*NSFL Top 50 Players of Today

[Zoone16]

10. (S1) LB - Johnathon Saint - - Average Grade: 90.80
Our first top 10 player is Johnathon Saint from the Colorado Yeti. Although Saint’s tackles dropped from last season he made major improvements in other areas. Saint amassed 77 tackles with 6 tackles for loss while recovering a fumble. He put up a below average 5 sacks on the season, but made up for it with an outstanding 5 interceptions. This was a huge improvement from last season, where he didn’t put up a single interception. Along with his 5 interceptions he put up an outstanding 16 pass deflections. As the Yeti continue to rebuild we should see Saint remain as one of the best defensive players in the league.

9. (S2) QB - Avon Blocksdale - - Average Grade: 90.80
The Baltimore Hawks had one of the better offenses in the league this season and it all starts with Avon Blocksdale, coming in at 9th in this Top 50. The acquisitions of Alexandre LeClair and John Wachter blasted Blocksdale’s stats through the roof going from 3817yds in S4 to 4858yds in S5. More importantly Blocksdale improved from a meager 18 touchdowns in S4 to a whopping 42 in S5. His strong completion rating (60.3%) and lowered amounts of interception (only 16 this season) along with his yard gains earned him a quarterback rating of 98.5, only 0.1 behind perennial MVP contender Mike Boss. With the very same offense coming back and hungry for more it’ll be up to him to maximize every receiver and running backs’ potential in order for the Hawks to make that next step forward in their quest for the Ultimus.

8. (S2) RB - Eric Kennedy - - Average Grade: 91.00
130 Receptions. 1655 Receiving Yards. 14 Receiving Touchdowns. Those are the numbers of a top flight receiver. Those numbers alone would make a player one of the best in the NSFL. Those numbers coming from a running back however? That makes an NSFL MVP. Eric Kennedy was fully unleashed in the Season 5 Yellowknife Offense. Turns out putting a fast agile running back with great hands as your primary reciever in the slot and out of the back field can do amazing things for your offense. On a team full of stars Kennedy was their most important player in S5. With the league sliders changing in S6 many are wondering if Kennedy can keep it up. I have no doubts that he can.

7. (S1) QB - King Bronko - - Average Grade: 91.60
At 7 we have King Bronko the QB of the Arizona Outlaws. Bronko has been very consistent throughout the years, getting slightly better every season. In season 5 he threw for 5000 yards on 606 attempts. Although Bronko had the lowest completion percentage of all quarterbacks, he makes up for it by leading the league in touchdown passes with an outstanding 44. Bronko threw 18 interceptions this season making it his worst season in terms of interceptions. However, he made it up with a passer rating of 96, his best since season 1. As the Outlaws continue to fill the holes in their team you can expect Bronko to return to his former self in the coming seasons.

6. (S1) QB - Mat Akselsen - - Average Grade: 92.60
One of the best quarterback in the league. He is of course the phenom of the NSFL and owns his team and could’ve owned the league if weren't for the otters. Entering at #6 come Akselsen. he once again had a great season with the wraiths and top in the conference and inches away from the Ultimus. His passing well, 5133 yards passed, 407 completed passes, 43 TDs and of course 93.5 rating. But he also rushed for 64 yards and with 1 touchdown. He deserves this spot and obviously like Brady and leading his team to the right path. When you face the wraiths, you first think oh no, it's akselsen because he can do anything and he is a dangerous man. S6 will be a very important and his closest chance to finally take that Ultimus and be the champion.

5. (S1) WR - Josh Garden - - Average Grade: 95.40
The top 5 players in this Top 50 begins with a significant jump in the average grade. Josh Garden of the Philadelphia Liberty is the first of these so-called ‘generational’ or ‘franchise’ players on this list. Garden spent S4 on the Arizona Outlaws gathering 1579yds in 93 catches with 16 TDs. Fast forward to S5 on the Liberty and he picks up 1587yds in 100 catches for 16 TDs. This player is fast, this player is strong and he can perform exceptionally well regardless of the team he’s on. With the Liberty having to go on a rebuild it’ll be interesting to see if Garden will be headed to a 4th team in 6 seasons or if he decides to stay in Philly for the long haul.

4. (S1) LB - Angus Winchester - - Average Grade: 95.60
The Otters had the strongest defense in the league and it wasn’t even close. The top 5 in sacks were all from Orange County and at their helm, is the highest rated defensive player in our Top 50, Angus Winchester, coming in at number 4. To say that he is a monster is to put it mildly as he tore open offensive lines for a massive 17 sacks alongside his 102 tackles and 2 forced fumbles. He’s even had the time to deflect 10 passes when he wasn’t busy sacking the poor QBs on the other side. In fact, the only thing that Winchester didn’t do this season was score a touchdown. With the Otters retaining everyone on their defensive corps, do not be surprised when you see the big man leading the stats columns once more. A good offense wins games. But a good defense wins championships. And the Otters are the two-time defending champs for a good reason.

3. (S1) RB - Boss Tweed - - Average Grade: 96.00
The top 3 player of the NSFL coming from the Colorado Yeti. The best running back in NSFL so far in history. We know the QB situation in Colorado so where does the offense come from? The rushes from this man, Boss Tweed. Even with the Yeti, he can still do it all. He is as perfect as he can get. He is probably the fastest player in the game with that tremendous speed, high agility and good hands to himself and the ball. Though he did have the most attempts of rushing, not his fault. 1098 total yards rushed and he is the sole only one passed 1000 yards and additionally, 4 touchdowns. He cannot be blamed as his team is the worst offensive team in the league. He still ain’t giving up and giving his team life. Obviously a good offense wins games and that is what his team has not been doing. If it were not for Tweed, his team would be winless for 2 straight seasons like the Cleveland Browns. He will make a big impact and his team’s future will be bright. He deserves this #3 spot after hard work and passion.

2. (S1) QB - Mike Boss - - Average Grade: 96.00
In his resume, he’s won everything like the Offensive POTY, Most outstanding player, performance of the year, QB of the year 3 times including this season, he is a 2x MVP winner, the Ultimus of course, he’s done it all and he’s not done yet. He is legit the Tom Brady of the NSFL and he is that damn good. At #2 of the top 50 list none other than Mike Boss. This season was just his year but not just his, but also his team. There is no negative towards Boss because he is the Boss. He had 5545 yards he has passed with 646 attempts only, with 41 touchdowns and that 98.6 rating is just phenomenal. He has great options to pass to especially Westfield. He was the best QB, and the Most Valuable Player in S5. Best part, it's not over yet. He led his team to the Finals once again and win the Ultimus back to back years. His connection with Westfield is what makes him dangerous for the opponents and unstoppable. Some may have Boss as #1 in the top 50 but it's arguable and #2 is just as good. Seeing him go for that three peat is his next goal and would be ideal because he is just getting better. Once again, the best QB in the NSFL and looking for him to repeat that.

1. (S1) WR - Bradley Westfield - - Average Grade: 97.20
The final player on the Top 50 list, our number 1 guy, is none other than Bradley “Bestfield” Westfield of the Orange County Otters. Westfield tore through the field this season, posting a ridiculous 1756yds in 79 attempts. Not only is that a 22.2yds per run on average, but it is also the most yards in a season by anyone, shattering his own benchmark set in S3 (1625yds). His 14 touchdowns were tied for 2nd in the league, only bested my Josh Garden. So why does Westfield clinch the top spot? Simply put, he performs consistently well all the time and continues to improve (see: gains tpe) at a fast rate, whereas others have drastically slowed down. It would be hard to see Otters QB Mike Boss perform as well as he’s done these past seasons without his number one receiver in Westfield. Should the Otters three-peat as Ultimus champions, look no further than the Boss-Westfield connection as one of the primary reasons they made it happen. The day they retire and people look at the career stats, they might very well see Westfield lead most, if not all, the receiving categories. And it will be well deserved.