Hall of Fantasy — Week 1

Week 1 of the NFL season kicks off this weekend, which means the inaugural season of the Hall of Fantasy league does too.

If you are unfamiliar with the league, they do a fantastic job of laying everything out clearly and concisely on their home page:

“The HOFL consists of 10 Football Franchises representing key markets throughout the U.S. Teams will be managed by a dedicated Front Office of fantasy experts who will compete on behalf of their respective Stakeholders.”

For more information, I wrote up the ins and outs of the entire league, including who is involved. You can read it here.

In regards to this piece, in particular, this will be the first edition of a weekly piece highlighting where things stand in the league, a check-in on FTN’s own Jeff Ratcliffe’s team, and a matchup to look forward to in the upcoming week.

Stake Status – Hall of Fantasy League

The biggest draw to the HOFL is a fan’s ability to stake a team and have skin in the game without needing to keep up with the day-to-day management. Below is an update on where each team stands in terms of stake (the amount listed is the stake amount remaining per team).

There’s a clear distinction between who the most popular teams are within the community, as the Vegas Pocket Kings, headlined by the elite running back duo of Christian McCaffrey and Austin Ekeler, is the only team that is currently sold out. Trailing closely behind are the Ohio GOATS, led by another duo of power backs in Ezekiel Elliott and Najee Harris.

Can the Philly Powderkegs make a Week 1 statement and convince bettors to stake into their team? Based on their strong room of receivers (Keenan Allen, Calvin Ridley, Jarvis Landry) and anchor of a running back (Dalvin Cook), it feels like there’s an awfully good chance that they get off to a strong start.

Week 1 Matchup of the Week – Hall of Fantasy League

This week’s matchup of the week is two-fold, as it also serves as our highlight on Jeff Ratcliffe’s team.

Week 1 is headlined by the crowd favorite, Vegas Pocket Kings, and Ratcliffe’s Chicago Hogmollies. 

Despite losing his starting Superflex in Cam Newton, Ratcliffe’s team is still projected for over 137 points before he decides who he’ll replace Newton with. He also has a luxury of options, including Chase Edmonds, Jakobi Meyers, and Deebo Samuel.

Headlined by a group of both elite running backs and receivers (Alvin Kamara, Antonio Gibson, Justin Jefferson, Mike Evans, Tyreek Hill), Ratcliffe has solidified not only an astronomical ceiling but a week-to-week floor that may be one of the best in the league. 

As mentioned above, Mans’ running back duo of McCaffrey and Ekeler is hard to top. His receivers add to the reason why he’s a crowd-favorite, as DeAndre Hopkins, Allen Robinson, and Courtland Sutton provide an ample amount of upside. The hindrance to his team, however, was the stock he put into Deshaun Watson and Taysom Hill, two gambles that don’t look like they’ll pay off.

Below is a full head-to-head positional preview of the matchup:
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Week 1 Overview – Hall of Fantasy League

Looking at the league as a whole, below is a preview of the Week 1 matchups.

There’s sure to be a shake-up after this week, as the reactionary money that flows from team to team in terms of stake amounts will be something to track throughout the year.

Looking to stake a team? Download the HOFL app in the Apple App Store to start!

(Join this FREE contest at DraftKings Sportsbook to earn your share of $20,000.)