Year End Awards: All Waiver Wire Team/Waiver Wire Pickup Of The Year

Waiver Wire Pickups are essential in fantasy football. Teams are constantly scouring free agents looking for the next gem to help ride their team to a fantasy championship. Every year a handful guys break out from fantasy irrelevance to fantasy superstardom. Here's the best of this year's crop. Drafted players who were cut and then picked back up do qualify for this team.

QB

Derek Carr (Shock The Monkey)

3793 Passing Yards, 31 Passing TD's, 12 INT's, 126 Rushing Yards, 1 2 PT, 3 Fumble Lost, 297.32 Fantasy Points

QB Rank: 13

Overall Rank: 21

 

A true 100% waiver wire pickup, Carr ended up supplanting Peyton Manning as Mark's starting QB around mid season. What could've been a disaster and possibly a season ending move, ended up being quite good. Carr was more than adequate as a fantasy starter and the fact that Mark placed 2nd overall more than proves it. I think this is just the beginning and Carr is only going to get better which means no more Waiver Wire teams for him.

WR

Allen Hurns (Sons Of The Harpy)

61 Receptions, 1014 Receiving Yards, 10 Receiving TD's, 1 Fumble Lost, 189.90 Fantasy Points

WR Rank: 12

Overall Rank: 43

 

The "Hit Mang" finished as the 12th ranked wide receiver this season with over 1000 yards receiving and 10 TD's.  Not bad for a guy who wasn't drafted in our league. He filled in nicely for Leland when Keenan Allen suffered a season ending injury. Although in the long run it didn't hurt him, I was shocked that Leland straight dropped him when he suffered a concussion as he could've stashed him as he only ended up missing a week. Drew gladly picked him and he was good for Drew too, helping him reach the playoffs.

WR

Ted Ginn Jr (Shock The Monkey)

44 Receptions, 739 Receiving Yards, 10 Receiving TD's, 60 Rushing Yards, 161.90 Fantasy Points

WR Rank: 20

Overall Rank: 65

Even though Ginn came up as small as small can be in the Championship Game, there's no denying he was huge in Mark's playoff run. Who would've though Ted Ginn, who's been a mediocre journeyman receiver, would end up being a top 20 fantasy receiver this season? Obviously nobody as Ginn went undrafted. There he was though, better than T.Y. Hilton, Randall Cobb and others drafted way earlier. Don't know if it's repeatable, but at least for this season Ginn was definitely a reliable receiver more times than not.

WR

Kamar Aiken (Kumamon Express)

70 Receptions, 868 Receiving Yards,  5 Receiving TD's, 1 Fumble Lost, 149.80 Fantasy Points

WR Rank: 33

Overall Rank: 95

 

All Aiken needed was an opportunity and that's exactly what he got when Steve Smith suffered a season ending injury. Aiken was a pretty consistent PPR producer as the only real receiving option in Baltimore. It didn't even matter who the QB was, Flacco, Schaub, Clausen, Mallett, he had double digit games with them all. Kenny dropped him to pick up Julian Edelman for whoever takes over his team next season. I jumped at the chance to pick him up and in the only  game I got to use him he had 20 points for me. Steve Smith coming back might eat away at his opportunities next season, but this year, he more than proved himself as a fantasy starter.

TE

Gary Barnidge (Shock The Monkey)

71 Receptions, 977 Receiving Yards, 9 Receiving TD's, 187.20 Fantasy Points

TE Rank: 3

Overall Rank: 36

 

Who in the hell saw THIS happening?? Barnidge had been a irrelevant blocking tight end for years before all of a sudden becoming the Browns #1 receiving option. Mark took the gamble and picked him up off waivers and all Barnidge did was become the 3rd ranked TE in all of football. Nearly 1000 yards receiving, and 9 TD's, Barnidge helped Mark in his journey to the championship game. 

RB

David Johnson (No Soup For You)

556 Rushing Yards, 8 Rushing TD's, 33 Receptions, 423 Receiving Yards, 4 Receiving TD's, 1 Return TD, 1 Fumble Lost, 190.40 Fantasy Points

RB Rank: 7

Overall Rank: 34

 

Johnson was a 14th round pick by Dad, and was actually used by Dad a couple times, but when he was basically relegated to 3rd down duties and kick returns, Dad dropped him and Johnson stayed on the waivers for weeks until Chris Johnson suffered a season ending injury. This was probably the biggest pickup of the season as Leland reaped the benefits of David Johnson taking over the starting job, including a key 40 point performance in the playoffs. He was basically this year's Odell Beckham. Next season, there's no doubt with a 14th round price tag, he'll be on Leland's roster.

 

RB

Thomas Rawls (BigBadBob)

830 Rushing Yards, 4 Rushing TD's, 76 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD, 1 Fumble Lost, 123.10 Fantasy Points

RB Rank: 25

Overall Rank:90

 

Had Thomas Rawls not gotten hurt in Dad's 1st round playoff match, he probably would've been hands down the pickup of the year. Unfortunately he did, but it doesn't take away the impact he had on Dad's team after Dad lost Marshawn Lynch for the season. Rawls was way more effective than Marshawn and helped Dad survive and make the playoffs. If Marshawn hangs em up, no doubt Rawls is going to be the man and Dad will be lucky as he'll get to keep him in Round 14.

 

Flex

DeAngelo Williams (RB) (Hoosier Daddy)

899 Rushing Yards, 11 Rushing TD's, 38 Receptions, 354 Receiving Yards, 1 2 PT Conversion, 2 Fumbles Lost, 208.30 Fantasy Points

RB Rank: 3

Overall Rank: 26

 Wow...what a story. DeAngelo Williams was just supposed to be a veteran fill in until Le'Veon Bell came back. In fact, Williams was viewed as past his prime and done that no one even bothered to draft him. He had a great first game and then I picked him up and he basically won me week 2. I dropped him immediately afterwards though because Le'Veon Bell was back. Then Bell got hurt and Williams became the workhorse again Ryan got him and he DOMINATED all season. Almost 1000 yards rushing, 11 TD's and basically his best season of his career. Totally unexpected. Williams was the 3rd ranked RB this season. That's insane. If Ryan had made the playoffs, this would be have definitely been the pickup of the year.

Waiver Wire Pickup Of The Year

David Johnson (No Soup For You)

 Thought about Barnidge as Mark used him a lot throughout the season, but at the end of the day, Barnidge had a terrible championship game, and he didn't have near the impact that David Johnson did for Leland in the most important part of the season. David Johnson's performances in the playoffs basically made Leland unbeatable and he's a key cog in Leland's 2nd title.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Year End Awards: Michael Wiley All Dud Team/Dud Of The Year

Busts, Disappointments, Duds, they all mean the same thing in the world of fantasy football, and it's always inevitable that for some reason or another, players just don't live up to their wildly high expectations. For those who drafted them, it's a near death blow that can cripple your franchise for the season. Here's a look at the Dudliest of the Duds. I took into consideration, the player, the reason, the relative draft position, and how it affected the team that had them. From this point on since we have a flex position, I've decided to add a flex position on all the Year End Teams. Here's the Michael Wiley All Dud Team.

QB

Andrew Luck (Woe Is Me)

QB Rank: 27

Overall Rank: 165

1881 Passing Yards, 15 Passing TD's, 12 INT's, 1 2PT, 1 Fumble Lost, 196 Rushing Yards, 151.84 Fantasy Points

Acquired: 1st Round (4th Overall) by Ryan. Waived By Ryan. Picked up By Me. Waived by Me. Picked up By Kenny

 

Peyton Manning, Matt Ryan, and Aaron Rodgers also got consideration, but considering that all three of those QB's belonged to the three teams that placed and though Aaron Rodgers was a keeper he still kept Eugene afloat most of the season, and Matt Ryan and Peyton Manning weren't drafted nearly as high as Luck, who was the only QB actually drafted in the first 4 rounds. Ryan used his 4th overall pick to grab Luck and it basically sunk his season. Luck was mediocre pretty much all season before suffering a season ending kidney injury. With nothing to lose, Ryan dropped him. I picked him up when it was rumored he might be available to play week 15, but that was squashed quick so I dropped him. Kenny picked him up as an option to keep for who ever takes over his team next season, but with a 1st round price tag, I doubt that happens. Luck finished the season as the 27th highest ranked QB. From the Wane McGarity Stud Team to the Michael Wiley Dud team. Hopefully next year, he bounces back and doesn't have to make this team again.

WR

Dez Bryant (Woe Is Me)

WR Rank: 71

Overall Rank: 232

31 Receptions, 401 Receiving Yards, 3 Receiving TD's, 73.6 Fantasy Points

Acquired: 1st Round (1st Overall) by Kenny

 

Every single circumstance that could go against Dez, happened. Injury that took him out most of the season? Check. Star QB goes down? Check. Ineffective when he did play? Check. In his only game with Tony Romo week 1, Dez was mediocre and then when he did come back with the likes of Brandon Weeden, Matt Cassell, and Kellen Moore throwing him the ball, he was largely ignored and used as a decoy. Kenny had his choice of anybody at #1 overall. This was going to be the cornerstone of Kenny's championship caliber team. Instead, Dez was barely used and Kenny's championship caliber team fizzled quickly and this was the year Kenny finally said enough and decided to leave the league. He more than likely won't be kept at a 1st round price tag, but you have to assume if Romo can stay healthy, Dez won't be making this team again anytime soon.

WR

Randall Cobb (Kumamon Express)

WR Rank: 28

Overall Rank: 79

73 Receptions, 792 Receiving Yards, 6 Receiving TD's, 47 Rushing Yards, 162.40 Fantasy Points

Acquired: 2nd Round (22nd Overall) by Dad. Traded to Me for Brandin Cooks and Michael Floyd

 

Man did this asshole suck. He seriously single handedly torpedoed my season. After my 7-0 start, I thought I was "buying low" on him and "selling high" on Michael Floyd and Brandin Cooks. Boy was I DEAD WRONG. Probably the worst trade I've ever made in this league. Cobb had a nice 3 game start to the season, and then inexplicably just SUCKED. He only cleared more than 11 points two more times in the season. He had 6 TD's....3 of them were in ONE GAME and another was a lucky one when he recovered a fumble in the end zone. Floyd and Cooks were great. I traded away the 9th ranked WR in Cooks and threw in the 31st in Floyd for the 27th in Cobb. After I made the Cobb trade, I proceeded to lose 6 out of my last 8 matchups. The  cherry on top? He cost me 3rd place because of his shitty ass performance. He's not sniffing my team next year.

WR
Devante Adams (Light's Broken Bots)

WR Rank: 83

Overall Rank: 264
46 Receptions, 429 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD, 1 2 PT Conversion, 73.9 Fantasy Points

Acquired: 3rd Round (34th Overall) By Kenny. Waived by Kenny. Picked up by Matt.

 

This was a terrible whiff by Kenny and just like that other Packer fuck Cobb, this Packer fuck torpedoed Kenny's playoff chances as well. Thought to have been ready to take the next step after Jordy Nelson's injury, Kenny bought into the hype and selected him 34th overall with one of 3 3rd round picks. COMPLETE...UTTER...FAILURE. This guy sucks at football....PERIOD. His route running sucks...and most importantly...HE  CAN'T CATCH FOOTBALLS. He's one of the worst receivers I've ever seen play. He had one TD all season.....ONE. For whatever reason, Kenny's decision to ride with him on Thanksgiving Night cost him his season and ultimately was the last straw that caused Kenny to quit. There were 82 receivers better than him..not players...82 RECEIVERS. Insane. 

RB

Marshawn Lynch (BigBadBob)

RB Rank: 54

Overall Rank: 197

417 Rushing Yards, 3 Rushing TD's, 13 Receptions, 80 Receiving Yards, 1 2 PT Conversion, 76.20 Fantasy Points

Acquired: 1st Round (3rd Overall) by Dad

 

My worry every year is that this is the season Marshawn Lynch finally goes to shit and every year he proves me wrong....until now. Finally, it looks like all those heavy workloads have caught up to Lynch as a combination of injuries and ineffectiveness derailed his season. Dad thought he got a steal at pick #3. He's lucky Lynch didn't hurt him even more, as Dad had Thomas Rawls to back him up and he looked 100 times better than Lynch did when healthy this season. Marshawn only played 7 games and out of those 4 he had 9.2 or less points, while two others he didn't even hit 12 points. I personally think Marshawn hangs em up, but if for some reason he doesn't, with the emergence of Thomas Rawls, he'll drop way down on draft boards next season.

RB

C.J. Anderson (Sons Of The Harpy)

RB Rank: 32

Overall Rank: 114

625 Rushing Yards, 4 Rushing TD's, 24 Receptions, 188 Receiving Yards, 1 Fumble Lost, 115.3 Fantasy Points

Acquired: 1st Round (6th Overall) by Me. Traded to Drew for Rishard Matthews

 

This guy did his best to fuck me over, and as predictable as can be, C.J. Anderson was a half year wonder (which I KNEW, but took him anyway) and he absolutely SUCKED MAJOR DICK the majority of the season. How I even started 7-0 with this prick on my roster is beyond me. He started the season off with 6 games in which he didn't score over 8.6 points (I stopped using him basically after week 3) and the couple of games he was good...NO ONE USED HIM BECAUSE HE SUCKS!! In 14 games he scored single digits 11 times (one of the double digit games was just this past week, WHEN DREW WAS ALREADY OUT SO IT DIDN'T MATTER). He ended up in a timeshare with Ronnie Hillman and was just never trustworthy all season. I traded him for a WR4/5 in Rishard Matthews...that's how bad he was. Never trust a Broncos RB....EVER

TE

Jimmy Graham (Winter Is Over)

TE Rank: 17

Overall Rank: 145

48 Receptions, 605 Receiving Yards, 2 Receiving TD's, 96.5 Fantasy Points

Acquired: 3rd Round (32nd Overall) By Alex

 

 Even though Graham had been a beast in New Orleans, this had red flags written all over it, when he was traded to a run first team like Seattle. He just never fit in. In the 11 games he played, he scored less than 10 points in 7 of them, 6 of those less than 6 points. He was rarely involved in the offense, but just like a lot of name brand players, Alex kept plugging him in because he's Jimmy Graham but he just never got it going. Then to top off things, he suffered a season ending injury. Alex taking him so early at #32 is one of the big reasons Alex didn't make the playoffs this season.

Flex

Eddie Lacy (RB) (Winter Is Over)

RB Rank: 27

Overall Rank: 93

724 Rushing Yards, 3 Rushing TD's, 18 Receptions, 181 Receiving Yards, 2 Receiving TD's, 2 Fumble Lost, 125.5 Points

Acquired: 1st Round Keeper (Alex)

 

A couple of things...I could probably make 3 or 4 teams with the number of disappointments this season. DeMarco Murray (2nd pick of draft, doesn't even start anymore, but Leland won the championship and survived without him), Alshon Jeffrey (really more injury based as he was great when he played), Andre Johnson (sucked beyond belief, heavy consideration, but was a late 3rd round pick), Justin Forsett (didn't live up the expectations and then got hurt, but still Lacy was a higher pick), Melvin Gordon (Knew he would suck and he DID suck, not one TD and he was taking as an early 3rd rounder), Jeremy Hill (TD's saved his ass, but he sucked), Demaryius Thomas (Lack of TD's hurt big time, so did lack of consistent QB) and the list goes on and on. Also what a terrible first round, 5 of the 8 players were first round picks. Eddie Lacy though was so highly thought of, he wasn't even available to draft..Alex kept him and at the time it was an absolute no brainer. Man did that fat fuck make everyone look VERY WRONG. He looked outta shape most of the season. He actually had 3 games where he scored less than a point including one where he scored -1! That's fucking beyond comprehension. Half the games he played he scored less than 10 points. He ended up splitting a ton of time with James Starks. He became very unreliable. His best game of the season was 3 weeks ago when Alex was already out of the playoffs. He was just super awful and with him as a constant starter, there was just no way Alex could overcome that in his quest to make the playoffs.

Michael Wiley Dud Of The Year

Eddie Lacy (Winter Is Over)

This was tough..as seriously most of this team deserved this award in their own way. Here's how I broke it down..although Luck, Dez, Jimmy Graham, and Marshawn were playing bad, injuries also greatly affected their seasons. I made the playoffs despite Randall Cobb and drafting C.J. Anderson and C.J. Anderson was so bad, it was easy to find a suitable replacement on both me and Drew's rosters. He was barely used all year. Devonte Adams was awful, but as a 3rd round pick (one of 3) he was survivable. Eddie Lacy? No excuses. He was a 1st round keeper and was the shittiest of the shit for a team that did not make the playoffs and Alex kept plugging him in for the most part hoping for the best. Well played Eddie Lacy...well played.

 

 

 

 

Year End Awards: All Rookie Team/Rookie Of The Year

It's time to announce the Year End Awards for our league. Now the criteria is specifically for this league only. To be considered eligible you had to have been a significant player used in our league. First up will be the All-Rookie Team.

QB-Again pretty much for the 3rd year in a row there is no QB that makes the All Rookie Team in our league. Nobody really used Jameis Winston or Marcos Mariota and if they did it was for one spot start.

RB

Todd Gurley (No Soup For You)

1108 Rushing Yards, 10 Rushing TD's, 21 Receptions, 188 Receiving Yards, 1 Fumble Lost, 198.10 Fantasy Points

RB Rank: 5

Overall Rank: 29

Acquired: 6th Round Of Draft By Leland (62nd Overall)

 

Gurley was worth the wait. Gurley slipped in the draft due to injury concerns and the estimated time table of his return. He ended up missing only two games (while getting eased in, in his first game) and then dominated and became a top 5 back. Leland's gamble paid off big time and there's no doubt with a Round 6 price tag that Leland's keeping him as the cornerstone of his team for next season.

RB

David Johnson (No Soup For You)

556 Rushing Yards, 8 Rushing TD's, 33 Receptions, 423 Receiving Yards, 4 Receiving TD's, 1 Return TD, 1 Fumble Lost, 190.40 Fantasy Points

RB Rank: 7

Overall Rank: 34

Acquired: 14th Round of Draft By Dad (166th Overall) Waived by Dad, Picked up off Waiver Wire By Leland

 

David Johnson's talent was never questioned. It was opportunity that was. Nobody thought Chris Johnson would enjoy such a comeback season thus relegating David Johnson to 3rd down work and Kick Returns. Dad gave up on him, but when Andre Ellington got hurt, then Chris Johnson suffered a season ending injury, Leland pounced on the chance to get him and the rest is history. The Johnson pickup was basically the equivalent of Matt's Odell Beckham pickup last year and it gave Leland that extra edge in his playoff run. Will David Johnson be the lead back next season? It's way too early to tell, but with a 14th round price tag (3rd to last player taken in the draft) there's no doubt it's a low risk high reward gamble that Leland will inevitably take.

WR

Amari Cooper (Sons Of The Harpy)

70 Receptions, 1050 Receiving Yards, 6 Receiving TD's, 1 Fumble Lost, 173.70 Fantasy Points

WR Rank: 21

Overall Rank: 66

Acquired: 4th Round of Draft By Drew (42nd Overall)

 

Though Cooper struggled at times (especially towards the end of the season), there's no doubt he was the best rookie wide receiver of 2015. He had a lot of hype, and a big price tag (4th Round) and though maybe he didn't completely live up to the high expectations, he still was a very solid starter for Drew as a WR3. He had over 1000 yards receiving, 6 TD's and finished 1 spot outside the top 20. I think the sky's the limit for Cooper and as he and Carr gain more experience, I think he definitely can become a superstar in this league.

WR

Stefon Diggs (Light's Broken Bots)

51 Receptions, 712 Receiving Yards, 4 Receiving TD's, 13 Rushing Yards, 122 Fantasy Points

WR Rank: 42

Overall Rank: 124

Acquired: Undrafted. Picked up off Waiver Wire by Matt

 

Shockingly, he's the 2nd best rookie receiver of the season. Diggs came out of nowhere to become a solid starter for Matt. Though the Vikings aren't exactly a pass first team, Matt got a couple of solid games from Diggs. Over 70 catches and a little over 700 receiving yards isn't too bad from an undrafted waiver wire pickup.

TE- Once again, no relevant TE's are eligible for the All Rookie Team

Wane McGarity Bowl Rookie Of The Year

Todd Gurley (No Soup For You)

 

David Johnson might have had the better playoff run, but Gurley was far more consistent and has the better track record as far as games played. Gurley is definitely going to be a top 5 back in fantasy circles next season and he had a great rookie campaign. Again, a big reason why Leland is now a two time champ.

 

 

Wane McGarity Bowl Results: The Champion is Crowned

 

Well after 16 grueling, nerve wrecking weeks, the 2015 season of the Wane McGarity Bowl is finally over and we have ourselves a new champion to crown. It's been as crazy of a season as ever, with busts, injuries galore, and unheralded superstars making big time contributions to the game. It's time to see who our 2015 champion is.

No Soup For You (11-5)                127.72

Shock The Monkey (10-6)               86.86

So Leland officially joins Albert as a two time Wane McGarity Bowl Champion as unlike last season, this finals was pretty anti-climatic as Leland was in the driver's seat the whole time. Even when he started slow, all of Mark's guys started just as slow and they never really gained momentum. This is what I was talking about when talking about the inconsistency of Mark's team. It's been like this all season. One week, his guys go bonkers and put 120+, the next they can't even get to 70 (or in this case 90). I really wish his team had played like this last week. Leland's guys woke up and it was really a total team effort. Leland's depth has afforded to survive bust plays and he survived a horrible Martavis Bryant game (1 catch for 6 yards, and 4 rushing yards against the RAVENS) and a disappointing Denard Robinson game (didn't even get to double digits) to win easily. Led by Wane McGarity Bowl MVP Blake Bortles (368 yards and 4 TD's and a 2 pt conversion) who had 34.22 points, it was just knockout blow after knockout blow as David Johnson was once again great (127 total yards and a score, had the game not been such a blowout, Johnson probably could've done even more damage) and Todd Gurley continued to be worth that hold Leland had when he originally drafted him (85 rushing yards and a score against Seattle's defense). After two dud games, Calvin wasn't the Calvin of old but still contributed in a big way with 77 yards and a score. Leland's confidence in sticking with Megatron was rewarded. Tack on what Jordan Matthews did Saturday Night, and a double digit Zach Miller performance and it was just way to much for Mark to overcome after the mediocre start from Derek Carr Thursday Night. Mark had a lot of double digit performances from his guys (Jarvis Landry had 111, Emmanuel Sanders scored, James White scored, Jermaine Kearse scored, Darren McFadden had almost 100 yards) but nobody had a HUGE game (no one scored over 16.66 for Mark, Leland had a 30+ point scorer, a 20+ point scorer and two other guys who scored more than Mark's highest) and to compete with Leland, you gotta have some huge performances mixed in. It didn't help that Ted Ginn came crashing down to earth with 1 catch for 9 yards, and Gary Barnidge was held to 47 yards. All in all it was a dominating playoff run for Leland, who averaged basically 120 in the 3 playoff games he played in and won with ease against each of his opponents. It's got to be a relief, after two years of cellar dwelling, that his team finally clicked and he's back on top. For Mark, hey 2nd place is nothing to sneeze at. Not only monetarily (tripling your buy in money is never bad) but in general. After starting 0-3, to finish 2nd, hey I'm jealous after I started 7-0 and finished without even placing. Mark will come back ready to go next season and try to build on 2nd place by winning it all. So that's it! Season 6 of the Wane McGarity Bowl has concluded. From basically July-December our lives are CONSUMED with football. Though there's still a good month of real football left, we can finally all just sit back relax and watch the games and not care who's doing the scoring. It's been a fun ride and as always we'll be back to do it alllllllllllllll again next year!

Wane McGarity Bowl MVP

Blake Bortles (No Soup For You)

368 Passing Yards, 4 Passing TD's 1 2 PT Conversion, 2 INT's, 1 Fumble Lost (34.22 Points)

 

This is ain't real life, so it doesn't matter that the Jags lost and Bortles looked awful and had 3 turnovers of his own. The fact is, like most of this season, he PRODUCED big fantasy wise, and his 34.22 points led the way to a dominant second title for Leland. Hands down, Bortles has been Leland guy. Since week 12, he hasn't scored less than 24.98 points. No Brainer 2015 Wane McGarity Bowl MVP.

League Notes: While nobody was paying attention, the 3rd place game was actually a nail biter that came down to the final game last night between the Broncos-Bengals. Eugene won by less than a point after Jeremy Hill got just what he needed to finish the job. Terrific job by Eugene as he places 3rd for the 2nd straight season and with the circumstances he faced, it was a job well done. As for me, totally bummed out and disappointed how terrible my team became after that 7-0 start. I'm now riding a 4 game losing streak, I lost 6 out of my last 8 games and my team just totally fizzled down the stretch. That Randall Cobb trade was one of the worst trades I've ever done and he cost me again when a late subbed him for Rueben Randle. Cobb sucked cock wow Randle scored on a 70 yard bomb. Now Eugene also benched Julio Jones for Terrence Williams so we both made critical mistakes, but mine cost me the win. So stupid and frustrating. I have nothing to show now this season. Terrible end to what was supposed to be my "comeback season". It's the first time I made the playoffs and didn't place. Matt goes from winning the Wane McGarity Bowl to winning the Michael Wiley Loser Bowl by beating a former 2 time Michael Wiley Loser Bowl winner in Kenny. For Kenny, this is his last hurrah for now, as he's decided to take a sabbatical and after 6 season leave the Wane McGarity Bowl. Odds are Mike Posey will rejoin after a 2 year hiatus. Last but not least Alex beat Albert in the 9th place game. So here are your final results for the 2015 Season.

Champion-No Soup For You (Leland) 

2nd Place-Shock The Monkey (Mark)

3rd Place-Rocket Man (Eugene)

4th Place-Kumamon Express (Me)

5th Place-BigBadBob (Dad)

6th Place-Sons Of The Harpy (Drew)

7th Place-Light's Broken Bots (Matt)

8th Place- Woe Is Me (Kenny)

9th Place-Winter Is Over (Alex)

10th Place-Channel 4 News Team (Albert)

11th Place-Hoosier Daddy (Ryan)

12th Place-Bigger Balls (Mayra)

Next up the Year End Awards, which I'll posting throughout the next couple of weeks.  

 

  

Thursday/Saturday Night Overview/Round 2 Awards

 

Well, Mark better hope the Thursday and Saturday Night games weren't a preview of things to come, because already he's in a hole. Combined with the fact that Alshon Jeffrey won't be playing this week and Mark's chances to win get slimmer by the minute. Mark kicked off things Christmas Eve with Derek Carr and just like all season Carr followed up a great Week 15 with a disappointing Week 16. A TD saved his day, but overall it wasn't a great performance. He didn't even get 17 points. It was Leland's turn Saturday Night as he plugged in 2nd round disappointment Jordan Matthews, who did anything but disappoint. Matthews is a funny story, because his stats actually look great, but a ton of it comes from garbage time, and most of the season he was unstartable. Nevertheless, points are points and in the fantasy game they're indistinguishable so Matthews put up a great start for Leland with 6 catches for 104 yards and a TD. 19.4 points from your WR #3 is not a bad start at all. Leland's advantage seems to be gaining, but again, each guy's only had 1 player apiece and there's plenty of football to still be played. Here's the final edition of this season's weekly awards.

Wane McGarity Stud Of The Week

David Johnson (No Soup For You)

 

Johnson was AMAZING at the right time, as he put on a playoff masterpiece. Nearly 43 points really helped seal the deal to get Leland to his 2nd Wane McGarity Bowl appearance.

Michael Wiley Dud Of The Week

Calvin Johnson (No Soup For You)

 

Leland's really playing with fire as this is the 2nd straight Calvin Johnson could've been a season killer. Luckily, Leland's team has been able to mask how horrible Calvin has been. Against the worst defense in the league, Calvin Johnson was held to 1 catch for 19 yards. So far, in Leland's two games in the fantasy playoffs, Calvin's been held to two catches for 35 yards COMBINED. How Leland survived this..TWICE..just shows how balanced his roster is. Can Leland survive another game from Calvin like this, in the championship no less? We'll certainly find out this week.

No Bad Decision or Sneaky Surprise Awards this week

Wane McGarity Bowl Championship Preview

To say this season has been unpredictable would be  an understatement. Never in the history of our league have their been so many contenders to the championship. Even teams like Kenny, who didn't make the playoffs, had championship caliber teams. After everything though, the two teams that made it to the finals are the two teams that defied history. Before this season, no team had ever started 0-3 and made the playoffs. Leland, Mark, and Albert all started 0-3. While Albert, eventually would go down as another 0-3 team to not make the playoffs, Leland and Mark were able to bounce back and finish #3 and #4 respectively. Two playoff wins apiece later and here we are. Unlike last season, there is no super dominant team. It's two pretty evenly matched up teams and this could seriously go either way. It should be a very interested matchup to see who becomes the 6th Champion of the Wane McGarity Bowl.

Wane McGarity Bowl VI
"The Mission Impossible Bowl"

No Soup For You (Leland) 

vs

Shock The Monkey (Mark) 

Leland Lawrence (No Soup For You)
#3 Seed (8-5 Reg Season; 2-0 Playoffs)

How He Got Here- Leland has always been a risk taker. Sometimes it pays off (Wane McGarity Bowl Champion in 2013) Sometimes it doesn't (C.J. Spiller #1 Pick in 2014). Leland's had a couple of down years since his championship, but it hasn't stopped his high risk high reward strategy. This year was no different. Leland took gambles on Todd Gurley and Martavis Bryant hoping they'd pay off big time, knowing that both would miss multiple games with injuries/suspensions. He also shocked everyone by taking DeMarco Murray #2 overall in the draft. Sometimes you miss (Murray's been awful and been relegated to basically waiver fodder now) and sometimes you hit...BIG (Gurley has been AMAZING since he's come back, a bonafide top 5 running back, while Martavis Bryant has helped make up for the devastating loss of Keenan Allen Leland suffered earlier this season). After an 0-3 start, Leland would rip of 8 of his last 10 games to secure a #3 season thanks to the returns and Gurley and Bryant and also key waiver pickups like Blake Bortles (filled in perfectly for a super disappointing Matt Ryan). The biggest pick up though was late in the season, when Chris Johnson went down and Leland had David Johnson on his roster. Johnson's been a beast since becoming the lead back and his epic performance last week it a big reason Leland's back in the title picture looking for championship #2. He was able to "upset" Drew with ease and then took out his brother no problem as well. Can he do the same to Mark? Only time will tell now.

Mark Freeman (Shock The Monkey)
4th Seed

How He Got Here: Mark's journey has been an inconsistent one to say the least. He busted on Jeremy Hill in round 1, Alshon Jeffrey has been injured throughout the season, Peyton Manning was a horrible bust, as was Joseph Randle, he started 0-3, than ripped off 5 games in a row followed by a loss and then another 3 game winning streak. One week he scores 70 points, the next 120. It's been a very roller coaster year. Again, key waiver wire pickups (Gary Barnidge and Derek Carr being the biggest, but also guys like Darren McFadden, James White, and Ted Ginn) have been the key to his success. On paper his team seems mediocre, but they perform when need be. He dispatched of Dad in a low scoring affair (after Dad had two in-game injuries to Thomas Rawls and V-Jax), then turned around and beat me in a high scoring affair where pretty much every player in his lineup did great. This is Mark's 1st Wane McGarity Bowl appearance and he better hope that his guys play just as good as they did last week if he wants a shot at the fantasy gold.

Matchup Stats
All Time Record: Leland leads series 3-2
Last Matchup: Leland beat Mark 128.92-106.5 in Week 9 Of The 2015 Season

Position Matchups

QB

Blake Bortles (No Soup For You)

vs

Derek Carr (Shock The Monkey)

Overview: It's funny to see the QB's in the finals. There's no Brady, Cam, Rodgers, Brees, etc..nope it's two 2nd year QB's who in the fantasy game have taken that next step into fantasy superstardom. For Leland, he couldn't ask for a better matchup as Blake Bortles faces a horrific Saints defense. It's without a doubt the best matchup for any QB to have on paper. Derek Carr's matchup isn't intimidating either (vs Chargers on Thursday Night) but advantage Leland on this one.

Advantage: Leland

WR

Calvin Johnson (No Soup For You)

Martavis Bryant (No Soup For You)

Markus Wheaton (No Soup For You)

Jordan Matthews (No Soup For You)

vs

Emmanuel Sanders (Shock The Monkey)

Alshon Jeffrey (Shock The Monkey)

Ted Ginn Jr. (Shock The Monkey)

Jarvis Landry (Shock The Monkey)

Overview: It seems like both guys are flexing receivers, though if Alshon Jeffrey can't go, Mark's got a problem as I'd expect him to flex Jeremy Hill in his place. On Leland's side, Calvin Johnson has been very disappointing the past two games, and it's scary to think he'd be in line for another disaster game even if it's against the 49ers D. If you cancel Johnson and Jeffrey out, I actually would give the slight edge to Mark. Martavis Bryant and Emmanuel Sanders are kind of neck of neck, and so Ginn and Wheaton seem to be in the same boat (though Ginn is the #1 receiver in Carolina, so I'd rather slightly have him). Jarvis Landry is as consistent as you can get and I'd take him over Jordan Matthews. Advantage Mark by a little here.

Advantage: Mark

RB

Todd Gurley (No Soup For You)

David Johnson (No Soup For You)

vs

Darren McFadden (Shock The Monkey)

James White (Shock The Monkey)

Overview: Here's where the clear advantage belongs to Leland. Even with a bad matchup against Seattle, Gurley is still a stud and David Johnson has proven he's #1 back this season. It's not the McFadden and James White suck, but I'd much rather have Leland's combo than Mark's. Big time advantage Leland.

Advantage: Leland

TE

Zach Miller (No Soup For You)

vs

Gary Barnidge (Shock The Monkey)

Overview: Both guys used the waiver wire to pick up their TE's and for both it's worked out brilliantly although advantage Mark, as Barnidge has done it for a lot longer this season. Doesn't matter the QB, Barnidge manages to get the job done and I'll take him over Zach Miller (who's been really good as well, although the sample size is smaller) every time.

Advantage: Mark

Final Predictions

I Say: Leland Wins. This is far from a slam dunk and again, it wouldn't surprise me if Mark pulled off the win. I just think overall, Leland has the better roster and he'll end up taking home title #2. It should be close. Ironically, Emmanuel Sanders is the last play of the season...again...just like last year he was  and he came through for Matt, he might have to for Mark. Will it come down to him again?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 
 

Wane McGarity Bowl Round 2 Results: Only Two Survive

 

Here's the one thing about the head to head system in fantasy football. It's pretty much 95% luck. You can be dominant all season and all it takes is to have one bad week at the wrong time and your season is over. Or to not even have a bad week and just play a team that had one of those weeks where everyone goes off and you can't do anything about it. All the research, winning, byes, down the drain because once you lose, it means nothing. Just ask Mayra, who dominated all year, only to lose in the championship last season. This shit is supposed to be fun (and it can be), but if you're highly competitive like me, it can be the most frustrating thing to go through. Nothing ever makes sense. "Superstar" players suck, supposed hard defenses give up gobs of points and yards, and then the players themselves, I mean seriously, did anyone ever in a million years think that guys like James White, Ted Ginn, Kamar Aiken, Denard Robinson, and David Johnson would be vital in the semifinals when the season started? I totally understand Kenny's decision not to play this shit anymore. It's a total crapshoot. Does it mean I won't? No, I'm a glutton for punishment and I still find it fun..sometimes. Anyways, the semis are over and we now know who's going to be facing each other for a chance at the Wane McGarity Bowl. Here are the results of the 2nd round.

Shock The Monkey (10-5)                   134.04

Kumamon Express (9-5)                      122.40

I'm not going to give crap to my team this week because they actually did well as a whole. They outperformed their predictions. I just ran into a better team this week. Mark's guys were basically all on point starting last night with McFadden. When nearly every guy in your lineup performs, you have no shot at winning. After weeks of underperforming, Emmanuel Sanders EXPLODED with a huge game with 10 catches for 181 and a score. Random fuckers like Ted Ginn had 85 and two scores, James White had 71 receiving yards and a score, and then Gary Barnidge and Alshon Jeffrey added TD's (though Jeffrey did get hurt) and Derek Carr finished the job with nearly 23 points despite two picks. There was just nothing I could do. The fantasy stars aligned for Mark. My guys did what they could. Despite the bad matchup Eli Manning still put up 4 TD's and nearly 29 points, Kamar Aiken was a HUGE pickup with 8 catches for 128 and a score, Greg Olsen had 79 and a score, and Matt Forte had 104 total yards and a score and DeAndre Hopkins had a nice yardage game despite Brandon Weeden being at QB most of the game. Crappy performances by Randall Cobb, Latavius Murray and T.Y. Hilton did me in. After like 5 weeks of Danny Woodhead doing nothing, he decided to go off for 4 touchdowns on my bench. So frustrating.  So after a 7-0 start, my team just fizzled losing 5 of my 7 games (including a current 3 game losing streak)and now I'm bounced out. My season is over and I'll play for 3rd place (whoopeeee). For Mark, it's a great win and what a turnaround after starting the season 0-3. He'll now be in his first Wane McGarity Bowl and is one game away from winning it all. 

Game MVP

Emmanuel Sanders (Shock The Monkey)

10 Receptions, 181 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD, 31.5 Points

No Soup For You (10-5)              122.58
Rocket Man (9-4)                           93.96

Eugene's unbelievable run comes to an end as his brother Leland wins with ease and advances to his 2nd Wane McGarity Bowl. This was really never in question as Leland had a lead throughout Sunday and then absolutely blew it wide open when David Johnson went BONKERS with 229 total yards, 3 TD's, and 42.90 points. Leland's drafting and waiver wire skills came to play big time this season as that's what has helped him get to the finals and survive a Keenan Allen season ending injury and also a bust of a 1st round pick in DeMarco Murray. For Leland, Blake Bortles continues to be a bonafide fantasy star as he put up nearly 300 passing yards, a passing TD and rushing TD for nearly 26 points. Another guy Leland took a gamble on, Martavis Bryant, had 10 catches for 87 yards in what was supposed to be a very tough matchup against the Denver Broncos defense. Decent double digit performances from Denard Robinson, plus Gurley's double digit performance from Thursday led the way. The only worrisome thing is how terrible Calvin Johnson has been. Two straight games of less than 3 pts. He's lucky he didn't need him this week, but with how unpredictable Mark's team is, it's gonna be tough to get yet another worthless performance from him. For Eugene, it was seriously a hell of a run and a tip of the cap on what was a great job managing what had to be a difficult situation at the beginning of the season. Unfortunately, for the 2nd straight season he gets bounced in the semi finals, but he still has a chance to repeat for 3rd place. Unfortunately Aaron Rodgers just wasn't that elite QB most of the season and he didn't even score 12 points. Julio Jones pulled his weight with 9 catches for 118 and a score, and Doug Baldwin continues to play lights out with two more TD's, but the rest of Eugene's team just came up short and against Leland's squad, Eugene needs his team to firing on all cylinders. Eugene will take me on in the 3rd place game, which means the two teams that are in the finals are the two teams that started the season 0-3. The "Mission Impossible" Finals. Wouldn't have it any other way the way this season has turned out.

Game MVP

David Johnson (No Soup For You)

187 Rushing Yards, 3 Rushing TD's, 4 Receptions, 42 Receiving Yards, 42.90 Fantasy Points

Other News: Dad beat Drew in the 5th place game so their respective seasons are officially over. If things fall into place Dad could have a great start to next year if Thomas Rawls and Jeremy Langford have starting jobs. For Drew, he'll have some decisions to make (Peterson, Demaryius) but he should be a solid contender as usual. Mayra officially finishes last this season as she lost to Ryan in the 11th place game. Their seasons are over as well. Kenny makes his 3rd Michael Wiley Loser Bowl (A dubious record) as he beat Alex. He'll take on Matt, who goes from Wane McGarity Bowl to Michael Wiley Loser Bowl after beating Albert.

Thursday/Saturday Night Overview/Round 1 Playoff Awards

 

Well, I waited to do this since there was a Saturday night game as well this week. Only two relevant players played, but both gave good starts to their respective teams. Todd Gurley was good but not great. He scored a TD but had only 79 total yards and was stuffed 3 times in a row late in the game. Leland will take the nearly 15 points, but it could've been reallllly good. Meanwhile, as predictable and paint by numbers as you can get, naturally Darren McFadden destroys the supposed #1 run defense in the Jets and picks up 100 yards and had 12.3 points beating his projections by nearly two points. Guys, if you're in other leagues, take a look at Mark's team and see who you have because I promise you since they are playing against me, they'll do GREAT. Every single "expert" was fading McFadden so of course he does better than advertised. Everyone hates Eli Manning too, but he's on my team, so I'm sure we'll get 195 yards, 1 TD and 3 Picks because that's how it usually rolls. I'm just seriously ready to be over and done with this. Anyways, onto the awards.

Wane McGarity Stud Of The Week

Todd Gurley (No Soup For You)

 

Against a highly potent team like Drew, Leland needs all hands on deck and then some. He got a great performance from Gurley, who had struggled recently. 140 yards and Two TD's. Gurley's going to be a big reason Leland has a chance to win his 2nd Wane McGarity Bowl Championship.

Michael Wiley Dud Of The Week

Amari Cooper (Sons Of The Harpy)

 

Doesn't matter if it's from injury or ineffectiveness, zeroes KILL your chances of succeeding. Cooper's had a great rookie season, but he came up as small as small can get in a huge playoff game for Drew. Cooper had zero catches for....0 points. Just a total team killer from a great young receiver. 

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

 

 

Wane McGarity Bowl Round 2 Matchups and Predictions

Only 4 remain now in the hunt for the elusive title. Mark is the only one who hasn't been this far. Me, Eugene, and Leland are no stranger to the final four. We have two former champions and two looking for their first chance at fantasy greatness. The winners get to the big game. Here's the matchups.

Kumamon Express (9-4) vs
Shock The Monkey (9-5)

Matchup Stats
Mark Leads Series 2-1

Predictions: I say Mark wins. How can I pick my team to win? 7 weeks after my 7-0 start and my team STILL sucks. No kind of glimmer of hope, in fact, had I somehow not had a bye and had to play in Round I would've lost to everyone but my Dad (and that's because he had two guys hurt). This week also isn't any better. Seriously, go player by player. There's something wrong with everyone. Eli (Bad Matchup), DeAndre Hopkins (shitty QB), Randall Cobb (inexplicably shitty all year), T.Y. Hilton (shitty QB), Matt Forte (apparently in a timeshare AGAIN, as Jeremy Langford out touched him last game), Latavius Murray (has like a ceiling of 10 points, seems like this fucker get 30 carries a game and averages like 2 yards a fucking carry), Greg Olsen (Hurt and who knows if he plays a full game since Carolina has everything wrapped up) and then the biggest clusterfuck of them all...my flex. I thought I was given a gift when i secured Bryce Brown off waivers and it was announced he was going to be the starter. Turned out to be fools gold as Seattle resigned Christine Michael and now you're looking at a possible 4 WAY RB COMMITTEE WITH MICHAEL, BROWN, FRED JACKSON, AND DERRICK COLEMAN. What a joke. I picked up Fozzy Whitaker with Jonathan Stewart out, but HE'S IN A COMMITTEE WITH MIKE TOLBERT AND CAMERON ARTIS-PAYNE (not to mention Cam). Then I have the two "upside" rookie wide receivers in Devante Parker and Dorial Green-Beckham. It's seriously making my head hurt and I KNOW I'm gonna pick THE WRONG GUY. I almost just want this shit to be over with so I don't have to deal with this anymore. Bottom line is, Mark's team is more consistent and he'll probably get the win and advance to his first finals.

Rocket Man (9-4) vs
No Soup For You (9-5)

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

Predictions: I Say Leland wins. The battle of the brothers. The winner of the "Lawrence Bowl" gets a trip to the Wane McGarity Bowl. Even though the predictions favor Eugene, I'm going to go Leland here. It should be close as they have pretty evenly matched teams, but I'll give the slight edge to Leland here. If my predictions come through, we'll have two teams that started 0-3 make it to the finals.

Wane McGarity Bowl Round 1 Results: The Tough Breaks Of It All

 

The one thing about football in general is the unpredictability of injuries. It seems to have really hit hard this season as week after week we've seen superstar after superstar go down. For fantasy football, the playoffs is the worst place it could happen, especially in game injuries. I remember my first trip to the Wane McGarity Bowl, I was done off the bat because in a meaningless game, Tony Romo hit his thumb on a Eagles helmet and as a precaution he was sat the rest of the game. He finished with 0 points. A 0 at the QB position. Killed any hope of winning it all. This year, the injury bug hit my Dad as he lost both Thomas Rawls and Vincent Jackson to early game injuries and they never came back. It's one thing to survive one injury, but two? Just no way. And just like that, Dad's playoff run is over. It's the worst way you can go out. Injuries have also hurt us that are on bye. I'm hoping Greg Olsen's injury isn't serious, and while on bye Eugene lost Mark Ingram, his best running back. The team that wins is the team that survives, and now we're down to 4 survivors. Here are the results of the first round of the playoffs.

Shock The Monkey (9-5)                     91.80

BigBadBob (6-8)                                  72.60

Ugh....the worst way to go out. The ultimate "what if". Would a full game of Thomas Rawls and Vincent Jackson been enough to beat Mark's team, which really wasn't that impressive itself? We'll never know. Even Cam Newton was too good for his own good as he decimated Atlanta so bad that he was benched in the 4th quarter. He led Dad's team with 265 passing yards and 3 Passing TD's. The other problem was that Dad's team just went to shit as well. Outside of Michael Floyd's Thursday performance, nobody showed up for Dad. Nobody scored over 8.2 points. Brandin Cooks, Gio Bernard, Travis Kelce, Larry Fitzgerald, all were terrible. So with that in mind, it's not a given that Dad would've beaten Mark at all. For Mark, his team really wasn't that great, but hey all you gotta do is beat the opponent in front of you and that's what he did. He didn't have one guy score over 20, (Alshon Jeffrey led the way with 6 catches for 107 and a score, Jarvis Landry added 11 catches for 99 yards and Gary Barnidge added 84 and a score and that was basically it). Mark's in a good position to advance to the finals because he faces my shitty team next (newsflash, I would've lost to everyone but Dad, had I played this week, continuing what's been an epic slide from my team). For Dad, just a tough break as I really felt he had a solid shot to win it all. Still, it was a successful season for Dad and he'll look to build on the success next season. He takes on Drew in the 5th place game next week.

Game MVP

Alshon Jeffrey (Shock The Monkey)

6 Receptions, 107 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD, 19.70 Fantasy Points

 

No Soup For You (9-5)             119.10

Sons Of The Harpy (6-8)           90.74

This is a bit of an upset here as I thought for sure Drew would be able to survive a mediocre Adrian Peterson game and win this matchup. I felt Drew, on paper, had the best team left out of us 6. . It's always a slippery slope when you decide to use multiple position players from one team, especially when your opponent has the QB, but that's what happened this week as Drew had to play 3 Jags this week while Leland had Blake Bortles. It worked out to a point as all 3 Jags scored,(Hurns had 105 along with his TD, and Julius Thomas had 5 for 54 with his) but remember Bortles gets a piece of those TD's as well so for them to good, it means Bortles did good. Allen Robinson was SUPER disappointing. He caught a TD pass, but it was his only catch and it was for 4 yards. Amari Cooper got blanked and Buck Allen did nothing, fumbling and only ending up with 6.3 points. Demaryius Thomas had a good game, but he fumbled as well and couldn't find the end  zone. He needed a lot more than the 12.5 Points he got. Even Tom Brady needed one of those Tom Brady super elite performances and he didn't even throw for 230 yards and only had 2 scores. It was one of the good but not great overall games for Drew, and in the playoffs you need a lot more than good to get in, especially against Leland's squad, who I felt had the 2nd best team on paper out of us 6. Leland survived a terrible game from Calvin Johnson (held to one late catch in the 4th quarter) and bad Martavis Bryant game (not even 50 receiving yards thanks to Todd Gurley reemerging (140 rushing yards and two scores, great timing for this) and the aforementioned Bortles (he had those 3 TD's and also added a rushing TD). Zach Miller was also an excellent play with 85 and a score. Even Kenny Stills added a TD to put a stamp on the win. It was a great performance and shows that Leland can definitely win it all, and you have to assume Calvin Johnson won't be that bad again. So Leland advances and he'll take on his brother Eugene with the winner getting to go the finals. For Drew, he narrowly got in, only to be quickly eliminated just like that. It was just the wrong week this week. There's no doubt Drew will regroup and be a factor next season like he always is. He'll take on Dad in the 5th place game next week.

Game MVP

Todd Gurley (No Soup For You)

140 Rushing Yards, 2 Rushing TD's, 1 Reception, 7 Receiving Yards, 27.2 Fantasy Points

 

Other News and Notes

I don't even think the competitors themselves know the consolation bracket is going on, but they are and Matt beat Mayra and Alex beat Ryan to advance. Matt will take on Albert and Alex takes on Kenny in Round 2.