Paradigm Honors
History is written by the winners.
Award Winners
Each year we’ll document the players and transactions that made the fantasy season memorable.
Manager of the Year
Evergreen
2024: Trader Jake – Oakland Tecmos
2023: John – Louisville Thoroughbreds
2022: BKB – Norfolk Picaroons
Monolith
2024: John – Spartanburg Standardbreds
Legacy
2024: Ryan – Washington Sentinels
2023: Ryan – Washington Sentinels
2022: Tyler – Tybee Island Cyclones
Paradigm Player of the Year
Evergreen
2024: BUF QB Josh Allen
Santa Cruz Surf & New Orleans Crawdads
2023: BUF QB Josh Allen
Santa Cruz Surf & New Orleans Crawdads
2022: KC TE Travis Kelce
Norfolk Picaroons & Reno Blue Knights
Monolith
2024: PHI RB Saquon Barkley
Spartanburg Standardbreds
Legacy
2024: BAL QB Lamar Jackson
Washington Sentinels
2023: DAL WR CeeDee Lamb
Washington Sentinels
2022: KC QB Patrick Mahomes
Detroit Devils
Offensive Player of the Year
Evergreen
2024: CIN WR Ja’Marr Chase
Oakland Tecmos & Beaverton Bones Brigade
2023: SF RB Christian McCaffrey
Reno Blue Knights & Edgerton Highlanders
2022: (tie) MIN WR Justin Jefferson
Lackland Bulldogs & Indianapolis Rebels
KC QB Patrick Mahomes
Riverside Blackbirds & Scottsdale Cougars
Monolith
2024: CIN WR Ja’Marr Chase
Arizona Beasts
Legacy
2024: CIN WR Ja’Marr Chase
Punxsutawney Groundhogs
2023: MIA WR Tyreek Hill
Phoenix Griffins
2022: PHI QB Jalen Hurts
Philadelphia Marauders
Defensive Player of the Year
Evergreen
2024: ARI S Budda Baker
Madison Caps & Indianapolis Rebels
2023: PIT DE T.J. Watt
Beaverton Bones Brigade & Reno Blue Knights
2022: JAX LB Foyesade Oluokun
Honolulu Wallabies & Riverside Blackbirds
Monolith
2024: MIN DE Andrew Van Ginkel
Spartanburg Standardbreds
Legacy
2024: CLE DE Myles Garrett
Washington Sentinels
2023: LV DE Maxx Crosby
Huntsville Astronauts
2022: LV DE Maxx Crosby
Tybee Island Cyclones
Clutch Performance of the Year
Evergreen
2024: Week 9: Oakland Tecmos put up a Paradigm Leagues single-week point record, scoring 356 points. The total is 40 points higher than the second highest score of any team in any week during the 2024 season
2023: Week 5: FJ plays an NFL slot machine in Las Vegas during road trip. As the 2:00 time dwindles, FJ needs cash to continue and Mack inserts a few bucks. The Jets (no, not the Packers) score and FJ wins $500! Vegas Baby!!
2022: Week 13: TB QB Tom Brady throws a game-winning touchdown with 3 seconds remaining on the clock on MNF. That TD provided the needed points to bump the Reno Blue Knights over the Santa Cruz Surf in the Group Stage matchup. Rob R. kept his championship dreams alive while PC’s title pursuit ended.
Monolith
2024: Week 10: CIN WR Ja’Marr Chase goes for almost 50 points on TNF, keeping Arizona in the hunt for a championship at the end of the regular season.
Legacy
2024: Adam joins the league and gives his Eau Claire team the nickname “Thundersnow”. He receives kudos from managers across Paradigm Leagues.
2023: Week 15: The Detroit Devils hold off the Punxsutawney Groundhogs for the final spot in the Grand Finale Championship. Detroit wins by 0.25 points when SEA TE Noah Fant catches a 5 yard pass with 1:28 remaining in MNF. Royce’s team went on to win the Championship.
2022: Week 13: The Phoenix Griffin team finished the first week of the Group Stage more than 50 points behind the Philadelphia Marauders and Louisville Thoroughbreds. Ryan’s team made up that points gap behind LV WR Davante Adams 177 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns late Sunday afternoon to advance.
Blunder of the Year
Evergreen
2024: Riverside had some issues picking starters this season. Mack repeatedly had big point totals on his bench, finished the season near the bottom of the standings, had single digit FA$, traded away the team’s 1st round pick (#2 overall), and then left the league.
2023: Before the season begins Jake J’s Bayfield Trollers inadvertently (?) accepted a trade, sending IND RB Jonathan Taylor to Greg’s New Orleans Crawdads for a collection of cuttable players. The trade was reversed, conspiracies began, and Greg won the title anyway.
2022: Waco Flames selected ATL TE Kyle Pitts 4th overall in the inaugural draft. Pitts disappointed Scott O. in his sophomore season, finishing the season as TE #20 in pts/game.
Monolith
2024: Palm Beach spends double-digits FA$ twelve times on the waiver wire and $5 or more on free agents 26 times. Almost none mattered for Gregors, and the Sailfish finished ZED.
Legacy
2024: Director inadvertently skips pick 1.01 and SF RB Christian McCaffrey goes 1.02. Ryan is asked who he wants and 1.01 and he elects to take CMC. He plays 4 games, never scoring double-digits.
2023: Week 7: Philadelphia’s NFL Pool picks set an all-time low, accumulating just 1 point for the week. Dan R. picked every game of the week incorrectly, except one. His 1 point choice (MIN over SF on MNF).
2022: Week 11: Philadelphia Marauders cut NO TE Taysom Hill. Dan R. drafted Hill and started him 7 of the 10 games before cutting him. In those 7 starts Hill averaged 3.86 pts. The 3 times Dan R. benched Hill he would have scored 14.3, 8.35, and 38.73 points. After being cut, Hill was picked-up by the TE deprived Tybee Island Cyclones, the team Philadelphia later lost to in the Grand Finale Championship.
Off-season Free Agency Signing of the Year
Evergreen
2024: Honolulu Wallabies (Ryan)
signed MIN QB Sam Won Darnold for $6 FA$
2023: Madison Capitals (Dan “On A Boat”)
signed MIA RB Raheem Mostert for $37 FA$
The Dolphins running back scored 21 TDs and finished the season #2 overall at the position.
2022: N/A (inaugural season)
Monolith
2024: N/A (inaugural season)
In-season Waiver Wire Pickup of the Year
Evergreen
2024: Week 2: Santa Cruz Surf (PC) acquired
PHI LB Zack Baun for $11 FA$
2023: Week 1: Honolulu Wallabies (Ryan)
acquired LAR WR Puka Nacua for $4 FA$
2022: Week 4: Honolulu Wallabies (Ryan)
acquired IND LB Zaire Franklin for $4 FA$
Monolith
2024: Week 2: Arizona Beasts (Chad) acquired
PHI LB Zack Baun for $27 FA$
Legacy
2024: Week 7: Philadelphia Marauders (Dan R) acquired TB RB Bucky Irving for $37 FA$
2023: Week 2: Tybee Island Cyclones (Tyler)
acquired LAR WR Puka Nacua for $50 FA$
2022: Week 11: Tybee Island Cyclones (Tyler)
acquired NOS TE Taysom Hill for $11 FA$
Draft Pick of the Year
Evergreen
2024: Norfolk Picaroons (BKB) selected
JAX WR Brian Thomas at 2.05
2023: Louisville Thoroughbreds (John) selected
LAR WR Puka Nacua at 6.02
2022: Honolulu Wallabies
(Ryan) selected
PHI QB Jalen Hurts at 6.12
Monolith
2024: Tybee Island Cyclones (Tyler) selected
LVR TE Brock Bowers at 9.03
Legacy
2024: Washington Sentinels (Ryan) selected
BAL QB Lamar Jackson at 2.08
2023: Philadelphia Marauders (Dan R.) selected
HOU QB C.J. Stroud at 15.05
2022: (tie) Philadelphia Marauders (Dan R.) selected
PHI QB Jalen Hurts at 1.05
Philadelphia Marauders (Dan R.) selected
SEA QB Geno Smith at 25.05
Trade of the Year
Evergreen
2024: Reno Blue Knights acquired SF RB Jordan Mason after early CMC injury, and Santa Cruz Surf received Reno’s 1st round pick. Mason eventually gets injured and that pick became 1.04.
2023: Truth or Consequences Grim Reapers acquired HOU QB C.J. Stroud and a 3rd round pick – Oakland Tecmos added JAX WR Christian Kirk and a 1st round pick
The Reapers had a down season, finishing last in the order (higher) level of league play and the 1st round pick given up became the 4th overall selection. Despite that good fortune for Trader Jake’s Oakland Tecmos, Todd added the most valuable commodity in all of Paradigm …a true franchise quarterback.
2022: Honolulu Wallabies (Ryan) acquired ARI QB Kyler Murray, PHI RB Miles Sanders, and PHI WR DeVonta Smith – Oakland Tecmos (Trader Jake) acquired CIN WR Ja’Marr Chase, JAX QB Trevor Lawrence, and WAS DE Chase Young
Despite Kyler Murray’s injury, Ryan rode the haul of win now players to a Co-Championship while Trader Jake added a franchise wide receiver and potential.
Monolith
2024: The Arizona Beasts (Chad) sent SEA WR DK Metcalf to the North Carolina Bats (Rob N) for a 1st, 2nd, and $50 FA$.
Despite the addition the Bats finished the regular season out of championship contention and Metcalf was passed in the Seahawks receiving core by Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Beasts finished runner-up while also nabbing the 1.03 selection in this trade.
Legacy
2024: Washington Sentinels (Ryan) acquired NO QB Derek Carr and SEA WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba – Walla Walla Pandas (Ben) receives GB WR Jayden Reed and NO WR Rashid Shaheed
JSN immediately made a jump for Ryan while Reed’s production dipped for Ben. Washington won the title while the Pandas finished ZED, and this trade symbolized those paths.
2023: Tybee Island Cyclones (Tyler) acquired NYG RB Saquon Barkley and CLE TE David Njoku in a ten player deal. Punxsutawney Groundhogs (Trader Jake) added DET TE Sam LaPorta, SEA QB Geno Smith, and TEN WR DeAndre Hopkins.
Trading LaPorta and a QB was a tough call for Tyler, but Saquon helped his RB needy team while Njoku equaled LaPorta’s production down the stretch.
2022: Manager trades (tie)
Ryan B. taking over for Trader Jake to manage the Phoenix Griffins before the draft
John J. took over for Brian E. to manage the Louisville Thoroughbreds after week 2
Pat Tillman Award
Single award presented yearly for all of Paradigm Leagues. Awarded to manager for selfless acts, standup actions, and generally helping to make these leagues the best of the best.
2024
John J.
Manager – Louisville Thoroughbreds (Evergreen)
Spartanburg Standardbreds (Monolith)
The league Discord king keeps the channel moving along, driving engagement. He also took it like a champ when his team lost a chance at a title when a stat correction bumped his squad down. Finally, he’s hosted multiple managers in Chicago to attend sporting events, concerts, or to just drink his beer!
2023
Ryan B.
Manager – Honolulu Wallabies (Evergreen)
Washington Sentinels (Legacy)
This Paradigm Leagues Champion balanced military service, home, and a newborn. All while updating his team trade bait weekly. Sometimes daily.
2022
Trader Jake
Director – Paradigm Leagues
Manager – Oakland Tecmos (Evergreen)
The league Director took home the honor for founding Paradigm Leagues in 2022. Moving forward, he is ineligible to win the award.