Burning questions for 2020

The calendar has turned to June and a new league year is upon us. Franchise tags are locked in and salaries have been paid. And while rosters are far from complete, teams are starting to take shape and questions are being posed.

Here’s one burning question for each team at the start of the new league year.

Bangkok Blitz: Who will be the face of the franchise’s rebuild?

The chronicles of the Blitz have been well documented. Under new ownership a season ago, the Blitz got off to a slow start and elected to go into full rebuild mode. The goal of the new management was not to win games in 2019, but to determine which players will be there to do so in 2020. As the season progressed, the team began to sell off assets, including the likes of Todd Gurley, DeAndre Hopkins and Stefon Diggs. Now entering their second offseason, management has to decide who will be the face of this franchise entering the new era. Which of the young players the team has systematically acquired over the past six-to-nine months will step up and lead the way? Presently, it looks like quarterback Dak Prescott might hold that title, or perhaps second-year back Devin Singletary. Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who received the NFT this offseason, will also try to lay claim to that honor. But it’s possible that the face of the franchise just isn’t on the roster yet. The Blitz have four first-round draft picks in the 2020 draft, including three of the first four. They also have the most available cash, which will enable them to acquire a few solid free agents. Whoever takes up the mantle will have a tremendous impact on determining just how far the Blitz can go in 2020 and beyond.

Christmas Island Crabs: Is the third time the charm for Derrius Guice?

The defending Super Bowl champions have quite the task on their hands. As the champs, they’ll have a giant bulls-eye on their backs and will become the hunted instead of the hunters. The Crabs had quite the busy offseason for a team trying to defend its crown. They traded away superstar Michael Thomas and acquired some young players and draft picks along the way. The Crabs narrowed their roster to just the key contributors such as quarterback Russell Wilson, running backs Miles Sanders and Austin Ekeler, and receivers D.J. Moore, DeVante Parker and Tyler Lockett. All are expected to have major roles from the get-go. But then there’s Derrius Guice, whom the Crabs acquired from the Renegades before the start of the new league year. The third-year pro has had quite the inauspicious start to his career. Drafted second overall in the 2018 MFFL Draft by the Jamaica Jerks, Guice has spent time on a handful of MFFL teams but has only appeared in five games. Guice still has all the talent in the world to be an effective running back, but the question is and always will be until proven otherwise, will he stay healthy enough to show it? If he does, it will add tremendous depth to the Crabs’ roster and make them all the more difficult to beat.

Ecuador Ewoks: Can the youngsters step up?

They say that hope springs eternal and that’s exactly what the Ecuador Ewoks are feeling as they begin a new year. The 2019 season was an unforgettable one after the Ewoks paid running back David Johnson a record $26 million contract and injuries and ineffective play landed him in the doghouse. After being run out of town by short, furry creatures carrying flaming torches and spears, Ecuadorians are ready to move beyond the Johnson nightmare. The Ewoks shipped away team leader Ezekiel Elliott this offseason and have picked up a number of prospects along the way. They have a couple veterans on their roster, or at least players with the potential to return in running back Mark Ingram and wide receiver Keenan Allen, who have been tagged with the NFT and TT, respectively. But for the Ewoks to pick it up in 2020, they’ll need some of their youngsters to step up. The team has a quartet of third-year pros that could see growth this season. Quarterback Sam Darnold, running back Sony Michel, wide receiver Anthony Miller, and tight end Mike Gesicki will all need to take big strides this year. Competing with Darnold will be second-year pro Drew Lock, who received a lot of offensive support this offseason and could have a good sophomore campaign.

Egypt Pharaohs: Who will be catching passes for the Pharaohs?

The 2019 South Division champions will have a target on their backs as a rebuilt Bangkok squad and an improved Turkey team will be chasing after the crown. The Pharaohs have their quarterback position set as Patrick Mahomes received the NFT this offseason and is likely to return as their starter. The Pharaohs also placed the EFT on running back Joe Mixon and the TT on Phillip Lindsay, likely bringing back two running backs to join third-year pro Ronald Jones. Who emerges as the RB2 on this squad will be one question to seek an answer to as the offseason unfolds. But the bigger question mark is who is going to be catching passes from Mahomes for the Pharaohs in 2020? Egypt has four receivers under contract on the active roster in Sterling Shepard, Robby Anderson, Nelson Agholor and Willie Snead. The latter two finished 2019 outside the Top 70 and are fringe roster players. Meanwhile, Shepard missed six games with injuries and Anderson finished as a WR4. Assuming health, Shepard and Anderson should improve a little from a season ago, but who will be the go-to receiver? Similarly, tight end David Njoku missed a lot of time and he got added competition this offseason. Who will be Egypt’s starting tight end? They’ll have to address these positions during the auction and give Mahomes some weapons to throw to.

Jamaica Jerks: Can the wheels remain on the Ferrari that is Dalvin Cook?

Jamaica had an incredible 2019 season, winning 9 games and securing the West Division crown. They won 7 of their first 8 games and looked like an unstoppable force. But then the wheels fell off and they lost four of their final six games. The Jerks are hoping the same fate doesn’t befall their stud running back and team leader, Dalvin Cook. The football world had been waiting through two injury-marred seasons to see Cook reach his potential, and in his third season the back finally had his breakout year. Cook finished as a Top 5 back in 2019 and was a major reason for Jamaica’s success. The Jerks have one of the most complete rosters in the league with quality starters at almost every position. But make no mistake about it: this team’s fortunes will ride with Cook. Can Cook stay healthy for a full season? He missed 12 games in his rookie season, five during his sophomore campaign, and two this past year. So, at least he’s trending in the right direction. As long as Cook remains on the field, the Jerks will continue to churn out points and be a tough team to beat.

Nagasaki Kamikazes: Is there enough depth on the roster?

After having their past three seasons end at the hands of the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Kamikazes are pulling out all the stops to make 2020 “the year.” The Kamikazes acquired a pair of young receivers in A.J. Brown and Deebo Samuel by trading the rights to veteran free agent running backs Chris Carson and Mark Ingram. They also ditched the costly salary of Stefon Diggs to free up space to catch some bigger fish. They parlayed the acquisition of Samuel with their first-round pick to acquire the free agent rights to all-world receiver Michael Thomas and then landed stud running back Ezekiel Elliott from Ecuador in a four-team deal. The combination of deals this offseason, particularly so in the Elliott trade, has landed the Kamikazes with arguably the best starting lineup ahead of the 2020 season. But it also weakened a bit of their depth in the process. The Kamikazes still have seven spots to fill and how much cash they have to fill those spots will be determined by what Thomas’ final NFT contract numbers are at the auction. As long as the starters stay healthy, the Kamikazes will likely cruise through the regular season and head to a pivotal postseason. But if one or more of those starters gets injured, can and will the backups step up and keep the train rolling?

Russia Renegades: Can Lamar Jackson have sustained success?

The Renegades had a stronger-than-anticipated 2019 season due to the emergence and breakout of several third-year players. Receivers Calvin Ridley, D.J. Moore, Courtland Sutton and Michael Gallup all took major steps forward. Running back Kerryon Johnson had a strong first five games before suffering another knee injury. But the biggest boost to their success was from the incredible season by quarterback Lamar Jackson. Jackson finished as the runaway top quarterback in the MFFL and one of only two players to average 30-plus points per game. Having him in the lineup offered clear advantages, including what amounted to the equivalent of a third running back. With all that said, when quarterbacks take off and run they leave themselves susceptible to added hits and injuries. So, the clear question heading into 2020 for the Renegades is will Jackson’s style of play hold up for a second-straight season? When healthy, he undoubtedly will continue to put up big numbers. But if he succumbs to an injury, who will step up and replace his output? That kind of player likely doesn’t exist. And the Renegades will need a backup quarterback regardless heading into this season.

San Juan Scorpions: Can Josh Allen build upon his sophomore season?

The Scorpions set out to defend their championship during the 2019 season, entering the year with the same core of players largely intact. They featured a trio of solid young running backs in Alvin Kamara, Nick Chubb and Marlon Mack. They returned their “Big 3” receivers in T.Y. Hilton, Alshon Jeffery and A.J. Green — who would go on to miss the entire season with an injury. And they also brought back veteran tight end Zach Ertz. All the pieces seemingly were in place. The Scorpions also began the 2019 season with the same quarterback who won them the 2018 championship, Kirk Cousins. But Cousins’ time as the Scorpions starter was short-lived, as second-year pro Josh Allen took the job and ran with it, basically from Week 2 on. A combination of a strong arm with the ability to pick up yards with his legs propelled Allen to a Top 7 finish as he helped lead the Scorpions to the postseason. What will Allen do for an encore? Will he continue his development with added pieces around him? Or will he take a step back in Year 3? Last year he had 9 rushing touchdowns … can he replicate that? Even if Allen were a total flop, which is not expected, the Scorpions still have Cousins under contract and would do just fine with him. But Allen’s athletic ability adds another dimension to the offense.

Switzerland Squirrels: Who will be slinging passes for the Squirrels?

Last year was an unfortunate one for the Switzerland Squirrels. Losing a starter during the preseason as the Squirrels did with running back Lamar Miller is a devastating blow to overcome. Eventually, the Squirrels started preparing for the future and rode out the season with eyes toward 2020. This offseason was a busy one for Switzerland. The team shipped away young receiver Deebo Samuel for the free agent rights to Mark Ingram (and then later traded away Ingram in a deal that landed them tight end Mark Andrews and the rights to running back James Conner). They also reacquired receiver Adam Thielen from San Juan and welcomed back free agent running back Leonard Fournette — whom they selected first overall in the 2017 MFFL Draft. After placing the EFT on Fournette, the Squirrels can match the highest offer on Conner and have a formidable running game. They also have strong depth at receiver with Thielen, T.Y. Hilton, D.J. Chark and the RFA rights to Cooper Kupp. And the tight end tandem of Mark Andrews and Tyler Higbee is one of the strongest in the league. So the big question remains: who will be throwing passes for the Squirrels? Derek Carr is the only quarterback under contract at the moment, but he has struggled with consistency throughout his career. The team will have to add competition to the position via the auction and solidify this lineup even further.

Turkey Jerky: Will Derrick Henry come out for an encore performance?

Turkey had a bipolar year just a season ago, going 6-7 and just barely missing the playoffs. During their seven losses, they finished in the Bottom 4 in weekly scoring. But in their six wins, they finished in the Top 5 in scoring every time, and three times in the Top 4. Their highs were really high and their lows were super low. About midseason, the Jerky acquired running back Derrick Henry who went on to have a dominant fourth season in the league. He rushed for 1540 yards and 16 touchdowns. The Jerky placed the EFT on Henry this offseason, bringing him back for at least another year. Turkey had a big offseason and acquired some strong talent. At present, they have one of the strongest cores in the league but they also have some of the priciest contracts as well. Turkey’s success could come down to what kind of encore performance Henry has in 2020. If he has another Top 4 season as he showed in 2019, the Jerky could finally get over that hump and get into the postseason this year. If he falters, or any of the other stars on the team struggle to get going, it could be a long season for them.

Ukraine Grainers: Can David Montgomery have a breakout second season?

For a team that led the MFFL in both scoring and wins a season ago, and largely returns the same cast of characters this year, there aren’t a whole lot of question marks to go around. The biggest question mark probably revolves around the RB2 position. The Grainers acquired running back Todd Gurley before the trade deadline last year as Bangkok was in the midst of selling off assets. Gurley was having an up-and-down, unpredictable season. He would up having a fairly strong second half of the season and was instrumental in the Grainers’ playoff run. But the big question that constantly hovers like a dark cloud over Gurley is the health of his knee. Perhaps a change of scenery helps his cause and gives him more consistent work, but should he miss any time, all eyes will turn to second-year pro David Montgomery. The first-overall pick in the 2019 MFFL Draft, Montgomery had a poor start to his rookie campaign and Ukraine bought him when his stock was low. With a new season and more commitment to him, Montgomery could have a sophomore breakout season and could push Gurley for time, or at least fill one of the two FLEX positions in Ukraine’s starting lineup. If, however, Montgomery continues to falter, that ascending rookie contract will loom large, but it will also leave the Grainers’ backfield without much depth.

Wake Island Wookiees: Is Kenyan Drake ready to be a full-season RB2?

After finishing the 2018 season with the third-most points in the MFFL, the Wookiees took a step back last year. Injuries to the tight end position and a lack of a consistent WR2 contributed to that problem. The Wookiees hope to rectify the latter with the addition of DeAndre Hopkins, and they’ll have to address the tight end need via the auction. One ray of sunshine for Wake Island in 2019 was the emergence of running back Kenyan Drake. The fifth-year pro languished during the first three years of his career before a change of scenery boosted his stock and propelled him to a strong RB2 finish in 2019. Now, highly rated by many of the experts, Drake has a chance to show what he can do for a full season in a high-powered offense. The question becomes: will he do it? Was the second half of last season a mirage? Or a sign of things to come? Whether or not Drake becomes that consistent, week-in and week-out RB2 will go a long way to determining how strong the Wookiees are in 2020.