“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”
We are entering the 9th week of the season (Time Fliesssssss) and we thought it was the perfect moment to start sorting through the contenders for the various awards for 2018. This afternoon we will be focusing on the Rookie of the Year. The way we will look at it is we will look at the numbers along with what type of intangibles that player brings to their respective teams.
**NOTE**
We are only looking at those with a current minimum 6 games. There are still 2 games left so more candidates can pop up.
The candidates are our writers opinions there maybe more candidates.
Let’s take a look
Rookie of the Year:
Lutalo Boyce – Savages
Football IQ Level 93/100
25 Receptions, 3TDs, 0 Drops, 20 Tackles, 2 Interceptions, 2 Def TDs
To say that Lutalo was an immediate impact player is an understatement. The dude basically took the Savages to the next level (Championship Level) and its shown throughout the entire course of the season. Anwar can always count on Lutalo for those jump balls. Lutalo quite possibly has the best vertical out of any other player in the league. He is a gifted athlete and uses his athletic prowess to make unbelievable plays all over the field. He acts like a leader on and off the field and his numbers are healthy. He has the speed to basically outrun anyone in the league and that comes in handy whether he is taking one to the house on a pick or catching a pass down the field for a TD. Lutalo is one of the leading candidates for this years ROY.
Anthony DePalma – Cobra Kai
Football IQ Level 94/100
68 Receptions, 6 TDs, 2 Drops, 22 Tackles, 1 Interception
Here’s another rookie that was an immediate impact player for his team Cobra Kai. What we like about Anthony is that he is willing to play hard even when his team is down. The guy exudes confidence in his ability (evident by his comments in the message boards and on the field) and has a never quit attitude even though he’s been battling foot injuries all season. Fabio has really put his trust in Anthony to run offense through him and that is shown through the stat lines. He has the most receptions in the ENTIRE LEAGUE at 68, mostly because he understands how to get open in this league, with a healthy margin behind him so we expect him to hold onto that stat. He leads his team in caught TDs and what’s really amazing is that on those 68 catches he only has 2 drops (although he will swear that it’s only 1!) Anthony has been an impact player for Cobra Kai and when he’s missing it’s always a different ball game.
Aadil “The Squirrel” Lakhi – The Elites
Football IQ Level 90/100
40 Receptions, 6 TDs, 3 Drops, 2 Tackles
The Man, The Myth, The Squirrel? When the Elites told the league that they were bringing a 16 year old nicknamed Squirrel to the league we don’t think anyone even blinked. Most people thought that some random kid just wanted to learn the game and most likely wouldn’t get many reps throughout the season. Boy, were we wrong! Aadil has become an intricle part of the Elites offense. The offense runs through him which is seen through his team leading 40 receptions and team leading 6 TDs. Like a real life squirrel trying to hide their nuts, Aadil has the ability to know where those small holes and windows are in any defense and sits and fits there just waiting for his QB to hit him. Once he has the ball he’s out. Lesson learned never judge a book by it’s cover and in this case don’t judge a Squirrel by it’s age. Keep in eye out on him for the next 2 weeks….
William Cuellar – Gators
Football IQ Level 93/100
31 Receptions, 4 TDs, 1 Drop, 13 Tackles, 5 Interceptions, 1 Def 2 Pt, 2 Def TDs
Will has been an outstanding addition to the Gators. He is one of those guys starting from game 1 had an immediate impact especially on the defensive side of the ball. He has received numerous Player of the Week awards for his continued ball hawking abilities. Right now he is 2nd on his team in receptions by only 1 catch but the number we love is only 1 drop for the season. Will has sure hands and we’ve seen him make some really tough catches throughout the year. But what we realllllly love is his defensive stats. He is tied for 2nd in the league for interceptions at 5 and tied for the league leading defensive TDs at 2. He is a player that the Gators really count on every week and the next 2 weeks he will have the opportunity to really solidify his numbers and his place as a ROY candidate.
Jesse Johnson – Thunder
Football IQ Level 92/100
25 Receptions, 8 TDs, 1 Drop, 11 Tackles, 1 Interception, 1 Def TD
All the candidates are impact players but Jesse is one of those players that when he’s not there the Thunder really, really struggle. He is the centerpiece of the offense. He’s big, athletic, will fight for jump balls, has great hands and the Thunder’s offense usually runs right through him. He’s in the Top 3 for receptions on his team at 25 and leading his team in TDs scored at 8. He doesn’t drop the ball only having 1 in the season and there have been some TOUGH balls thrown his way. He is an annoyance for QBs when he plays defense because of the amount of ground he can cover and his wingspan is one of the widest in the league. We would like to see Jesse really break out these next 2 games and the only way that can happen is if he shows up to the field because when he’s there he def SHOWS UP. He is the guy that can help his team get some victories going into the playoffs.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Yusuf Kolia – The Elites
Fabio Perez – Cobra Kai
Frankie Guy – Bandits
Zobi Hussaini – Bandits
Justin Aufiero – Thunder
Dexton Ellis – Underdogs
Emanuel Sconiers – Underdogs
