy favorite.
Runner-up:
While Frost and K?ne-Maika?i have better numbers by virtue of playing running back, Phillips is having a great season at tight end and is blowing away his fellow rookie pass catchers in production. No other rookie has surpassed 400 receiving yards yet this season. Phillips is the only rookie on offense with a good chance to win his positional award.
Performance of the Year:
What a category! Everyone knows that offensive bias is huge with this award, so I won't even pretend it doesn't exist. Instead, I'm offering three offensive nominations and three defensive nominations. Without combing through every single game log, here is what I could find:
Offensive Nominees:
Jay Cue Week 2 @SJS - 24/39, 334 YDS, 4 TD, 0 INT, 123.2 RT
Franklin Armstrong Week 7 vs COL - 25/37, 326 YDS, 3 TD, 1 INT, 110.9 RT, 7 Rushes, 102 YDS, 1 TD
Rando Cadrissian Week 2 vs ARI - 153 total yards, 3 rushing TD
Snubs:
Leaf Jr., Hanyadi, Ruff Ruff, and Torensen all had three touchdown games, but none broke 150 yards from scrimmage in those games.
Defensive Nominees:
David Rector Week 6 @SAR - 5 TCK, 6 PD, 3 INT
Hamish McAndrew Week 7 @HON - 7 TCK, 3 PD, 3 INT
Ugarth the Dissector Week 3 vs ARI - 12 TCK, 2 FF, 2 SCK
Snubs:
Anyone who has a two interceptions, 2 sacks, or a defensive touchdown are worthy of nomination. Quinn Hughes 7 TCK,1 SCK, 1 INT, 1 TD game deserves special recognition, and Maurice Virtanen has three games with two sacks.
Favorite:
As I said, offensive bias is real, so I think it goes to a QB. Armstrong's performance came in a win against the Yeti, so I think Armstrong Week 7 is the favorite right now.
Runner-up:
Rector and McAndrew both had three interception games, which had not happened since S19. Given that they did it in back-to-back weeks, they will probably steal votes from each other. Rector has slightly better numbers and picked off two passes in the end zone, while McAndrew led Chicago to their first win of the season with his performance, a 9-5 (yes that was the score) defensive slug fest over Honolulu.
Defensive Player of the Year:
As previously mentioned, it is very difficult for DBs to win awards against linebackers and defensive ends, since the best players at defensive back sometimes do not accomplish big statistical feats. Rector and Lattimer both have a lot of interceptions already though, so whichever player ends up winning the CBoTY award might take this one. The best linebacker and defensive end are typically in the running as well.
Nominees:
CB AJ Lattimer - 32 TCK, 4 INT, 16 PD
CB David Rector - 31 TCK, 5 INT, 10 PD
LB Ugarth the Dissector - 55 TCK, 3 FF, 6 SCK, 1 INT, 11 PD
LB Wayne Howyanow - 50 TCK, 2 TFL, 2 FF, 1 FR, 5 SCK, 1 INT, 8 PD, 1 TD
LB Mo Berry - 70 TCK, 1 FF, 7 SCK, 1 INT, 8 PD
Snubs:
There are lots of great players on defense this year. DL often get overlooked, and Thumper and Bass have been the best of those. Wilf and Virtanen are putting up big sack totals as LB. Scott and Hughes have been playmakers in the secondary, doing a little bit of everything.
Favorite:
Again it's Ugarth the Dissector. He got off to such a hot start. As his teammate in Tijuana and NOLA I hope that Ugarth can have a couple more huge games and pull off the sweep of LBoTY, DROY, and DPOY.
Runner-up:
This race is wide open behind Ugarth. It's very murky at the moment, but the season sack leader and the season interception leader will both have great cases. Given that most of Rector's INTs came in one game, I give Lattimer the slight advantage right now.
Offensive Player of the Year:
As you might know, a player cannot win both OPOY/DPOY and MVP. Since pretty much all MVP winners are QBs, this award often turns into the best skill position player, though sometimes the second best QB might win it. Here are the nominees:
QB Dan Wright -1760 YDS, 61.9%, 16 TD, 6 INT, 98.3 RT
RB Mathias Hanyadi - Mathias Hanyadi - 1,114 yards, 7 TD
WR Deondre Thomas-Fox - 47 REC, 687 YDS, 8 TD
QB Franklin Armstrong - 1899 YDS, 60.4%, 13 TD, 5 INT, 93.1 RT, 486 Rushing YDS, 5 TD
RB Ryan Leaf Jr. - 835 yards, 8 TD
Snubs:
Any of the nominees for RB or WR of the year are worthy candidates, but these five are having the best seasons at their respective positions.
Favorite:
The Sabercats have all been great so they might split votes between the two of them. Because of certain league rules which will be obvious to most reading this, I won't give it to Armstrong. Therefore, it's down to the running backs. Leaf Jr. has had a nice season as a dual threat for Austin, but Hanyadi has so many yards and has seven touchdowns as well. He is the favorite for the award.
Runner-up:
I have raved enough about the Sabercat players for you to know that I am impressed with their seasons. Either would be good picks, but I will give the slight edge to Wright.
Most Valuable Player:
Finally, the most prestigious award in the league. This is a quarterbacks league, and given the last section, everyone knows my favorite for the award.
Nominees:
QB Dan Wright -1760 YDS, 61.9%, 16 TD, 6 INT, 98.3 RT
RB Mathias Hanyadi - Mathias Hanyadi - 1,114 yards, 7 TD
WR Deondre Thomas-Fox - 47 REC, 687 YDS, 8 TD
QB Franklin Armstrong - 1899 YDS, 60.4%, 13 TD, 5 INT, 93.1 RT, 486 Rushing YDS, 5 TD
LB Ugarth the Dissector - 55 TCK, 3 FF, 6 SCK, 1 INT, 11 PD
Favorite:
Franklin Armstrong owns this award. He has won MVP three consecutive years, and is putting together another dominant season for the best team in the league. He will likely win this award again, unless someone else can have an incredible stretch to end the season. If he wins a fourth, he will have the most MVPs in NSFL history.
Runner-up:
If voters experience voter fatigue and do not give the award to Armstrong, then there are two favorites in my opinion: QB Dan Wright, who has led his team to the second best record in the tough ASFC, or Ugarth the Dissector, the favorite for defensive player of the year.
Note to grader: Ready to be graded. Thanks, Tesla!
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