INDIES, BUBBAS, DADDIES TOP KEEPER RANKINGS Early favorite London Bakers dead last

Can Coach Barry Switzer break the Curse of the Champion and lead the West Nashville Beelzebubbas to back-to-back titles?

By R.E. Porter
Associated Web Press

An analysis of the projected points for each NFFA team's keepers yielded the following results:

1. South Franklin Independents – 1390.7

2. West Nashville Beelzebubbas – 1388.9

3. Atlanta Smack Daddies – 1383.4

4. Village Green – 1340.7

5. Pie Town Ballers – 1331.8

6. East Nashville Black Dogs – 1274.2

7. Cambridge Animals – 1259.3

8. London Bakers – 1221.2

Of course the keepers represent only about a quarter of a team's roster, so the ultimate strength of a team will be determined by the draft. While the Independents rank slightly ahead of the Beelzebubbas in the keeper rankings, they traded away their second-round pick, so they will have only one pick out of the first 19 picks of the draft, including a stretch of 15 picks without a selection. A lot of good players will come off the board during that stretch. 

The Smack Daddies, who rank just behind the 'Bubbas, will endure an even longer stretch of 23 picks without a selection after trading away both their third- and fourth-round picks. Like the Indies, the London Bakers, Village Green, and Cambridge Animals will all endure 15-selection stretches without a pick. The Bakers, who oddsmakers put as the early favorite for the 2018 title, gave up their fourth-rounder in the trade for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, while the Green traded away their fifth-round pick for running back Kareem Hunt and safety Keanu Neal, and the Animals traded away their seventh-round pick in the deal for wide receiver Keenan Allen.

The defending champions from West Nashville are the team in the best position heading into the draft with an extra pick in both the second and fourth rounds that they obtained in a pair of trades. One has to wonder if the 'Bubbas will be the team to finally break the Curse of the Champion.

Pie Town and East Nashville also each have two additional picks via trades with the Ballers getting an extra pick in the third and fifth rounds and the Black Dogs picking up an extra selection in the fourth and seventh rounds.