Category: front news

place front new posts here. make sure to have a pic in it.

Von’s Top 10 VBA Teams


Link For Full Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X-wAhp4uHIWQp9Q4uDOMs0wwR9U6xkMf/view?usp=sharing


Welcome back to all VBA Newcomers and Vets into the VBA Revival Season !! Team-Up lobbies are finally up and are in full swing as players, staff and potential owners play in the league that started everything else. With Kurhow as the Commish and new/old faces on the Staff, this season is looking to be an exciting one.

With owner applications going on, a lot of Team-Up Runs going and the upcoming team draft coming in for the season. Here are my top 10 picks for this season plus some notable mentions.

Note this is team's if they are Healthy 100%



1. Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks have the best player in the game with Giannis !! Giannis can almost do it all and is an unstoppable force that any team will have to gameplan for every game. Add that with Shooters surrounding him with 80+ or higher 3, this team is dangerous under a really good Giannis user.
The Bucks also have a lot of great defenders and versatility in terms of lineup changes and different playstyles that the team can go to. The team can play Small and have Giannis play Center with 4 Wings, go with a very big lineup with Giannis at the 3 with Ibaka/Lopez and Portis, or play the traditional lineup with Portis and Giannis. This is scary in all areas of the game and teams facing the Bucks must prepare at all times for this great team.

Preferred/Different Types of Lineups: (BOLD: Preferred Lineup for sure)

Traditional LineupBig LineupSmall Ball
HolidayHolidayHoliday
Connaughton/AllenMiddletonConnaughton/Allen/Matthews
MiddletonGiannisConnaughton/Allen/Matthews
PortisPortisMiddleton (72 Interior 6'7 with 6'11 Wingspan)
GiannisIbaka/LopezGiannis

2. Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn Nets, NBA Trade Rumors

The Brooklyn Nets is another star-filled team with a lot of shooters surrounding. Durant is one of the easiest stars to use in the game and can attack in so many ways. Add in Kyrie with a good user and most teams cannot defend against the two. With the team's stars is a beautiful supporting cast full of shooters and solid role players. The team can be used in many different ways, from going with the traditional lineup to going with a 5-Out Approach, Big Lineups, Small ball lineups, and potentially their very own DEATH lineup if Ben Simmons and Joe Harris return to the team for this season. The only downside to this team is the lack of Perimeter Defense IF Durant is at the 4 instead of playing him at the 3 (If Simmons doesn't return). Without Durant being the primary defender, the team is very small with Brown (Despite solid On-Ball Defense) Curry, and Irving on the wing, in which a heavy perimeter team can exploit matchups.

Traditional With SimmonsDeath Lineup
Simmons / IrvingIrving
Irving/Curry/Harris/BrownHarris/Curry
DurantBrown/Harris
SimmonsDurant
AldridgeSimmons

3. Phoenix Suns

Phoenix Suns | The Official Site of the Phoenix Suns

The Suns have the best Starting 5 in the league in my opinion and should be an instant plug and play with anyone who chooses them. The team has 2 of the best perimeter threats in the NBA in Booker and Paul, with both having shooting/playmaking badges to make them effective in all facets of the offense. Ayton is a great jack of all trades center who can do a bit of everything, especially in a league that may be filled with really good rebounding bigs. Add in the shooting surrounding the team with Bridges, Johnson/Crowder, and the team can be tough to guard. This team is also really good on the defensive end with Bridges, Crowder, and Paul all having Clamps to defend against heavy perimeter offensive teams. The only thing that could disturb this team is when Booker cannot get it going. this creates a lot of stress on CP3 in which someone with a good user will need to create their own shot/create their offense with his 6'0 frame.



Traditional (Preferred Lineup)Small Lineup
PaulPaul
BookerShamet
BridgesBooker
Crowder/JohnsonBridges
AytonAyton

4. Golden State Warriors

Warriors clamp down on Nuggets late, win 118-113 - Golden State Of Mind

The Golden State Warriors is by far THE BEST shooting team out there for plenty of reasons. Curry and Thompson are knockdown shooters with Jordan Poole getting a big boost and Wiggins also being a 3-Level threat, this team is probably one of the best perimeter teams in the league. With spacing and solid ball movement/passing, this team can be a nightmare to face on the Defensive end for opposing teams. Green can be a liability in a 5 out but does have a hot zone on the right side of the court, he also has great badges and stats to play the center role if the team prefers the small-ball lineup. If Green isn't the answer, the team will either have options of Looney, who has high rebounding stats and badges mixed in with a green-able 69 3 ball in the right corner or (hopefully) James Wiseman if he returns. Wiseman's size helps the Warriors in a lot of areas and still has the ability to stretch the floor out better than Green and Looney or play traditional PNR Center. The team also has a lot of bench players that can be used in different ways, which makes for various lineup changes. The team also has perimeter defenders with Thompson and Wiggins with Green who can be included in Perimeter as well.

Traditional Lineup5 Out LineupDeath Lineup
CurryCurryCurry
ThompsonThompsonPoole
WigginsWigginsWiggins/Thompson
GreenBjelica/Porter/KumingaThompson/Wiggins
Looney/Wiseman Green/Looney/WisemanGreen
One thought on every Philadelphia 76ers player at end of the season

5. Philadelphia 76ers


The 76ers are extremely tough to face with a great 1-2 punch in Harden and Embiid as they both can run the offense. Add with a great supporting cast and you got a formidable team you can run with. Harden's 6'5 frame at PG is a problem in which he can bully opposing PG and even with a Lock switched down to him he can still bully or zoom past with his ball handle and speed. Embiid is the best Center in the game with the ability to rim protect, rebound, shoot, and score inside the paint area. Tobias and Maxey's combo is the perfect complement to the 2 stars as they can score individually with high shooting and also ball handling. Thybulle is one of the primer lockdowns in the league with a high steal and Perimeter Defense and can lock up the team's best offensive player. The only thing that hurts this team is the lack of size behind Embiid if he is spaced out, also Thybulle lack a 3 ball with a 74 with no shooting badges. Danny Green can replace him due to his 3-ball and defense but isn't as very fast nor have a better defense than Thybulle.

TraditionalBig Lineup
HardenHarden/Maxey
MaxeyMaxey/Harden
Thybulle/GreenHarris
HarrisNiang (Higher 3 than Green)
EmbiidEmbiid

6. MIAMI HEAT

In some ways, this is the best Miami Heat regular season team ever - Hot  Hot Hoops


Miami may be a shocker to many in this spot but they are too good on defense to not be down far in top teams. Miami has a lot of perimeter defenders and shooting on the team, mix in Bam's build, rim protector skills, and ability to not only be a paint beast but also stretch the floor and shoot. The team also has 4 perimeter threats that can score on any given night with Butler, Herro, Lowry, and Oladipo if inserted in the lineup. Heat has great backups and different lineup changes you could implement to gain an advantage over the opponents. The Heat's only problem is the lack of a true star, Jimmy Butler is good but not true superstar level to take over a game fully compare to the other stars off other teams. Defense and team effort on both ends will be important for this team to win games.

Traditional LineupAll-Defensive LineupTrue 5-OutBig LineupSmall Ball
LowryLowryHerroOladipo/HerroLowry
Robinson/HerroOladipoRobinsonButlerHerro
ButlerButlerButlerRobinson/TuckerOladipo
TuckerTuckerTuckerAdebayo/TuckerButler
AdebayoAdebayoAdebayo/DedmonDedmon/YurtsevenAdebayo

7. Los Angeles Clippers

Are The LA Clippers Starting To Solve Their Biggest Issue?

With the Clippers finally healthy in the game, this team is possibly one of the best defensive teams out there. Leonard/George combo is tough as they have the ability to lock up anyone on the perimeter with ease, both having Defensive Leader Badges both on GOLD to boost the supporting cast defense. What a supporting cast they have, Powell, Jackson, Kennard, Batum, Covington, Zubac, and Morris Sr can all contribute someway to the stars. Zubac isn't a star center but is solid big enough to hold his own inside. Covington is a perfect complement to the Stars with his defensive frame and abilities, Covington has Clamps, Intimidator, Interceptor, Off-Ball Pest with Shooting Badges to support the stars playmaking.
Kennard has 12 Shooting Badges with Blinders and Catch and Shoot, Morris has solid shooting badges, and Powell is a jack of all trades and would fit at the PG position.

TraditionalPG For PGSmall Ball
Powell/JacksonGeorgePowell/Jackson
GeorgeKennardKennard
LeonardLeonardGeorge
Covington/MorrisMorris/CovingtonLeonard
ZubacZubacZubac

8. Los Angeles Lakers

Get to know the LA Lakers with Juanita Anderson of the Triple Threat Pod -  NetsDaily

The Lakers play similar to the 76ers as the Team has a Great 1-2 punch with Lebron and AD. Lebron is still hard to stop in this game and can create opportunities with shooters surrounding the court with dimer and is still great on the defensive end. AD is more mobile/versatile big and can do everything solid with Rim Protection being the MAIN part of his game. AD has a good offensive game as well in the Post with Post Playmaker and high post control. The supporting cast is tricky but can be worked on depending on the user's skills. Melo has great shooting badges mixed in and can create on his own on the offensive end, Monk has solid shooting stats mixed with speed, Westbrook helps on the defensive end and can still help on the offensive end with his badges and speed. Bradley adds more defense on the floor with an 82 3 Ball to benefit the offense. This team can compete and win games from either end, the problem is more on the play of Lebron or the role players surrounding AD and Lebron. If Lebron not doing well, the team isn't going far its plain and simple as that.



Traditional
Lineup
Big LineupDefensive LineupSmall Ball
WestbrookMonkWestbrookBradley
MonkJamesBradleyWestbrook
JamesAnthonyJames/Johnson/MeloMonk/Johnson/Melo
AnthonyDavisJames/MeloJames
DavisHowardDavisDavis

9. Denver Nuggets

The Rosties: A Denver Nuggets 2022 mock off-season open thread - Denver  Stiffs

The Denver Nuggets with a fully healthy team is scary on the offensive end. Jokic is the best offensive center in the game and with a team fully surrounded by shooters and speed, the Nuggets will be hard to contain on breaks and on the Half-Court side. Jokic is broken in every sense of the game EXCEPT Interior Defense and PNR Defense where he struggles to defend against other bigs and wing players who attack the paint. Murray (if he returns), is the second option on the team with the ability to create for others, score with shot-creating, attack the basket with a high dunk, and layup and defend against most guards. MPJ (Michael Porter JR.) with his 6'10 frame adds to the defense despite a low defensive rating, is a knockdown shooter, and can attack the rim as well. Overall, this team has a good supporting cast of bench players and different lineups that can be brought in if Murray and MPJ return in time and can be lethal in the right hands. This team however IS THE WORSE DEFENSIVE TEAM in the Top 10 due to Jokic's and the team's interior defense, perimeter defense from the wings isn't that good enough to stay in front of other teams' best stars but can be manageable with the team's size and length.



Traditional
Lineup (Players Returns)
Small BallBig LineupTrue 5 OutDefensive
(Lol)
MurrayHyland/MorrisMurrayMorrisRivers
BartonMurrayMPJ/BartonMurrayMurray
MPJBartonGordon/MPJBartonBarton
GordonMPJJokicNnaji (85 3)/MPJGordon
JokicJokicCousinsJokicJokic

10. New Orleans Pelicans OR Memphis Grizzlies

Pelicans vs. Grizzlies: Dueling Second Lines And Supporting Casts - Sports  Illustrated New Orleans Pelicans News, Analysis, and More

PELICANS

Pelicans have a pure offensive team with a lot of variables to defend with Ingram, McCollum, Zion, and Valanciunas who can all shoot and attack at all levels of the court. Ingram, CJ, or Zion can score in the half-court as the primary offensive player and playmaker while Valanciunas and Zion can post up or spot up as well. This gives the team so many ways to attack defenses as they can use screens, size advantage, spacing, and cuts to drive defenses crazy. Herbert Jones is a solid defender and has wingspan with Ingram added to the wing to defend in front of players. Add McCollum shooting and shot-creating abilities with badges with Valanciunas' Screens and both McCollum and Ingram can be freed open. The only problem is the lack of true defender on the team except for Jones, No one on this team have the badge clamps or can stay in front of players for a long time.





Traditional Small Ball
McCollumGraham
Ingram/ SnellMcCollum
Jones/ Ingram/Snell/MurphyIngram
ZionZion
ValanciunasValanciunas

Grizzlies

Memphis is a really good defensive team with a solid starting 5 with defense and shooting surrounding Ja Morant. Morant is one of the best PGs in the game with the ability to attack the rim, get into his mid-range shot, shoot threes and be a playmaker for his team. Bane is a really good shooter with an easy shot followed by Brooks' defense and semi-shooting, Jaren Jackson can play defense on all fronts with Adams being an absolute force in the paint with high offensive rebounding and finishing in the paint. The only player that can really come off the bench in my opinion is De'Anthony Melton due to his defense and shot release. The problem with this team is it will only go as far as Ja Morant will take it. The team can score off his playmaking and be a dynamic team, however, Morant needs to score around 20+ to be effective. Defense on this team is key, may struggle if Morant not doing good but they have a lot of pieces on the defensive end to keep you in a game.



Traditional
Morant
Bane/Melton
Brooks/Bane
Jackson. Jr
Adams


Honorable Mentions


Chicago Bulls: Lonzo coming back helps the team as far as perimeter defense and gives time for Lavine and Derozan very little responsibility on the defense however, Vucevic is not a good big despite stats.

Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young and Capela combo works and the supporting cast add however they need to depend on Trae Young a lot for the offense. Defense is ok but not frustrating enough to put fear in opponents

Utah Jazz: Good Defense team with balanced shooting with a supporting cast. Gobert is the best rim-protecting big in the game and Mitchell can score despite his size, the problem is that the team doesn't have a lot of creators, especially facing a really good defense team. In any event, they do face a solid/good defensive team, the Jazz wouldn't have enough firepower to win.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Good team with Garland's Shooting and playmaking, size and length of lineups with Mobley, Love, and Allen. The team has little to no weakness and the only reason they are outside of the top 10 is pure because the other 10 teams are just better than them.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Towns is one of the top shooting badges and creates a lot of problems for the opposing team on the defensive end, Russell is the go-to guard with solid wing options with Edwards & Beasley, the team also has a solid supporting cast and good shooting. T'wolves problem is on the defensive end, the team cannot stop a star player from taking over a game.


*BAIT TEAM: CELTICS !!! DO NOT TAKE THIS TEAM UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES !!!


MY VBA TOP 10 TEAMS

  1. BUCKS

Giannis is the best player on the game. From badges, to speed, to rebound animations, to dunk animations. He can actually shoot now. If this team is played correctly with a 5 out offense, i think it should be without a doubt #1. Everyone else on the team can green fairly easily. The team also has insane defense between Jrue, Middleton, and Giannis himself. There are no wholes with this team which should make this an undoubtable first choice.

Preferred Lineup:
Jrue
Grayson
Middleton
Bobby Portis
GIANNIS

2. NETS (W/ BEN SIMMONS)

When talking about gameplay, the dribbling on this game is horrendous compared to previous 2Ks which may hinder users on Kyrie Irving. He may have one of the worst layup animations in the game but regardless, the team is actually nuts. Kyrie has a great shot with his mid, and his fade is super easy. KD is one of the most dominant players in the game and with a good user, he is practically unguardable. He has a great rebound animation, a great pull up animation, and a great momentum. He also receives a lot of contact dunks which is important due to the strength of the paint defense this game. However, the stars are not the only factor. Seth Curry is an auto green with a smooth shot. There will be no such thing as help defense. I believe this team has the potential to be amazing. If Ben Simmons comes back, you have the ability to put him at center. The only downfall on this team is defense; Kyrie, Seth, and Bruce are liabilities in which the opposing guards can practically score at will. If Simmons does not come back, you still have

Preferred Lineup:
Kyrie
Seth
Bruce
KD
SIMMONS

3. WARRIORS

In this game, anybody above 65 three can green every shot if the timing is right. With that being said, I know it sounds crazy with Curry, Poole, and Klay on the team, but the success of this team will rely heavily on the user on Green. Draymond has a hotspot in the right corner but a low three; being able to hit it consistently is key if you want to use a 5 out offense. If you cant, you’re practically useless because his contact animations at the rim aren't the greatest. In a small ball lineup, the possibility of getting horsed is high. Therefore, needing to know the timing of the box is important. Despite the difficulties, the team has extreme potential. There is amazing defense with Klay, Wiggins, and Draymond. They all have easy shots. Curry can curry slide to a quick stop, can momentum, and green fade 3s. Klay has one of the fastest shots in the game and can momentum despite being underneath the 86 ball handling threshold. Wiggins shot is extremely smooth where you cant face guard. If you do, his ability to blow by and contact dunk is scary. Poole doesn't have the quickest shot but with a bit of separation, its definitely an auto green. I think they can easily guard star players as a team, but the success will be on if the owner can get a Draymond green that can consistently hit or if they can team rebound. They have potential to be #1, but if the user on Draymond is not great, then this team might not be as deadly.

Preferred Lineup:
Curry
Poole
Klay
Wiggins
DRAYMOND

4. 76ERS

Embiid is without a doubt the best big in the game. He can do a little bit of everything. His biggest issue in previous 2Ks was his shot release. It was extremely clunky and there were liabilities on his offensive game. However, they fixed it and the release is super easy with an 81 THREE. He is a center that you practically have to face guard or else he will green it. However, he is more mobile than a majority of centers so he can cut as well. He has great defense, great standing dunk contacts. He has gold post playmaker (practically dimer). Evidently, that is not the only thing that makes this team great. They have one of the easiest players to use in a one on one situation with James Harden. His step back separation move is lethal to the point where you can momentum off the last second animation. With that speed burst, he gets that blow by and he is the best guard on the game at finishing at the rim. He will either contact dunk on whoever is in front of him, or the user can switch shots mid attempt to get the foul. They have a lockdown defender in Thybulle who can take on the primary ballhandler with ease. He also can green the corner. Harris is the stereotypical PF who can green every shot. Maxey has an okay release but has a high three to make up for it. If people are uncomfortable with him, they have Danny Green to rely on. In terms of liability, they don't have any. I think this team has a great ceiling with a low skill needed to be successful.

Preferred Lineup:
James Harden
Maxey/Green
Thybulle
Harris
Embiid

5. LAKERS

Lebron is great due to his strength and speed. His blow by animations is nuts but AD is even more dominant. He is one of the fastest bigs, best defensive animations, low three but easy release, great contact. There's this animation where a guard is under the paint, they can do a circus layup and it will be considered open and go in all the time unless the big jumps. AD? One of the few bigs where putting your hands up is enough. Lebron has HOF Dimer which helps tremendously. Westbrook has cold spots everywhere but an easy release. With HOF dimer, hes greening every time. Malik monk is a sniper. Carmelo is a sniper. Offensively this team is a juggernaut,  defensively they arent the greatest but can hold their own.  Plus, having a high speed center is so important in this game. The ability to play high and recover is extremely important. I don't think they have a true lockdown which is their downfall.

Preferred Lineup:
Westbrook
Malik Monk
Lebron
Melo
AD

6. SUNS

They did Booker right. In previous teamups, you’d only be able to white the shot unless you were hot. This time? You can green everything. His contact dunk animation is nice and has a fast release on the jumper. Chris Paul is super good in my opinion. His floater is crazy. Despite his size, hes a solid defender. Bridges might be one of the best wing defenders on the game. He also has one of the smoothest shots on the game. Deandre Ayton is one of those bigs that isnt great, but he’s definitely good. Solid rebound animations, moves fast, 81 mid range, and 70 three. I think they match up well against most teams. They just aren't super dominant in one position like the teams I think are higher; I just think they’re well balanced.

Preferred Lineup:
Paul
Booker
Bridges
Cam
Ayton

7. Clippers

Without Kawhi, this team isn't top 10. But with him, they definitely are. They have arguably two of the best wing defenders. This is extremely important on this game because its hard to score and fast breaks are going to be needed. PG is a monster on this game for what its worth. Marcus Morris has a good shot, and Zubac is a HORSE. I think Kennard has an easy release. I think the ability to guard any team puts this team at an advantage against the rest. If someone can wiggle with PG and Kawhi to at least get some offense, it will be a nightmare.

Preferred Lineup:
Paul George
Luke Kennard
Kawhi
Morris
Zubac

8. NUGGETS

With them losing the other night, hopefully the rosters may be reset and this roster is scary to see. In my opinion, Monte Morris has the best shot in the game. Alongside Kevin Huerter from the hawks. Jamal Murray has always been pretty good. Will Barton is solid in contact dunks, can green, solid defense. Michael Porter has been one of the best players on the game every 2k despite always being hurt. He is like the modern Gerald green from previous 2ks. A straight up monster. And Jokic? This team is super scary offensively. Jokic doesn't have the smoothest shot but he sure can dominate in other aspects. This team is similar to the nets where they aren't the greatest defensively but offensively? I don't think many teams stop them.

Preferred Lineup:
PG: JAMAL MURRAY
SG: MONTE MORRIS
SF: WILL BARTON
PF: MICHAEL PORTER JR
C: JOKIC

9. PELICANS

Zion is a baby Giannis. They have a similar style of play as the bucks. Vala has a high 3 as a center, can green consistently, and has great rebound animations. Ingram is a do it all wing. Can momentum. McCollum isn't the greatest “star” compared to other guards. He is slow, not the greatest at creating on this game for his size. I think it should be a two man game between Zion and Ingram w/ McCollum sitting pretty in the corner since his shot is beautiful. And they have a solid defender in Herbert Jones who can also green from corner. A 5 out with Zion or Ingram will be dangerous. 

Preferred Lineup:
PG: McCollum
SG: Ingram
SF: Jones
PF: Zion
C: Vala

10. HEAT

It seems like a travesty to put them this low but there is so many good teams on this 2K. This team is like another version of the suns. But instead of booker, you have jimmy. This is my favorite team to use on the game by far. This is the definition of the ability to switch everything on defense between the trio jimmy/pj/bam. They might have the best defense on the game. Their guards can green absolutely anything and everything. From 35% contested or less between herro and duncan. Kyle lowry has an extremely smooth shot. So does PJ Tucker. Jimmy Butler has a low 3 but has an easy animation to where you can green every shot. And Bam? Hes a super athletic/defensive big. Hes one of those bigs that can play high and recover. Despite his defensive prowess, he has a 69 three which is greenable with kyle lowry gold dimer and gold floor general. This team has everything you need. The reason why I have them here is that their “star” in jimmy butler is not as easy to use or dominant compared to the others. But he is still dominant in the right hands.

Preferred Lineup:
Lowry
Herro
Jimmy
PJ Tucker
BAM

NOTABLE MENTIONS (ESPECIALLY IF ROSTERS DONT UPDATE, TEAMS LIKE THE CLIPPERS AND NUGGETS CAN BE DROPPED):

HAWKS

CAVS

TIMBERWOLVES

GRIZZLIES

*CELTICS ARE A HUGE BAIT AND WILL NOT BE INCLUDED ON MY LIST

Outaker S4 Mock Draft 1.0

It’s that time of year again for some mock drafts! There will be multiple different mock drafts made by other members on the media team as well as revisions to my mock draft (depending on more sign ups). I plan on doing a media team mock draft live on stream sometime soon. 

I honestly based my draft observation on a few factors; how they played last season, friends with the owner, or ex-teammates where owners feel comfortable drafting them. 

Disclaimer: Don’t forget this is a snake draft. Its different compared to previous seasons. I had no idea what the hell I was doing after pick 50. I didn’t play with a lot of people last season to really give a good analyze on but hey, that’s why I have myself surrounded by a great group of guys on the media team 🙂 enjoy!!

 

 

The Running Game – is it Improving?

Similar to the previous article, but focusing on the running game. In season 2, it was a solid season for running backs as offenses were still figuring out their schemes and utilizing the RB more. During Season 3, passing records were shattered while little to no rushing records were accomplished. 

As Season 3 concludes, let us take a look at the data between both seasons and determine if the running game in the league are improving. 

 

Season 2

Season 3

Result

Rushing yards

14053

13191

Decline

Rush Attempts

2862

2694

Decline

Rushing TDs

173

170

Decline

Fumbles

19

22

Decline

Yards per carry

4.91

4.90

Decline

Yards per game

97.59

73.28

Decline

TDs per game

1.20

0.94

Decline

800 + Rushers

Four

One

Decline

1k Rushers

One

0

Decline

Nearly 1k less rushing yards. 

Almost 200 fewer carries. 3 less rushing touchdowns. Keep in mind, there were 144 games in season 2 vs 180 games in season 3. 

Increase of fumbles but very similar. 

YPC is similar but a very slight decrease in Season 3.

24 yards less per game.

There was a 1k rusher and 4 800+ yard rushers in Season 2 vs only 1 800+ rusher in season 3.

Nothing improved in the run game. Every statistic took a decline. I think it has to do with a mixture of offenses becoming more pass-happy as well as defenses getting better at stopping the run. I was honestly thinking rushing stats would’ve increased since we introduced the titans this season along with other run heavy teams like the Browns and Ravens. 

 

Season 4 Predictions

I think rushing statistics will continue to decline with the league being a pass first league. I could be wrong but I don’t see it. If anything, running backs will continue to thrive in the receiving game. 

The Quarterback Position – is it Improving?

As season 4 quickly approaches, I want to take some time to reflect on the most important position in the league; The Quarterback. During seasons 1 & 2, there were talks about the league having too few skilled QBs in the league. In Season 3, staff took out Gunslinger QBs to make offenses less effective (70% comp rate in season 2). This received mixed reviews since a lot of opinions around the league thought the QB position was already difficult as is. Despite the 70% comp rate, the league’s QB was throwing more INTs to TDs (246 to 296). 

As Season 3 concludes, let us take a look at the data between both seasons and determine if the QBs in the league are improving. 

 

Season 2

Season 3

Result

Pass %

70.35%

69.20%

Decline

Pass YD per COMP

16.12

17.55

Improved

TD to INT Ratio

0.83

1.17

Improved

Pass Yards

38870

42229

Improved

Passing TDs

246

330

Improved

Passing INTs

296

283

Improved

Pass Yards per game

269.93

234.61

Decline

Pass TDs per game

1.71

1.83

Improved

Pass INTs per game

2.06

1.57

Improved

QBR

95.91

108.08

Improved

This may be a shocker to some, but in Season 3, almost every category improved compared to Season 2. 

The Pass % declined by less than 1% which isn’t too dramatic. 

An increase of Passing yards per completion. 

the TD to INT ratio increased greatly. 

The passing yards per game did decline but keep in mind the gentlemen’s code was enforced this season to prevent stat padding. 

Passing TDs per game increased while the Pass INTs per game decreased. 

Lastly, the QBR made a huge improvement. 

It’s safe to say that the QBs in this league are becoming more efficient at running their offenses. From my own experience, I figured there was an improvement since my contributions on defense became less effective (or I just suck lol). 

 

Season 4 Predictions

I’ll keep it short; Offenses will continue to improve compared to Season 3. Why? Well, Gunslinger is back boys!!! Gunslinger was out in Season 3 and look how improved offenses became when Gunslinger was a thing in Season 2. 

Season 3 Madden Ratings

Hey everyone, I wanted to take a unique approach to an article that a lot of you may find interesting. In this article, we are putting overall ratings on players based on how they did in Season 3. Now a lot is to be considered when handing out the overalls. The whole system is backed by players’ statistics for the season. I will break down the criteria. 

Foremost, I used my formula from season 2 that helped me with awards. But I did tweak the point values slightly to balance the points scored on defense and offense. I essentially put everyone’s stats in an excel file and multiplied a stat by the point value I associated with. Below is the point value system I used. 

Stat

Value

Passing TD

6

Passing YD

0.05

QB INT

-2

Rushing YD

0.1

Rushing TD

6

Fumble

-2

REC YD

0.075

REC

0.3

REC TD

5

TFL

1

SACK

1.75

DEF INT

3

DEF TD

6

FF

2

P DEF

1.5

RAC

0.025

SFTY

1

Once the calculation is made, a total point value (TPV) is determined to players starting overall. 

The TPV of all players in season 3 ranged from 0 to 476. However, I set a minimum cut-off at 45 TPV. 

Next, to determine a player starting overall, I used the criteria below:

TPV

Starting Overall

400+

95

350-399

93

300-349

91

250-299

89

200-249

87

150-199

85

100-149

83

50-99

81

<49

79

However, winning awards increases players overall. I used the following criteria as a bonus to a player’s FINAL madden overall. 

Awards

overall increase

QBOTY

2

RBOTY

2

WROTY

2

DLOTY

2

LBOTY

2

DBOTY

2

OPOTY

2

DPOTY

2

DROTY

2

OROTY

2

MVP

99 overall

Probowl 1st team

2

Probowl 2nd Team

1

Given all the details on how the grading was done, it’s time to reveal the VFL Madden Player Ratings!

  • Ratings exclude playoff awards

The 99 Club - The Franchise Players

areisx21 
AbyssZl 
GaabageAssassin 
Kxng x Champ 

The 90-98 Club - X-Factor Players

Gabe iLy

97

Hutch x81

96

Farah En Fuego

95

o Irving o

95

NORTHZIDE

95

BEEFYCHUB

94

Kuhrow

93

Outaker24

93

Never Practices

93

Th3 R3al3st 260

93

dirtyfalcons98

92

IamBeAsTe

91

Shady on Xbox

91

Ugongetthiswork1018

90

IR x Brady

90

The 85-89 Club - Superstar Players

NATECASHMNEY

89

Aceboogs98

89

TheGreatLynx

89

Scaly manfish58

89

xGam3xGreenx

87

King LoGiiC

87

Xxchildxplease

87

iV Ezakimak

87

Twc Gpawarpath

87

NikkoNii BB

87

Ez big ty

87

I rAd1o I

85

F34R Painkiller

85

SureBuckets

85

Kxng x Klay

85

XxBig Marc

85

Gando

85

The 80-84 Club - Star Players

eboktsop

83

Dfeetu44

83

Xx Tmo 706xX

83

ScrufflesMcWig

83

Kdot8932

83

WB SLEEP WTS

83

Sir Bottomis

83

Woohdy v2

83

JoeyKlutch13

83

KWAM3 4 MVP

83

Clutchxking215

83

A300DollarTaco

83

AngeloCer

83

GoodFella Tg

83

Mccoy252

83

Bwall3565

83

Privatepullout

83

RemyMcMoneyBags

83

BLKSUP3RSA1YAN

81

whodat0910

81

Xyzjoker02

81

Justt Smoove

81

xBeachMode

81

itsXER0X

81

Saint318#9511

81

ShigHanma

81

Loudpackliam

81

CrystalSethh

81

xPRBLM CHILD

81

TheBrisket49

81

R3D H0ur

81

Del The Dude

81

xlxMR 850xlx

81

HuskyNuts77

81

OrlandoStayWoke

81

Abloodypstain

81

DMV COACH

81

x Rogeezy x

81

WB J Le22

81

Ibprofam

81

KushPackDoofy

81

DrMelvo

81

o GEDF4

81

PONCHYSWAG

81

Mr504fat

81

Cuban on Xbox

81

WB Juicebox

81

The 70s Club

BeOmniTTV

79

TKTheOne 216

79

Djrag3quit

79

Superbowl III – Offensive Player Spotlight

Congratulations on the Chiefs and Ravens making it to the Super bowl. Both teams have played great in both the regular season and playoffs. I’m going to spend time on this article highlighting the 9 starters from each team and how they played this season. Without further ado, lets get right into it. 

 

Quarterbacks

Chiefs

Ravens

AbyssZl – Coming off an MVP season, Abyss is the best QB coming into the superbowl. He set multiple single season passing records while posting 38Tds 8Ints. 1st in the league in QBR (min of 100 attempts) and went 10-2 this season.

IamBeaste – With a 7-5 record, beaste has preformed well this season. Finished 6th in the league in passing yards while throwing 19TDs to 7 INTs. Don’t sleep in his ability run as he averaged 8.4 yards per carry. 

XxBig Marc – Marc joined the Chiefs via trade earlier this season but I wouldn’t sleep on him. He has the talent around him to win games. 11th in passing yards, Marc finished with 11TDs 15INTs. He finished 6-6 on the season. 

Breesuss – Finishing 4th in passing yards and posting a 28TD to 14INT campaign, Breesuss easily earned Offensive Rookie of the year. He went 9-2 this season as well as finishing top 5 in rushing stats for a QB. 

Aceboogs – With a 6-3 regular season record, Ace finished 9th in passing yards while going for 16TDs to 8INTs. Ace finished 2nd in rushing for a QB and considering his line has been mixed around multiple times this season, its impressive to have a positive win % with the stats he got this season.

xGam3xGreenx – Game had a sub-par season at QB. 10th in passing yards along with a 15TD to 15INT campaign. Only 8 games were reported which translated to a 4-4 record. However I do think he has more losses than wins which puts him at the only QB to have a negative W/L record by both teams. 

Running backs

Chiefs

Ravens

Th3 R3al3st 260 – Finished 11th in rushing yards, with 6 rushing TDs. has earned 796 yards from scrimmage which puts him as a dual threat at RB who can average 5 yards a carry and pick up those critical 3rd downs in the passing game. 9-2 record while playing RB this season.

Clutchxking215 – Finished 15th in rushing yards while completing 23 recs for 200+ yards. Clutch is on a pass heavy offense so its expected for his numbers to be lower than usual. Clutch is a solid RB and dependable when needed. 6-5 record this season at RB. 

Natecashmoney – Nate was traded from the Bengals this season and has the most rushing yards and receiving yards at RB on the Chiefs this season. Finished 5th in rushing, he surpassed 1k in total yards from scrimmage. statistically shown, I believe Nate is the most utilized and skilled RB on the Chiefs going into the Superbowl. 

ebokKtsop – The only RB from both teams that has more receiving yards than rushing. He has rushing for 300+ while also receiving for 300+. He went 8-2 this season at RB. I would consider ebok a top receiving back in the league.

Justt Smoove – Traded from the Chiefs, Smoove is looking to prove himself that the Chiefs made a mistake by getting rid of him. He averaged 7.5 yards a carry this season which is the league best for any Running back. Since being on the Ravens, he has went 4-3. Smoove has earned 555 yards from scrimmage this season. 

TLPKavious -I dont have enough data on Kavious to give a breakdown. He was replaced by Xerox in the playoffs and from my understanding, he has been reliable toward his line. 

Wide Receivers

Chiefs

Ravens

Gabe ily – The best WR from both teams. Finished second in the league in terms of receiving while not even playing WR the whole season. Traded from the Bucs, Gabes season was pretty much saved and continued to be a force in the league. Gabe went 8-4 this season at WR.

BeefyChub – Beastes brother finished 7th in receiving yards while scoring 19TDs. 7-5 was his record this season and keep in mind, he is a Rookie. I believe he was in discussion for a ROTY award so dont sleep on Beefy. 

GaabageAssassin – Another stud at WR. Earlier on in the season, he was pumping out MVP caliber stats. He made the switch to another line and was still able to put up great numbers. he finished 4th in receiving yards while scoring 24 times. 

Kuhrow – Posting a 9-2 record, Kuhrow preformed well this season. 6th in receiving yards, 4th in Receiving TDs, 5th in RAC, he is a weapon on offense. No awards this season however considering alot of WRs balled out this season. 

Outaker24 – Very similar stats to Kuhrow while posting a 7-4 record this season at WR. Has played on two different lines during the season which adds some more value to how he preformed this season.  

Kdot8932 -Kdot was traded from the 49ers earlier on this season and has been the journeyman WR on the team playing wherever he needs to play. Not enough stats to give a breakdown on Kdot. 

Beaste The Commish Top Draftable Teams

VFL team rankings

1.Cowboys Overall got the best roster most balanced team

2.chargers Best passing attack with a solid rb and great defense

3.Ravens Lamar need I say more

4.Titans Solid offense with a freak coming back and decent defense

5.49ers Nick bosa? Solid defense and good offense if mostert comes back would be game changing

6.bengals One of the most complete balanced team available

7.colts Jt buckner carry this solid team

8.Saints Those tackles and a great defense not to mention kamara GGs

9.Eagles A pretty well balanced team with speed on both sides

10.Falcons Pitts! 

 

Honorable Mentions

Panthers Defense from hell would be scary with cmc back qb and ol only thing holding the team back

Steelers One of the top defensive teams najee is like a baby Henry again like panthers qb and ol holding team back

Raiders A very well balanced team just a little slow at rb

WFT Another crazy defense if they get reset without a reset unusable

Dolphins Interesting team have everything you want beside more superstars very underrated

Broncos Another team that’s lacking superstars they have none but there not lacking in any postions

Season 2 Top 25 Players Revisited

I decided to revisit the list to take into account a more advanced formula besides just going strictly by player votes. I took a players statistical standing from how we handled awards this season PLUS player votes. The formula is simple; Take the player placement in the players vote + their statistical placement (total from OFF and DEF) and divided by 2 which give them their final placement in the top 25 list. EX: Outaker had the 3rd highest player votes (3) and the highest statistical value (1) which places him at 2 on the top 25 list. 

The first list is the original list I shared with the league, the second list is the final placement.

OLD LIST (Not the final placement)


25.) itsXER0X | Last Season: —
Season 2 Accolades:

24.) F34R Painkiller | Last Season: —
Season 2 Accolades:

23.) WB D3v0ur | Last Season: 12
Season 2 Accolades: AFC Probowl QB 1st-Team; AFC Probowl K; AFC Probowl ST

22.) Aceboogs98 | Last Season: —
Season 2 Accolades:

21.) Ugongetthiswork1018 | Last Season: —
Season 2 Accolades: NFC Probowl RB 2nd-Team

20.) GaabageAssassin | Last Season: —
Season 2 Accolades: AFC Probowl DL 1st-Team

19.) Del The Dude | Last Season: —
Season 2 Accolades:

18.) areisx21 | Last Season: 3
Season 2 Accolades: AFC Probowl WR 2nd-Team

17.) Farah En Fuego | Last Season: —
Season 2 Accolades: AFC Probowl WR 1st-Team; WROTY

16.) Shady on Xbox | Last Season: 7
Season 2 Accolades: NFC Probowl LB 1st-Team; LBOTY

15.) Hogcrazy9934 | Last Season: —
Season 2 Accolades: AFC Probowl QB 2nd-Team; OPOTY

14.) Xyzjoker02 | Last Season: —
Season 2 Accolades: AFC Probowl LB 2nd-Team

13.) Xx Tmo 706xX | Last Season: 17
Season 2 Accolades:

12.) dirtyfalcons98 | Last Season: 6
Season 2 Accolades: AFC Probowl QB 2nd-Team

11.) Cuban on Xbox | Last Season: —
Season 2 Accolades: OROTY

10.) Hutch x81 | Last Season: 24
Season 2 Accolades: AFC Probowl LB 1st-Team

9.) JPxProdigie | Last Season: —
Season 2 Accolades: NFC Probowl DB 1st-Team; DBOTY

8.) Kuhrow | Last Season: 1
Season 2 Accolades: NFC Probowl DL 1st-Team

7.) Th3 R3al3st 260 | Last Season: 10
Season 2 Accolades: NFC Probowl RB 1st-Team; NFC Probowl DB 2nd Team; DPOTY

6.) MRxxUSERxxPICKx | Last Season: 13
Season 2 Accolades:

5.) NORTHZIDE | Last Season: —
Season 2 Accolades: AFC Probowl RB 1st-Team; RBOTY

4.) IamBeAsTe | Last Season: 4
Season 2 Accolades: AFC Probowl DB 1st-Team; Owner of the Year

3.) Outaker24 | Last Season: 15
Season 2 Accolades: NFC Probowl WR 2nd-Team; NFC Probowl DL 1st-Team; DLOTY

2.) AbyssZl | Last Season: 8
Season 2 Accolades: NFC Probowl LB 2nd-Team; NFC Probowl K; KOTY

1.) BetterCa11xSaul | Last Season: 11
Season 2 Accolades: NFC Probowl QB 1st-Team; QBOTY; MVP

FINAL PLACEMENT (votes + statistical placement)

 

25.) Ugongetthiswork1018
24.) Xxchildxplease
23.) GaabageAssassin
22.) Xx Tmo 706xX
21.) GoodFella Tg
20.) MN x Brisket
19.) Clutchxking215
18.) Whiite MagiicX
17.) Kuhrow
16.) Shady on Xbox
15.) WB D3v0ur
14.) areisx21
13.) dirtyfalcons98
12.) Hutch x81
11.) Farah En Fuego
10.) MRxxUSERxxPICKx
9.) Hogcrazy9934
8.) Th3 R3al3st 260
7.) JPxProdigie
6.) NORTHZIDE
5.) Cuban on Xbox
4.) AbyssZl
3.) IamBeAsTe
2.) Outaker24
1.) BetterCa11xSaul