Week 1 Matchup Previews

After a long offseason, Week 1 is finally here! 7 matchups across the league in what will be a preview of the final week of the regular season. While it's still way too early to start thinking playoffs, some teams will hope that these early week matchups will help set the tone for the season and start the run to the playoffs.

Captain Morgan vs All 2 Whales

All 2 Whales comes back to the league with an opening weekend matchup against Captain Morgan, who is coming off their highest finish in league history, ending last season's campaign in fourth place. All 2 Whales used their year off to strengthen up their draft skills, as they come in to season with a preseason rank of 6th and a possible playoff berth. Meanwhile, Captain Morgan will hope to battle up from a preseason rank of 13th to try and make it back to the playoffs for a second straight season. This game can set the tone for both teams to start the season.

Houston Dinkel vs STL House Centipedes

STL House Centipedes enter their first game in the league against last season's third place finisher, Houston Dinkel. STL House Centipedes also had the misfortune of drafting in the fourteen spot, but they parlayed that final draft position into a preseason rank of 10th. While neither team currently projects to make the 6-team playoff field, it's still early, and Houston Dinkel did finish strong last season, but with a 12th place preseason rank, both of these teams need a strong start to the season to even hope to sniff the playoffs.

Dinkel 3.16 vs SMILF

It's a tale of two first place positions in this early season matchup. Dinkel 3.16 had the first overall pick of the season and is sitting comfortably with a top 2 preseason rank. Meanwhile, SMILF finished last season in first place for the regular season before falling in the championship game. Dinkel 3.16 will hope to use a strongly drafted team to get past SMILF's 11th placed preseason group. Both of these teams won their divisions last season to make the playoffs. Divisions may be gone now, but that doesn't mean this matchup will be easy for either team.

Autodraft Bitches vs Ginger Lightning

It's the closest matchup of Week 1 with two rivals once again coming head to head. Both teams finished outside the top half of the league last season, but strong drafts has them both sitting in early season playoff contention. Autodraft Bitches had their strongest draft to date and is looking at a preseason ranking of 5th. His opponent, Ginger Lightning, also had a strong draft and is ranked 3rd in the preseason. Both teams have championships under their belts, with Ginger Lightning being only two years out from a championship, while Autodraft Bitches hasn't been back to the promised land since 2017. Both teams hope to regain glory this season, and this early season game can be the catalyst.

Car Ramrod vs Leknid Lunatics

Car Ramrod opens the season as the ultimate underdog. A poor draft has them sitting in the basement of the league. Their opponent, Leknid Luantics, had a better draft and sits at 7th in the preseason, right on the edge of the top half of the league. The good news for Car Ramrod is that there is nowhere to go but up from here, and will look to start that battle this week. Leknid Lunatics, who last held championship gold in 2016, will look to start off strong against a last place team and use the momentum to start another championship campaign.

The Dictatorship vs Fowler's Heathens

Seasons can be made or broken by the draft. That's what The Dictatorship is hoping, who took the second overall pick in the draft and turned it into the preseason 4th place team. On the other side of the coin, Fowler's Heathens are hoping that the draft grades were the result of a vindictive teacher, as their fourth overall draft position has them in 8th to start the season. The Dictatorship and Fowler's Heathens both ended last season in the bottom half of the league, but will hope that this year will see their fortunes change. Only one can win in Week 1 - who will it be?

Team Pup-N-Suds vs Fueled by Ayahuasca

Last season's champ faces off against this season's preseason favorite in this Week 1 matchup. Team Pup-N-Suds finished in 11th place last season and came in to this season looking to make a statement. Drafting from the seventh spot, Team Pup-N-Suds drafted the highest rated team in the league and will hope that their projected 1st place finish and 1st place preseason rank will be a good omen for this season. Their opponent is the reigning champ, Fueled By Ayahuasca. Looking at a middle of the road draft and preseason rank, Fueled By Ayahuasca will hope to make a statement in Week 1 that they aren't relinquishing the belt anytime soon. This could be the matchup of the week reminiscent of the NFL season with the preseason darling facing off against the reigning champ.