Week 1 Power Rankings

1. Beer to the Dean (1-0) (Peter Schaffer)

Despite putting up 100+ points in week one, BD didn't get solid performances from most of the lineup; it took a huge game from Adrian Peterson to lock up victory against the Suit Killers, but it's unlikely that players like Eddie Royal, Steven Jackson, and Chris Johnson will continue to be shut down to the extent they were on opening day. Still the team to beat, and next wee they play last year's victims of a thorough thrashing in the semifinals in Ja.

2. Vandelay Industries (1-0) (Jamie McCourt)

The newest team in the land wasted little time in climbing near the top of the prestigious power rankings; Vandelay barely edged out SINS Bolden, but had amongst the most consistent distribution of scorers in the league. No huge performances, but nobody (except for Matt Schaub) disappointed. Getting Ryan Grant for Darren McFadden and Beanie Wells is a trade I like for both teams, but in the short-term it will look better for VI. Next week they'll see if Roarin' Rob is for real.

3. Eat Gilberts Grapes (1-0) (Brad Gilbert)

The other expansion team isn't far behind, as Gilbert's squad was the only team to beat a 90+ point scoring opponent in week one. Six players reached double digits, an impressive feat in a fourteen-team league.

4. Megatron (0-1) (Mike Jackson)

The highest ranking losing team, Megatron would have beaten nine other teams this week, but dropped to EGG despite their 97 points. Tom Brady had a good outing in his return to the Patriots, while Julius Jones added almost 20 points (albeit against the Rams.) John Carlson also had a big game against St. Louis, scoring over 21 points; needless to say, this isn't likely to continue. Megatron will need Michael Turner and Roddy White to improve; while the Falcons won, neither had impressive 2009 debuts.

5. Suit Killers (0-1) (Dan Haubert)

Not a pretty first try for Suit Killers- they scored 80 points, but Jonathan Stewart was held to under 7 points, while Steve Slaton and Felix Jones barely combined for five points. Kurt Warner's performance is probably the biggest area of concern- the others should bounce back, but Warner has always been inconsistent from season-to-season. Suit Killers should bounce back to their winning ways when they play Bad Newz Kennels next week.

6. Roarin' Rob (1-0) ($10) (Rob Green)

How it pains me to rank Rob in the top half of the league...despite knowing there was a good chance Bernard Berrian would not play (and he did not,) Skittles stubbornly held his ground, and despite having no contribution from the injured Berrian, scored 123 points, earning him the week one cash prize of $10. Why are they still ranked just #6? For one, 29 points came from their defense, and 20 more came from Fred Jackson, whose role will be reduced when Marshawn Lynch returns. Rob is also ranked behind two losing teams because of his notable track record... in good faith I can't rank a team I know will miss the playoffs too high in the power rankings. 

7. Brooklyn Goldsmiths (1-0) (Joshua Bolden)

79 points was the lowest winning total of the week, but the win game with no contribution from Matt Forte, Visanthe Shiancoe, or Ronnie Brown, all of whom will play better in the coming weeks. Cedric Benson, the dean of the franchise (the only player to be on my team all three years) looked like the Cedric Benson of old until the fourth quarter against the Broncos; if he wants to hang onto his W/R spot, he'll have to be more consistent. Next week it's the slightly surprising TWSS for the Goldsmiths... I smell 2-0.

8. Soak-n-Suds (1-0) (Joe Curtin)

A nice first game for SNS, who made a bold trade to get Beanie Wells and Darren McFadden. Neither did much in week one, but it builds good depth for this year and especially in the future. Strong games all around for the SNS players, except Andre Johnson, who was shut down by the Jets.

9. SINS Bolden (0-1) (Terrence Freeman)

A valiant effort in week one, as SINS scored enough to beat a couple teams, but it fell just short to Vandelay, losing 88-84. Despite the huge day for the Saints offense, Lance Moore did almost nothing, while Larry Johnson looked terrible for the Chiefs. Knowshown Moreno saw limited carries in his debut- SINS should keep him on the bench until it is clear what his role will be this season.

10. City of Champions (1-0) (John Schafer)

Lowest rated winner in spite of a convincing 94-59 win over TTR. If the two Saints (Brees and Shockey) on the team played at their projected levels, CoC was just a 69-point team in week one. The three receivers they started, Anquan Boldin, Chris Henry, and Josh Morgan combined for about seven points, while the Dallas D was non-existent. CoC could compete this year, but they won't climb in the power rankings until they get better play out of more of the team.

11. Ja (0-1) (Jason Schafer)

Narrowly defeated by the Goldsmiths (79-74,) Ja struggled , with every player on the team except Greg Jennings putting up worse-than-projected numbers in week one. Lee Evans will do better than he did last night, but LenDale White and Donald Brown, both still backups, are risky starts at the RB position week in and week out. Ja will need to work on depth at running back if they are to get to the playoffs again this year. 

12. TWSS (0-1) (Mike Lorentz)

The consensus worst team of the year surprisingly came very close to winning in week one, putting up almost 82 points on the strength of big games from Santonio Holmes, Darren Sproles, and Tim Hightower. If David Garrard or Steve Smith did anything at all in week one, TWSS would be 1-0 right now. Maybe they won't be the pushovers we thought?

13. Taking the Reins (0-1) (Joe Otten)

The lowest scoring team in week one, TTR never stood a chance, with their best RB suspended and five starters scoring under five points. They are better than a sub-60 point team, but unless the receiving situation improves markedly, this team could be heading for a dire season.

14. Bad Newz Kennels (0-1) (Mike Manos)

Back in their comfort zone in the cellar, BNK actually stood a chance earlier in the week, as their D put up 14 points and Roethlisberger had a strong game on Thursday. However, nobody else did much on Sunday; Jerricho Cotchery is a viable option going forward, but Le'Ron McClain (despite 10 points) only carried the ball six times, and no other player went into double digits. BNK is much better than last year, but the onus is on them to show they're not the worst team in the league once again.

The Bolden Picks record: (6-1)

Cash standings: Roarin' Rob - $10

Highest score of the year: Roarin' Rob, 122.68

Stat of the week: 

Rob's first half record: .867

Rob's second half record: .357