Between injuries and quality general managers, there is nothing close to a perfect team this year.  Impact players are pretty well distributed across the league, and this is the tightest points race ever, with more than half the league still within 50 points of first place.  Bye weeks are here, and this is when the teams should start to separate a bit.

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1.  UP 3 – Z’Smashmouth’s – Current points leader and probably the best structured team going into week 4.    Love David Johnson, love Allen Robinson, and Jarvis Landry, but someone else is going to need to step up for this team to stay at the top.  3.4 yards per carry at home against a terrible Miami team isn’t going to cut it Jeremy Hill.

2.  No Change – Cangniner – First overall, second in points, and the only team left with a chance at our leagues first undefeated season.  Still, with questionable depth, and a sometimes absentee general manager (forgot to start a TE), it’s hard to see this early roll continuing.  This week feels like Cangniner’s first loss via NRM.  Of course, I might be biased.

3.  UP 5 – Niners R Metal – Within 15 points of Z’Smashmouths, and with the highest totals in 2 of the first three weeks, NRM is proving quite resilient despite losing 5 of their first 9 picks in the first 3 weeks.   (Moncrief, Watkins, Ertz, Abdullah,  and Gordon).  Running back depth abounds, but they can’t afford another injury at WR.

4.  DOWN 3 – Miki’s Mokes – Haven’t had a bad week yet, but with Langford done for 6 weeks, and Rodgers/Cobb on bye, this might be theirpeeyal first one.  The Moke’s are going to need a bounce back game from Benjamin and Sharpe to be competitive.   RB depth is starting to become a problem.

5.  DOWN 2 – Ronan Machines – RB depth is going to be a challenge through the bye weeks, but the Machines still have a useful bench and one of the nicest looking groups of healthy ascending starters.   If Le’Veon Bell can come back and be the top 3 impact fantasy player he’s capable of, then expect Ronan Machines to finish in the top 3.

6.  UP 3 – Blind Squirrels – Like the Patriots themselves, BS managed to weather some early season challenges and come away with a 2-1 record.  Two receivers that look like they will finish top 5  (Green/Jones) should keep the Squirrels in it all year.   With Charles and Brady coming back to fill holes, the upside for this team looks very high.

7.  No Change – Sweet Baby Jesus – Some good consistent pieces, but as a team they feel a bit like an “RB2”.  Not much burst, decent vision, can grind out some tough yardage and have some “ok” weeks, but not really a home run hitter.   Someone like Devante Parker needs to step it up and become a breakout star for this team to contend.

8.  UP 3-  congo.natty – 5th in points, this might be the best 0-3 team in league history.  Running back depth is a concern, but Blount and Howard are a very nice bandaid with season long upside.   Marshall and Cooper should be difference makers by year end, but congo.natty can’t afford to wait much longer.  A week 4 matchup with Jake and Elwood Blues is essentially an early must win for both teams.

9.   DOWN 5 – Jake & ElWood Blues – I like the WR core, and the defending champs could win on any given week, but the RB’s are brutal, and depth is definitely a concern during the bye weeks.    If they can stay around .500 going into the final 3 weeks, they should have a shot at the playoffs with a late surge.

10. DOWN 4 – El Paso Roughnecks – A little like SBJ, there is a solid foundation with this team at every position, but no real sizzle.  If Dez and Alshon are the best of themselves by mid season, the Roughnecks should climb quickly, otherwise a team with a high floor and a low ceiling seems unlikely to keep up the way points have soared the first 3 weeks.

11.  UP 1 – Big Lunch – Not really sure if this team sucks, or is a hidden gem…  The starting lineup isn’t exactly filled with players that have justified their draft position, and their situations are unlikely to change much.  Still, Lunch has the magic touch, and there might be a balanced enough mix here of boom and bust to find their way back into contention.

12.   DOWN 2 – Kali Kine – Sorry, Herb.  New fathers aren’t expected to do much in fantasy football.  Last in points and 0-3, there is really no place else to put Kali Kine.  Nevertheless, Edelman and Gronk should ascend with the return of Tom Brady, and Hopkins and Cam have some huge games ahead of them.  Kali’s usually a second half team anyway.