Power Rankings, Week 5: The Knot Holds as Six Teams Still to Sort

The knot held. Six teams ended Week 4 at 2-1, same as they started it. The difference now lives in the points column — Danny Kowalski's Cold Brew Crew owns 363 points for, 18 more than Alex Fontaine's The Regrettables, and that is the only thing keeping two teams apart at the top. Tony's numbers say the margin is real: Cold Brew Crew has scored more against a comparable schedule. The other four in the tie — Basement Champs, The Audible, The Front Office, Hot Route Holliday — are within 25 points of each other, which in this league is one receiver's afternoon.

Five teams sit at 1-2, including Tommy Wu's Grandma's Boys who have scored 360 points for (seventh in the league) but allowed 371, the second-highest points against. Pat Gallagher's Two Beers Deep hold the fewest points for in the league at 288, a number that has already earned him the record label of 'fewest points for' this season.

Now the week ahead. Six matchups, all of them carrying weight for one side or the other. Cold Brew Crew draws The Audible, a team that has scored exactly 336 points and allowed 332 — nearly identical, but the dice have not broken their way yet. The Regrettables get The Front Office, a team that has won two straight by gutting out games.

Priya Natarajan, who holds the league's most career points at 5744.4, brings Waiver Wire Act (1-2) against Bench Mob (1-2), a matchup of two teams that have scored well but lost close games. Priya's team has 357 points for, 355 against. The difference is a kicker's kick. Tuesday morning, the waivers process. By Sunday, the knot will either hold or break. Somebody will make the decision that does it.