League News Archives: Summer 2015 to Summer 2016
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SUMMER 2016

Recapping the 2016 UFFL Draft
Article Posted Monday, Sept. 5, 2016 at 1:00 a.m. Eastern; Updated Friday, Sept. 30, 2016 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern
The 15th annual Ultimate Fantasy Football League draft was held Wednesday, Aug. 31. Here are the notable facts and highlights from this year's event:

- For the second consecutive year, 13 out of 14 owners participated in the live draft on the Fleaflicker website, with Shelburn OrangeHats owner Mark Bender being the only person unable to attend. At 105 minutes, it was by far the longest draft in the Fleaflicker era, thanks to three extra rounds which were tacked on to accommodate the addition of individual defensive players to fantasy lineups. By comparison, the 2015 draft was just 75 minutes long. On a positive note, the 2016 draft appeared to be plagued by far fewer glitches and errors than other recent drafts.

- Deltaman selected Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott with the first overall pick. The final pick ("Mr. Irrelevant") was New York Giants placekicker Josh Brown for N2deep, with the fourth pick of the 17th round and the 224th overall selection.

- Of the first 21 selections in the draft, 10 were running backs and 11 were wide receivers. The first player taken who was neither a running back nor a wide receiver was New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, with the Sisyphean Endeavors' second-round pick.

- Speaking of the Sisyphean Endeavors, owner Grace Cloud announced that she had a "co-owner this year (sort of)" helping her out with the club, referring to them as an "owner-in-training."

- Football Gal owner (and noted Washington Redskins fan) Mozelle Meyers drafted no Dallas Cowboys players for the 15th consecutive year.

- Although this was Fight'n Nut-Tooths owner Joseph Randall's third draft, it marked the first time he did not draft soundalike running back Joseph Randle, who is not currently on an NFL roster. "I will appreciate it if I do not get everyone's best game again this year," he joked.

- Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall was selected with the eighth pick in the 15th round (204th overall selection). New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall had already been protected by bbashers owner Calvin Brown as one of his three franchise players.

- New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was selected with the ninth pick of the fourth round (51st overall selection), although he will miss the first four games of the regular season because of his role in Deflategate. In 2015, he wasn't chosen until the first pick of the fifth round, when a similar suspension threat loomed.

- Morristown Maulers Dallas Honeycutt was among one of several owners who noticed that the draft chat seemed quieter than in years past, perhaps due to the fact that owners were placing a greater focus on drafting than socializing. "A tad long here, but not so much that I didn't enjoy it," he said. However, when asked if he would like to see the maximum amount of time allowed for each pick reduced, he responded, "I doubt that is needed."

- bbashers owner Calvin Brown vowed to resurrect the UFFL's glory days of trash talk during the draft and throughout the season on the message board. "I'm bringing smack talk back to the league," he said. "We've become way too docile!" He added that he is considering creating a banner to be posted each year for the champion on the UFFL website. "It's the closest we can come to a trophy for a league that goes so far back," he added.

- Brown also suggested holding the 2017 draft on a face-to-face platform (such as Skype) to allow for greater interaction between owners, including the ability to perform trades and other moves during the middle of the drafting process. However, older computers could make this idea problematic. "The facial expressions would be priceless on some people once their pick was taken by the owner before them," commissioner Jared Byrd said. " ... Then again, that would increase the odds of people booing me every time I announced a pick."


Steph Infections trade for Latavius Murray
Article Posted Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern
With fewer than 25 hours remaining before the start of the 2016 UFFL draft, the Steph Infections pulled off a last-minute deal where they acquired Oakland Raiders running back Latavius Murray from the bbashers, in exchange for a second-round draft pick.

The move was necessitated after Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (one of owner Stephanie George's three franchise players) sustained a dislocated knee and torn anterior cruciate ligament during practice as a result of a non-contact injury Tuesday, Aug. 30. He is expected to miss the entire 2016 season but is likely to make a full recovery.

With few, if any, appealing options as a replacement for Bridgewater on her 2015 final roster, George sent the 27th overall pick in this year's draft to the bbashers for the 26-year-old Murray, who was not going to be protected by owner Calvin Brown anyway. Murray rushed for 1,066 yards in 2015 and reached the end zone six times, averaging 4.0 yards per carry. He also added 41 receptions for 232 receiving yards.


DeAndre Hopkins acquired by bbashers
Article Posted Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern; Updated Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016 at 11:00 p.m. Eastern
The bbashers pulled off a blockbuster deal to bolster their keeper list Sunday, Aug. 21, when they acquired Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins from CheeseWhiz, along with a third-round selection in the 2016 UFFL draft, in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2016 draft.

While the deal may appear lopsided on the surface in favor of the bbashers, CheeseWhiz owner Jim Douglas deemed Hopkins expendable after deciding upon Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford as his franchise's three keeper players. The 24-year-old is considered one of the NFL's top receivers and had a career-high 111 catches for 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.

In addition, the bbashers received the 34th overall pick in the 2016 draft, in exchange for the 25th overall selection, which had been obtained from the Pulverizers in a deal last month involving Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry.

In a corresponding move, the bbashers waived Denver Broncos placekicker Brandon McManus.

UFFL News Ticker: The Westerville Fight'n Nut-Tooths have officially dropped the Westerville from their team nickname for the 2016 season ... In other franchise news, Nut-Tooths owner Joseph Randall said that he's willing to listen to trade offers for all of his players, including his keepers. Among his unprotected players are Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer and Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham.


Preparing for the UFFL draft
Article Posted Monday, Aug. 22, 2016 at 11:00 p.m. Eastern

For the fourth consecutive year, a list of the top 10 choices available at each position has been compiled prior to the UFFL Draft as a service to league owners. The average Fleaflicker draft position is listed in parentheses. This list is subject to change as the rankings fluctuate and may also need to be updated if UFFL owners make adjustments to their franchise player lists.

QUARTERBACKS
Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints, 55); Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers, 64); Blake Bortles (Jacksonville Jaguars, 67); Carson Palmer (Arizona Cardinals, 70); Marcus Mariota (Tennessee Titans, 73); Andy Dalton (Cincinnati Bengals, 79); Eli Manning (New York Giants, 82); Tyrod Taylor (Buffalo Bills, 84); Philip Rivers (San Diego Chargers, 86); Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons, 89).

RUNNING BACKS
Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas Cowboys, 7); C.J. Anderson (Denver Broncos, 19); Doug Martin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 22); Mark Ingram (New Orleans Saints, 25); Thomas Rawls (Seattle Seahawks, 34); Latavius Murray (Oakland Raiders, 40); DeMarco Murray (Tennessee Titans, 44); Ryan Mathews (Philadelphia Eagles, 50); Jeremy Langford (Chicago Bears, 51); Jeremy Hill (Cincinnati Bengals, 54).

WIDE RECEIVERS
Mike Evans (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 17); T.Y. Hilton (Indianapolis Colts, 23); Alshon Jeffery (Chicago Bears, 26); Brandon Marshall (New York Jets, 28); Amari Cooper (Oakland Raiders, 30); Jordy Nelson (Green Bay Packers, 32); Demaryius Thomas (Denver Broncos, 33); Randall Cobb (Green Bay Packers, 41); Julian Edelman (New England Patriots, 42); Eric Decker (New York Jets, 43).

TIGHT ENDS
Delanie Walker (Tennessee Titans, 62); Travis Kelce (Kansas City Chiefs, 66); Zach Ertz (Philadelphia Eagles, 77); Coby Fleener (New Orleans Saints, 85); Dwayne Allen (Indianapolis Colts, 93); Gary Barnidge (Cleveland Browns, 94); Tyler Eifert (Cincinnati Bengals, 101); Austin Seferian-Jenkins (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 103); Eric Ebron (Detroit Lions, 111); Zach Miller (Chicago Bears, 113).

PLACEKICKERS
Stephen Gostkowski (New England Patriots, 691); Justin Tucker (Baltimore Ravens, 692); Steven Hauschka (Seattle Seahawks, 693); Chandler Catanzaro (Arizona Cardinals, 694); Adam Vinatieri (Indianapolis Colts, 695); Cairo Santos (Kansas City Royals, 696); Graham Gano (Carolina Panthers, 697); Roberto Aguayo (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 698); Dan Bailey (Dallas Cowboys, 699); Mason Crosby (Green Bay Packers, 700).

DEFENSIVE TEAMS
Denver Broncos (734); Seattle Seahawks (735); New England Patriots (736); Arizona Cardinals (737); Carolina Panthers (738); Minnesota Vikings (739); Cincinnati Bengals (740); New York Giants (741); Houston Texans (742); New York Jets (743).

INDIVIDUAL DEFENSIVE PLAYERS
Luke Kuechly (Carolina Panthers, 766); Navorro Bowman (San Francisco 49ers, 767); Lavonte David (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 768); Telvin Smith (Jacksonville Jaguars, 769); D'Qwell Jackson (Indianapolis Colts, 770); Bobby Wagner (Seattle Seahawks, 771); Lawrence Timmons (Pittsburgh Steelers, 772); Ryan Shazier (Pittsburgh Steelers, 773); Denzel Perryman (San Diego Chargers, 774); Deone Bucannon (Arizona Cardinals, 775).


2016 UFFL questionnaire results revealed
Article Posted Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016 at 11:00 p.m. Eastern; Updated Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern
Featured below are the results of the 2016 Ultimate Fantasy Football League questionnaire, which was distributed to owners via e-mail last month. All but two of the 14 owners who competed last season responded, with commissioner Jared Byrd opting not to answer any questions in order to avoid influencing anyone's vote (although he would have participated in case of a tiebreaker secenario). Here were the subjects that were discussed on the 2016 survey:

1. Individual defensive players
UFFL owners were asked if the individual defensive players concept should be brought back, to go along with team defenses. (This idea was in place from 2004 to 2007, during the league's latter years on Yahoo! Sports, but was dropped when the UFFL moved to Fleaflicker in 2008 because customizable features available to fantasy football commissioners at the time made this type of setup impossible.)

Ruling: Seven owners said yes, while five owners said no, so this idea was approved. Starting lineups will now include two individual defensive players (IDPs), along with one quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, one tight end, one flex player (RB-WR-TE), one placekicker and one team defense. Benches will now have seven roster slots instead of six and franchises will be allowed to carry up to four defensive players at any position (DL-LB-DB) on their active roster. In addition, three rounds have been added to the UFFL draft to give clubs the opportunity to fill out their rosters in the wake of this format change.

2. Targets
Owners were asked if receivers, running backs and tight ends should receive credit for targets (having the ball thrown in their direction by the quarterback, regardless of whether or not the ball is caught).

Ruling: Two owners said yes, while 10 owners said no, so this idea was rejected.

3. Three-and-outs
Owners were asked if team defenses should get credit every time they force their opponent to punt on fourth down after stopping them on three consecutive downs without allowing a first down.

Ruling: Four owners said yes, while eight owners said no, so this idea was rejected.

4. Fourth-down conversions
Owners were asked if team defenses should receive credit for shutting down opposing offenses on fourth-down attempts.

Ruling: Two owners said yes, while eight owners said no, so this idea was rejected.

5. Fumble and interception return yardage
Owners were asked if team defenses and individual defensive players should receive fantasy points for yardage accumulated on fumble and interception returns.

Ruling: Five owners said yes, while seven owners said no, so this idea was rejected.

UFFL News Ticker: Everyone who competed in the league last year has agreed to return, including Sisyphean Endeavors owner Grace Cloud and The Catch owner Andrew So. This will mark the third consecutive season where there have been no changes in franchise ownership ... All clubs have submitted preliminary franchise player lists but have the right to make adjustments as many times as necessary between now and 3:00 p.m. Eastern on draft day (Wednesday, Aug. 31), with the live draft beginning at 9:30 p.m. Eastern on the Fleaflicker website ... All unprotected players will be removed from the Fleaflicker rosters Wednesday, Aug. 17, at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, to give owners who might be unavailable for the draft an opportunity to pre-rank players (or to allow owners who will be present to have an idea of who will be on the draft board). Final rosters from the 2015 season will continue to be available on this website beyond that point, in case an owner wants to change their franchise players or propose a trade ... Jim Douglas' Fleaflicker fantasy football league currently has one vacancy, which he is hoping to fill well in advance of the draft Friday, Sept. 9. If you are interested in competing in another league, reach out to him via e-mail at jimdoug@ameritech.net.


Football Gal acquires Jordan Reed
Article Posted Friday, July 29, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern
With approximately one month to go before the UFFL draft, Football Gal bolstered their franchise player list by acquiring Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed from Renegade Tuesday, July 26, in exchange for a second-round pick.

The 26-year-old Reed had a breakout campaign in 2015, catching 87 passes for 952 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns for the NFC East champions. Meanwhile, Renegade will receive the 26th overall selection in this year's draft. Previous players chosen with that pick have included Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten and former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.

Renegade owner Tony DelSignore had already designated Brown, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson as his keepers, so Reed was expendable. As a result of the deal being completed, Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman was removed from the keeper list.

UFFL News Ticker: Jim Douglas, one of the league's charter owners, confirmed in a recent Facebook post that he was returning to the UFFL for its 15th season. "I kinda feel like (former NFL quarterback Brett) Favre," the CheeseWhiz owner said. "Do I come back? Do I retire? OK, I'll play another season." Douglas is 106-77-0 (.579) in 183 career regular-season games and 12-17-0 (.414) in 29 postseason contests ... Registration for the UFFL Pickem Challenge and UFFL Survival Football contests is now open on Yahoo! Fantasy Sports. For registration information for both games, e-mail commissioner Jared Byrd at jared259@alumni.upenn.edu.


Jarvis Landry traded to Pulverizers
Article Posted Monday, July 4, 2016 at 11:00 p.m. Eastern
In the first trade of the offseason, the Pulverizers have acquired Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry from the bbashers. He is expected to be one of the club's three franchise player selections for the 2016 season.

In return, the bbashers received the rights to free-agent running back Arian Foster and a second-round selection in the 2016 UFFL draft. The 29-year-old collected 163 rushing yards and 227 receiving yards in four games for the Houston Texans last season, with three touchdowns (one rushing and two receiving). He could be one of Calvin Brown's keepers for 2016 if he has an impressive showing in preseason, assuming he's able to land with another club.

The bbashers are also receiving the 25th overall pick in this year's draft. According to Brown and Football Gal owner Mozelle Meyers, the two sides had discussed a potential deal in June which would have shipped Washington Redskins running back Matt Jones to Football Gal, in exchange for her second-round pick, but no deal was able to be finalized.

The 23-year-old Landry had 110 receptions for 1,157 yards with four receiving touchdowns in 2015 and added 113 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. He was considered expendable by the bbashers, who are currently leaning towards protecting New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall, Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper and New York Jets running back Matt Forte as their three keepers.

In a corresponding move, the Pulverizers released the Detroit Lions defense, in order to alleviate a roster logjam.

UFFL News Ticker: The annual league questionnaire will be distributed via e-mail to all owners later this week. Aside from a few minor cosmetic adjustments, the Fleaflicker website hasn't changed much since last season but there will be several possible rule changes to vote upon ... Recruitment of potential owners for the 2016-17 season of the Fantasy Hockey Challenge head-to-head league on Fleaflicker will get underway July 15, with recruitment for the Fantasy Basketball Challenge league beginning July 20. Draft dates for both games have not been announced yet ... Registration for the survival football and NFL pickem contests on Yahoo! will begin in August. Contestants who participated in last season's competitions will automatically receive invites for the 2016 campaign, while outsiders who wish to participate should e-mail UFFL commissioner Jared Byrd.


WINTER 2015

UFFL News and Notes: February Edition
Article Posted Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern
The Ultimate Fantasy Football League has been officially renewed for the 2016 season on the Fleaflicker website, meaning that the preliminary regular-season schedule is now available and that trades can be proposed and completed once again.
 
The tentative draft date is Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 9:30 p.m. Eastern, with the NFL season getting underway Thursday, Sept. 8.  The trading deadline will be Monday, Dec. 5, on the last day of the UFFL regular season.
 
The UFFL playoffs will run from Weeks 14 to 16 (Dec. 6-26, 2016), with Week 17 (Jan. 1, 2017) reserved for the ninth-annual UFFL Pro Bowl. The NFL playoffs will begin Saturday, Jan. 7 and run through Sunday, Feb. 5 (Super Bowl LI).

UFFL News Ticker: Congratulations to bbashers owner Calvin Brown for winning the 2015-16 UFFL Postseason Challenge on NFL.com. He racked up 567 fantasy points over the course of the four-week contest, emerging as the champion for the fourth time in the last five seasons ... Congrats are also in order to Deltaman owner Craig Hoffman, who won the 2015-16 UFFL Pickem Challenge on Yahoo! Sports! His 1,348 confidence points and 158-109 record resulted in first-place honors for the third consecutive year (and the fourth time since 2007) ... The annual league questionnaires will be sent out in the late spring or early summer. So far, no new major changes or options have been added to Fleaflicker, although there may be some minor rule changes to vote on.


Southern Division wins UFFL Pro Bowl
Article Posted Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern; Updated Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown had 13 receptions for 187 yards and one touchdown (27.55 fantasy points) and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson went 19-for-28 with 197 passing yards and three touchdowns (27.10 fantasy points) as the Southern Division trounced the Northern Division, 161.14 to 93.54, in the eighth-annual UFFL Pro Bowl. It was the second-widest margin of victory ever in Pro Bowl history.

Typically, the owners of teams who have scored the most points in their respective divisions serve as Pro Bowl coaches, but neither Andrew So (The Catch – Northern Division) nor Mark Bender (Shelburn OrangeHats – Southern Division) was available that week. Football Gal owner (and assistant commissioner) Mozelle Meyers made her Pro Bowl debut as the South coach, while Pulverizers owner (and commissioner) Jared Byrd coached the North. With the loss, he fell to 0-2-0 in his career as a Pro Bowl coach while becoming the first person in league history to coach both teams.

“Yeah, I finally won something,” Meyers said exuberantly after the game, which gave the South a 6-2-0 overall record in the end-of-season contest which dates back to 2008.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers led all Northern Division scorers with 16.84 fantasy points. He went 28-for-44 with 291 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. Even if the North had set a perfect lineup using the players available on their ballot, the South would have won by more than 20 fantasy points if they had made no adjustments to their lineup.

Brown was the highest-scoring starter on either team for the second consecutive year, earning UFFL Horse Trailer/Player of the Week honors for Week 17.

“The better team definitely won this year,” Byrd said. “You’ve got to tip your hat to them.”


By George!
Article Posted Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern; Updated Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern
In a Week 16 thriller, George Thomas’ N2deep squad narrowly escaped with a hard-fought win over Tony DelSignore’s Renegade club in UFFL Bowl XIV, 123.56 to 121.85. The margin of victory (1.71 fantasy points) was the closest ever in UFFL Bowl history and marked Thomas’ first-ever league title in his second lifetime appearance in the championship game.

Thomas went 10-3-0 during the regular season, which was tied for the best record in the league with the Shelburn OrangeHats. However, he only went 4-2-0 against divisional opponents, whereas Mark Bender’s OrangeHats had a 5-1-0 divisional record, so N2deep wound up with the No. 3 seed in the championship bracket. They squeaked by the sixth-seeded Westerville Fight’n Nut-Tooths in the first round of the playoffs, 118.05 to 116.95, before defeating The Catch, who were the second-overall seed, in the second round by the score of 147.12 to 123.15. This set the stage for a championship battle versus the fifth-seeded Renegade, who went 9-4-0 during the regular season and actually defeated N2deep in a Week 8 matchup, 138.89 to 107.37.

DelSignore’s team defeated the fourth-ranked bbashers in the opening round of the championship bracket, 141.83 to 111.53, before exploding to score a league-record 214.31 points versus the eighth-ranked Sisyphean Endeavors in the semifinals, who were only able to muster up 119.92 fantasy points. As a result of this offensive outburst, Renegade had been projected to win. However, as the old saying goes, “That’s why they play the games.”

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Hurns led the winners with 25.85 fantasy points, thanks to eight receptions for 107 yards and two touchdowns. New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees posted 34.18 fantasy points in Week 16 and would have led all scorers on both sides if he had started in place of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who had just 15.78 points. Renegade was led by Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed, who had nine receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns.

With the defeat, DelSignore is now 0-2-0 in two career UFFL Bowl appearances. He has lost the two matchups by a combined total of 7.62 fantasy points.


UFFL News and Notes: December Edition
Article Posted Thursday, Dec. 24, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern
UFFL Bowl XIV gets underway this weekend, with George Thomas (N2deep) squaring off against Tony DelSignore (Renegade) for the coveted Ultimate Fantasy Football League championship. N2deep enters play with a combined 12-3-0 record this season, while their Southern Division rivals are 11-4-0. Both owners are looking for their first league title, although it is the second appearance for both owners in the championship round; DelSignore was on the losing end of UFFL Bowl IX, while Thomas came up short in UFFL Bowl XI.

In other Week 16 action, the Sisyphean Endeavors (8-7) face The Catch (10-5) in the third-place game of the championship bracket. Meanwhile, in the consolation bracket, the Pulverizers take on the CheeseWhiz, while Football Gal will battle the Morristown Maulers.

UFFL Pro Bowl on deck: The eighth-annual UFFL Pro Bowl will take place during Week 17 of the NFL regular season (Sunday, Jan. 3), and the coaches are scheduled to be Andrew So (The Catch) for the Northern Division and Mark Bender (Shelburn OrangeHats) for the Southern Division. The coaches for both sides were chosen because they scored the most fantasy points for their respective divisions during the regular season.

Ballots will be distributed via e-mail to both coaches Wednesday, Dec. 30, and they will have until Saturday, Jan. 2 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern to submit their starting lineups. Replacement coaches may be selected if lineups are not received by this time, although lineups can be adjusted as many times as necessary up until game time.

Starting lineups for the Pro Bowl will be posted on the UFFL website. Live scoring will not be available for this particular contest, but the final outcome should be determined by Monday, Jan. 4. At that point, the box score for the game will be available on the page featured above.

UFFL News Ticker: Participants are now being recruited for the annual postseason football contest on NFL.com. If you're interested in playing, visit the UFFL-sponsored fantasy leagues link on the home page (and if prompted, the group name is "UFFL" and the password is "playoffs"). Remember, NFL postseason games begin Saturday, Jan. 9, and lineups can be set as early as Sunday, Jan. 3, after all of the NFL playoff teams have been determined ... Ideas for UFFL rule changes should be e-mailed to commissioner Jared Byrd (at jared259@alumni.upenn.edu) and they might be included on the annual owners' questionnaire, which will not be distributed before the league becomes eligible for renewal on Fleaflicker for the 2016 season. The renewal date is estimated to be around Feb. 9 (the Tuesday following Super Bowl 50) ... Entering the final week of the regular season, Deltaman owner Craig Hoffman had the lead in the UFFL Pickem Challenge, with the next closest competitor (George Thomas) trailing by 23 confidence points. However, the contest will continue for five more weeks, so there is still plenty of time for anyone to win the contest.


AUTUMN 2015

Pulverizers hold December fire sale
Article Posted Monday, Dec. 7, 2015 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern; Updated Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015 at 11:00 p.m. Eastern
With the team mathematically eliminated from earning a spot in the 2015 UFFL championship bracket, Pulverizers owner Jared Byrd pulled off three trades in a 48-hour span during the first week of December, just days before the trade deadline, in an effort to stockpile draft picks and young talent to build for the future.

The first of these deals was completed Thursday, Dec. 3, and sent Seattle Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls to the Shelburn OrangeHats, in exchange for Detroit Lions running back Joique Bell, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. and a fourth-round pick in the 2016 UFFL draft. The 22-year-old Rawls had accumulated 685 rushing yards and 54 receiving yards through his first 11 NFL games, with four combined touchdowns, and was traded at the height of his popularity. He had taken over as the starting running back for the Seahawks after veteran Marshawn Lynch underwent sports hernia surgery but only played two games for the OrangeHats before suffering a season-ending ankle injury.

The 29-year-old Bell had 168 rushing yards and 173 receiving yards through nine contests at the time of the trade, with two combined touchdowns. Ginn, 30, had 30 receptions for 445 receiving yards and three touchdowns through 11 games prior to the move but flourished after landing with the Pulverizers, catching 13 passes for 285 yards and six touchdowns in his first three games with his new club. Both players were acquired for roster depth purposes and are unlikely to be retained as keeper players for the 2016 season. The Pulverizers also received the 43rd overall pick in the draft.

The second trade was pulled off Saturday, Dec. 5, with the Pulverizers sending New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart to N2deep, in exchange for Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston and a third-round pick in the 2016 draft.

The 36-year-old Brees threw 20 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions through his first 10 games of the year, completing more than 68 percent of his passes for 3,200 yards. However, he did not see any game action for N2deep due to the presence of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton as the starter. Not long after acquiring him, N2deep owner George Thomas put Brees on the UFFL trading block but no deal was able to be completed before the deadline.

Stewart, 28, had 832 rushing yards and 54 receiving yards through 11 games before getting dealt, along with five combined touchdowns. However, he was limited to just two games for N2deep before being sidelined due to a foot injury, making him unavailable for the final two games of the club's postseason run.

Winston, 21, had 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions through the first 10 games of his pro career and will almost certainly be protected by the Pulverizers as a keeper for the 2016 season. He completed 58 percent of his passes for 2,650 yards, along with four rushing touchdowns on 142 rushing yards.

The final trade was completed several hours later on the same day, with Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker being sent to the bbashers, along with a fourth-round pick in 2016, in exchange for a third-round selection in the same draft. The 31-year-old Walker had 59 receptions for 708 yards and three touchdowns through his first 10 games of the season. The bbashers acquired the 53rd overall selection in the draft, while the Pulverizers wound up with the 40th overall choice.

"I feel great about the state of the Pulverizers moving forward," Byrd said. "This is a team that should be a dominant UFFL franchise for many years to come."


Doug Martin, Duke Johnson traded
Article Posted Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015 at 1:00 a.m. Eastern
Two teams pulled off a swap of running backs Sunday, Nov. 15, with Doug Martin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers being traded from the Shelburn OrangeHats to The Catch, in exchange for Duke Johnson of the Cleveland Browns. This was the first in-season deal of the 2015 campaign and it is also believed to be the first trade in UFFL history to be agreed to and finalized while games were still ongoing.

Martin, 26, has 706 rushing yards on 161 attempts through nine games this year, with three touchdowns. As a receiver, he has 21 catches for 188 yards and one touchdown. Johnson is a 22-year-old rookie who has 189 rushing yards on 63 attempts this season through 10 games (three starts) and has also caught 39 passes for 387 yards and two touchdowns. Perhaps coming into play is the fact that OrangeHats owner Mark Bender is a Cleveland Browns fan and he already had four other Browns players on his roster before adding Johnson.

The trading deadline is Monday, Dec. 7, which happens to be the final day of the UFFL regular season (at the end of Week 13).

Playoff picture: With 10 weeks of the regular season in the books, the playoff picture is beginning to take focus. There is a four-way tie for the best record in the league between the bbashers, N2deep, Renegade and the Shelburn OrangeHats. All of these clubs are at 8-2-0 and have already clinched at least a wild-card berth in the championship bracket. The only team that has been completely eliminated from championship bracket contention at this point is Deltaman (0-10-0), although they will have at least one postseason match in the consolation bracket.

This leaves the other nine clubs fighting for four championship bracket spots. The Catch (7-3-0) and the Westerville Fight'n Nut-Tooths (7-3-0) appear poised to clinch  berths if they can win at least one of their final three games. Five teams are tied at 4-6-0 - the CheeseWhiz, Morristown Maulers, Pulverizers, Sisyphean Endeavors and The Steel Curtain, with the Maulers and Endeavors having already been eliminated from division contention. Football Gal (3-7-0) will also be unable to win their division, while the Steph Infections (1-9-0) are another loss away from cementing a spot in the consolation bracket, thanks to nine consecutive defeats.

UFFL News Ticker: Craig Hoffman (Deltaman) was declared the winner of the UFFL Survival Football contest on Yahoo! Sports, after the two other remaining participants picked up their third strike during Week 10 ... Meanwhile, Calvin Brown (bbashers) remains in first place in the UFFL Pickem Challenge contest.


UFFL News and Notes: November Edition
Article Posted Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern
UFFL commissioner (and Pulverizers owner) Jared Byrd was recently interviewed for the Commissioner Spotlight portion of the Commish Talk website, a place where fantasy football commissioners can share ideas and discuss common issues with each other. The article first appeared on the site Oct. 27, and takes readers inside the world of the Ultimate Fantasy Football League and highlights many of the things that make this league unique. To read the story, visit http://www.commishtalk.com and look at the archives section.

If you (or anyone else you know) are a current fantasy football commissioner who would be interested in participating in one of these interviews, you can reach out to the webmaster using the contact link on the website.

UFFL News Ticker: Very few trade rumors have been swirling around the UFFL, with the trade deadline less than five weeks away. In fact, this is the first time since 2008 that there have been no in-season trades through the first eight weeks of the regular season. Two deals have been completed this year but they were finalized just prior to the start of the season ... Mark Bender of the Shelburn OrangeHats is 7-1-0 through his first eight regular-season games, with seven consecutive victories after losing in Week 1. Since joining the league in 2009, he has never won more than seven games during the regular season ... Calvin Brown of the bbashers has the same record as Bender (7-1-0) but has scored nearly 100 fewer fantasy points. They would receive the No. 3 playoff seed if the season ended now because the top two seeds are reserved for division leaders ... Following consective appearances in the UFFL Bowl (including a championship in 2013), Craig Hoffman of Deltaman is still searching for his first win entering Week 9. Two franchises in league history have gone 0-13-0 through the regular season but no teams have ever made it through the year undefeated ...  Brown is currently at the top of the standings in the UFFL Pickem Challenge contest on Yahoo! Sports, while three out of five participants in the UFFL Survival Football contest remain active.


SUMMER 2015

Recapping the 2015 UFFL Draft
Article Posted Monday, Aug. 31, 2015 at 12:00 a.m. Eastern; Updated Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2015 at 12:00 a.m. Eastern
The 14th annual Ultimate Fantasy Football League draft was held Wednesday, Aug. 26. Here are some of the notable facts and highlights from the event:

- A record thirteen out of fourteen owners logged on to the Fleaflicker website to participate in the live draft, with Sisyphean Endeavors owner Grace Cloud being the only person unable to make it. Fewer technical glitches (such as kicking people out of the draft room) seemed to take place when compared with previous seasons. Although the draft software was similar to last year's version, improvements such as bringing back the queue made the experience more enjoyable.

- Since the league switched to a full-fledged live draft prior to the 2008 season, this marked the first time that the draft was held on a Wednesday evening. All of the previous events had occurred on Tuesday nights, in order to accomodate as many owners as possible. The 2015 draft was also pushed back to 9:30 p.m. Eastern to maximize owner participation.

- The Sisyphean Endeavors selected Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb with the first overall pick. The final pick ("Mr. Irrelevant") was San Diego Chargers wide receiver Stevie Johnson, courtesy of the Morristown Maulers, with the only pick of the fourteenth round and the 182nd overall selection. The entire process took 75 minutes, tying it for the fourth-fastest draft in league history with the 2010 draft.

- For the 14th consecutive year, Football Gal owner Mozelle Meyers, who cheers for the Washington Redskins, drafted zero Dallas Cowboys.

- On the other hand, noted San Francisco 49ers fan and Steph Infections owner Stephanie George didn't have an issue selecting players from the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys in consecutive rounds. "God forgive me for that pick," she said after choosing placekicker Steven Hauschka in the eighth round. After selecting wide receiver Terrance Williams in the ninth round, she added, "God forgive me again." After eliciting a few laughs from other owners, Morristown Maulers owner Dallas Honeycutt asked jokingly, "Are you ill, Steph?," to which she replied, "I think I am."

- For the second consecutive season, Westerville Fight'n Nut-Tooths owner Joseph Randall selected Dallas Cowboys running back Joseph Randle. However, he was a second-round selection this year, as opposed to a tenth-round choice like last season.

- Two placekickers (Mason Crosby and Stephen Gostkowski) and one team defense (Houston Texans) were selected ahead of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who was chosen by the Endeavors with the first pick of the fifth round. He was the first quarterback to be drafted.

- Speaking of Gostkowski, Randall drafted him with his fourth-round selection but admitted shortly thereafter that he had made an error. "I screwed myself, took the kicker the round I wanted a quarterback ... ended up with my fourth choice," he said.

- Three consecutive Minnesota Vikings were selected near the end of the 12th round: running back Jerick McKinnon, placekicker Blair Walsh and wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, by The Steel Curtain, CheeseWhiz and Football Gal respectively.

- Pulverizers owner and league commissioner Jared Byrd took a gamble on injured Houston Texans running back Arian Foster with the second of his two fourth-round picks. "I feel really good about my running back situation this year ... my wide receivers, not so much," he said.

- Honeycutt jumped on the opportunity to draft Jay Cutler at the end of the seventh round. "You know, typically I won't take backups until I have all my starters set but if you all leave me 28 touchdowns to choose, I am gonna have to take him," he announced.

- Nine running backs and 13 wide receivers were selected with the first 22 picks of the draft. Tight end Martellus Bennett was chosen with the 23rd overall selection by the Morristown Maulers and five more tight ends came off the draft board before Brady was taken.

- Honeycutt came up with an idea to improve the Fleaflicker draft interface that will be passed along to website programmers shortly. "For leagues that snake, it would be handy, at least to me, if the list on the right (side of the draft window) snaked as well, instead of popping back up to the top every round." He added that in larger leagues such as the UFFL, it is difficult to view the entire draft order for any given round at once.

- Byrd proposed the idea of bringing back the offline (e-mail) draft next season to celebrate the league's 15th anniversary as a joke. "We'd probably be here until Halloween if we reverted back to that," he said. Honeycutt and George then mentioned that they were in a 16-team college fantasy football league with an offline draft that takes approximately six or seven weeks, with an eligible draft pool of players from the power five conferences, the Mountain West Conference, Conference USA and a few independent schools.
- The quote of the night came courtesy of CheeseWhiz owner Jim Douglas, after the final pick had been made. "My team is complete," he quipped. "It's no good but it's complete."


Calvin Johnson, DeMarco Murray swap teams
Article Posted Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern; Updated Sunday, Aug. 30, 2015 at 11:00 p.m. Eastern
In a deal that was executed just hours before the 2015 UFFL draft Wednesday, Aug. 26, the Pulverizers traded Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson and a second-round pick to the Morristown Maulers, in exchange for Philadelphia Eagles running back DeMarco Murray.

Johnson, who will turn 30 next month, caught 71 passes for 1,077 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 regular-season contests last year. He missed three games due to injury and posted his fewest receiving yards since 2009. Coincidentally, the Pulverizers had acquired Johnson from the same franchise late in the 2012 campaign, along with a third-round draft pick in 2013, in exchange for wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and a 2013 first-round selection. Back then, the team was known as the Cheeko Chiefs and its owner was Chad Fuller.

Murray, 27, led the National Football League with 1,845 rushing yards on 392 carries in 2014 with 13 rushing touchdowns. As a receiving threat, he caught 57 passes for an additional 416 yards.

Pulverizers owner Jared Byrd had spent the offseason trying to acquire a top-notch running back following a disappointing 5-8-0 mark in 2014, caused in large part by the team's anemic rushing attack. C.J. Spiller (Buffalo Bills) and Stevan Ridley (New England Patriots) were among last year's biggest fantasy football disappointments and the number of quality running backs available in the 2015 draft pool dwindled after the bbashers acquired Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears, making a trade more urgent. Meanwhile, Morristown Maulers owner Dallas Honeycutt had expressed recent interest in obtaining a wide receiver - a position that turned out to be the Pulverizers' biggest strength last year.

The draft pick that the Maulers received was the ninth pick in the second round (and the 23rd selection overall). They used it to draft 28-year-old Chicago Bears tight end Martellus Bennett, who had 90 receptions, 916 receiving yards and six touchdowns last season.


Reports: Matt Forte to be acquired by bbashers
Article Posted Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015 at 12:00 a.m. Eastern; Updated Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern
With just a few days remaining before the 2015 UFFL draft, Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte has been traded from Renegade to the bbashers, along with a second-round draft pick, in exchange for a first-round pick. Terms of the deal were agreed to via e-mail Saturday, Aug. 22, but were not finalized until both parties approved the trade on the Fleaflicker website Sunday, Aug. 23.

Forte, who will turn 30 in December, had 1,038 rushing yards on 266 attempts last season, with six rushing touchdowns. He also caught 102 passes for 808 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns.

Renegade owner Tony DelSignore determined that Forte was expendable this offseason, opting to protect Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill as his team's three franchise players. Although it was a difficult decision, DelSignore explained several weeks ago that he believed Hill would be productive for years to come, while Forte appeared to be entering the stage of his career where running backs typically experience a decline in production.

Renegade will receive the 11th overall selection in the 2015 draft, while the bbashers now control the fifth pick in the second round (19th overall). In order to clear roster space for Forte, bbashers owner Calvin Brown released Houston Texans running back Arian Foster, meaning that any team is now eligible to select him in this week's live draft.

Offseason trade talks: In a post on the Fleaflicker message board Saturday, Aug. 22, Shelburn OrangeHats owner Mark Bender stated that he is making both of his "top-tier" quarterbacks (Philip Rivers of the San Diego Chargers and Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys) available via trade. Rivers was drafted by the OrangeHats in 2013, while Romo was selected the following year ... Morristown Maulers owner Dallas Honeycutt is looking for help at wide receiver.


UFFL News and Notes: August Edition
Article Posted Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern
The Great Extra Point Debate: UFFL owners overwhelmingly voted to keep the current rules in place for successful extra point attempts (one point each), despite the longer distance now required to convert them. Five owners (Tony DelSignore, Jim Douglas, Craig Hoffman, Dallas Honeycutt and Andrew So) voted against any changes, while only one voter (Angie Williams) was completely in favor of increasing the number of fantasy points (to three). George Thomas said he wouldn't have minded increasing the number of points to two but was okay with leaving things the way they were.

Warmongers have new nickname: Washington Warmongers head coach Joseph Randall has announced that he has changed his team nickname to the Westerville Fight'n Nut-Tooths for the 2015 season. "The team name change is in homage to the 15 or so squirrels that battle each morning for the peanuts I put outside our apartment each day," he wrote in an e-mail. During his first season in the league, Randall went 5-9-0, including a 5-8-0 mark during the regular season.

Franchise player list adjustments: Several recent changes have been made to the UFFL franchise players list, weakening the crop of available quarterbacks in the draft pool. The Steel Curtain has opted to protect Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan at the expense of New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings, while the Westerville Fight'n Nut-Tooths have protected San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks in place of Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu.

Adjustments to the keeper list can continue to be made until 3:00 p.m. Eastern Wednesday, Aug. 26.

Offseason trade talks: Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, who played for the UFFL's Pulverizers last season, was dangled as trade bait this offseason. He was offered to the Shelburn OrangeHats for the fifth overall pick in the 2015 draft, as well as the Steph Infections for the seventh overall pick. Neither team appeared to have any interest in him.

The Pulverizers also tried to acquire Washington Redskins running back Alfred Morris from Football Gal, but no deal was able to be completed.


Getting ready for the draft
Article Posted Monday, Aug. 10, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern; Updated Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2015 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern
For the third year in a row, a list of the top 10 choices available at each position has been compiled prior to the UFFL Draft as a service to league owners. As you can see, plenty of talent exists in this year's pool of available players. The average Fleaflicker draft position is listed in parentheses.

QUARTERBACKS
Tom Brady (New England Patriots, 91); Ryan Tannehill (Miami Dolphins, 92); Eli Manning (New York Giants, 96); Jay Cutler (Chicago Bears, 173); Joe Flacco (Baltimore Ravens, 201); Teddy Bridgewater (Minnesota Vikings, 202); Carson Palmer (Arizona Cardinals, 213); Sam Bradford (Philadelphia Eagles, 214); Derek Carr (Oakland Raiders, 225); Robert Griffin III (Washington Redskins, 235).

RUNNING BACKS
Mark Ingram (New Orleans Saints, 27); Andre Ellington (Arizona Cardinals, 28); Frank Gore (Indianapolis Colts, 30); Jonathan Stewart (Carolina Panthers, 34); Melvin Gordon (San Diego Chargers, 35); Rashad Jennings (New York Giants, 40); Isaiah Crowell (Cleveland Browns, 44); Doug Martin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 45); Chris Ivory (New York Jets, 54); Joseph Randle (Dallas Cowboys, 56).

WIDE RECEIVERS
Randall Cobb (Green Bay Packers, 18); Alshon Jeffery (Chicago Bears, 22); Emmanuel Sanders (Denver Broncos, 33); DeAndre Hopkins (Houston Texans, 36); Sammy Watkins (Buffalo Bills, 37); Jordan Matthews (Philadelphia Eagles, 39); T.Y. Hilton (Indianapolis Colts, 46); Andre Johnson (Indianapolis Colts, 47); Brandon Marshall (New York Jets, 48); Julian Edelman (New England Patriots, 55).

TIGHT ENDS
Greg Olsen (Carolina Panthers, 52); Travis Kelce (Kansas City Chiefs, 68); Martellus Bennett (Chicago Bears, 93); Julius Thomas (Jacksonville Jaguars, 94); Jordan Cameron (Miami Dolphins, 97); Jason Witten (Dallas Cowboys, 98); Coby Fleener (Indianapolis Colts, 106); Delanie Walker (Tennessee Titans, 175); Austin Seferian-Jenkins (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 176); Kyle Rudolph (Minnesota Vikings, 177).

PLACEKICKERS
Stephen Gostkowski (New England Patriots, 240); Cody Parkey (Philadelphia Eagles, 259); Adam Vinatieri (Indianapolis Colts, 265); Steven Hauschka (Seattle Seahawks, 266); Dan Bailey (Dallas Cowboys, 267); Mason Crosby (Green Bay Packers, 277); Dan Carpenter (Buffalo Bills, 278); Justin Tucker (Baltimore Ravens, 280); Blair Walsh (Minnesota Vikings, 282); Phil Dawson (San Francisco 49ers, 333).

DEFENSIVE TEAMS
Houston Texans (147); Seattle Seahawks (151); New England Patriots (152); Detroit Lions (153); Green Bay Packers (181); Buffalo Bills (192); St. Louis Rams (215); New York Jets (216); Baltimore Ravens (217); Carolina Panthers (220).

UFFL questionnaire results: According to the results of the 2015 league questionnaire, all 14 owners who participated in the UFFL last season have decided to return. No rule changes will go into effect this year, although one owner suggested using individual defensive players instead of (or perhaps in conjunction with) team defenses. This suggestion will be voted upon in next year's survey.

A preliminary list of franchise players has been compiled and Fleaflicker rosters will be cleared of non-keepers Monday, Aug. 10, at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, so that owners will have ample time to pre-rank unprotected players, if necessary, in advance of the UFFL draft (which will take place at 9:30 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, Aug. 26). This process can also help owners who intend to be present at the draft plan a strategy around which players are available to be selected.
 
Any team will be able to change their franchise players between the moment Fleaflicker rosters are cleared and 3:00 p.m. Eastern on draft day if they wish. The complete list of franchise players, as well as the final rosters from the 2014 season, will continue to be available on this website (to allow owners to make and propose trades or adjust their keeper lists).
 
Any trades made after roster clearing through Aug. 26 (draft day) need to be sent directly to commissioner Jared Byrd, after all owners involved have agreed to any proposed deal (to allow rosters to be manually adjusted on Fleaflicker). On draft night, any proposed deals need to be announced in the live Fleaflicker draft room, with adjustments to all teams involved in trading being made after the draft.

UFFL News Ticker: Registration has opened for the UFFL Pickem Challenge and UFFL Survival Football contests on Yahoo! Fantasy Sports and will remain open until the beginning of the regular season. For more details, including rules and registration information, visit the UFFL-Sponsored Fantasy Leagues link on the home page ... In other fantasy sports news, the previously mentioned vacancies in the Fantasy Basketball Challenge and Fantasy Hockey Challenge leagues on Fleaflicker have been filled. However, if you're still interested in participating in either game, you can be placed on a waiting list by sending an e-mail to commissioner Jared Byrd. If two or more people express interest in the same sport (or sports), expansion teams could be added this season.


UFFL News and Notes: July Edition
Article Posted Saturday, July 4, 2015 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern; Updated Monday, July 20, 2015 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern
- At the request of several owners, the 2015 Ultimate Fantasy Football League live draft has been pushed back to Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 9:30 p.m. Eastern. The Fleaflicker draft room will open at 9 p.m. and the entire process should be completed between 10:30 p.m. and 10:45 p.m. Owners who are present will have a maximum of 90 seconds to make their selections, while owners who won't be present for all or part of the draft will have their selections chosen by the computer. It is strongly suggested that absentee owners pre-rank their players, in order to increase the odds of the computer selecting players that they want (while avoiding players that are not highly ranked).

- To see links pertaining to the 2015 draft (including the draft order, the pre-ranking tool and a mock draft feature to insure that your computer, smartphone or tablet is compatible with the software), visit the Fleaflicker website and click on the draft tab. You can also brush up on the league rules and scoring settings to help you choose players accordingly. Keep in mind that no Fleaflicker app exists and is unlikely to be implemented in the immediate future, so using a computer (if possible) may be the easiest way to access the draft room on draft night.

- The annual owners' questionnaire was e-mailed to the entire league Monday, June 29, and as of this writing, nine of 14 people have responded. Owners were asked whether or not they were planning to return for the 2015 season, along with requests for updated contact information, a preliminary list of three franchise players and ideas for rule changes and adjustments. Those who have not submitted their questionnaires are urged to do so as soon as possible. To view the questionnaire, head to the Yahoo! Groups message board.

The 2015 questionnaire was shorter than in previous years because no additional customizable options were added to the Fleaflicker website for fantasy football commissioners this offseason; therefore, there were few issues to discuss or vote on. If new features are added prior to the start of the 2015 campaign, those items can be reviewed at the appropriate time.

UFFL News Ticker: The Fantasy Basketball Challenge and Fantasy Hockey Challenge leagues have been renewed for the 2015-16 season. Preliminary schedules have already been generated but the matchups are subject to change based upon which teams and owners return. Both leagues are composed primarily of current or former UFFL owners.

Fantasy Basketball Challenge: The FBC is a two-division, eight-team head-to-head keeper league on Fleaflicker with one current vacancy. Returning owners (as well as owners taking over abandoned teams) will choose two keepers from last season's roster and select 11 additional players in the live draft. The draft will be held Thursday, Oct. 22 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, with the draft room opening 30 minutes beforehand. Teams will have up to 90 seconds to make individual picks.

The FBC regular season will run from Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015 through Sunday, March 6, 2016, with the postseason running from Monday, March 7, 2016 through Monday, March 28, 2016. The top six teams will make the playoffs, with the top two seeds receiving first-round byes. The trading deadline will be the last day of the FBC regular season.

Please note that the FBC championship ends before the NBA regular season does. No option currently exists for Fleaflicker commissioners to extend the fantasy basketball schedule beyond March 28.

Fantasy Hockey Challenge: The FHC is a two-division, eight-team head-to-head redraft league on Fleaflicker with one current vacancy. The draft will be held Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, with the draft room opening 30 minutes beforehand. Teams will have up to 90 seconds to make individual picks.

The FHC regular season will run from Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2015 through Sunday, March 20, 2016, with the postseason running from Monday, March 21, 2016 through Saturday, April 9, 2016. The top six teams will make the playoffs, with the top two seeds receiving first-round byes. The trading deadline will be the last day of the FHC regular season.

If you're interested in participating in either league (or both leagues), contact commissioner Jared Byrd via e-mail.

All UFFL owners will be contacted when registration opens next month on Yahoo! Fantasy Sports for the survival football and NFL pickem contests.