THE LEGACY
Welcome to the Alex Smith Sucks, a 10-team keeper league on Sleeper where the name tells you everything you need to know about the sense of humor and the decade-long friendships that fuel this thing. This is a league where nrkrishnaiah turned a 9-5 regular season into a championship, where cduncan17 has made sixty-nine trades—nice—and still never sniffed the playoffs, and where erniehokie has scored more points than anyone in league history but somehow has zero rings to show for it. These managers draft, trade, scheme, and occasionally stumble into glory. Some build dynasties. Others build dumpster fires and call them rebuilds. Over four seasons from 2022 to 2025, this league has crowned champions, broken hearts, and generated enough trade activity to make Wall Street blush.
SEASON BY SEASON
The 2022 season belonged to nrkrishnaiah, who hoisted the first-ever championship trophy for Special K with a 9-5 record and 2149 points. But here's the thing—he wasn't even the best team that year. That honor went to Thunderdump, who posted a league-best 10-4 record and a staggering 2303 points, only to flame out in the playoffs and finish third. This became a pattern for Thunderdump: regular season excellence, postseason disappointment. erniehokie put up 2240 points with a 9-5 record but also fell short in the semis. The real story was nrkrishnaiah's playoff fortitude and his savvy trade game, flipping Miles Sanders and Christian Kirk in deals that paid dividends when it mattered. Meanwhile, cduncan17 established himself as the league's most active trader and its worst team, going 3-11 with a league-low 1803 points. jeffperks squeaked into the playoffs as the six seed despite going 9-5, proof that points against matter. UnderTheHoody finished as the runner-up, a high-water mark he would not approach again.
The 2023 campaign saw mlanden2 capture his first title with The Sheet, going 8-6 and scoring just 2155 points—the lowest total for a champion in league history. This was pure playoff magic. The regular season once again belonged to Thunderdump, who posted an 11-3 record and a scorching 2501 points, the most in the league. And once again, Thunderdump choked in the playoffs, finishing fourth. Seeing a theme here? nrkrishnaiah defended his way to the finals with a 10-4 record and 2335 points but couldn't repeat. DaveSchaff had a breakout year with 2421 points and an 8-6 record, good for third place. The most stunning development was UnderTheHoody's collapse—after making the finals in 2022, he cratered to 2-12 with just 1918 points. cduncan17 improved marginally to 5-9 but still finished in the bottom three with 1871 points, the league low for a second straight year.
In 2024, nrkrishnaiah cemented his status as the league's premier playoff performer by winning his second championship despite a pedestrian 7-7 regular season record and just 2356 points scored. He overcame a brutal 2432 points against to capture the title, proving once more that regular season stats mean nothing if you can't close. This was the year of offensive explosions—mlanden2 posted a league-record 2903 points but somehow went just 8-6 and lost in the semifinals. chiasson22 had the best record at 10-4 with 2676 points but finished third. jeffperks finally broke through to the finals with a 9-5 record and 2584 points, only to fall short against nrkrishnaiah. Thunderdump continued his playoff curse, missing the second weekend despite 2566 points. UnderTheHoody logged another dismal campaign at 5-9, scoring a league-low 2141 points.
The 2025 season brought a massive format change—28 weeks instead of 14—and with it, new chaos. rooneymarkb, who had been middling for years, finally broke through with Last Man Standing, going 18-10 and scoring 3907 points to capture his first championship. But the regular season was a bloodbath at the top. nrkrishnaiah posted the best record at 23-5 with 4080 points but stumbled in the playoffs to finish third. erniehokie put up the most points in league history—4321 over 28 weeks—and went 22-6, only to lose in the finals and remain ringless. DaveSchaff also went 22-6 with 3850 points but finished fourth. chiasson22 was right there at 21-7 with 3910 points but lost in the semis. Meanwhile, mlanden2 had his worst season ever, going 5-23 with a league-low 2433 points, a stunning fall from grace for the defending points leader. Thunderdump regressed to 9-19, and cduncan17 remained cduncan17, finishing 6-22 and still searching for his first playoff appearance after four seasons.
TRADE COURT
Let's talk about the deals that moved the needle. In 2022, jeffperks made the most lopsided trade in league history when he acquired Keenan Allen, Justin Herbert, Ja'Marr Chase, Javonte Williams, and Dameon Pierce from cduncan17 in exchange for Aaron Rodgers, Stefon Diggs, David Njoku, Nyheim Hines, and Jonathan Taylor. jeffperks scored 169.4 points post-trade from his haul; cduncan17 got just 52.7 from his side. That's a slaughter. Another brutal one went down in Week 7 of 2022 when cduncan17 sent Keenan Allen, D'Onta Foreman, and DJ Moore to jeffperks for Curtis Samuel and Jonathan Taylor. cduncan17's return scored 71.8 points; jeffperks got just 26.7. Somehow cduncan17 won this one.
In 2022, Thunderdump fleeced cduncan17 by trading for Josh Jacobs and DeVonta Smith while giving up Matthew Stafford, Brandon Aiyuk, and Javonte Williams. Thunderdump's side scored 85.9 points the rest of the way; cduncan17's haul netted 57.9. This is why Thunderdump dominated the regular season. Meanwhile, nrkrishnaiah won the Miles Sanders–for–Raheem Mostert swap with DaveSchaff, turning Sanders into 98.3 points while Mostert contributed zero. nrkrishnaiah also took Christian Kirk from chiasson22 in exchange for Cordarrelle Patterson and absolutely crushed it—Kirk scored 68.9, Patterson managed 9.8.
The 2022 season also featured some truly baffling moves. DaveSchaff gave Kenny Pickett to chiasson22 for James Conner and got obliterated—Conner scored 36.5 for chiasson22 while Pickett contributed nothing. erniehokie turned Clyde Edwards-Helaire into 53 points after acquiring him from DaveSchaff for Kenny Golladay, who scored zero. And chiasson22 won a deal with Thunderdump in Week 6, getting Jameis Winston and Jakobi Meyers for Zach Wilson. chiasson22's return scored 39.8 points; Wilson added 8.5 for Thunderdump.
In Week 8 of 2022, cduncan17 pulled off a rare victory by sending Terry McLaurin to chiasson22 for Justin Fields. Fields dropped 48 points for cduncan17 while McLaurin contributed nothing for chiasson22. Small victories matter when you're 3-11. And erniehokie made out like a bandit in Week 6, acquiring Aaron Rodgers and David Montgomery from cduncan17 for Carson Wentz and Antonio Gibson. erniehokie's side scored 73.1 points the rest of the season; cduncan17 got 27.4 back.
The moral of the story? cduncan17 has been involved in so many trades that statistically some had to work out. Most didn't. jeffperks has been nearly as active, with 38 career trades, and he's gotten significantly better returns. erniehokie leads the league with 33 trades and has the points to show for it, even if the rings remain elusive.
ALL-TIME RECORDS
After four seasons, erniehokie stands alone atop the all-time scoring leaderboard with 11,164 total points, a testament to his ability to build elite rosters and dominate the regular season. The cruel irony? Zero championships. chiasson22 is second with 10,959 points, also without a title. nrkrishnaiah ranks third with 10,920 points but has two championships, proving that timing and playoff execution trump volume. Thunderdump has 10,748 points and DaveSchaff has 10,677, both without rings despite consistent excellence.
In total wins, nrkrishnaiah leads the league with 49 victories against just 21 losses, a .700 winning percentage that reflects his ability to win when it counts. erniehokie is right behind with 47 wins and 23 losses. DaveSchaff and chiasson22 are tied at 42-28, impressive records that haven't translated to championships. Thunderdump sits at 36-34 with four playoff appearances but zero finals appearances post-2022.
On the other end, cduncan17 owns the league's worst record at 20-50, a .286 winning percentage, and has never made the playoffs. He also holds the dubious distinction of leading the league in trades with 69—again, nice—yet has the league's second-lowest all-time point total at 9,030. UnderTheHoody isn't far ahead at 22-48 with 9,187 points. jeffperks is 29-41 despite 38 career trades, stuck in no-man's land between contention and the cellar.
In terms of hardware, nrkrishnaiah has two championships. mlanden2 and rooneymarkb each have one. That's it. Three champions across four seasons. nrkrishnaiah and Thunderdump are the only managers to make the playoffs all four years. jeffperks, erniehokie, and chiasson22 have each made three playoff appearances. DaveSchaff and rooneymarkb have two. UnderTheHoody has one. cduncan17 has zero.
FRANCHISE RANKINGS
Let's power rank these franchises based on their all-time body of work, because that's what commissioners do.
**1. nrkrishnaiah (Special K)** — The king of this league and it's not particularly close. Two championships in four years, 49 total wins, a .700 winning percentage, and four straight playoff appearances. He's made 18 career trades, all with purpose, and he's proven repeatedly that he knows how to win when the lights are brightest. The 2024 title run with a 7-7 record is the stuff of legend. Special K isn't the flashiest roster builder, but he's the most effective closer. Dynasty status: achieved.
**2. erniehokie (Epstein Islanders)** — The best manager without a ring, and frankly, it's a travesty. erniehokie has the most points in league history, 47 wins, three playoff appearances, and the most trades (33) of anyone. He's consistently elite, consistently aggressive, and consistently snakebitten in the postseason. The 2025 season—4,321 points, 22-6 record, finals appearance, loss—summarized his entire career. He'll win one eventually. He has to. Right?
**3. chiasson22 (Ninja Midgets)** — The second-highest scorer in league history with 10,959 points and a 42-28 record across three playoff appearances. chiasson22 is always dangerous, always competitive, never quite good enough. The 10-4 record in 2024 felt like his year, but he fell in the semis. The 21-7 season in 2025 also ended short. At some point, the talent has to break through. Until then, he's the league's third-best franchise.
**4. Thunderdump** — Four playoff appearances, 36-34 record, 10,748 career points, and the single most frustrating playoff résumé in league history. Thunderdump has had the best regular season record twice (2022, 2023) and the most points twice (2022, 2023) and has exactly zero finals appearances to show for it. The annual collapse is now a tradition. Thunderdump is the Peyton Manning Colts of this league—great in September, gone by January.
**5. DaveSchaff (Cleveland Steamer)** — Quietly one of the most consistent managers in the league with a 42-28 record, 10,677 points, and two playoff appearances. DaveSchaff doesn't make a ton of noise—just eight career trades—but he fields competitive rosters year after year. The 22-6 record in 2025 showed he belongs in the upper tier. The lack of a title keeps him out of the top three, but he's a perennial threat.
**6. mlanden2 (The Sheet)** — One championship, three playoff appearances, and the league's most volatile point totals. mlanden2 posted 2,903 points in 2024 (most in the league) and 2,433 points in 2025 (least in the league). He's made 30 career trades, some brilliant, some baffling. The 2023 title run with just 2,155 points remains the most improbable championship in league history. But the 5-23 disaster in 2025 dropped him hard in these rankings. Boom or bust personified.
**7. rooneymarkb (Last Man Standing)** — The 2025 champion who finally figured it out after three seasons of mediocrity. rooneymarkb went from 5-9 in 2022 to 8-6 in 2023 to 4-10 in 2024 before exploding to 18-10 and a title in 2025. The championship validates the career, but the overall 35-35 record and inconsistency keep him in the middle of the pack. Still, rings are rings, and rooneymarkb has one.
**8. jeffperks (The Tuten Bouttes)** — A fascinating case study in activity without results. jeffperks has made 38 career trades—second-most in the league—and has reached the playoffs twice, including a finals appearance in 2024. But the 29-41 overall record and just 9,622 career points tell the story of a manager who's always tinkering, always chasing, never quite arriving. He's not bad. He's just not good enough.
**9. UnderTheHoody** — The 2022 runner-up feels like a lifetime ago. UnderTheHoody has collapsed since that finals appearance, going 2-12 in 2023, 5-9 in 2024, and 7-21 in 2025. The 22-48 overall record and 9,187 career points place him firmly in the bottom tier. Eight career trades suggest a lack of engagement or a refusal to blow it up and rebuild. Either way, this franchise is stuck in neutral.
**10. cduncan17 (F Them Picks)** — The league's punching bag and its most prolific trader. cduncan17 has made 69 career trades—by far the most in league history—yet owns a 20-50 record, has never made the playoffs, and has finished with the fewest points in the league twice (2022, 2023). The trade activity suggests effort. The results suggest chaos. cduncan17 is the friend who keeps showing up, keeps swinging, and keeps losing. Respect the persistence, if not the execution.
This is the Alex Smith Sucks. Four seasons, three champions, endless chaos. See you in 2026.