A choice was made, over and over, this offseason, and most of it points at one man's mailbox.

Wisconsin Weezy — Justin Waitt (10-4, champion). Waitt won the 2025 title with a roster that didn't need help, then acted like it. He sold his first, second and third-round 2026 picks — all three, gone, two to Brian Jones and one to Hunter Koepsell — to keep a core of Jahmyr Gibbs and James Cook that just got more expensive and more locked-in. Gibbs held in, got a thumbs-up on a new deal, and is back at practice. Cook already signed his four-year, $46 million extension and told the league to "go for it, get your money." Waitt's defending a title with a stable, ascendant backfield and nothing in the 2026 draft to show for it. That's the trade you make when you think the window is now.

smg07f — Sean Gibbins (10-4). Second-best record, though his 2,008.68 points ranked just fourth in the league, behind Elliott Simmonds, Justin Waitt and Tareq Hafza. He's got a QB room deep enough to field a whole other league — Cousins, Herbert, Klubnik, Nussmeier, Rudolph, Jalon Daniels, Lance. His receiver corps has its own problems: Emeka Egbuka is dealing with a toe injury in Bucs camp, and Jayden Higgins tore his ACL and is done for the year before it started. Two young receivers, two injury notes, in the same camp report. Per league sources, that's not how you wanted August to go.

Bock Bock Bitch — Ryan Weaver (9-5). Weaver bought Sean Gibbins's first and Ben Cunnion's third and turned them into rookies Jonah Coleman and Denzel Boston. Baker Mayfield says the Bucs will "shock a lot of people" this year; Weaver is betting his own backfield committee, headlined by James Conner, gets some of that same juice.

Evan Sinn (8-6). Quiet, competent, thin on 2026 rookie capital beyond Ty Simpson. Owns both a Chiefs and Vikings defense, which is either hedging or hoarding, and De'Von Achane, which is either genius or luck. Sinn finished fourth a year ago without much drama. Don't expect much this year either — that's not an insult, that's a compliment nobody else in this league gets to hear.

bcunnion — Ben Cunnion (8-6). Traded away his second and third rounders and still has a fine roster — Breece Hall, Nico Collins, Mahomes — but the depth chart thins out fast behind them. Sold picks for a team that finished 8-6 and outside the top four. That math needs to work better in 2026.

jhamm89 — Joe Hamm (8-6, luckiest team alive). Hamm went 8-6 last year with an all-play mark of 64-118 — second-worst in the league, ahead of only Brian Jones's 55-127. A luck delta of +0.22 says the schedule carried him, not the roster. He also sold his first-round pick to Chris Boyle. Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels are a fine floor. The record isn't walking through that door again.

DELAWARE CHICKEN FARMER'S — Elliott Simmonds (7-7). The best team in the league that didn't make the playoffs. Most points scored (2,179.74), best all-play mark in the standings (131-51), and a luck delta of -0.22 that cost him a run at the title. He also has Ashton Jeanty, who's expected to break out behind new play-caller Klint Kubiak after forcing 61 missed tackles behind a bad offensive line as a rookie. If the schedule owes anyone anything in 2026, it owes Simmonds first.

Shadynasty — Tareq Hafza (7-7). Rostered Bijan Robinson through a hold-in that ended with the richest running back contract in NFL history. Also has Saquon Barkley, who teammates like Lane Johnson are already promising will look like "the Saquon from two years ago." Two league-winning running backs on one bench spot away from disaster is either the best or worst construction in the Dynasty.

jamiesinn — Jamie Sinn (7-7). Drafted well at natural slot six, landing Makai Lemon, and still has Ja'Marr Chase anchoring things. Tyler Warren is out of Colts camp with a groin injury, which is the kind of note you file and forget until Week 3.

Long Hair Dont Care — Charlie Koepsell (7-7). Collected three extra third-round picks (from Ryan Weaver, Sean Gibbins and Chris Boyle) plus Hunter Koepsell's first, and used the capital on Jadarian Price and Carson Beck. Also holds Jonathan Taylor, who just signed a two-year, $44 million extension in Indianapolis. A quietly stacked team that finished dead-even at 7-7 because someone still has to.

Bannermen — Kevin Jones (7-7). Picked up Elliott Simmonds's first and turned two firsts into Jordyn Tyson and Kenyon Sadiq. Also has Josh Allen at the helm. Modest record, active offseason, worth watching.

The Epitome of Brutality — Chris Boyle (4-10). He bought Joe Hamm's first and Ben Cunnion's second, and turned it into Carnell Tate and Nicholas Singleton, sitting behind Caleb Williams, who reportedly has "taken complete control" of the Bears offense according to his own head coach. A 4-10 team just acquired an extra first-round pick and an extra second in the same summer. I'm asking why.

hunterk4 — Hunter Koepsell (3-11). The unluckiest team in the league — a -0.253 luck delta with 1,879.92 points, more than the 5th- and 6th-place finishers scored. He sold his own first to Charlie Koepsell but kept Justin Waitt's second. If the ball bounces even once his way in 2026, this record looks nothing like 3-11.

ShitCo Summer — Brian Jones (3-11, owns three first-round picks and won't say why). Last place, fewest points in the league at 1,711.98, and somehow the offseason's biggest winner — he holds his own first plus Charlie Koepsell's and Justin Waitt's, and turned the haul into Jeremiyah Love and Fernando Mendoza, the consensus 1-2 rookies in this class. Sam LaPorta, his other big name, is out with a hip injury and coming off back surgery, uncertain for Week 1. A rebuild that looks real on paper and fragile everywhere else.

Pick to win it: Sean Gibbins. The all-play numbers back a repeat run at the top even with two young receivers already compromised, and a QB room that deep survives any one injury the wire throws at it. Justin Waitt proved you can win without picks. Gibbins is about to try to prove you can win despite them.