Milk Merchant Reigns, Dez Rebuilds: Welcome to the 2026 Revenge Draft
Well, it happened again — the regular season lied to us. Crawf and Devion spent 2025 running the table at 11-3 apiece, BELT BOYZ and Slime SZN looking like the two best rosters God ever assembled, and both of them watched Marcus hoist the trophy instead. Milk Merchant backed into the playoffs at 5-9, rode a draft class so shaky it graded out at -82 total value, and still walked away 2025 champion. If that doesn't tell you the draft board is just the opening argument in a much longer trial, nothing will.
And let's be honest about how that title actually got built: credit goes to the trade, not the draft. Marcus shipped JK Dobbins, Garrett Wilson, and Chris Olave to Dez for Jonathan Taylor, and JT carried the Milk Merchant to the ring while Dez... did not carry anything, finishing dead last in the league at 3-11, the bottom seed, bottom draft grade (-354!), Malik Nabers cratering for -119 value. That's not just a bad season, that's a full rebuild. Dez shows up to the 2026 draft with something to prove and, presumably, a very short list of players he's willing to trust ever again.
Manny quietly backed into a runner-up finish (finish 2!) off a 5-9 record and a draft where Justin Herbert (+130) carried the roster while Tyreek Hill (-110) actively sabotaged it — proof that Manny can win with half a draft board on fire. Meanwhile Crock (10-4, 2 career titles, last hoisted in 2022) and Meek (10-4, defending the 2021 crown in spirit) both cracked the top four seeds and both still have real drafting to answer for — Crock's Kaleb Johnson pick posted -0.1 points for -75 value, and Meek somehow lost value on Brock Bowers despite the guy scoring 180. Redemption arcs, table for two.
Crawf and Devion, though — that's where the real 2026 chip-on-shoulder energy lives. Devion posted the single best draft in the league (254 total value, Drake Maye a monster at +148) and Crawf wasn't far behind at 167, yet neither one is walking into next year with a ring to show for the league's best regular seasons. Consider this your warning: BELT BOYZ and Slime SZN are drafting 2026 like they've got a personal vendetta against the bracket gods.
Then there's the rest of the field looking to climb out of the 5-9 traffic jam — Frost (Dak Prescott heroics, Bucky Irving disaster), Chengy (a defense somehow out-earning Brian Thomas Jr.), and Beav (Dallas Goedert gold, Tank Bigsby garbage) all finished mediocre-to-worse and all owe the group chat a better draft-day highlight reel.
So mark it down: the 2026 board is loaded with grudges. Marcus defends a title he barely deserved on paper. Dez rebuilds from the ashes of the worst grade in league history. Crawf and Devion want blood for regular seasons wasted. And don't sleep on Crock — his roster got absolutely ravaged by injuries all season, so that 10-4 team never even got to show what it really was; expect him to come back loaded for bear. Manny, Meek, Frost, Chengy, and Beav are all circling, waiting for someone else's reach to become their steal. Start warming up the trash talk now — this league doesn't wait for the season to start the fight.