The Coventry Eagles walked to their second straight 30+ point victory with a 134.5-91.8 win over the Andover Sandslashers, with big scores from RBs CJ Anderson and Devonta Freeman. Two early-season points records were broken in this matchup: Tom Brady’s first-quarter 3TD performance garnered 30.8 points and is now the highest total by a single player so far this season, and the Eagles’ 134.5 sets the early-season weekly points record. The Eagles sit atop the South division as the only Southerners to go unbeaten so far.
In the North, the Irish Flyers continued their strong start with a 124.9-98.3 win over the 0-2 Bradford Championz. The Flyers picked up Chicago QB Mike Glennon on Saturday, with rumours of Sam Bradford pulling a Sam Bradford and missing the follow-up to the only fantasy-relevant game he’s ever had. Although Glennon limped to 10 points, a 3-touchdown explosion from Michael Crabtree on Sunday evening sealed the win and derailed the Championz’ grand plan for the second week running.
The Championz’ week 1 nemesis, the Derby Otters, also took their record to 2-0 by beating 2016 champs the Gateshead Spartans, 104.8-59. The Spartans had a torrid weekend, with only QB Ben Roethlisberger and Pats RB James White bringing in anything more than single figure points. When Zeke Elliott gets handed the ball 9 times and rushes for an almighty 8 yards (just under 1 yard per carry, math fans), you know it’s not your day. The Otters were helped by a top-12 RB performance from last season’s fantasy PITA Todd Gurley, who went for 88 yards and a TD in the Rams’ loss to the Redskins.
Rounding out the North, the Wigan Wombats almost outscored Coventry, beating the Nottingham Bandits 133.1-92.1. Kareem Hunt continued his hit-the-ground-sprinting-like-fuck start to his NFL career with nigh-on 25 point game, paying early dividends for the 10th overall pick that the Wombats invested in him. The Bandits struggled with underperforming stars. Banged-up Odell Beckham came out of Monday Night Football with 5.6 points, and Larry Fitzgerald somehow only brought 21 yards from 3 catches out of what looked like a golden matchup facing the Colts.
The Oxford Pythons remain unbeaten in Oxford derby history, dispatching the Oxford Seahawks 101-69.2, after wins in weeks 2 and 8 of 2016 - the first time the Pythons topped 100 points since week 6 of last season. J. Nelson was the Pythons’ highest scorer (not Jordy, but JJ), and the Seahawks’ WRs contributed a miserable 11.1 points altogether. Both are now 1-1.
The remaining battle in the South saw the 0-1 Chippenham Packers face off against the 0-1 Hereford Chargers, and it was the latter who came out victorious, 76.3-73.2. Underwhelming Sundays from both lineups - the Chargers not helped by a big fat zero from Jordy Nelson and his questionable quads - left the Packers needing just shy of 18 points from Matthew Stafford and Kenny Golladay on MNF against the New York Football Giants. Stafford’s 13.2 and Kenny G’s 1.3 wasn’t enough.