EHCC 2014 Performance ⅓

It’s hard to believe but we’re already a third of the way into the season…

The leader in top weekly score so far is Rio with 95.5 points in week 7. The leader? for worst weekly score so far is San Juan with 30.5 points in week 5.

Championship hangover?
Santo Domingo has already lost as many matchups (4) through the first 7 weeks this season that they lost all of last season. Although SD is currently 2nd in the west, some chinks in the armor have shown. The pitching staff has been struck with the TJ bug as Harvey and Parker are done for the season. Cliff Lee has also been placed on the DL with an elbow issue that management hopes doesn’t lead to his own surgery. The hitting staff is missing it’s starting third baseman Ryan Zimmerman who is slow-healing his way through a broken thumb. The rest of the hitting staff has disappointed relative to their lofty standards set last season. Here’s hoping the offense heats up with the weather. 

What happened to DUBs?
One of the best teams in the league last year is currently wallowing in 10th place so far this season. Dublin has struggled on both sides of the ball but particularly hitting. One thing is clear, as Chris Davis goes, so does Dublin. The good news for Dublin is that Davis has exploded out of his early season struggles on Tues(5/20) with a 3 hr day. If this guy gets going we can expect Dublin to start working their way up the leaderboard.

Is AUG for reals?
Against common opinion, AUG has put up a respectable season thus far. Most fantasy owners are a bit superstitious about boasting their team’s good fortune/performance for fear that the fantasy gods might smite them for it. Not AUG, who recently called the entire league out for not believing in his team. “Critics speak of punching playoff tickets way too early, but when the dust settles and the seeds have been locked in, those tickets will be on sale to said critics for a generous discounted price of $10 a piece. Augusta is a strong buy by all standards.” Strong words from a team that currently sits in 5th place.

It’d been suggested that Augusta has been overachieving this season. There’s some truth to this. AUG currently ranks 5th in the standings with a 0.529 winning percentage, but ranks 8th in average roto points scored. The below chart suggests that Augusta has traded luck with Rakeville so far this season:

What else?
So far the east is shaping up to be a two horse race between Las Vegas and Weymouth. Both have exceptional teams and it would be a shock to see anybody else even think about contending for the division crown. The west is a completely different story. The favorite? You’re guess is as good as mine. Almost everyone in the west could be tops when the dust settles. SD, TIJ and DUB were among the elite last year. QC, TKO and RIO have all shown improvement. Hold on gents, this is going to be a bumpy ride.