Week 1 CPP Rankings

Things are going to work a little differently this year on the blog. Because I’m currently writing for Razzball, FanDuel Insider, as well as your sorry asses, I am unfortunately going to have to limit the size of the posts I do here. I will still put the time and effort into the CPP to ensure that the rankings themselves are fool-proof, but the actual write-ups will likely be shorter. It will vary from week-to-week and even from team-to-team depending on what else I have going on, but fear not, every team will get touched on every week. Yes, even you New Gutman. On the bright side for all of you, Bitching About Kicking will no longer be included this year, as I think we can all agree that kickers are worthless and unpredictable. Having said that, Nate Kaeding’s 18 points are the reason I am in first place overall after one week. So I have that going for me, which is nice.

The CPP will remain the revamped, more objective scoring system that it switched to in the middle of last season. The biggest change is how injuries are handled. Previously I gave each team a point for each injured starter, and accumulated those over the course of the season. This year, I’ll be taking the average amount of points those players scored over the last 4 weeks, and subtracting the points scored by his replacement. This results in injuries meaning nothing in Week 1, taking out possible CPP-boosters in Ryan Mathews, Mendenhall, etc., and also means that when a guy has been out for more than a month, you no longer receive “credit” for his injury. At that time you will have had enough time to replace him in your lineup via trade or free agency.

The other factors all remain the same: Adjusted PPG (removing the highest and lowest weekly score after Week 5), Cumulative Difference Between Actual and Optimal Lineup, Roster Moves, Weekly Consistency, and Actual Wins (times finishing in the top 7 in the league in points each week). For the first week or two, things like Points Scored and Points Left On Bench will skew things a bit, but after that it will even out to give some accurate Power Rankings of the Teams and Owners in this league.

Without further ado, the first CPP Rankings of 2012:

Week 1 Rankings

1.       AGD – CPP: 131

The story of your team all year will be Peyton. If he plays well, you should get 20 points from your QB, and Demaryius should produce as well. If he’s banged up, you essentially lose two starters. So far so good.

2.       Kumpf – CPP: 120

I’m gonna jump on the Trade Campaign bandwagon that Barnard and Weissbard started yesterday. My goal this year was to assemble depth, and after one week it looks like I succeeded, so if you want to deal let me know. Now if only Brady would start breaking 20 points I’ll be in great shape.

3.       Joseph – CPP: 112

You might be up here this week, but with the 30 combined points from your kicker and defense, you’ll need more help from you actual lineup if you want to stay here. Your combo of Rice and Lynch should be formidable every week, and you might have something there in Randy Moss.

4.       Weissbard – CPP: 109

The standings might not recognize your team as winning, but the CPP does. You also got a ton of points from your kicker and D, but I like your lineup overall. It might be bittersweet rooting for Romo each week, but if Ogletree is even somewhat legit, then he’s got the weapons  to be ELIte. At some point your stable of mediocre RBs should pay off in a trade as well.

5.       New Gutman – CPP: 107

Your terrible team name didn’t pay off, as no one beat Off in the Shower (though I have yet to confirm this with Alan). You could use some of Weissbard’s aforementioned mediocrity at RB, as you have nothing after MJD. I like your starting receivers, but with Jennings banged up this week, you’ll be hurting there as well. I guess lack of depth is one of the problems with not showing up to the draft.

6.       Ajay – CPP: 104

Going into the season, I liked your team more than anyone else’s and I’m not even that high on Matty Ice. Week 1 showed that you are absolutely a legit contender, as you won with ease even while AP was on your bench. If Cruz can start catching the ball and Reggie doesn’t succumb to the horror movie that is the 2012 Miami Dolphins, I think you’ll steadily move up this list.

7.       Esco – CPP: 97.6

Kaeding’s MNF explosion made the benching of RG3 more palatable for you I’m sure. Your perceived depth at WR was actually your weakness, as none of them hit double figures. I see a trade in your future, as Kevin Smith will inevitably get hurt, and your backups are worth next to nothing.

8.       Billy – CPP: 91.5

Your bench is an absolute mess, which I attribute to you being wasted for the last two weeks, but I do like your starters. Nothing spectacular, but you’ll be solid every week. I had a team like that last year before losing my QB, and it keeps you in every matchup but ultimately won’t lead you too far once you suffer an injury.

9.       Bennett – CPP: 82.4

You rectified your QB mess pretty quickly, and while New Gutman trade raped the shit out of you, getting AJ Green isn’t a bad haul. Losing Fred Jackson for two months, however, is a different story. What hurts even more is that somehow the third RB on your team is someone named Dion Lewis. You really fucked up your roster during the draft, but it’s not too late to fix it. Until then, you'll continue to extend your record-breaking 13-game losing streak.

10.   Zacherman – CPP: 74.2

I’m sure you’ll flip a shit about this ranking, and after that incoherent email last night I’m not so sure you haven’t lost your mind already, but more than half your lineup was in single digits and it took a vintage performance from the Jets D to win you your matchup. The best news of your Week 1 is that both Ridley and Flacco looked legit and give you more depth than I originally thought you had.

11.   Donnie – CPP: 73.7

Plain and simple, DeAngelo Williams fucked you. He fucked you man. With no J-Stew, he should have feasted on Tampa’s D, and he barely broke even. The toughest choice you’ll have each week is between Meachem and Malcom Floyd, and I don’t envy you on that one. As always, your TEs are strong though so you’ll be competitive if you start the right lineup.

12.   Alan – CPP: 67.2

It’s unfortunate that Alfred Morris tore shit up for me, because Garcon’s performance could have swung our trade in your direction. I’m not sure why Tate didn’t do better, but I think he’s unfortunately your best choice at RB2. Your season will hinge on the performances of Stafford and Welker, who you drastically overpaid for, and who both sucked ass last week.

13.   Barnard – CPP: 55.9

I truly love when you’re in last place, but I think Kimmel may go wire-to-wire on that one this year. The worst part about your performance last week, is that you likely wasted Gore’s best game and a winnable matchup when the rest of your team didn’t show up. You’ll have a tough call at QB and WR2 each week, as well as who to flex, so the CPP won’t be kind to you when you pick wrong.

14.   Kimmel – CPP: 53.8

You spent 60% of your budget on 3 RBs who combined for 75 rushing yards in Week 1. That about sums it up. Your team is actually very intriguing because, if you want to win a game, you’ll have to make a trade. Selling Rodgers or CJ for multiple pieces is really the only way you can compete. Unless you think Stephen Hill and James Jones are legitimate starting WRs, and in that case, you deserve the team you have.