Pre-Draft Power Rankings: 1st-6th

The annual jinx has arrived: the CRFL power rankings...pre-draft edition. The players included are keepers only at this point in the off-season. I will split these rankings into two posts, starting with teams 1st-6th place teams. There is no doubt someone on this list will fail to reach expectations in 2016, but nonetheless here is where I think things stand as of now.

1. Gem State Bruins (2015: 9-4, CRFL Champions)

Keepers: QB Andrew Luck, RB Todd Gurley, RB Le'Veon Bell, RB David Johnson, WR Odell Beckham, WR Julio Jones, WR DeVante Parker, WR Josh Gordon, TE Rob Gronkowski

Analysis: The Bruins, who were the Boise Bears in 2015, won 8 of their last 9 to win the franchise's second CRFL championship. After several trades this off-season, an already stout team has become even more so. Bruins as defending champs are #1 in this poll by default, but certainly warrant the respect. If Josh Gordon manages to come back from his 2-year debacle of a suspension, a tough team will become a brutal outing this fall.

2. Kaneohe Ikaika Warriors (11-2, Basin Conference Champions) 

Keepers: QB Aaron Rodgers, RB Adrian Peterson, RB Devonta Freeman, RB Matt Forte, WR Antonio Brown, WR DeAndre Hopkins, WR Mike Evans, TE Gary Barnidge

Analysis: Three-peat denied. The Warriors, despite injuries to key talent and unexpected struggles from Aaron Rodgers, still went 11-2 and cruised to the championship. Arguably still the league's top team, the Warriors made several trades this off-season. They shipped off Le'Veon Bell, but gained Devonta Freeman and the 2016 1.01 pick, which the Warriors will use on RB Ezekiel Elliott. The Basin Conference has grown in difficulty, but Kaneohe is still the favorite to win the conference.

3. Northern Cardinals (9-4, 2nd place in Basin Conference)

Keepers: QB Tom Brady, RB Eddie Lacy, RB Jamaal Charles, WR Allen Robinson, WR Dez Bryant, WR Sammy Watkins, TE Eric Ebron

Analysis: The Digital Plumbers have exited the league after being, to be blunt, far and away the luckiest team in 2015. Their luck meter on Fleaflicker was through the roof. Then why are they #3 in this poll? Because the new owner, who has changed the team identity to the Cardinals, has transformed the team. With a WR corps as good as any in the league, and a top-flight QB in Brady, the Cardinals are a serious threat to unseat the Warriors if Eddie Lacy and Jamaal Charles come through. 1.06 pick could provide a potential top rookie for depth, likely at RB.

4. Wind River Bison (8-5, 3rd place in Basin Conference)

Keepers: QB Derek Carr, RB Doug Martin, RB Lamar Miller, RB DeMarco Murray, WR A.J. Green, WR Randall Cobb, WR Doug Baldwin, TE Greg Olsen

Analysis: After years of fantasy football purgatory, the franchise formerly known as the Paniolos left Hawaii for Wyoming and found immediate success with their best season ever. Things are still looking up for 2016. With a stacked group of RBs and WRs, alongside X-factor Greg Olsen, the Bison are another team looking to challenge the Warriors in the Basin Conference. Expect this conference to be the most competitive in 2016.

5. Brucey's crew (5-8, 6th place in Cascade Conference)

Keepers: QB Drew Brees, RB Jeremy Hill, RB Ameer Abdullah, WR Demaryius Thomas, WR Alshon Jeffery, WR T.Y. Hilton, TE Jordan Reed, TE Jimmy Graham

Analysis: Yes, I know. This ranking on the surface looks suspect, but let me explain. Brucey's crew has historically been one of the better teams in the CRFL. They suffered a brutal, and maybe even unlucky 6-game losing streak to end the season at 5-8. After some off-season moves, the Crew figures to be better at QB but lacks RB depth. Here is the reason I rank them 5th: on top of the decent talent this team already possesses, they have EIGHT picks in the Top 20, including FIVE 1st round picks. If the Crew does their due diligence with pre-draft research, they'll reload and improve fast.

6. Raptors (5-8, 5th place in Basin Conference)

Keepers: QB Ben Roethlisberger, RB LeSean McCoy, RB Thomas Rawls, RB Jonathan Stewart, WR Jordy Nelson, WR Donte Moncrief, WR Michael Floyd, TE Travis Kelce

Analysis: Yes, another Basin Conference team. Yes, their 2015 overall record shows 5-8, but the Lynch Mob finished only 30 points forced behind Huskerfan. With new ownership and a few excellent additions in LeSean McCoy and Thomas Rawls, if Jordy Nelson stays healthy this team could make noise in a conference that seems to be getting crowded with contenders this off-season. Drafting for depth will be important, but this is a team all-in on winning in 2016 after selling its 2017 1st round draft for the rights to Thomas Rawls. They'll need to draft well to compete for the conference crown.

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I'll have rankings for the teams below the red line sometime this week...

Mock Draft Update 4/15

The Rams-Titans blockbuster trade has shaken up the 1st round of the NFL Draft, leaving every franchise in the Top 15 shuffling their draft sheets to form new contingency plans. The CRFL saw yet another move as well, with the Wind River Bison re-entering the first round at 1.08 after having just left it.

Below is the latest edition of the 2016 CRFL mock draft. I'm sure something big will happen any minute after this post goes live.

1st Round

1.01. Kaneohe Ikaika Warriors selects...RB Ezekiel Elliott PHI (Ohio State)
Warriors recently traded for Devonta Freeman to bolster RB depth, but need an heir to Adrian Peterson after trading Le'Veon Bell away. Elliott fits the bill and is a dynasty superstar in the making.

1.02. Huskerfan selects...RB Derrick Henry BAL (Alabama)
Huskers will have a dilemma with this pick, could go either way at RB or WR, but I think RB is a slightly bigger need. Henry will be a top pick simply based on the volume he would receive in Baltimore.

1.03. Brucey's crew selects...WR Laquon Treadwell MIN (Ole Miss)
Bruce made a huge trade in the 2015 off-season for three 2016 1st round picks. FIVE total for the 1st round. He'll take a potential stud WR here in Laquon Treadwell.

1.04. Badgerhawks select...WR Eric Decker NYJ (Free Agent)
The Hawks have several needs and have made a few 1st round decisions in the past that went against the grain. We'll see that again here by opting for a free agent.

1.05. Brucey's crew selects...WR Josh Doctson CIN (TCU)
Brucey's boys are already back on the clock. In my opinion, Doctson could shock fantasy owners. I believe he is the best WR talent in this draft. A better landing spot could see him skyrocket into the Top 2.

1.06. Northern Cardinals select...RB Kenneth Dixon NE (Louisiana Tech)
The Cardinals are back in the 1st round after a last minute blockbuster before the keeper deadline. Their trading barrage didn't end there. After sending their 1.08 to the Bison in order to upgrade at WR, a young RB seems like the obvious choice here. I'm told the Cardinals are high on Dixon out of La Tech.

1.07. Juice Box Heroes select...RB C.J. Prosise MIA (Notre Dame)
Outside of the dominant Cam Newton, JBH is still seeking top-end talent. They have next to no RB talent at all after the keeper deadline. RB seems like an obvious move here. Prosise can run and catch very well, leaving some to wonder if he is this year's David Johnson.

1.08. EDIT: Bison pick 1.08 after trade. Wind River Bison select...WR Will Fuller HOU (Notre Dame)
The last few weeks have been a trading whirlwind for the Bison. After acquiring Josh Gordon, he immediately gets his reinstatement denied. To get back into the first round, they swap WRs with the very team that gave them Gordon in the first place. Suddenly WR appears to be more of a need than RB on the Wind River. They'll gladly take a 1st round WR here.

1.09. Brucey's crew selects...WR Michael Thomas CLE (Ohio State)
The talent haul continues for the crew. Thomas is the final Top 35 prospect available and Brucey will have no problem taking him this late. Thomas could be the top receiving target in a Hue Jackson system.

1.10. Huskerfan selects...RB Alex Collins CAR (Arkansas)
Huskers are one of two teams with multiple 1st round picks, and they'll use their final one on Collins here. After Collins leaves the board, the remaining RB pool starts to reach flier status. Collins could eventually succeed Jonathan Stewart as the starting RB in Carolina.

1.11. Brucey's crew selects...WR Corey Coleman DAL (Baylor)
The crew already have an impressive haul at this point in the draft. Adding Coleman this late? What a steal. 

1.12. Brucey's crew selects...QB Carson Wentz LA (North Dakota State)
The 1st round raid is over. Time to take a flier on a high-upside QB? Philip Rivers and Drew Brees aren't getting any younger.

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Mock Draft Update 4/9

The keeper deadline has arrived in the Columbia River Fantasy League. The free agent pool is revealed in an off-season where the keeper limit has been temporarily lowered from 12 to 8 in the hopes that the league becomes more balanced in the coming years.

This mock draft will include both rookies and free agents and as usual is based off of the most recent mock draft (4/6) from Walter Football. The Northern Cardinals have returned to the 1st round after making a blockbuster trade earlier in the week.

1st Round

1.01. Kaneohe Ikaika Warriors selects...RB Ezekiel Elliott PHI (Ohio State)
Warriors recently traded for Devonta Freeman to bolster RB depth, but need an heir to Adrian Peterson after trading Le'Veon Bell away. Elliott fits the bill and is a dynasty superstar in the making.
1.02. Huskerfan selects...RB Derrick Henry BAL (Alabama)
Huskers will have a dilemma with this pick, could go either way at RB or WR, but I think RB is a slightly bigger need. 
1.03. Brucey's crew selects...WR Laquon Treadwell MIN (Ole Miss)
Bruce made a huge trade in the 2015 off-season for three 2016 1st round picks. FIVE total for the 1st round. He'll take a potential stud WR here.
1.04. Badgerhawks select...WR Will Fuller HOU (Notre Dame)
The Hawks have several needs and have made a few 1st round decisions in the past that went against the grain. We'll see that again here.
1.05. Brucey's crew selects...WR Josh Doctson CIN (TCU)
Brucey's boys are already back on the clock and take the final WR left in the 1st round of the NFL draft. In my opinion, Doctson could shock fantasy owners.
1.06. EDIT: Cardinals pick 1.06 after trade. Northern Cardinals select...WR Corey Coleman NYG (Baylor)
The Cardinals are back in the 1st round after a last minute blockbuster before the keeper deadline. They'll take Corey Coleman here, who could play the Martavis Bryant to OBJ's Antonio Brown role in the big apple.
1.07. Juice Box Heroes select...RB C.J. Prosise NYG (Notre Dame)
Outside of the dominant Cam Newton, JBH is still seeking top-end talent. They have next to no RB talent at all after the keeper deadline. RB seems like an obvious move here. Prosise can run and catch very well, leaving some to wonder if he is this year's David Johnson.
1.08. Northern Cardinals select...RB Kenneth Dixon NE (Louisiana Tech)
The Cardinals sold away risky superstar Josh Gordon for a more stable opportunity in the 1st round. They took Coleman earlier and now select Dixon, giving them an impressive 1st round haul.
1.09. Brucey's crew selects...WR Michael Thomas CLE (Ohio State)
The talent haul continues for the crew. Thomas is the final Top 35 prospect available and Brucey will have no problem taking him this late.
1.10. Huskerfan selects...RB Latavius Murray OAK (Free Agent)
Huskers are one of the two teams with multiple 1st round picks, and they'll use their final one on Murray here. The rookie talent pool for this class is not deep, so taking a free agent late in the 1st round isn't a bad idea.
1.11. Brucey's crew selects...WR Eric Decker NYJ (Free Agent)
The crew have a ton of early round selections, giving them the luxury of taking a high-end free agent for depth purposes. Decker is a solid pickup in this spot.
1.12. Brucey's crew selects...QB Carson Wentz CLE (North Dakota State)
The 1st round raid is over. Time to take a flier on a high-upside QB? Philip Rivers and Drew Brees aren't getting any younger.

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