In the beginning...

The league was founded in August of 2011 by commissioner Cody. By his guidance, he pulled 12 founding managers together to form an ESPN Fantasy Football league. Of the original 12, 8 teams are still active to this day. The start of the league was a rocky one. With a general mistrust in the ESPN draft app, we all took to a prehistoric method of using Facebook comments. And over a weeks’ time, we had all manually drafted our first fantasy squads. 

The league at this point had mixed experience. With multiple managers having competed in fantasy for years while the rest took on the challenge for the very first time. But just like battle, the green GMs quickly learned and adapted to a fiercely competitive environment. And by the midway point of the 2011 season, the learning curve was gone, and battle for league supremacy began.

2011 - Eugene, OR
The league remained competitive throughout the season. But by the time the playoffs hit, it was clear what the cream of the crop looked like. Garrett and Cody had guided their teams to electrifying seasons. Using the lack of group experience to their advantage they cruised into the playoffs with only a handful of losses under their belts. However, in the first round for Cody – disaster struck. Knocked out by eventual finalist Zach, Cody's 10-4 season was over. Garrett handed out lopsided victories against 8th seeded Brian and a death blow to Cal’s 5th seeded team. The stage was set in Week 17: an expected finalist and an unexpected challenger. Garrett and Zach squared off in a high scoring final featuring NFL superstars like: John Kasey, Toby Gerhart, Kendall Hunter and Brandon Lloyd (/s). Garrett's squad emerged victorious. A championship he savored. But by next season, a beast would invited into the King’s castle - a beast of sarcastic proportions. 

2012 - Eugene, OR
The dawn of the new season saw big changes within the league. Cody and crew had gained trust within ESPN's draft manager. The league had ditched a 17 week season in favor for the more common 16 week format. And lastly, the league grew to 14 teams. But with expansion comes growing pains. The well of known players dried up quickly and the league quickly had to adapt to a landscape fraught with 3rd string RB's and deep ball WRs. Alas, some teams took to this change-in-landscape well. Brian returned again to the playoffs with a team that rolled the regular season on the back of standout rookie: Robert Griffin III. Other familiar faces also returned – Garrett’s 7-6 squad, Dylan’s third seeded team and Zach with another low seeded team. The first round opened up into what would be known as the highest scoring game in DVFFL playoff history. The beast that Garrett had feared was in the castle. Jacob Swinn. A swim teacher to all, entered the playoffs with a under-the-radar team. But once the dust had settled, he had vanquished the previous league champ with a score of 152-140. His run to the finals was paved. His finals counterpart, however was not. Zach started his redemption run by knocking off Dylan’s squad. Then took on the remaining challenger in the playoffs and ended Brian's dream run. The stage was set: for the first time the league had a repeat finalist. But much like the year before, his run ended in a close defeat. Swinn took the league by storm and stood as it's new league champion (and swim teacher). But as it has done in the past, the league grew stronger in knowledge. And by the turn of 2013, the seeds of the modern league that we know today had been planted. 

2013 - Eugene, OR
2013 began as few rule changes affected the league. New members arrived but power dynamics remained the same. There stood four prevailing story-lines by the time the playoffs rolled around. Swinn was positioned to defend his crown with another strong season. Garrett had taken his lesson from last year, did his homework, and had returned to ace the league. Zach as an unlikely finalist from the previous two seasons had again entered the playoffs at a lower seed. And Cody, an experienced GM, had a window of opportunity open for him just in time for the playoffs (thanks to one of the most lopsided trades in league history). Once Round 1 began, it was evident the league champ would be one of those four teams. Zach and Swinn matched up with each other in Round 1, with Swinn showing his dominance (and back stroke) as he dismantled the two-time finalist with a score of 164-89. Cody and Garrett followed up with big wins over their first round opponents. Round 2 saw Cody vanquish the Swinn beast and rightfully sent Cody to the finals, while Garrett handily defeated Brandon to take his second trip to the finals in three years. Cody knew his window was now, but he had to prove it to Garrett who was attempting to take back what he always viewed was his. The final was close, however Matthew Stafford, who had successfully led Garrett to his first championship, cost Garrett his second. Stafford put up a 6 point dud that cost Garrett a win in what was a very close final. Alas, Cody had taken the chip. And the league braced itself for what looked like years of battles between the top two teams. But once 2014 had begun, a new champion was emerging.

2014 - Eugene, OR
The elite of the league, at this point, saw no end to the playoff jockeying that they were sure was going to happen for years to come. Swinn had left the league and with him came a power suck at the top. Garrett, Zach and Cody stood to solidify their place within the Tier 1 teams of the league. But by the time the playoffs had begun in 2014, the league had been militarized and the fight for the top was going to see new faces. In what was a sign of things to come, Cody had failed to make the playoffs. His window as a Tier 1 team had closed. Leaving Garrett and Zach as the teams entering the playoffs with the most experience. Zach seized the number 1 seed, putting on a dominate performance throughout the season. Garrett had quietly done the same and both teams entered the playoffs as two of the top 4 seeds. But disaster struck Zach's team early. In a huge upset, Kory’s 8th seeded team knocked out the number 1 seed. Blanketing the fact that on the same week, Garrett had been knocked out by Jacob. Quietly joining the league in 2013, Christian didn't have a standout rookie season. However, by 2014, it was clear that he had a team to be afraid of. Sweeping up Jadon in the first round and Cal in the second. Christian met an unlikely challenger in Kory’s 8th seeded team, who had scratched and clawed his way to the top. The league stood on unknown ground: for the first time in league history, the finals did not feature either Zach or Garrett. Once in the finals, the juice had run out for Kory and Christian brought down an 18 point victory to capture his first league championship. 2015 came quickly as both former finalists retooled for another deep run.

2015 - Eugene, OR
2015 was a year of firsts. For the first time the DVFFL had its first repeat scoring champion and number 1 seed in Zach. He had guided another dominate season tallying 10 wins along the way. Garrett had a harder path in, but found his way back into playoff contention as a 5 seed. Even Cody had risen from the depths of the consolation bracket to make a run in these playoffs. In a way, the unsettling nature of the 2014 season served as a reset to a more familiar scene of teams in 2015. With Cal, Kory, Garrett, Cody and Zach returning. In what would be another set of firsts for the league, was Kory's shocking defeat of Zach's squad. Becoming the first 8th seed to win back-to-back match-ups and Zach becoming the first #1 seed to be knocked out in the first round in back-to-back years. Kory's run, however, was short lived. As Garrett had propelled himself through the first and second round and back into the Finals for the third time. Cody, looking for a 2013 rematch, made it to the second round – only to be knocked out by Cal. Cal had long been in the playoffs, but often times was never successful in advancing beyond the first round. His consistency was about to be put to the test as Garrett's battle tested team met him in the Finals. The experience of Garrett's team proved to be too much. And in another first, the league saw its first two-time champion. Garrett had done the unthinkable during the season and had returned to championship form. But like Cody before him, the road after a championship is often paved in losing.

2016 - Eugene, OR
Dylan, much like Cal, had been a consistent face within the playoff circles. He hadn't yet found success like other the perennial teams, but he always proved to be formidable each time he made it to the playoffs. 2016 ushered in new faces due to the rise in competition level. The playing field in the league was riddled with craters. The elite teams had proven time-and-time again that no change in the calendar could stop their runs. While the bottom of the league also saw consistency as the butt end of jokes and the groundskeepers of Sacko's. A former league champion would join these ranks as the year ended with Cody taking home not just the Sacko, but the worst record in league history. A stain on what was a polished resume. Garrett also felt the effects of battle, as his team for the first time failed to have a winning record and make the playoffs. Zach and his consistent squad had been belittled due to his embarrassments over the past two years. But alas, Zach made the playoffs and remained as the only team to make the playoffs every single year of the league. Kory took his past year’s success and transformed it into a #1 seed. Dylan, tied for the same record nipped at his heals all season. And Zach kept the pace as the third team in a three-way tie. Kory worked the league and showed off what a dominate #1 seed can look like. Achieving his second finals birth with the the defeat of the new comer, Mitch, in the second round. Dylan met Zach in the second round. And through a hard fought battle, the league saw Dylan squeeze past with an 86-81 victory over the consistency champ. Once in the finals, Dylan spiked Kory with a resounding 128-100 victory. Little did Dylan know, he was about to begin a run that would change the DVFFL record books.

2017 - Eugene, OR
Dylan followed up his championship run by dominating the regular season and taking the #1 seed. The league itself continued to see new teams rise to the challenge and seize hold of their window of opportunity. Long gone was the old way of a handful of the same names taking the top spots. 2017 was a special year, as all active owners with championships made it into the playoffs: Cody, Christian, Dylan and Garrett. Garrett's one year hiatus from the playoffs was met with a quick defeat from Christian. Cody also saw himself knocked out handily by Zach in the first round. Silently, Jadon had put together solid season after season. Becoming a familiar face within the playoff rankings, Jadon took hold of the 2nd seed and quickly used that to rise all the way to the finals. Defeating a high scoring Mike squad and Zach along the way. Dylan took to defeating Cal and his brother, Christian, to return to the finals in back-to-back years. Once in the finals, Dylan's team used his experience to squeeze by Jadon. Winning by only 5 points. Dylan now stood as the league’s 2nd two-time champion and it's first back-to-back champion. Solidifying his legacy as one of DVFFL’s best.

2018 - Las Vegas, NV
History often repeats itself, and in 2018, that bared true. Dylan set out to defend his back-to-back championships and create a dynasty. But 2018 proved tougher than the champ anticipated. Starting the year off with 5 straight losses, Dylan’s reign ended sooner than even he expected. The season itself was earmarked by being one of the most top-heavy and competitive yet. Blockbuster trades from the top teams left fringe playoff teams thrown by the wayside and left for scraps. Brian, Garrett, Christian and Zach all took what they could and began the arms race that would set the stage for a playoff slug-fest. The four contenders had the stage set for their playoff runs: Brian, Garrett and Christian easily outmatched their first round opponents. While Zach, having slogged through the hardest schedule in the league, knocked out Peyton in an injury riddled first round match. The second round saw the clash that the whole season built to. Christian fell to the high-scoring offense of Garrett while Brian, with one of the deepest teams the league has ever seen, got it’s own injury bug and got KO’d by Zach. It had been 8 seasons since these two towers of the league had met: Zach and Garrett. Zach’s defeat however was determined weeks before Week 16. With timely pickups and hindsight trades missed, Garrett took down his closest rival and took home his third title in 8 years. Leaving Zach to sweep up records while he swept up championships.

2019 - Mt. Hood, OR
The modern era of the DVFFL is becoming more and more competitive. Often leaving a large portion of the league behind as 3-4 teams claw up to the top only to duke it out in the playoffs. 2019 was no exception. This season saw Brandon take a commanding grip over the league (seriously, Brandon). Leading to the best record ever recorded (wtf). Flex seeding turned the late season push into a sweepstakes to play Mitch, who miraculously made it to the playoffs without scoring over 100 points. However, once the first round was set, upsets began. With the second pick, Cal selected Dylan who booted one of Cal’s best squads ever in a 19 point smashing. Peyton was able to defeat Garrett with ease, then fell prey to Brandon as he made his first ever march to the Finals. Zach’s team started to take on water but was able to limp past Christian and Dylan to get to his fourth Finals appearance. Marking the first time a team had gone to back-to-back finals two separate times. Once in the Finals, Zach was able to exercise his demons as an underdog and defeat Brandon off of one field goal by Dan Bailey and a boner performance from Mike Boone. Finally, Zach got the championship he’d been missing.

2020 - Palm Springs, CA
With the crowning of one long overdue champ, came the attention. It was a new pressure. It was a new year. A new platform. New rules. And by the end of it, a new champion. 2020 needs no introduction for the type of year it was. It’s chaos swept through the DVFFL. Teams were navigating new problems. Causing teams to tip the balance of patience and aggression. Brian, Jadon and Cal jumped out early as favorites. But by season’s end, two new challengers jetted into view. Kory and Jesse. Jesse, led by alien Derrick Henry, was slowly gaining steam. Kory had kept pace as the top scoring team in the league behind an effective stable of running backs and rookie sensation Justin Herbert. By playoff time, both Jesse and Kory had to face fierce challengers. With Kory ending Brian’s dominance and Jesse knocking off Peyton who had risen as one of the league favorites to win. For the second year in a row, the DVFFL was going to have a first time champion. With the stage set, Kory was able to navigate the Josh Allen, Henry attack and seize his first championship in three tries. But this wouldn’t be the last time we see the QB/RB duo dominate the playoffs.

2021 - Austin, TX
Entering it’s 11th year, and 2nd year of the new Keeper rules, the league was electric with excitement. For the first time, managers were seeing their year-long strategies come to life. With returning stars appearing on teams – the league had never seen such a competitive season. It saw relative newcomer (pun intended), Kaden, break a ten year record by scoring the most points in a game ever, with 171 points. It saw the 2nd most 100+ games in a season, the longest winning streak since 2013, game called by a stat correction and three games decided by less than a point. But more on that last point later. By week 14, the number 2 seed, Jesse, and the number 10 seed, Brandon, were separated by one game only. By Week 15’s flex seeding ceremony, it became clear who the league’s best were. Jesse, Mitch and Kaden had long been jockeying for top 3 seeds since mid-season. By the time Round 1 was over, those three teams remained along with consistency king, Zach. After a surprise COVID scratch from Dalvin Cook, Mitch’s dream run looked to be over. However, Damien Harris’ three touchdown performance against Zach punched Mitch’s ticket to his first ever Finals. Leaving Jesse, who was without his long-term star alien, Derrick Henry, to fight it out against Kaden’s point factory squad. It’s at this point, that Jesse’s decision to keep Josh Allen, the Winter Solider, for the price of an overpriced kicker in 2019 a championship winning move. From that moment, Jesse had seen his sacko-riddled record transform into a perennial championship contender. And on that Week 16 matchup against Kaden, Josh Allen’s powers never looked stronger, dragging a team with a headlining RB corps of Jeremy McNichols and Nyheim Hines to the Finals. This became Jesse’s 2nd finals appearance, and the fourth team to go back-to-back finals. Once the Finals began, Jesse’s squad at the chance to set the bar. Landing Jesse with a final score of 89.1. Mitch had multiple players to play, he had a 20+ deficit to recover from, but it was well within his projection. In the most dramatic Finals in DVFFL history, Mitch failed to surpass Jesse’s 89.1 points. Falling short by 1 whole point. Netting Jesse his first Championship.

2022 - Prineville, OR
The 12th season of the DVFFL started with the departure of Kory and Kaden. Kory, a founding member and coming off a stretch run, capped off by his 2020 Championship, narrowed the original list of founding members to only 6. Tanner and Alec, long time auctioneer of the league, took the place of the former members. With newcomers now in the fray, the league started the season with some further adjustments. Within the first few weeks of the new season, it became apparent that the status-quo was slated to be upset with both Cal, Zach and Gare starting the first 6 weeks with only 3 wins total between the 3 teams. The rookies immediately found success, with Alec ending the season with the best record a rookie has ever had in the DVFFL: 10-4. By seasons end, as is tradition, Cal bought his team and nabbed a competitive playoff spot. Flex seeding once again played a dramatic role in how the playoffs netted out. Jadon, the number 1 seed, nearly lost to his first round choice, Peyton. Mitch on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky. His choice of Dylan, who ended the year making the playoffs barely after starting 1-4, ended Mitch’s season. And in two weeks time, Dylan was facing down the number 1 seed, Jadon in the finals for the 2nd time since 2017. And like five years prior, Dylan vanquished the league’s top squad to bring home is 3rd DVFFL Championship.

2023 - Los Angeles, CA
After two stellar rookie season, Alec and Tanner entered their second season with new found expectations. However, with the departure of ultra-competitor, Garrett, Mike re-entered the league after 4 years away. And similar to Alec and Tanner, expectations were placed on the Trike to catch-up with the league that, since his departure, had become even more competitive. By the end of the season, all three “newcomers” proved they’d be up to the task by making the playoffs. A subplot that had come into the view was Zach and Brian and their max budgets both making the playoffs. For Brian, it was a familiar pattern, pacing the league with the best record. For Zach, it was a return to the playoffs after an abysmal 2022 season and a Sacko appearance. The two forces met in Round 2 of the Playoffs, with Zach advancing to his his 5th Finals appearance. On the other side of the bracket, 8th seeded Alec had started to catch fire, bludgeoning Peyton in Round 1, and escaping a CMC win by two whole yards (!!!), putting Alec in the Finals in his 2nd year, and dashing Jadon’s dream run with CMC and Jefferson. In a rare twist, the 8th seeded team quickly became of the favorite, with Zach losing Hockenson to injury, and at the time of the finals, didn’t have a healthy QB on the team. Call it experience, call it skill, but don’t call it luck, Zach upset the league and won his 2nd championship with Stidham outscoring Mahomes in the final game of the matchup – solidifying Zach’s resume deeper within the DVFFL.