Match-Up Build-Up Week 1 2021

 MFFL ball is back y'all! Let's get it!

1. Unstopa-Bo vs The Glorious Morgans

UB is the defending MFFL champs. The Morgans are a blue blood franchise. It's a mega match-up for Week 1. 

On paper, it looks like The Morgans have a slight edge in this match-up, due to their potential firepower. The Morgans are trying to return to the playoffs this season. They finished (8-6) last year, meaning they have finished with at least eight wins in three out of the last four seasons. The two stars are Adams and Murray, but if CEH and Gibson play to their lofty expectations, this team will be tough to beat. 

UB is trying to win back2back ships, a feat only one team has managed to accomplish, TPD, who has a 3peat to their name. After a magical 2020 season, UB once again took Kelce in the 1st round, marking the third straight year in which they have done so. They waited to get their RBs, making their two starting RBs perhaps the worst in the league to start the season, but the depth is strong. They may struggle for firepower on a weekly basis, but if they can luck out in the schedule department, then consistency may win the day for them.

This is a huge game, but not all that impactful, as it is an interdivisional game. Still, starting strong is always desired in the MFFL. Slow starts have doomed quality teams time and time again. Here we go.

2. The Perpetual Dynasty vs ShowMeYourTDs

This eastern divisional game is one of the biggest of the week. 

TPD finished 3rd in points scored a year ago, only 57 points away from the leader, but they acquired only a (6-8) record. They have never finished below 4th in points scored in a season. It was a tough luck year for the top franchise in the league. Before last season, they had won three straight ships in 16,17,18 and they went (12-2) in 2019. A typical strong performance is expected this season, with better luck in the win department expected as well. They had a strong draft, securing high end talent, like Taylor, Allen, and Pitts, all in rounds well below their ADP. They took a RB in the 1st round for the first time in nine years, and the starting RB duo of Cook and Taylor may be the best in the league to start the season. Hopes are high, so are expectations. 

TDs hit the books this offseason, researching their brains out, and it showed, as they had a strong performance in the draft. They support one of the best on paper starting lineups in the league. They also, uncharacteristically, made a trade before week 1, something they have never done previously. It is a sign that they are going all in, and trying to fix the mistakes of their past. They have not made the playoffs since the league's inaugural season. They plan to change that this season.  

Both teams have difficult challenges on paper, TPD having slightly easier match-ups. TD's plans to start strong on Thursday Night, while TPD will have wait until Sunday to get started. This battle has a chance to be explosive. 

3. El Pollo Loco vs Chicken Noodle Coop

Loco is trying to bounce back after finishing last in the West a season ago. Before last season, they had won at least 8 games in three straight seasons, so a return to form is to be expected. Yahoo awarded them the best draft in the league designation. Getting McCaffrey and Mahomes with their first two picks is terrifying, though they will need Jefferson to perform at the levels he did a season ago in order to reach their full potential. Inconsistency week to week has always been a theme for this franchise, we'll see if that changes this season. 

Coop ended their first season of MFFL ball in style a year ago, finishing in 2nd place and putting the whole league on notice. Their draft preparation was strong and the roster looks deep and talented. One issue may be the health of their RBs, as Ekeler and Carson have been injury prone in the past, but so is almost every other RB in the league. This franchise is here to play. They set the bar high, but they ain't scared. 

Coop has the tougher match-ups on paper, but not by much. This match-up will likely be razor close. 

4. The Real McCoy vs La Flama Blanca

McCoy bounced back last season and returned to the playoffs. They have made the playoffs in seven out of the nine years of MFFL ball, a number matched only by TPD. Unfortunately, they have lost seven out of their last ten playoffs games, as their strong regular seasons have been buoyed by a consistently weak schedule. Last season was no different, as they had the third easiest schedule. This team is once again talented entering 2021. They perhaps have the deepest roster in the league to start. Chubb and Robinson are not your typical ppr studs, but their skills are undeniable. Look for McCoy to be a real threat for the Western crown, as is standard. 

LFB is trying to rekindle the fires of old. They have really struggled in recent seasons of MFFL ball. They went back to their old flame in this years draft, taking Aaron Rodgers, in hopes of sparking the previous magic. The rest of the lineup looks very much like a LFB team, as they are littered with veterans across the board. Staying healthy will always be a struggle based on how LFB drafts, but if they can, the name value jumps off the page. 

Good luck predicting a winner in this match-up, it's tight. 

5. Imposing Monstrosity vs Baker's Chubbin'

Stros had another strong season a year ago, but some of it was smoke and mirrors, as they had the league's easiest schedule, and finished 5th in points scored. Entering 2021, they will try to make the playoffs for a third consecutive year. They got perhaps the biggest swing pick in the draft, taking Barkley in the 2nd round. If he hits, it's gold, but if not, it's stone. Getting Lamar Jackson where they did was one of the better value picks of the draft. Look for Stros to compete heavily once again in 2021. 

Chubbin' is looking to reshape their image in the MFFL. They can build on last season, as they had a sneaky solid season finishing (7-7). Their top three WRs and RBs are very strong, though the bench looks weak on paper. The starting lineup is good enough to give them their best season in a long time. 

Yahoo was not kind to either team regarding their draft grades, though both roster's look stronger than what was written. A chance to prove it is on the table for both franchises come Sunday. 

Week 1 is Here! Let's Go! Come On! AAAAHHHH! MFFL football is back baby, 2021 style!