The first round of division play for Season 11 has come and gone. Rosters have been settled, team chemistry is coming together and the top teams are beginning to show themselves. With the help of our Power Rankings Committee, our staff is here to break down the top three teams and tell you why each of these franchises is already showing signs they’re capable of going all the way. There’s a lot of great teams on this list so we’re starting off with Foundation League and working our way up but if you want to head straight to another league click here for Academy, Champion, Master, and Premier League. *All stats and records are from week 3
Foundation League
by Terminiator
KNIGHTS:
The Knights are a team with a lot more questions than answers at the moment, after posting a record of 11-4. In their first series, a 2-3 loss against the Spartans turned into a 5-0 win when one of the Spartans played using an unreported account. Combine that with the rank out of their best player and the fact their lowest salary player has only played one series, and there is a lot to be answered. One thing we know for sure however is that SovietShark is a star in the making. He scored 16 goals in the Knights week 2 win over the Express and is someone you do not want to line up against. Hawkeye is a solid midseason pickup, posting 7 goals of his own against the Jets. Will this team come together and continue their hot streak? Only time will tell.
Rhinos:
The Rhinos came out of the draft with a lot of hype, snagging two star players. Even though Labby quickly ranked out, Bukkets is holding down the fort for this dangerous Rhinos squad. He is scoring over 3 goals a game and is 2nd in FL in both MVPR (5.84) and total goals (31). But this team is more than just Bukkets. BeanMachine, who is 4th in MVPR (5.74), has stepped up in the one series he has played so far. Crazycow is a solid 3rd option, who has scored 17 goals in only 10 games played. No matter who plays for the Rhinos, you are getting a great lineup that knows how to score and that’s what makes this team one of the best in the league.
Hive:
While the Hive got out to a fast start, two of their best players quickly ranked out. This hasn’t stopped the Hive from creating buzz around the league though, as their 13-2 record is good enough to have them alone in first place. SadBoi is their best player at the moment, posting a whopping 7.41 MVPR and 18 goals in the one series he played. This was complemented by Nanovoid having 12 goals of his own in a 5-0 win over the Aviators. While this team did play well together, a lot of their future success will come down to how well they can gel, as their three current starters have played two combined series. That being said, the future looks bright, and they have put themselves in a great position to make the playoffs after the first three weeks.
Academy league
by Terminiator
Outlaws:
The Outlaws sit in third in the power rankings, but are first in the standings with an impressive 17-3 record, with wins in all four series to date. They have an all-star number one player in Daywalker, who leads the league in goals with 40 so far. That being said, he isn’t the only player you need to worry about on this team, because their other great player, Quark, is scoring at a frantic pace as well, having 33 of his own, good enough to tie for 4th. While those two are the scorers, Flamez is the playmaker. With 21 assists to his name, they are now second in the league. Production is coming from everywhere, and nobody can seem to stop this team. The way the Otulaws are playing, it’s hard to think anyone will.
Puffins:
The Puffins may be a fan-favorite franchise, but they are also a great team on the field. They have a 14-6 record so far, and just like the Hawks, have shown production from all over their roster. All four players have a double-digit goal tally and an MVPR of over 4.70 so far this season. Their captain AubreyE has led the way with 25 goals and a league-leading 23 assists. MouseRat has also put up great numbers, with 18 saves, good enough for 2nd on the team, only behind AubreyE (29). While they have a 3-1 series record, wins in their last two series have the team trending the right direction, and makes this a roster nobody wants to face.
Hawks:
The Hawks are ranked number 1 on this list for a very good reason: no matter who they put in, you are going to face a dangerous lineup. Three players have scored over 18 goals so far this season. This team is led by ITSLAPPY, who has scored 25 goals and has 18 saves in only two series. Anarchy and Lawrence have solid numbers themselves, scoring 18 and 23 times respectively. While their final player Vecinzz hasn’t put up the most eye-popping numbers, his 3.14 OMVPR is good for 6th place in AL. Production from all over is making this team soar to start the season, and they have no plans to slow down anytime soon.
Champion League
by RoyalGrace
Bulls:
Rounding out the podium positions for CL will be the Bulls. The Bulls are led by playing-GM CHASER at a 14.5 salary, and surrounding CHASER are iAtomic at a 14.0, and two of the best performing 13.5s in the league in shefboyardee and Niccsicc. Shefboyardee is 6th in all of Champion League with a 5.81 MVPR, which is a staggering number for a 13.5 salary. The Bulls have been a team that has feasted against those below a .500 record (5-0) but has also performed quite well against those above .500 (10-5). The Bulls have also already beaten the Elite earlier this season, so they clearly don’t fear the other top teams.
Pirates:
Holding the number two spot this week, leapfrogging the number three team on the list, we have the Pirates. Led by CL mainstay Crey2k at a 14.5 salary, the Pirates are a strong team that undoubtedly thinks they can challenge the Elite for the top spot going forward. Outside of Crey2k, the Pirates have NoKompass and Smitty Cena at 14.0, and jansen24 at a 13.5. One thing that may be keeping the Pirates from taking that number one spot is the fact that Crey2k has already played in four of his maximum eight matches, and jansen24 has played in zero of his required six. The latter part of this Pirates season will require jansen24 to be a solid contributor week in and week out in order to stay at the top of the Power Rankings.
Elite:
Entering every week in CL Power Rankings, there is at least some debate about who should take the top spot. This week, that was not the case. After a dominant season thus far, the clear leaders have been the Elite, who jumped four spots after their 5-0 performance against the Spectre. Led by PANDAmazing at 14.5 salary, but by no means lacking are Grez and Rude at 14.0, and Moseidon at a 13.0. Grez is second in all of CL in MVPR (6.17), and first with at least 10 games played. The Elite are a staggering 15-0 against teams with a losing record, but just 2-3 against the one team they have played with a winning record (Bulls).
Master League
by RoyalGrace
Spectre
The Spectre is possibly the most interesting case of the top three teams in the Master League. Most other teams at the top have players who appear frequently in the individual statistic top 10 lists, but the Spectre really don’t. The squad led by Blackwatch (16.5) would appear to be very team-oriented, with Denshar (16.0), Light (16.0), and Snugglable (15.0). Light does appear on the Assists leaderboard in 5th, with 19 assists in his 15 total games. The Spectre seem like total opposites to the Hive and the Hawks, who have been dominating statistical players, but both types of teams are finding plenty of success.
Hawks
In the number two spot in ML, we have the sky division rival of the Hive, the Hawks. The Hawks are a solid team led by Pletheros at a 16.5 salary, with three 15.5s in Bandi, Gratz16, and MELT. Pletheros sits just behind Noah for the MVPR race, with a solid 7.11 to his name. Pletheros (39) and Bandi (31) both find themselves in the top 10 for ML total goals, at number 2 and 8, respectively. The battle for the sky division could get spicy this season with two of the top teams in the league battling it out.
Hive
In Master League, I don’t think anyone was surprised to see the Hive at the top of the Power Rankings. After a 10-0 week, the Hive showed that they are truly a force to be reckoned with in the weeks to come. It comes as no surprise that after two performances like that, the team jumped from 5th all the way to 1st. Uh steve takes the top spot on the Hive as far as salary goes, sitting at a 16.5, but Noah (16.0) and the rest of the team are no slouches. Noah leads ML in MVPR (7.36) for those who have at least 10 games played. Sully and real, coming in at 15.5 salary each, round out what seems to be the most lethal team in ML… for now.
Premier League
by Kickpuncher
Wolves:
Every season I try to keep my eye on who the most defensive team is. I try to figure out how these teams shut down opponents, how they manage to break offenses and keep the ball out of their half. This season’s Premiere league wolves seem to be the team to watch for a defensive masterclass. The secret to that defense may be chemistry as last season’s Premier League runners up MattRochie and LottyLettuce have joined forces once again albeit under a different franchise. The duo was part of an Outlaws roster that ranked 2nd in the league in goals-against last season. It’s no surprise then that these two appear to be in winning form for the Wolves this season. Rounding out the roster is Taki, a player who helped the Pirates to the playoffs in season 10. Look for this team to dominate on both sides of the pitch and shut down even the highest-scoring offenses this season.
Eclipse:
At 9-6 you wouldn’t think this Eclipse team would be rated 2nd in power rankings, but when your peers rate you above others with higher records it shows just how much respect is granted to this Eclipse roster. And when you see them play you discover that this team is worthy of that respect. Team Captain Vitali has helped shape this team into a defensive powerhouse that is lethal on the counter-attack. In an early match-up against none other than the top-ranked Hurricanes, the Eclipse found their footing against a high flying team and proved that they can close down any attack. Lazarus and Vitali showed off great passing and precision shooting in winning the series in a game 5 decider. Their team chemistry proved to be too much for a Hurricanes team that many predicted would not lose a series this season. If Atokad, their third starter, plays with the same mentality, this team will be an opponent that no one wants to see on their schedule.
Hurricanes:
After their finish from last season, where the Hurricanes took two championship titles with three teams in the finals, it seemed obvious that this franchise was going to be the most sought after team to be on. Maybe it’s a show of Hershey’s talent as a GM that the hottest franchise managed to draft one of the top players in the Premier League in TestGravity. With an average MVPR of 6.6 across three series, TestGravity is showing the league how to win. But it takes a full team to be this dominant early. The Captain, ChimpanJay is a deadly shooter with a 54.55 shooting percentage. Smrf rounds out a roster that looks to be a favorite for a late-season run. Their key in matchups seems to be the speed they’re capable of playing with. When you have players with this level of mechanical ability there is zero hesitation on the field no matter if it’s a passing play or a double tap, the Hurricanes can execute it fast and flawlessly.
