It takes more than luck to make the USAFL Sportsball Bowl. The roster management of the Vinegar Strokes and Sanctus Koala has been outstanding this season. These two teams outshined their competition from the draft to waiver wire pickups to navigating the bye-apocalypse. Emily and Craig’s management of the Koalas even garnered them the GM/Coach of the Year award for 2022.
Vinegar Strokes
The first 11 weeks for the Strokes were effective but less than picture-perfect. The Strokes were a middle-of-the-road team at 6-5 and averaging 100 points per game. No noticeable booms or busts from week to week, just consistent play from the players. That consistency allowed the Strokes to keep their head above water all season long and with only nine free-agent pickups all season, the Strokes maintained one of the most consistent starting rosters in the league. With a good bench, Stephen relied only minimally on his roster carousel and it paid off with a 92% start/sit accuracy for decision-making.
A comparison of the Strokes in Week 1 (right) versus their current roster going into the Bowl game, sees very little change in the overall starting lineup. The team's heart and soul run on Christian McCaffery who didn't get hurt this season and ended up one of the best backs in the league. McCaffrey remains a top-five running back going into the Championship game.
Jalen Hurts was the other top 5 position player carrying the Strokes, but a shoulder injury has made the play in the USAFL Bowl questionable. Hurts took part in warmups ahead of Thursday's practice, Josh Tolentino of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Even if Hurts can't play, the Strokes picked up Gardner Minshew who ranked 5th overall last week tossing for 355 yards with 8.9 yards per attempt (two passing touchdowns) and a rushing score.
The third most important player in the Strokes lineup is wideout Kennan Allen. Since Week 13, Allen has had a 31.9% target share while averaging 96 receiving yards per game. He's seen a 37.3% air-yard share with 2.23 yards per route run. Allen has finished as the WR12, WR10, WR19, and WR9 over this span, with eight red zone targets. Allen is a WR1 going into the USAFL Bowl.
Sanctus Koala
After the draft, the Koalas ranked 11th in the projected finish, yet with changes only to a kicker and a defense, this drafted lineup became one of the best in the league. By Week 10, this team looked dead in the water. At 4-5, it looked unlikely for a playoff run, but without any major free agent pickups, the team woke up to go on a 6-game winning streak and averaging a league-best 132 points per game.
Just like the Strokes, the Koalas drafted well and stuck with their key players throughout the minor dips and dives during the season. At no point did they panic and go after the waiver wire or trade market to restructure their teams. They drafted well, had a plan, and stuck with it despite mid-season uncertainty. That foresight or stubbornness paid off as both teams exploded late into the season to make the playoff push into the Championship.
The Koalas walk into the USAFL Bowl with a starting roster of top-20 players led by QB3 Joe Burrow, RB4 Josh Jacobs, WR4 Devante Adams, and TE4 George Kittle. The 4 Koalas of the Apocalypse have outscored entire teams during some weeks this season. Burrow's 26.7 points per game are only 3 points shy of league leader Patrick Mahomes. Since Week 9, he's first in passing grade, third in big-time throws, and tenth in adjusted completion rate, according to FantasyPros.com.
Jacobs and Adams remain the biggest question marks in this game. The entire Raiders' offense gets a major downgrade with news that David Carr is no longer the QB on the team. In the run game, Jacobs has been an efficient rusher this season, ranking second in evaded tackles, tenth in juke rate, and fourth in breakaway runs, but can the offensive line hold up with an untested QB taking the snaps? The same goes for Adams. Adams is the WR4 in fantasy with a 32.9% target share (second-best), a 39.4% air-yard share (sixth-best), and the seventh-best open rate. He is second in deep targets and sixth in red zone targets. But can he get the ball to make plays this weekend?
Perhaps the surest bet this week is TE George Kittle. Kittle has come roaring back as the TE4 in fantasy with an 18.9% target share (ninth), nine red zone targets (13th), and top-three tight ends weeks (TE3, TE1) since Week 15.
We'll be back with more statistical breakdowns and team comparisons going into this weekend's matchup.
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