Welcome back, my fantasy football colleagues. Sadly, we decided to cancel the 2020 Robioland Fantasy Baseball season. However, as of now, there will be a 2020 NFL season, which means we will most likely be having a 2020 fantasy football season. We’ll save the draft talk for later, as I want to hold the draft as close to the start of the regular season as possible. Anyhow, as always, I like to take a quick peek back before we look forward with a little update on the career rankings…

#1 BOBBY CASTRONE

As has been the case since 2013, Bob remains number one in these rankings and maybe in our hearts. You see, 14 straight years crashing the postseason party tends to leave a mark. Yes, it’s true…67% of the teams each year makes the playoffs, so it’s not a standard fantasy league, but 14 years is a long fucking time. I haven’t even been married for 14 years, yet it seems like forever.

Of course, it’s not just those trips. He’s first in all-time winning percentage (.618), second in points. He’s earned a trio of top seeds and a pair of scoring crowns, all in the last six seasons, where’s he’s produced six straight winning seasons, going an impressive 58-20. Overall, Bob has won four championships in his five trips to the title game.

If we wanted to nitpick, which as Americans, is not only our God given right, but our duty, it’s been six years since Bob held a championship mug up high for all the admire. Worse yet, he’s tasted defeat in his last three postseason contests.

#2 MATT NEATOCK

Over the last three years, Matt secured two championships (2017, 2018) and last year came within one game of becoming the first person to reach the title game three straight seasons. Overall, he’s one of three people who joined the “Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice Club,” which is four career championships. Yet, he’s not even close to overtaking Bob for the top spot and his grip of the two spot is flimsy at best. The reason is simple, these are career rankings and titles don’t tell the whole story.

In 17 seasons, Matt has missed the playoffs about 36% of the time, which is better than only four other league members, although he’s been more consistent lately, making it to the postseason party in five off is last six seasons. Overall, he’s 5th in winning percentage and fourth in points. He has earned one top seed (2009) and a pair of scoring crowns (2009, 2017). In the playoffs, he’s posted a .696 winning percentage (16-7), which is the second best ever in this league.

#3 RICH CALDERON

What do you get when you have a good team, with none of Bob’s luck? You get Calderon. When it comes to the stats that impress, Rich impresses. His .578 winning percentage is second only to Bob. His 1,345 points per game is third behind only myself and Bob. He’s missed the postseason just twice since 2007, making it to the playoffs nearly 77% of the time (third best in the league). His .577 win percentage in the postseason is fifth best. He’s got two scoring crowns, one top seed and two championships (2013, 2016), yet it all seems like there should be more.

Of course, part of it has to do with his past and how Calderon’s greatest teams seemed to always fumble at the goal line. Three times as a number two seed, Rich failed to escape the quarterfinals (losing to Don twice). More recently, it’s been his ability to be a championship team’s final hurdle. He’s lost in the title game the previous two years (becoming the first person not named Griff to do that), having lost in the season’s final contests in three of his five tries overall.

#4 ROBIO MURRAY

After pulling off the greatest season in the history of this league last year, I can safely put myself back into the “best ever” discussion. My career average of 1,364 points per contest is the league’s best, while my .548 winning percentage is third. I have five career scoring crowns, while no other current member has more than two, while my four top seeds are a league most…speaking of most, I got 25 career postseason wins and my .758 playoff winning percentage is second to none. I’m a stunning 12-1 in the quarterbacks and a solid 8-4 in the semifinals. I’ve been to the finals a record eight times (along with Griff) and once again lead the league with five career championships.

Of course, having said all that, I still can’t vaunt myself any higher than three. I value consistent winning and that’s one thing I have not been able to manage. I’ve missed the playoffs eight times, second most only behind Eric and before winning it all last season, I had missed the postseason in four out of the previous five seasons. That’s…not good. In fact, dating back to 2004, I have made the playoffs (9) only one more time than I missed it (8). That’s..really not good.

#5 GRIFF COOMER

For a hot minute at the end of the 2015 season, I really was considering moving Griff ahead of Bob as the top team in career rankings. While I ended up not doing it, there was a good case to do it. Around that time, Coomer had made the playoffs in 14 of his 17 seasons. In the three seasons he failed, his opponents scored the most points in all three. He was coming off an impressive championship in 2015, his second career title, having reached the finals a stunning eight times (league high) and he was top three in all the major categories, including wins and points scored. But that was then.

This is now. Over the last four years, Griff has hit a wall. He’s produced four straight losing seasons (16-36), missing the playoffs three times, after going to the show seven straight years. When he did make it to the playoffs it was only as a 7-seed and he lost in the quarters, so his last playoff victory was his 2015 championship. Officially, he hit rock bottom last year producing just two wins, “earning” the first overall pick in the 2021 draft (a first for him). Overall, his .532 winning percentage is fourth best, but his scoring average of 1,325, is now just 7th best in the league.

#6 ROB MASTERSON

In the battle to be “The Best Team to Never Win a Title,” Masterson finally laps Colby for the honor, as what Rob has accomplished since 2011 is pretty damn impressive. After rocky start in Robioland, where Rob missed the playoffs four of his first eight years in this league, producing just two winning seasons (both 7-6), he’s now pulling off Bob-level of success in the regular season.

Not only has Masterson made it to the postseason the past nine seasons, he’s done it with nine straight winning seasons, which is the longest streak in league history by a mile. If we exclude Mike’s numbers, since he’s only been in the league a year, Rob’s up to sixth in winning percentage (.484) and 5th in points scored (1,327). While the below .500 winning percentage may not impressive you, let’s not forget, up until this season, his opponents had scored the most points against him.

Yet, Rob’s Achilles heal has always been what happens after the regular season ends. His .263 postseason winning percentage is the second worst this league has ever seen, having lost eight of nine games in the quarterfinals between 2009-2018. Last year, he finally got over that hump, beating Bob in the first round, earning his first playoff win since 2013. Yet, he fell to the juggernaut in the semifinals and one of the sadder stats in the league continued, as Rob is the only league member (again, excluding Michael) who has never earned a top seed, scoring crown or a trip to the finals, let alone a championship.

#7 COLBY HALL

I’ve always talked about how Colby and Griff are attached to the fantasy hip. This is what happens when two teams face off six times in the postseason in just an 11-year span of time, including two title games (both won by Griff). Now though, they have another thing in common…they’ve both missed the playoffs in three of the last four seasons.

The reality is, 15 years of Robioland football and the results don’t seem to match the ability of Mr. Hall. This might explain why he has earned the “Most Disappointing Team” award three times since 2012. Hell, even when he dominates where it matters, points, his teams don’t impress. In 2004, he led the league in scoring, but went just 6-8, finishing last in his division, earning the 8-seed, losing in the quarterfinals. In 2018, he broke the all-time scoring record, but only managed to go 7-6, losing in the quarterfinals to Don. He’s officially 0-2 in the playoffs as the highest scoring team. That’s hard to do.

For his career, he’s 12 games below .500, with the league’s 8th best winning percentage (.473) and 8th best scoring average (1,321). He has those two scoring crowns, but no top seeds and only two trips to the finals.

#8 MICHAEL EVANGELIST

Obviously, it’s impossible to place someone who has one season under their belt, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try. This…feels about right. In season one, Mike came out flaming with four straight wins, but in the end, settled for a 7-6 record and 7th in scoring. That’s not too bad. The good news about joining this league so late in the game is, Michael missed out on all those low scoring years, so even if he’s just decent, his scoring average should remain high (technically, his 1,330 PPG average is 5th best).

#9 DON VOZZOLA

After rediscovering the postseason code and making it back to the playoffs in three of his last four years (breaking a four-year drought), Don finally leap frogs Burrier for 9th on this list. Overall, he’s 9th in winning percentage (.470), although his 1,220 points per game is still the lowest in league history. Yet, achievement has to account for something, which is why I can overlook the low point totals.

Don is one of six people with a career triple crown. He has one top seed, one scoring crown and he has two championships, although his two title teams are the two lowest ranked titles teams in league history (2006 is #75 and 2008 is #69).

#10 RICHARD BURRIER

Remember when Burrier was good? No? I don’t blame you. It was a long time ago. As we’ve said before, peak Burrier was the LT years (2003-2007) where he produced four straight winning seasons, four division titles and one championship (2003). Those were the salad days. Since then, not so much. Beginning in 2007, Rich has missed the playoffs five times in 12 seasons, but even when he makes it to the postseason party, he’s typically the last to arrive. Six out of the last eight times he’s made the playoffs, he’s earned the 8-seed). He’s also one of the first to leave, having won a playoff game in the postseason in just two of his seasons (2011, 2012) since he won it all in 2003.

Overall, he’s 10th in winning percentage (now 20 games below .500) and his 1,266 points per game is the third lowest among active teams. He’s made the playoffs just 67% of the time, finishing as a 7-seed or higher just 33% of his seasons. His postseason record of 6-11 is fourth worse. While he’s never earned a scoring crown (just one of three people to never do that), he does have one top seed and one actual championship, which is how he avoids the basement in these rankings.

#11 JEFF GREENBLATT

After an impressive three-year run, where Jeff found himself invited to the postseason party three-straight seasons, that including 2016, which delivered 11 wins, second in scoring, a top seed and a trip to the finals (all firsts for Jeff), it seems Greenblatt is back where he belongs…outside looking in.

Jeff has missed the playoffs the previous two seasons and now has missed the postseason seven times in 12 years as a solo artist. His career  .442 winning percentage is second lowest, ahead of only Eric and his 1,269 points per game is just 9th best. Of course, it doesn’t help that his opponents are always showing up. His foes have averaged 1,342 points per game, which means Jeff has passed Masterson for most ever (excluding one-year Mike).

#12 ERIC VOZZOLA

And as always, we end with Eric. Except for 2014, when Jeff took his place, the basement has belonged to Eric. The sad part is, he’s hasn’t really been that bad lately. Eric has made it to the postseason five straight seasons (third longest active streak). Since 2007, he’s made it there in nine of thirteen seasons, which is good. In that time, he has a scoring crown, two 3-seed finishes, a title game appearance and would have won it all in 2012, if it wasn’t for a miracle Sunday night finish by Marshawn Lynch.

Yet, good enough hasn’t been enough to get Eric over the top. He’s still last in winning percentage (.411) and 11th in points scored (1,227). Worse yet, he’s failed to produce, despite the fact he’s faced the least amount of resistant, as his foes have averaged just 1,227 points per game (lowest in the league). The issue is, Eric’s best is typically just okay. In 19 seasons in this league, he has produced just three winning seasons. He even loses win he’s winning. Remember how I said he’s made it to the postseason five straight years? Well, he’s finished the regular season 6-7 in the last four. For his career, he’s won a playoff game in just two of his 19 seasons (3 wins overall).