Week 11 Awards

Here are the Week 11 Awards

Wane McGarity Stud Of The Week

Thomas Rawls (BigBadBob)

 

Rawls was not only a week saver, but with Marshawn Lynch basically out the rest of the season, he's a season saver for Dad. His nearly 40 points helped Dad win a critical matchup against Drew with ease.

Michael Wiley Dud Of The Week

Amari Cooper (Sons Of The Harpy)

 

Amari Cooper couldn't take advantage of what was supposed to be a prime matchup against the Lions. He was held to 1 reception for 4 yards....4 yards. .90 of a point. Drew's going to need him to step up big time if he wants to keep his playoff chances alive.

Drew Bennett Sneaky Surprise Play

Thomas Rawls (BigBadBob)

 

Easy winner this week. Dad literally picked him up like an hour and a half before game time. To say it paid off would be a gigantic understatement.

No Jay Cutler Bad Decision Award this week.

 

Turkey Day Overview

 

Thanksgiving and football go hand in hand naturally, so it's always fun (and frustrating) to sit on the couch, eat a bunch of food, and watch the NFL Thanksgiving Triple Header. Of course, for our league, it makes watching the games that much more important, especially since most of us either have players going, or are playing against players. Here's a team by team breakdown of yesterday's games and how players did. Since this post will be a little longer than usual, I'll do the Week 11 Awards Post, tomorrow on it's own.

Me (Kumamon Express)

Turkey Day Plays: Greg Olsen, Matt Forte, Randall Cobb

Awful, disappointing, predictable. That's basically what I can say yesterday as once again my guys managed to be at best mediocre and once again this is why I reiterate that I need the by because my team isn't very good. None of them reached their projects, Randall Cobb BARELY reached double digits, and zero TD's were scored. Matt Forte is in the worst case scenario I could have, which is a TIMESHARE, and he couldn't even punch in a 1 yard TD. Thanks to the Cowboys sucking, the Panthers didn't even have to do much offensively (though Greg Olsen DID drop a TD as well) so Olsen's numbered were bla and once again the Packers offense is inexplicably bad and Aaron Rodgers spent most of the game checking down to RB's and short passes to Tight End's that Randall Cobb barely had a decent game. This is beyond bad and it's been like this for a month now. This team won't win shit and it shows. I'm going to end up backing into a bye and probably losing off the bat in the 2nd round as my running back group is a clusterfuck, my wide receiver group is DeAndre Hopkins and then a bunch of overrated name players, and my QB is as inconsistent as you can be. So as you'll see in the next synopsis, I've already lost this week thanks to CALVIN JOHNSON AND ZACH FUCKING MILLER, so 9-3 here I come.

Leland (No Soup For You)

Turkey Day Plays: Calvin Johnson, DeMarco Murray, Zach Miller

Must be nice to survive a DeMarco Murray shitfest (3 points) because the Eagles decide they don't even wanna bother trying to cover Calvin Johnson and he goes the fuck off with his best season of the year and scores 3 TD's. Unreal, so maddening and I don't even wanna be able to try to get in the head of the Eagles defensive coordinator trying to logically believe he can leave a low level rookie on Calvin Johnson in SINGLE COVERAGE and expect him to be shut down. Whatever though. Oh, and the cherry on top? Marty B doesn't play, so Leland replaces him with Zach Miller and whaddya know...of course he scores! He didn't much else, but it was enough. I'm now a 15 point underdog, and overall Leland couldn't ask for a better start and what would be a huge win for him going into the last week.

Eugene (Rocket Man)

Turkey Day Plays: Aaron Rodgers, Jason Witten, James Jones

Well...this has recipe for Albert to play spoiler once again as Eugene's team, just like mine just hasn't been right these past few weeks. I don't know what the deal is with Aaron Rodgers, but he's not that #1 surefire QB he was earlier in the season. He barely threw for 200 yards, only threw 1 TD pass, and threw a pick. His 33 rushing yards bailed him out a little bit, but still a very disappointing play against the Bears defense. James Jones got blanked, and getting zeroes doesn't help matters and Jason Witten was barely a blip on the radar with 4 catches for 36 yards. There's still plenty of football left and Albert hasn't had one guy go yet, but still not a great start at all. This is my silver lining. As bad as my team sucks, no one is taking advantage of it, so by default I'll get the bye. What a confidence builder. 

Matt (Light's Broken Bots)

Turkey Day Plays: Jonathan Stewart

For Matt to play spoiler, he's gotta get above the norm performances from his guys. Jonathan Stewart didn't provide that. He didn't even get to double digits. He got the carries, just didn't do much with them. Could've been a better start, but he didn't totally flame out like Matt Forte did.

Dad (BigBadBob)

Turkey Day Plays: Cam Newton

Dad's in the fight for his life for a playoff spot and he plays the 3rd best team in Mark, so he needed a big day from Cam to start his matchup off right. The problem is, Cam didn't need a big day to decimate to Cowboys so he had good but not great day. Cam didn't even throw for 200 yards and luckily a rush TD saved his day. At least Dad knows what 3 of Mark's guys have done already and it wasn't that great. He seems to have survived Turkey Day, and looks to be in pretty good shape for this week.

Shock The Monkey (Mark)

Turkey Day Plays: Alshon Jeffrey, Ted Ginn Jr., Darren McFadden

Mark's not taking advantage of Eugene's team being disappointing as his trio of guys didn't exactly set the world on fire. Ginn got a big donut and luckily for Darren McFadden a cheap 2 pt conversion made his day seem better than it was, although he still didn't get over 10 points. Alshon was the best of the bunch with 90 yards receiving but even he failed to reach his projections. Again it's not totally over, but not a promising start with the bye still very much up for grabs.

Kenny (Woe Is Me)

Turkey Day Plays: Matthew Stafford, Dez Bryant, Devonte Adams

In typical Kenny fashion, the day started on the highest of the highs and ended on the lowest of the lows. Matthew Stafford was BRILLIANT yesterday, throw over 330 yards, 5 TD's and zero turnovers en route to nearly 40 points! You couldn't ask for a better start from Kenny and with Dez still to play, it looked like Kenny was going to wrap this matchup up before the Thursday Night game. Then...it slowly started going to shit. Dez was shut down all game basically and he only finished with 2 catches for 26 yards. Brutal. At least he still had that Stafford performance right? Well, Kenny panicked and inserted Devonte Adams in his lineup over Kamar Aiken thinking that logically it's Aaron Rodgers, it's the Bears D, surely he'll get some points. BAD MOVE. In what might be a decision that cost him the season, Adams was BEYOND terrible. He dropped and easy 40 yard TD, and continued to drop passes with ease. He's lucky he even 2 catches for 14 yards from him. Terrible decision that might come back to haunt Kenny. Still, the Stafford play might be good enough to withstand the WR suckage, and we haven't seen Drew's guys play yet, but just a super letdown on what started as the best start you can have for Kenny. Sucks.

Ryan (Hoosier Daddy)

Turkey Day Plays: Golden Tate

Ryan only had one play but he made it count. Golden Tate had 7 receptions for 50 yards and a TD as Ryan is trying to cling on to hope that he has a chance at the playoffs. That's the kind of performance you take to the bank. Good start, although as you'll see his opponent had a little bit better one.

Alex (Winter Is Over)

Turkey Day Plays: Eddie Lacy

So NOW Eddie Lacy is regaining form. For the 2nd straight game, Lacy has looked like the back that was taken in the first round of many drafts this year (top 3 usually). He had 139 total yards and a score and nearly 20 points in a performance that Alex really needed. Alex is very much still in the hunt for a playoff spot and a win here would help keep him very much alive. Great start and what should be a close matchup.

Mayra, Drew, and Albert just got to watch football worry free as they had no plays yesterday. All their players will be ready to go starting Sunday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 12 Matchups and Predictions

Oh boy, so we're down to the last two weeks and everyone is still in the hunt for the final 4 playoff spots up for grabs (Eugene and I have already clinched). Every single lineup decision is critical as it becomes the difference to living to play another day or gearing up for the super depressing Michael Wiley Loser Bowl. Let's get to the predictions.

Kumamon Express (9-2) vs
No Soup For You (6-5)

Matchup Stats
All Time Record: I lead series 6-3-1

What's At Stake
For Me: #1 Seed
For Leland: Playoff berth

Predictions: I Say, Leland wins. I KNOW I've won the past two, but the caliber of opponents wasn't that great. Alex was playing without his main QB (Drew Brees) and I only beat Albert by 4. Before that, I lost to two playoff caliber teams. My team right now, is struggling and until I see something from T.Y. Hilton and Randall Cobb and also see how Matt Forte comes back from his injury I'm not going to pick myself to beat Leland. Leland takes this and gets one step closer to the playoffs. I can afford the loss anyways.

Rocket Man (8-3) vs
Channel 4 News Team (4-7)

Matchup Stats
All Time Record: Eugene leads series 5-1

What's At Stake
For Eugene: #1/#2 seed; bye
For Albert: Stay alive in playoff hunt

Predictions: I Say Eugene wins. Eugene is still in the hunt for the #1 seed and if I lose and Eugene wins, the #1 seed will come down to who wins the last week of the regular season. If somehow Eugene loses, he might be fighting for the #2 seed depending on how Mark does. Albert's already played spoiler once, but I think with the byes over, Eugene takes this as he just has the better overall roster.

Bigger Balls (5-6) vs
Light's Broken Bots (4-7)

Matchup Stats
All Time Record: Series is tied 3-3

What's At Stake
For Mayra: Playoff Berth
For Matt: Stay Alive in Playoff Race

Predictions: I say Mayra wins. Mayra gets a much needy cushy matchup against Matt and his injury ravaged team. Mark beat Matt without his top two plays by 30. Even with Big Ben and OBJ coming back, Mayra should still have enough ammo to get win #6 and keep that #6 playoff spot for another week. If Matt does do the unthinkable (like in the finals) he'll keep his slim playoff hopes alive as well.

Shock The Monkey (7-4)
BigBadBob (5-6)

Matchup Stats
All Time Record: Dad leads series 3-2

What's At Stake
For Dad: Playoff Berth
For Mark: Automatic playoff berth. Chance at #2 seed and bye

Predictions: I Say Dad wins. Dad's been on a nice mini run here as of late, scoring points by the buckets. I'm going to give the edge since it looks like Alshon Jeffrey might not play yet again. For Mark if he gets the win, it'll be win #8 and thus he'd clinch a playoff spot and also depending on what happens with Eugene could be in the hunt for the 2nd seed as well.

Woe Is Me (5-6) vs
Sons Of The Harpy (4-7)

Matchup Stats
All Time Record: Kenny leads series 5-4

What's A Stake
For Kenny: Stay Alive in Playoff Race
For Drew: Stay Alive in Playoff Race

Predictions: I say Kenny wins. With a 3 game winning streak, he's the hottest team in the league right now. It wasn't pretty last week, but Kenny has slowly turned his season around and he faces another stiff test in Drew. Drew's on the opposite side of the spectrum as he's dropped his last 3 and his team has been super disappointing. I gotta go with the hot team and say Kenny survives and will get one more week to try to snake away a playoff berth. If Drew does win, with help, he'll still be alive for a playoff shot in Week 13.

Winter Is Over (5-6) vs
Hoosier Daddy (4-7)

Matchup Stats
All Time Record: Alex leads series 2-0

What's At Stake
For Alex: Stay Alive in Playoff Race
For Ryan: Stay Alive in Playoff Race

Predictions: I Say Ryan wins. Alex went from being in the playoffs to being on the outside looking in. His team's talent has finally caught up with him. He does get Drew Brees back, but I just believe Ryan has the better team. Alex has a better shot at the playoffs than Ryan if he can win, but for Ryan a win keeps a shot at the playoffs a reality. 

Week 11 Results: So You're Saying There's A Chance?

 

Just like the Dallas Cowboys believe that with Tony Romo back, at 3-7, they can still win the division and make the playoffs (delusional or not), because of another crazy week here at the Wane McGarity Bowl, there is technically not one team who's eliminated from contention with two weeks left in the regular season. This is seriously the season with the most parity that we've ever had, as every team can beat anyone on any given week. I've touted myself, Mark, Eugene, Leland, Drew, Mayra, Kenny as favorites throughout the season and none of us look unbeatable (In fact Leland, Drew, and Mayra all lost this week, while Eugene barely won by under 4 points). The only thing we know as that Eugene became team #2 to punch his playoff ticket in. We all know the story and it just shows that fantasy football is as unpredictable as can be when a team like Eugene can survive the worst draft position in our league's history and overcome that and still make the playoffs. Congrats and hats off to you, sir. Now for me and Eugene, the bye still needs to be clinched, but at least we know, we'll be in the final 6. For the other 10 teams, it'll interesting and fun to see who ends up getting in. These two weeks are going to be very exciting. Onto the results.

Kumamon Express (9-2)                 85.48

Winter Is Over (5-6)                        71.48

This was a weird week, scoring wise, as only one team went over 100 points (Dad cleared that by 40 again, as his team has been a scoring MACHINE), while only two other teams scored 90 points. Very bad football all around this past week. So I get win #9, which is crucial, because I believe that in the worst case scenario thanks to my points, I'll finish 2nd place and still get a bye, which I believe I NEED, because my team has been AWFUL the past 4 weeks. It's obvious the Randall Cobb and T.Y. Hilton acquisitions aren't panning out but because of their past, I HAVE TO keep starting them. Hilton did nothing really, while Cobb caught a TD, he still was held to 24 yards and dropped easy ass passes which is inexcusable as FUCK. My two wins in this 4 game span are only because the opponents I play don't have great rosters. Danny Woodhead played exactly like the late round pick he was, as he was barely a blip on the radar. I worry that with the season over, the  Chargers will just say fuck it and force Melvin Gordon down everyone's throats EVEN MORE, even though Woodhead is the obvious better back this year. The Raiders also have NO CLUE how to use Latavius Murray. He barely touches the ball and it takes TWO Tawain Jones goal line stuffs (at the fucking 1) before the Raiders say "hey, why don't we let our LEAD BACK get this" and Murray gets the 1 yard TD with ease. Dumbass Raiders. Tony Romo did indeed look rusty, but still looked good as well, and fantasy wise was ok. Won't play him against Carolina though. Greg Olsen scored a TD, but didn't do much yardage. Once again, like ALL SEASON, DeAndre Hopkins saved my ass is in the main reason I won. Against "Revis Island" he burned Revis for a long TD, and scored a 2nd one in the 2nd half when Revis left the game with concussion. 118 yards and 2 scores against the Jets. He's been beyond awesome and clutch. The only guy worth a shit right now on my team. For Alex, Delanie Walker ended up being his best play. Brandon Marshall did score a TD, but the rest of his team was just mediocre at best. Alex now has the least points scored in the entire league. He had an outside chance of upsetting me last night, down 16 and he had Brandon LaFell (I had Blount) but LaFell didn't do much and now Alex has fallen out of the playoffs due to points. He really needs a win next week against Ryan to stay alive. I'll take on Leland in a matchup that's way more important to Leland than me.

Game MVP

DeAndre Hopkins (Kumamon Express)

5 Receptions, 118 Receiving Yards, 2 Receiving TD's, 26.3 Fantasy Points

 

Channel 4 News Team (4-7)             92.78

No Soup For You (6-5)                     74.28

Ah..this is bad loss at the wrong time for Leland. Instead of easily beating a 3 win team and gaining separation from the pack, Leland gets blown out and now is a dangerous territory as there's a pack of wolves gunning for him as there's a ton of 5 win teams just a game behind him. Leland had a shitty start from Bortles and Hurns and just never recovered. Todd Gurley scored for him again, but had a mediocre yardage game and his best, Danny Amendola, was Monday Night when it was already over. The win for Albert, raises his playoff hopes from the dead (though admittedly he's a long shot..he still technically has a shot). Makes that loss he suffered when he didn't change out his team THAT much more devastating. For Albert, it was basically a two man show and Gronk and A.J. Green weren't those two guys. Both were quiet and A.J. Green didn't even reach 10 points while Gronk was held to less than 5. Thanks to Doug Martin (A BEAST with 235 rushing yards) and Carson Palmer (continues to perform at an MVP level with over 300 passing yards and 4 TD's) Albert pulls off the upset. Now with a little added incentive of a possibly playoff birth, Albert will be more determined than ever to play spoiler. If he somehow can beat Eugene, he ends the season with Matt, so that would be huge. Leland now needs a win against me next week so he doesn't slip into the pack. 

Game MVP

Doug Martin (Channel 4 News Team)

235 Rushing Yards, 23.5 Fantasy Points

Rocket Man (8-3)                 86.98

Bigger Balls (5-6)                83.20

Wow...so Eugene survives Monday Night and gets a well deserved playoff berth by getting win #8 by a little over 3 points in what was a surprising close game considering Mayra was without Antonio Brown. Mayra got a surprisingly good game from Alfred Blue (92 total yards, and a TD) and the Dalton-Eifert combo once again came through (2 TD's) but the rest of Mayra's team was pretty awful (Leonard Hankerson did score a TD, but his yardage wasn't great). She need 5 points to beat Eugene with Karlos Williams left, but he just couldn't come through as he barely had 11 rushing yards. For Eugene, it was great to see Julio back off of bye (9 catches for 160 yards) and though Aaron Rodgers still doesn't seem right, he still put up over 20 points. John Brown added a TD, and Darren Sproles was a great spot start with a TD himself. Again, because this week was low scoring, the rest of Eugene's guys didn't do much. Eugene now sets his sights on securing a 1st round bye and he'll have to get through Albert next week. For Mayra, this is dangerous territory as she's now tied with 3 other teams at 5-6. Luckily she plays Matt next week, but of course the last time these two met and Matt was the severe underdog we alllll know what happened there.

Game MVP

Julio Jones (Rocket Man)

9 Receptions, 160 Receiving Yards, 20.5 Fantasy Points

 

Shock The Monkey (7-4)        90.00

Light's Broken Bots (4-7)       60.94

Poor Matt, even his backup's BACKUP gets hurt. That's how bad it's been. Matt loses Edelman, he picks up Keshawn Martin he ends up being inactive, he quickly replaces him with Aaron Dobson and in the 2nd quarter HE GETS INJURED. Matt just can't catch a break. This was really never in doubt, as Matt's team is totally decimated with injuries and he didn't have Big Ben or Odell Beckham due to bye weeks. Even without Emmanuel Sanders and Alshon Jeffrey (inactive due to injuries) Mark easily wins be nearly 30 points and keeps separation from the rest of the group. His 90 points were the 3rd highest score of the week, which is crazy. Jeremy Hill still sucks, but lucky for Mark he's still the goal line back and he had two TD's, while Darren McFadden had 149 total yards to help lead the way. Mark's going to need Sanders and Jeffrey healthy to be a real contender. Mark takes on my Dad and his surging team next, while Matt will try to recreate that finals magic from last year "one more time" against Mayra.

Game MVP

Darren McFadden (Shock The Monkey)

129 Rushing Yards, 3 Receptions, 20 Receiving Yards, 16.4 Fantasy Points

 

BigBadBob (5-6)                  142.94

Sons Of The Harpy (4-7)       71.58

Dad is just SURGING the past two weeks as he once again explodes for nearly 143 points. He's only 10 points behind me for most points scored in the league. Dad was the only one to score 100 or more points and he did it with ease. He's peaking at the right time and as of today he's a playoff bound team as the 5th seed. Cam Newton continues to be amazing for Dad as he threw for 5 TD's and had nearly 37 points. The biggest move Dad made though..was a smart one and might end up being a season saver. Marshawn Lynch was declared inactive and Dad smartly went to the waiver wire to pickup Thomas Rawls, who was there (my damn phone was DEAD, I was out to lunch with friends, otherwise I'd been ALL over that, but was surprised nobody had rostered him to begin with). Best waiver wire move on gameday BY FAR. Rawls EXPLODED with 254 total yards and two TD's for 39 points. If Lynch is indeed out for the season, then Dad won't miss a beat with Rawls. Great season saving move there. Dad also got Vincent Jackson back and he scored a TD, and while Jeremy Langford was mostly quiet, he added a TD as well. Gio Bernard was getting it done on the ground but he sure did in the air as he had 8 receptions for 128 yards. Fitzgerald chipped in 90 yards as well, as right now, Dad is the hottest team in the league scoring wise. Drew just never stood a chance this week. Demaryius Thomas scored on like the first drive of the game, but didn't do much after that. Peterson scored as well, but fumbled and had under 50 yards rushing. Tom Brady didn't even get 15 points while Amari Cooper didn't even get A POINT. Drew's dropped 3 straight, and now has an outside shot at a playoff spot. Thanks to the other losses in the season though, he's still got a shot nonetheless. He needs to beat Kenny to keep his hope alive next week, while Dad will have another tough test against Mark next week.

Game MVP

Thomas Rawls (BigBadBob)

209 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD, 3 Receptions, 46 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD, 39 Fantasy Points

 

Woe Is Me (5-6)            81.78

Hoosier Daddy (4-7)    70.36

Everything is aligning for Kenny. He's won three straight and the teams he needs to lose are all losing. He's still on the outside looking in, but barely as he's the 7th seed right now. Now...this was way closer than it should've been, considering that Ryan lost both Justin Forsett (broken arm) and Devonta Freeman (concussion) early to injuries. But it took LeSean McCoy's 3rd quarter TD to seal the deal. A win is a win nonetheless and after a horrid start, Kenny's back to being a contender in our league. McCoy led the way with 123 total yards and a TD, while Dez scored a TD, while Matthew Stafford didn't throw a TD pass, he did rush for a TD and put up 20 fantasy points. For Ryan, just bad break all around and on top of that after losing Andrew Luck, he lost Joe Flacco for the season as well, so now Ryan has no QB. Forsett is a season ender, but Devonta Freeman should be back in Week 12 which is good, because Ryan's playoff chances aren't completely dead yet. Ryan just couldn't overcome the RB injuries, and the only one who stood out for him was Mike Evans, who had 63 yards and a score. Kenny did win, but man he needs points and nearly 82 points won't cut it. Still, to lose 6 in a row and STILL be in the hunt, is a great accomplishment, but there's still work to be done and he'll have to beat Drew next week to stay alive. Meanwhile, Ryan takes on a struggling Alex team next week to keep HIS playoff hopes alive as well.

Game MVP

LeSean McCoy (Woe Is Me)

82 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD, 6 Receptions, 41 Receiving Yards, 21.3 Fantasy Points

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday Night Overview/Week 10 Awards

 

Last night's game between the Titans and Jags was nothing to write home about. It was a snore of a game, but nonetheless there were fantasy implications. Drew decided to take a risk and play 3 players in this game. 1, Allen Robinson, was a no brainer, but the two he played on the Titans side, Antonio Andrews, and Dorial Green-Beckham were both total crap shoot plays. Robinson did his job, 5 receptions for 113 yards, and Andrews and Green-Beckham weren't that bad as they combined for nearly 16 points. All in all, they beat there projected paths, so Drew at least survived that decision. Everyone knows how paranoid I am, so I wasn't too happy seeing Delaine Walker being the only one catches passes for the Titans. He finished with 8 catches for 109 yards and beat his projection by nearly 6 points. I still think I'll be ok, but that's all Alex can ask for with his first play, to beat the projection. Unfortunately for Leland, he opened the door for the chance of an upset as his Bortles/Hurns combo was horrible. Bortles was lucky to salvage his day with a late TD pass to Julius Thomas set up by a 60 yard kickoff return by Rashad Green. Hurns did nothing of note and now Leland finds himself as an underdog against Albert. It's far from over, but just not a good start. Albert himself couldn't really capitalize with his one play, in T.J. Yeldon. Yeldon was disappointing with 82 total yards.

Wane McGarity Stud Of The Week

Jeremy Langford (BigBadBob)

 

Langford's nearly 34 point explosion helped Dad set the record for highest team score this season. If anything, here's something that can bode well for Dad, if Matt Forte walks next season (he's a free agent), no doubt Langford would have the feature back role all to himself and to be able keep him in the last round of next year's draft (since he was an undrafted free agent in our league) would be a HUGE advantage to have. 

Michael Wiley Dud Of The Week

Peyton Manning (Woe Is Me)

 

Even though Kenny won with ease, it's hard to ignore another record being set. -4.20 points is the lowest score for a skill player ever scored in our league. Credit to Kenny for having a roster able to absorb that.

No Drew Bennett Sneaky Surprise or Jay Cutler Bad Decision Awards this week.

 

Week 11 Matchups and Predictions

Very important week this week (well...when isn't it) as things can get really murky if certain teams win and certain lose. Every lineup decision matters as the stakes get higher and higher. Here's this week's predictions.


Kumamon Express (8-2) vs
Winter Is Over (5-5)

Matchup Stats
All Time Record: Alex leads series 1-0

Predictions
I Say: I win. This is my best chance at securing a bye as I believe if I win and get to 9 wins it should be enough for a bye even if I tie record wise because of my points. Alex will be without Drew Brees and though Brandon Marshall, Brandon LaFell, Jimmy Graham, Delanie Walker, and James Starks are a little scary I still think I should be able to overcome the chances they go off. I am scared that my team has really looked mediocre recently and Randall Cobb has been a bust since I traded for him. Hopkins has a bad matchup as well, and T.Y. Hilton has Matt Hasselback throwing to him. It's not a total slam dunk, but I'm pretty confident I can win this week.

No Soup For You (6-4) vs
Channel 4 News Team (3-7)

Matchup Stats
All Time Record: Leland leads series 3-2

Predictions
I Say: Leland wins. I'm actually surprised it's this close. Albert played me well last week, but that was also do to my team underperforming. That's the only way Albert has a chance. Leland has the better overall roster and I think he'll get win #7 here.

Rocket Man (7-3) vs
Bigger Balls (5-5)

Matchup Stats
All Time Record: Mayra leads series 3-0

Predictions
I Say: Eugene wins. Last we saw these two was the semifinals of the Wane McGarity Bowl which Mayra easily won. I know Eugene had an ugly game last week, but Mayra's in a pretty tough spot here without Antonio Brown. Her WR trio, on paper, looks awful and Alfred Blue, who's beyond terrible plays the Jets. I'll give the edge to Eugene here, who gets Julio Jones back.

Shock The Monkey (6-4) vs
Light's Broken Bots (4-6)

Matchup Stats
All Time Record: Matt leads series 2-1

Predictions
I Say: Mark wins. I'm gonna jinx the hell outta this, but this is the most no brainer pick of the week. Matt's team is just beyond decimated and his best players, Ben Roethlisberger and Odell Beckham Jr. are both on bye. This is a gift win for Mark in a critical time. There's no way Matt wins this week. NO...WAY.

BigBadBob (4-6) vs
Sons Of The Harpy (4-6)

Matchup Stats
All Time Record: Drew leads series 5-0

Predictions
I Say: Dad wins. This season has been so crazy. Drew's gone from a favorite to win it all to fighting for his playoff life the past couple of weeks. Historically, Drew's dominated Dad, but I gotta give the edge to Dad this week (unless Michael Floyd ends up not playing...that would be pretty huge). Drew's RB situation behind Peterson is beyond a mess and having to use Ameer Abdullah or C.J. Anderson is just bad. If he has a fully healthy roster, Dad's got the better team this week.

Woe Is Me (4-6) vs
Hoosier Daddy (4-6)

Matchup Stats
All Time Record: Series is tied 4-4

Predictions
I Say: Kenny wins. To be truthfully honest..I'm scared shitless Kenny somehow makes the playoffs. His team is THAT good. Seriously...look at the roster, deep at WR and Running back and decent at QB. He still has to win outright and hope for other stuff to happen, but damn it's team I don't wanna face. I think he beats Ryan here to survive another week.

Week 10 Results: The Unpredictability Of It All

 

Just like Peyton Manning's mystifying rapid decline, our playoff race is just as hard to wrap your head around. Since 3 of the 3-6 teams won today, 11 teams are still technically in the playoffs.  It's seriously the most unpredictable season I've ever seen. The only known is I'm the first team to clinch a playoff spot after that grueling 4 point win against Albert. I have no clue who else is gonna get in much less win it all though. So many balanced teams out there and it's literally a "any given week" scenario. Me and Eugene looked like we were in the driver's seat, but my team has looked real shaky recently (2 straight losses and a 4 pt win AGAINST ALBERT just confirmed my fear that my team isn't what it's record reflects) and Eugene's dropped 2 of his last three so the bye is in question for sure. Drew looked like a surefire playoff team before dropping two straight, including a bad loss to Matt's injury riddled team (who lost yet ANOTHER key player in Julian Edelman). The only thing I know is that I don't know, and it's definitely shaping up to be the most competitive playoff race we've ever seen.

Light's Broken Bots (4-6)       95.22

Sons Of The Harpy (4-6)        88.16

This is a TERRIBLE loss for Drew and it couldn't have come at a worse time. Once again the lack of a true RB2 and TE (combined 4.2 points) plus Willie Snead's 0 point performance just killed Drew this week. He wasted a beautiful Adrian Peterson performance (over 200 yards and a score) and decent games from Amari Cooper, Demaryius Thomas, and Allen Robinson (All scored double digits). Tom Brady was far from the Brady we've been used to seeing, but he did have nearly 21 points still. For Matt, Odell Beckham's 87 yard TD basically sealed the deal this week. Couple that with a two TD Jordan Reed performance, a 91 yard 1 TD Jonathan Stewart performance, and Alfred Morris waking up and having a 100 yard performance and it was the perfect formula for upsetting Drew. Unfortunately, Matt lost Julian Edelman to a broken foot and that will probably keep him out for the rest of the fantasy season. Just another tough break for Matt in a series of them all year. Matt's still technically alive, but he has a tough task in Mark next week and a loss there and he's done. Drew's officially in survival mode as well and he'll take on my Dad, which won't be a slam dunk in the least.

Game MVP

Odell Beckham Jr (Light's Broken Bots)

4 Receptions, 104 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD, 18.40 Fantasy Points

 

Woe Is Me (4-6)                97.90

Winter Is Over (5-5)        65.76

What a weird matchup. Despite having the worst individual player score in our league history (Peyton Manning put up -4.60 points) Kenny wins this matchup with EASE. There's really not much to say on Alex's side. Just a pitiful performance all around. For Kenny he already had that good Decker and Ivory start, and even with a bad Dez performance (7 points) he still nearly put up 100 points thanks to Charcandrick West going off for 161 total yards and 2 TD's. Crockett Gilmore added a TD, and solid games from Kamar Aiken and Davonte Adams helped round up the big win. Kenny's not a team I'd wanna face these last three weeks. For Alex, it doesn't get any easier as he'll play me next without Drew Brees. Kenny will try to keep him playoff hopes alive against Ryan in which the loser's season will be pretty much over.

Game MVP

Charcandrick West (Woe Is Me)

69 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD, 3 Receptions, 92 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD, 29.60 Fantasy Points

 

Shock The Monkey (6-4)            68.78

Rocket Man (7-3)                        58.72

Geez...I wish this was the week I played Mark. This was a terrible, ugly low scoring affair and for Eugene had Aaron Rodgers not gotten garbage time it would've been even WORSE. There's nothing really to say here, James Jones and John Brown both got 0, and it's a great thing Eugene gets Julio Jones back next week. Mark really wasn't any better. Derek Carr was OK, with over 300 yards and 2 TD's (and 2 Picks) and Jarvis Landry and Gary Barnidge added TD's but that's about it. The real thing to take out of this is that with me and Eugene both struggling recently, it's opened up the bye as Mark is only a game behind now. It doesn't get any easier for Eugene next week as he'll take on Mayra (though no Antonio Brown will definitely help) while Mark has a much easier matchup against Matt's super depleted team.

Game MVP

Derek Carr (Shock The Monkey)

302 Passing Yards, Two Passing Touchdowns, 2 Interceptions, 12 Rushing Yards, 20.28 Fantasy Points

 

BigBadBob (4-6)           153.88

Hoosier Daddy (4-6)       74.64

Who saw THIS coming?? Dad just completely destroys Ryan this week with putting up the highest score of the season as his guys just went totally off. In fact this was basically over after the first wave of games because Cam Newton, Brandin Cooks, and Jeremy Langford combined for 82.48 Points! Cooks and Langford both scored a couple TD's a piece, while Cam had a passing and rushing TD. It's a shame Dad's chances of making the playoffs are slim, because as shown, he can put up points. As if he needed more, Larry Fitzgerald was awesome with 10 catches for 130 yards and Michael Floyd has been a BEAST as he had 113 receiving yards and 2 TD's. The only worrisome thing is Floyd suffered a hamstring injury and Dad really can't afford to lose him for any amount of time. Marshawn Lynch scored as well and really only Travis Kelce was disappointing but really...who cares! Bad loss for Ryan as besides Joe Flacco (Great matchup this week against shitty Jags, he had over 300 and 3 TD's) and Mike Evans (continues to dominate targets with V-Jax out, he had 8 for 126) no one else even scored 9 points. His receivers outside of Mike Evans continue to bring him down, and that in the long run might be his downfall. Dad will try to keep his season alive next week  against Drew, while Ryan takes on Kenny. Both matchups are basically elimination games as the losers will be guaranteed to finish with a losing record.

Game MVP

Jeremy Langford (BigBadBob)

73 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD, 7 Receptions, 109 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD, 33.70 Fantasy Points

 

Kumamon Express (8-2)          97.84

Channel 4 News Team (3-7)     93.42

This was UGLY....but I escaped a huge scare and not only get win #8 but also clinch a playoff berth. I had a balanced performance from my team but no one really stood out Sunday, outside of Eli Manning and his nearly 24 points. LaGarrette Blount did score a TD but mainly it was just bla yardage games from Rishard Matthews and Greg Olsen. Randall Cobb was disappointing what was supposed to be an easy Packers win (they lost) and Latavius Murray played but didn't do anything of note. Oh..and Jordan Matthews is back to shitty Jordan Matthews. Guess he's only good against Dallas. Things just weren't looking good at all and the only thing going for me was Albert's guys weren't that much better...until Gronk got a WIDE open 76 yard TD. I was up about 21 going into Sunday Night and he still had Carson Palmer and A.J. Green while I had  DeAndre Hopkins. I was actually feeling pretty good considering Palmer was playing against the Seattle D....I WAS DEAD WRONG. He carved them up for over 360 yards and 3 TD's (though he did lose back to back fumbles, which at the end pretty much cost Albert the win). Albert went in with a 3 point lead and A.J. Green agasint DeAndre Hopkins Monday Night. I pretty much had conceded that Albert would win, considering Green was playing against the awful Texans Secondary, while Hopkins had a tougher matchup against the Bengals. First half...HOPKINS HAD ZERO....luckily Green only had a little over 4 points so the lead wasn't huge, but I needed to get SOMETHING from Hopkins. He finally woke up in the 2nd half and after Brian Hoyer left the game with a concussion, T.J. Yates found Hopkins on an AMAZING TD Catch that gave me the lead. Green would catch a 26 yard pass on the final drive of the game and then on 4th and 6th near the red zone,  Green caught yet another pass, which looked like a for sure first down, only to FUMBLE and lose the ball. That's was the game and I won by a mere 4 points. Thank GOD...because I was losing confidence in my team (not that I'm not worried still, it wasn't a good team performance). At least I know I'll be going to the playoffs and after going through what I went last season, it's a hell of a relief. For Albert, he put up a good fight, but it basically looks like season over for the former 2 time champ. This loss guarantees him a losing record and I don't think a losing record will get into the playoffs. Albert will have to think about his plans for next season. Albert will play Leland next week and I'll get to play Alex, and if I can beat Alex, I'm pretty sure I'll also clinch a bye as well.

Game MVP

DeAndre Hopkins (Kumamon Express)

5 Receptions, 57 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD (Game Winner) 14.2 Fantasy Points

No Soup For You (6-4)               108.52

Bigger Balls (5-5)                         83.68

One of the powerhouse teams had to lose and unfortunately for Mayra, her three Monday night plays were god awful and Leland ended up easily winning and continuing his amazing turnaround after starting 0-3. Since then, Leland has gone 6-1 in the last seven games. In what was supposed to be a cushy matchup, Andy Dalton and Tyler Eifert was AWFUL as Dalton was held to under 10 points and Eifert had more drops than catches. Surprisingly shitty effort and of course Alfred Blue predictably did nothing because he sucks. Here's what is definitely hurting Mayra...her wide receivers behind Antonio Brown. DESPITE going off yet AGAIN with 10 catches for 139 yards and two scores (almost 33 points) her other receivers didn't even combine for 5 points. This team has a serious lack of depth and it shows. It can't afford for the games that Dalton and Eifert had. Lamar Miller once again was great with 93 yards and a TD but at the end, two players can't carry Mayra's whole team. For Leland, he's not skipping a beat after losing Keenan Allen. I'm gonna keep saying it week after week because it's so true, but Leland's decision to not only take Todd Gurley and stash him but Martavis Bryant as well and stash was pure GENIUS and it has paid off for yet another week. Bryant had 178 and a score while Todd Gurley had nearly 100 total yards and a score. If I had to be honest at this point, I think Leland has the best team in the league. Allen Hurns also continues to go under the radar, as he scored a TD for the 7th straight game and we really still haven't seen that dominant Calvin Johnson game. Blake Bortles was even a nice fill in and honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Leland kept using him. He threw for 2 more TD's and nearly had 19 fantasy points. DeMarco Murray had 119 total yards as well for good measure. There's no doubt Leland makes the playoffs and he'll try to take the next step next week against Albert. Mayra needs a bounce back in a huge way, but she has a difficult matchup ahead of her in Eugene.

Game MVP

Martavis Bryant (No Soup For You)

6 Receptions, 178 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD, 24.80 Fantasy Points

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday Night Overview/Week 9 Awards

 

Well, fantasy wise the Thursday night game was nothing to write home about. We'll start with Albert, as he had Sammy Watkins who was held in check to 3 catches and 14 yards. I'll take the start, but it doesn't really mean anything if a) my guys suck and b)his other guys go off (remember Mayra had 4 guys score under 7 points combined last week and still beat my ass, so I'm no longer putting stock into one bad play). Mayra played Karlos Williams and he did his job, scoring a TD. She's still a huge underdog but at least Williams almost doubled his projection. With Matt's QB situation in dire straits again, he decided to roll with Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick had a decent game with a couple of TD scores, but he did have 2 costly picks. It's not exactly the start Matt needs if he wants to upset Drew. See what I mean about Kenny having a great chance to play spoiler from this point on? Although Brandon Marshall scored a TD, he had little yardage and didn't even reach 10 points. Eric Decker continues his impressive season with yet another TD and 85 receiving yards, while Chris Ivory had 135 total yards (he did fumble though). Alex would be in even more trouble had Kenny played LeSean McCoy. Kenny benched McCoy because of injury concerns and matchup but McCoy played like the Shady of old as he looked real sharp and had 159 total yards. Despite benching him, I still think Kenny's in the driver seat in this matchup. Onto the Week 9 Awards.

Wane McGarity Stud Of The Week

Antonio Brown (Bigger Balls)

 

When you have a player who breaks franchise records in receptions (17) and yards in a game (284) you can afford to have half your team suck and still win easily. That's exactly what happened last week with Mayra against me.

Michael Wiley Dud Of The Week

Eddie Lacy (Winter Is Here)

 

Even though Alex won easily last week, I can't ignore the fact how god awful Lacy's been. He makes C.J. Anderson look like a 1st round steal. Lacy beyond sucks as proof to his game against the Panthers last week. He finished with -1.00 points. That's absurd. He literally did less than nothing. What a waste.

Drew Bennett Sneaky Surprise Play Award

Richard Rodgers (Winter Is Over)

 

It was plays like this, that helped Alex survive that horrible Lacy game. With Anquan Boldin ruled out again, Alex flexed Richard Rodgers and it worked out perfectly. 2 TD's and almost 16.5 points. 

Jay Cutler Bad Decision Award

I play Marquess Wilson over Jordan Matthews

 

This could be one that haunts me later on. So I was down a ton, and felt like I needed a hail mary play to have a small chance at winning so I benched Jordan Matthews who's been terrible most of the season for Marquess Wilson, who was the #2 receiver in Chicago with Eddie Royal out. That game was supposed to be a shootout with plenty of points to go around. I had already done this before, a couple of weeks ago, when I benched Matthews on Sunday night with Michael Floyd on Monday Night and it worked out perfectly. This time though...it blew up in my face. Matthews went on to have a game winning TD in overtime and ended up with nearly 24 points, while Marquess Wilson got me a mere 2. I would've beaten Mayra had I played Jordan Matthews. This late in the season, when things are so close, it was a terrible mistake, that in the long run could cost me a bye.

 

 

Who Will Get In?

This is always my favorite post of the season. We're down to the home stretch of the fantasy regular season with only 4 games left to go. This year's field is as competitive as ever, and it's really going to be hard to predict who's going to get in with so little separation between everyone. I will give it a shot though. Here's the breakdown of everyone's playoff chances.

Pretty Much a Lock

Kumamon Express (7-2)

Rest of Schedule: vs Albert
                                  Alex
                                  Leland
                                  Eugene

Ok, so with all my bitching, and moaning at the end of the day with 7 wins already in the bag, it would take a catastrophic free fall for me not to make it (well...it IS my luck...). The bye is a totally different story, that's not a given for sure and considering my schedule still has 3 playoff contenders combined with my team being annihilated with injuries, I can see me losing the bye. I just can't see me not making the playoffs. I have two very winnable games the next two weeks (even with my injuries, I SHOULD  be able to beat Albert and Alex), the matchups with Leland and Eugene scare me though. Getting to 8 wins would make me feel a lot more comfortable, but on the insane fact that I do somehow drop 6 straight, I still think my points get me in.

Rocket Man (7-2)

Rest of Schedule: vs Mark
                                  Mayra
                                  Albert
                                  Me

So again, because of points and record, Eugene should be in a comfortable position to make the playoffs in what has been an amazing run. Just like me, the bye is in question though, because that's a real tough schedule he has. Me, Mark, and Mayra are all elite teams to have deal with. The only close to a sure thing win in my book is Albert. He's definitely capable of winning against all of us, it's just going to be super tough. 1 win out of 4 though, 100% locks him in the playoffs. 

Close To A Sure Thing

Bigger Balls (5-4)

Rest of Schedule: vs Leland
                                  Eugene
                                  Matt
                                  Dad

So Mayra loses Le'Veon Bell, but is gifted Lamar Miller to reestablish her running game. Look at the points she just put up. She's not only a playoff contender but once again a TITLE contender. We'll see how yet another Big Ben injury affects Antonio Brown, but even with that, I still say she has enough to get in. Her last two matchups are cake, against the worst in the league, while she has a couple of tests in Leland and Eugene. Since I think 7 wins is the goal, I say she gets those with a legit shot at 8 if she can split the next two weeks.

Shock The Monkey (5-4)

Rest Of Schedule: Vs Eugene
                                    Matt
                                    Dad
                                   Kenny

After an 0-3 start, Mark ripped off 5 wins in a row to not only get himself back into the thick of things ,but also get himself a chance at the bye. I still don't think he should've traded his best RB in Lamar Miller away for an WR 2 like Jarvis Landry (Miller's been a beast since Dan Campbell took over, plus Mark's other RB's aren't exactly reliable right now, besides Darren McFadden) but even despite that, he found waiver wire gold in Derek Carr and Gary Barnidge and along with his stud receivers in Alshon Jeffrey and Emmanuel Sanders, Mark has a very tough team to beat. His schedule is also very soft as faces 3 of the teams that are at the bottom of the league to end his season (though Kenny has the team that could play spoiler). His matchup with Eugene is his hardest, but it's definitely winnable. Based on schedule Mark should at the very least make the playoffs and in best case scenario get a bye as well.

They Have A Chance

No Soup For You (5-4)

Rest Of Schedule:   vs Mayra
                                     Albert
                                     Me
                                    Alex

So Leland also started out 0-3 before picking up 5 wins out of his last 6 matchups. The loss of Keenan Allen is a terrible blow, but Leland's got a pretty deep squad and at the end of the day I think he's getting in. Mayra and Me are tough matchups, Albert should be a win, and Alex might be a toss up but I'd lean toward Leland in that matchup. If he can just get two out of those 4, he should be fine in getting in the playoffs.

Sons Of The Harpy (4-5)

Rest of Schedule: vs Matt
                                 Dad
                                 Kenny
                                 Ryan

I put Drew on here because I just can't see this team NOT making the playoffs. On paper, he couldn't have it easier. 3 of the 4 teams he faces are the in the bottom of the league, while the 4th (Ryan) in basically on par with him. He needs 3 out of 4 for a realistic shot and I think he gets it. There's too much talent on that team NOT to get it. He might be a game behind the rest, but I'll give the him edge over Alex for that final slot.

Winter Is Over (5-4)

Rest of Schedule: vs Kenny
                                  Me
                                  Ryan
                                  Leland

I know he's just won two straight, but some of the performances have been fluky (Brees with his 50+ points, Delanie Walker getting a bs 60 yard TD) and I just don't like that roster at all. Eddie Lacy sucks, Jimmy Graham is non existent, the receivers are ancient and nicked up all the time, C.J. Spiller is not really startable etc. On paper, his schedule doesn't look too bad and you can make the argument he just needs to win 2 out of 4 to get in, which is why I fully believe he's in the hunt. I just like Drew's team better talent wise and although it probably won't happen, I can actually see him losing these next 4 games. It's possible. None of them are gimmies. He has the 1 game advantage, but give me Drew's team over this team in my opinion.

Hoosier Daddy (4-5)

Rest Of Schedule: vs Dad
                                  Kenny
                                  Alex
                                  Drew

The last of the contenders in my opinion. I think these four teams will be fighting for the last two playoff spots. Ryan's team is much better than it's record shows. Look at the points he scores. Unfortunately, he got the horrible news that Andrew Luck is out for at least a month. That's a HUGE blow to his team. Nevertheless, he actually probably is in the best position of Alex and Drew and himself because it seems he can control his destiny. Beating those guys to end the season would be HUGE. Plus he's got a matchup against my Dad that should be winnable. The matchup against Kenny will be tough. It'll be hard, but I wouldn't count Ryan out just yet.

It's Gonna Take a Miracle

Woe Is Me (3-6)

Rest Of Schedule: Vs Alex
                                   Ryan
                                   Drew
                                   Mark

Basically this last group of teams is done. They'd have to not only run the table but hope a ton of stuff happens to have a chance...THEN also have the points to win a tie breaker. I only put Kenny up here, because he's the only with a legit shot at running the table, albeit it won't be easy of course, but Kenny has the players to do it. Unfortunately, even if he does run the table, his points are so bad he'd lose any tiebreakers. I don't think he makes it unscathed, but it also wouldn't surprise me. All 4 teams he faces are vying for a playoff spot, so he can have some fun and play spoiler. I know out of the 3-6 teams left, Kenny's is not one I'd want to face.

BigBadBob (3-6)

Rest Of Schedule: vs Ryan
                                  Drew
                                  Mark
                                  Mayra

Like Kenny in regards to wins, the reason I put Dad next in line of 3-6 teams is that if he managed the improbable, he's the only one out of the 4 that can really compete with points. Should he run the table, he might be able to actually win the points tie breaker depending on who he was tied with. Unfortunately, that schedule is BRUTAL. Again, like Kenny, all 4 teams vying for a playoff spot, while Mark and Mayra are in the upper tier of contention. Dad could also be chasing my shitty record of most losses in a row. I had 9. If Dad loses out (and with his schedule, there's a slight chance he might) he'd be at 10 in a row. Nonetheless, Dad has a solid team to compete, so he's not a doormat. I have a feeling at least one of those teams he faces will end up losing to Dad, and it would put a major dent in their playoff hopes.

Channel 4 News Team (3-6)

Rest of Schedule: vs Me
                                  Leland
                                  Eugene
                                  Matt

I'd basically put Albert and Matt at the same shot of running the table. Ironically, he's supposed to beat me this week according to Yahoo, but even if he does, he still has Leland and Eugene on that schedule, and ends the schedule with an irrelevant matchup against Matt. One loss and he's out, and there's no doubt he's dropping one of the next 3, the schedule is just way too rough. On the off chance he does run the table, I give him the edge over Matt, because like Dad, Albert can actually compete in points for the tie breaker.

Light's Broken Bots (3-6)

Rest of Schedule: vs Drew
                                  Mark
                                 Mayra
                                 Albert

The Curse Of The Defending Champion hit Matt hard this year. Thanks to injuries, Matt struggled all season and looking at that schedule, it's pretty much a lock he won't be able to have the chance to defend his title this season. He's already a double digit underdog against Drew this week, then has to play Mark and Mayra. Like Albert, by the time he gets to Week 13, their matchup more than likely won't mean anything. I don't see Matt winning those next 3 and if it did somehow come down to Albert and Matt for a chance at the last playoff spot, I'd probably give the edge to Albert's team. It just wasn't in the cards for Matt this year.