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.

 



 

Week 10 Matchups And Predictions

Final 4 game stretch and every game matters. Here's this week's matchups and predictions.

Kumamon Express (7-2)          vs
Channel 4 News Team (3-6)

Matchup Stats
All Time Record: Albert leads series 6-2

Predictions: I say Albert wins..because fuck it Yahoo has me barely winning so I probably won't. This is the classic "play the team that sucked the worst last week only for them to wake up and beat the crap out of you" game. Can't believe how little faith I have in my squad to beat a 3-6 TEAM but whatever, chalk up another loss. Albert OWNS me in this league too with a crazy 6-2 record so he'll probably add #7 to that.

No Soup For You (5-4) vs
Bigger Balls (5-4)

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

Predictions: I say Leland wins. With Antonio Brown being downgraded due to no Big Ben, plus having to use Mike Wallace, Tyler Lockett, and Alfred Blue, also Karlos Williams having a difficult matchup against the Jets, I gotta go with Leland, who has the better looking roster this week. 

Rocket Man (7-2) vs
Shock The Monkey (5-4)

Matchup Stats
All Time Record: Series is tied 1-1

Predictions: I Say Mark wins. Gonna give the slight edge to Mark as Eugene will be without Julio Jones. Should be close, but I'll give the slight roster edge to Mark this week.

Sons Of The Harpy (4-5) vs
Light's Broken Bots (3-6)

Matchup Stats
All Time Record: Matt leads series 4-3-1

Predictions: I Say Drew wins. Last year, Drew tanked to play Matt in the 1st round of the playoffs, who would've guessed Drew's move would wind up helped Matt win the Wane McGarity Bowl last year. Unfortunately for Matt, the Curse Of The Champion has reared its ugly head. This is a must win for Drew to stay in the thick of things with the playoffs, and though Matt can play spoiler, I don't see that happening this week. A loss here would officially end Matt's playoff chances.

Hoosier Daddy (4-5) vs
BigBadBob (3-6)

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

Predictions: I say Ryan wins. Ryan was going to be without Andrew Luck regardless of the injury news this week as they are on bye, but I'll give Ryan the slight edge here against Dad, though Dad has a great chance of playing spoiler here. Ryan still has a very formidable running back trio and I think that will be good enough to get past Dad. If Dad loses it would be his 7th straight loss in a row and slam the door on his playoff chances.

Winter Is Over (5-4) vs
Woe Is Me (3-6)

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

Predictions: I Say Kenny wins. Gonna go Kenny for the upset here. He's got the talent to do it. It would be a tough loss for Alex to swallow but I think Kenny keeps his tiny playoff chances alive here.

 

 

 

 

Week 9 Results: Crowded House

 

Antonio Brown maybe running ahead of the pack here, but nobody's certainly doing that in our league. After 9 weeks the one sure thing is there is no sure thing. After an awesome 7-0 start for me, I've now lost 2 in a row as my team is getting hit with numerous injuries and now my bye is in serious jeopardy. Other teams like Mark, Mayra, and Eugene, and Leland are looking like legit contenders to the title, and even the 4 win teams like Ryan and Drew have the talent to overcome their records and be a contender. There are basically 8 teams vying for 6 positions at this point in the season. This year's playoff race will no doubt be very interesting. Onto the results.

Rocket Man (7-2)                    125.46

Sons of The Harpy (4-5)         103.56

All that talk about Eugene's team hitting a major snag can go out the window as he rebounded BIG TIME here with an impressive win against a championship caliber team in Drew. Eugene's not going away folks, and with win #7 in his pocket, he's basically all but punched his playoff ticket. Three guys did the bulk of the scoring. Aaron Rodgers starting off bad, but rebounded in a big way in the half on his way to nearly 370 passing yards and 4 Passing TD's. Rodgers finished with 37.46 points to lead the way. Julio Jones didn't score a TD, but still managed 10 catches for 137 yards, while Michael Crabtree continues to impress with another elite game. He had 108 and 2 scores. There was some bad news though for Eugene. Dion Lewis went down with an injury and it turned out to be a torn ACL and he's out for the season. That's a huge blow to his team, and he'll have to hope Chris Johnson can step in and be just as productive as he's been before the bye week. For Drew, it's a disappointing loss but it's the same problems that have been plaguing Drew all season that led to the loss. The RB #2 and TE positions. Drew made a trade hoping for a C.J. Anderson bounce back but that didn't happen. Playing Coby Fleener didn't work out either. Tom Brady didn't have a great game by his standards, but that's because the Pats were basically in the lead the whole way, and Brady didn't have to do much. He still had 20 points. Amari Cooper continued his awesome rookie season with 88 and a score, while Adrian Peterson had one of his best games of the season with 125 rushing yards and a score and even Allen Robinson had a great game despite the matchup against Revis and the Jets with 121 yards. Demaryius Thomas had a quiet game with only 50 yards receiving and it was just to much to overcome. When Drew's team is firing on all cylinders it's a tough team to beat, but if Demaryius and Brady are gonna struggle along with the lack of a true RB #2 and TE, you'll see results like these. I still like Drew's team to make the playoffs, but he really needs to get back on track and he'll try against Matt. For Eugene, the dream season continues and he has important tough matchup against Mark next week.

Game MVP

Aaron Rodgers (Rocket Man)

369 Passing Yards, 4 Passing TD's, 22 Rushing Yards, 37.46 Fantasy Points

 

Hoosier Daddy (4-5)               133.28

Light's Broken Bots (3-6)        79.66

Ryan makes a big statement here putting a little over 133 points in this beatdown of Matt. Now on a two game winning streak, Ryan is right back in the thick of things in the playoff chase and that's scary for everyone involved. The DeAngelo Williams pickup worked out wonderfully as Williams exploded with 225 total yards, 2 TD's and a 2 Pt conversion. Devonta Freeman didn't do much yardage wise but added a TD, Mike Evans had a nice yardage game with 152 yards (but he had a TON of drops), Frank Gore added a TD, and Luck had a good game with 252 yards and a couple of TD passes. Just a dominant performance from Ryan. For Matt...it's near the end for the defending champ. He lost Ben Roethlisberger AGAIN to an injury as Matt just can't keep a healthy QB. Only Beckham and Edleman did anything of note as the rest of Matt's team was just bad. If Matt loses to Drew next week, it'll end his season for good, while Ryan looks to keep his hope alive against my Dad's struggling team.

Game MVP

DeAngelo Williams (Hoosier Daddy)

170 Rushing Yards, 2 Rushing TD's, 1 2 PT Conversion, 2 Receptons, 55 Receiving Yards

Bigger Balls (5-4)                    122.96
Kumamon Express (7-2)          104.82

As great as Mayra's team was and trust me, it was pretty awesome (well 4 guys were unbelievably awesome, the other 4 combined for 5.6 points), this loss is ALL ON ME. A stupid lineup decision cost me a crucial win and instead of keeping a distance for the bye, I lose and the bye is in danger big time. Once again it was a Sunday Night Football decision involving Jordan Matthews. At the time, because I was getting OBLITERATED my Mayra I said "fuck this I'm going with the Monday night play". My reasons weren't all because of that. Jordan Matthews has been GARBAGE for 6 weeks. The last time I sat him, I won. On the other hand the Bears were playing the Chargers and their awful defense, and Eddie Royal was out. Knowing that Marquess Wilson would be the #2 in what would be a high scoring shootout, I thought there would plenty of points to go around. I was DEAD...WRONG. Wilson was non existent...1 catch for 15 yards, while Jordan Matthews went off for over 130 yards and a score (a game winning OT TD against my shitty ass Cowboys). If I stuck to my guns and play Matthews, I win. Danny Woodhead did his part once again. He had 111 total yards and a score for over 20 points plus I caught a break when Malcolm Floyd went down with a game ending injury. Just couldn't capitalize on it. Tough pill to swallow. For Mayra like I said she's lucky 4 of her guys played absolutely LIGHTS OUT....because when you can't even get 6 points for the other half of your team, you usually get blown out. We covered Eifert and Dalton, but Antonio Brown had a HISTORIC performance with 17 RECEPTIONS AND 284 RECEIVING YARDS. Could you imagine if he scored a TD?!! He still put up a little over 37 points with no TD's. Just amazing...of course the bad news is Ben Roethlisberger got hurt AGAIN..and the last time that happened..Brown's stats suffered pretty badly. I think Landry Jones is better than Michael Vick, but there will still be a little downgrade to Brown till Big Ben comes back. Why Mark traded his best running back for a WR #3 is beyond me, but he did and Mayra benefited as Miller went off with 97 receiving yards, 44 rush yards and 2 rushing TD's for nearly 30 points. Look, Landry is not a bad player at all, but Lamar Miller is worth a lot more than Jarvis Landry. He's been great since Dan Campbell took over and honestly Mark's RB's aren't that great, surely not great enough to trade away Lamar Miller, when you have a pretty good WR group led by Alshon Jeffrey and Emmanuel Sanders. Anyways, when you get those kind of performances from your top 4 guys, you can afford your other guys to suck. For me LaGarrette Blount (129 yards and a score) and Randall Cobb (99 Receiving Yards, 1 TD) led the way along with Woodhead. Greg Olsen also added a TD and 60 yards. I got even more bad news when Latavius Murray got concussed and is now in concussion protocol. Don't know if he'll be back for this week as I'm just getting killed by injuries recently. Yes, I'm panicking because it's my worst fear...a losing streak. That combined with injuries, scares the shit out of me. For Mayra, it was a crucial win that keeps her alive in not only the playoff hunt but for the bye as well. She'll take on Leland in what will be a pretty tough matchup. I need to get back on track and beat Albert. I SHOULD AND BETTER. If I don't....I'm in HUGE TROUBLE.

Game MVP

Antonio Brown (Bigger Balls)

17 Receptions, 284 Receiving Yards (Franchise Records) 22 Rush Yards, 1 Fumble Lost, 37.10 Fantasy Points

 

No Soup For You (5-4)           128.92

Shock The Monkey (5-4)       106.50

So many teams with a legit chance to win it all, including these two. Leland wanted to remind us all that yep...he's still a contender as he put up nearly 129 points and beat Mark, who's been on fire, with ease. He ends Mark's 5 game winning streak. He did with a solid balanced effort from all guys. Everyone had at least 10 points. After a slow start, Demarco Murray has been really good and he led the way with 161 total yards and a score for 25 points. A guy who's been under the radar but has been super consistent  is Allen Hurns. The "Hit Mang" (as Razor Ramon would call him, right Drew?) scored yet another TD and added 122 yards for nearly 21 points. Marty B and Martavis Bryant both added TD's, and of course Todd Gurley did his damage with 109 total yards and a TD. Leland does this after losing Keenan Allen for the season and also with Calvin Johnson on bye. This team is super legit and to think, Leland started 0-3.  Matt Ryan also added a 300 yard 1 TD 17 point game just to get everyone in on the fun. For Mark, he scored good points, just faced a team who scored an AVALANCHE of points. Mark never really recovered from the mediocre Thursday start, though at least he knows he's got a bonafide star at QB in Derek Carr. He ripped off yet another 30 point performance and  his Wide Receiver trio of Alshon Jeffrey, Emmanuel Sanders, and Jarvis Landry combined for nearly 53 points (Like I said, I like Landry, but look at Mark's RB performance, Jeremy Hill has pretty much sucked all year, save for some inside the 5 TD's, and Ronnie Hillman is not only in a timeshare but is frustratingly inconsistent He had 7 carries for 1 YARD and now C.J. Anderson looks better again. That situation is a 50-50 timeshare at best unless Anderson gets hurt. When an oft injured Darren McFadden is your best RB, you really can't afford to trade someone with as much upside as Lamar Miller, at least not for a receiver who'd be 3rd in your pecking order because you already have studs in Alshon Jeffrey and Emmanuel Sanders. If Mark can survive the lack of RB talent, and there's a solid chance he can, then I'm wrong, which wouldn't be the first time, just think shopping around Miller could've brought better returns). It was just a wrong place at the wrong time matchup for Mark, and he's still very much in the hunt but he'll have another tough matchup in Eugene next week. Leland also has a tough matchup against Mayra in which the winner gets win #6.

Game MVP

DeMarco Murray (No Soup For You)

83 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD, 6 Receptions, 78 Receiving Yards, 25.10 Points

 

Woe Is Me (3-6)               119.64

BigBadBob (3-6)              106.48

One 6 game losing streak ends, while another is alive and kicking as Dad drops a 6th straight week after starting 3-0. He put up good points, and this was pretty close considering Dad had most of his team on bye this week. Kenny just FINALLY got over his losing streak and though it's more than likely too little too late, it's still nice to get that monkey off your back. Outside of a 1 point Jordan Cameron play, Kenny got double digits from all his guys. Dez looked a lot better than he did against Seattle and made an AMAZING Hail Mary TD Catch against the Eagles Sunday Night. He finished with over 100 yards and almost 19 points. Peyton Manning still doesn't look right and threw two more picks, but he still managed two TD's  and almost 300 yards passing. Eric Decker continues to be great as he scored another TD this week while Chris Ivory had super shitty yardage, he still managed two short TD's. LeSean McCoy was having a great game (112 rushing yards and a score) before leaving the game with a shoulder injury. Even Rueben Randle showed up and scored a TD. For Dad, just another tough break in a series of them. He put up a valiant fight with a makeshift team, it just wasn't enough. Jeremy Langford was a great pickup for Dad and as long as Matt Forte is out, he'll be an RB1. He had 142 total yards and a TD for nearly 24 points. Cam Newton was AMAZING in a losing effort as he had nearly 300 yards passing, 3 Passing TD's and a Rushing TD for 37 points. Shane Vereen chipped in a TD as did Brandin Cooks but getting a 0 from Robert Woods and only 2 points from Dontrelle Inman (admittedly hail mary plays) was just too much to overcome. Obviously barring a miracle of all miracles the only thing Kenny and Dad can do is play spoiler. Kenny will try that against Alex, while Dad will try against Ryan.

Game MVP

Dez Bryant (Woe Is Me)

5 Receptions, 104 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD, 18.90 Fantasy Points

Winter Is Over (5-4)              109.08

Channel 4 News Team (3-6)    69.00

 The more I hate on his team...the more he just finds ways to win. I don't know how, but Alex is 5-4 and easily dispatched Albert. It wasn't a bs win either, hell I would've lost to Alex this week, he put up points this week. Even with a god awful Eddie Lacy performance (-1 points....that fat fuck is DONE...period) and C.J. Spiller (1.5 points, which is why I can't fully buy Alex's team, the RB's are totally just god awful bad), he still put up almost 110 points. Admittedly, a big chunk of it came off a fluky 60 yard Delanie Walker defelction TD (hey, a TD is a TD so it's not a bad thing at all). Richard Rodgers was an excellent spot start as his yardage was minimal but he still had 2 TD's. Drew Brees followed up his 7 TD performance with yet another masterpiece looking like the Brees of old with nearly 400 yards passing, 3 Passing TD's, and a Rushing TD for nearly 35 points. Brandon Marshall had a TD, and Brandon Lafell had a good yardage game with over 100 yards. For Albert, just another dud of a performance which is hilarious because as bad as he's been, I can totally see me losing to this fucking team because my luck sucks so bad. His guys will wake up in time to play me, mark my words. Albert was one of only two teams to not score 100 points (he didn't even break 70). Nobody really worth talking about positively, Gronk was super quiet (not even 7 points) and Doug Martin was putrid. Philip Rivers only threw one TD pass. Alex has a very winnable matchup against my Dad, while Albert takes on me in what just feels like a huge trap game. 

Game MVP

Drew Brees (Winter Is Over)

389 Passing Yards, 3 Passing TD's, 1 Interception, 1 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD, 34.88 Fantasy Points

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday Night Overview/Week 8 Awards

 

See that? That's Tyler Eifert spiking down my chances at winning this week. Like I didn't see this coming a mile away. I budgeted this as a loss and by God, I'm gonna be right. Mayra reaped all the benefits of Thursday night's game between the Browns-Bengals. 3 TD's thrown from her QB, Andy Dalton, to her TE, Tyler Eifert. Yep..nearly 51 points between two players. Done before Sunday even gets here. Pointless to even pretend to have  a shot at winning. All I want is points now because a win ain't happening. All my team have less than ideal matchups, so here comes loss #2 on the season after winning 7 straight. I seriously have a bad feeling about this the rest of the way. Besides Mayra's guys going off against a pathetic Browns defense, nothing else really stands out. Duke Johnson did get a TD for Leland and Marvin Jones got him 10 points as well and for Mark he's already wasted Jeremy Hill and Gary Barnidge plays because they combined for 10.2 points. I actually want Mark to lose to keep him away from my bye. Dad get a average Gio Bernard game. Finished with 9.10 points, but with so many of his guys on bye, it's not a great start. Terrible start for Albert as well, as A.J. Green was held in check (53 yards) and Travis Benjamin only had 3.70. This make me laugh so hard because no doubt next week, A.J. Green will be bad ass because he's playing me.  Onto the awards.

Wane McGarity Stud Of The Week

Drew Brees (Winter Is Over)

 

No way this can't go the Brees, who more than made up for Alex playing an inactive Anquan Boldin. Brees' 7 TD's and 52.3 points have been the most points scored from a single player this season. This performance saved his season, at least for now.

Michael Wiley Dud Of The Week

Aaron Rodgers (Rocket Man)

 

This was really ugly. I know the Broncos D is good, but to hold Rodgers to 77 passing yards ALL GAME? Man...just one of the worst performances ever from Rodgers.

Drew Bennett Sneaky Surprise Play

Derek Carr (Shock The Monkey)

 

Not only does Mark make a gutsy move by outright releasing Peyton Manning, but he decides out of the Two QB's he did pick up (Derek Carr and Jay Cutler) he plays the one with the worst matchup possible in the Jets...and it WORKS OUT PERFECTLY. Carr shredded the Jets and is the main reason Mark's winning streak is at 5. A big time risky decision that paid off.

Jay Cutler Bad Decision Award

Eugene sitting Dion Lewis for Chris Johnson

 

 Who would've ever thought this could be a bad decision when the season started? Yes, there were injuries concerns, but you gotta play the guys that have been there for you and though Chris Johnson isn't the worst guy this season to use (who would've thought we'd be saying THAT TOO!?) Dion Lewis ended up with a 20 point performance while Chris Johnson fumbled twice and was held to 6.9 points.

 

 

Week 9 Matchups and Predictions

As boring as last year's playoff race was, this year is as hotly contested as we've ever seen. At Week 9, there are 8 teams that are 4-4 and 3-5. That's 8 teams basically vying for 3 spots. Makes each week more and more crucial to win and stay alive. Here is this week's matchups.


Kumamon Express (7-1) vs
Bigger Balls (4-4)

Matchup Stats
All Time Record: Series tied 2-2

Predictions: I Say, Mayra wins. We're both struggling and hit by big injuries, but there's plenty of reasons I'm going Mayra. My best receiver is out on bye, my best running back is hurt, my 2nd and 3rd best receivers have terrible matchups (and now, TY Hilton is dealing with a foot sprain, I might not even play him now, which is why I traded for insurance in Rishard Matthews). It just smells like a let down loss, despite Mayra, on paper, not looking that great herself. She'll find a way though, starting tomorrow when she probably double dips with Andy Dalton and Tyler Eifert.

Shock The Monkey (5-3) vs
No Soup For You (4-4)

Matchup Stats
All Time Record: Series is tied 2-2

Predictions: I Say Mark wins. This should be a good matchup and Mark's team has been rolling after a nightmare 0-3 start. Losing Keenan Allen is a killer, and I think Mark has the slightly stronger roster here.

Rocket Man (6-2) vs
Sons Of The Harpy (4-4)

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

Predictions: I Say Drew wins. This is as close as close can get as Yahoo has the projections in Eugene's favor by .15 of a point. Here's the wild card. My desperation could pay off huge dividends for Drew. If C.J. Anderson is truly coming around, it's exactly what Drew needs after weeks of mediocre RB 2 play. It's a huge "if", but the upside was worth the trade and it could end up being a move that helps Drew get a championship. If C.J. Anderson reverts to being a sucky ass fucker, well, Drew gave up a player in Rishard Matthews that he probably wouldn't be using again since Amari Cooper, Demaryius Thomas, and Allen Robinson have all had their byes. The only reason I'm going Drew here, is a gut feeling. It's really a coin toss here.

Hoosier Daddy (3-5)
Light's Broken Bots (3-5)

Matchup Stats
All Time Record: Matt leads series 5-3

Predictions: I Say Ryan Wins. So Ryan had #1 waiver priority and wins the DeAngelo Williams sweepstakes which came at the right time as Justin Forsett is on bye this week. He'll just plug him right in. Matt was able to get off his losing streak and the winner of this gets right back into the thick of things. I think it'll be closer than Yahoo thinks, but I'll still give the overall edge to Ryan.

BigBadBob (3-5) vs
Woe Is Me (2-6)

Matchup Stats
All Time Record: Kenny leads series 5-2

Predictions: I say Kenny wins. Someone's large losing streak is going to keep going. Poor Dad. He's in the middle of a 5 game slide and the majority of his team is on bye this week. He's got a makeshift team this week and though Jeremy Langford is intriguing, the rest of Dad's team is just volatile and unpredictable. Kenny's got some questions, but I believe he can at least overcome Dad's depleted team this week to end his own 6 game losing streak.

Channel 4 News Team (3-5) vs
Winter Is Over (4-4)

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

Predictions: I say Albert wins. It's the battle of teams that play inactives! All kidding aside, Brandon Marshall is iffy and the loss of Steve Smith is huge. Gotta give the edge here to Albert, who's team just looks better on paper. A win by Albert puts him in prime position for a playoff run, while Alex could separate himself from the pack with a win.

Week 8 Results: Dethroned

 

"Why are you pessimistic all the time, I don't get it?" "Why don't you ever think positive, you're 7-0". This week...is exactly why. I finally decided to heed the advice of the masses and think positive about my team's chances. Even AFTER I lost Matt Forte (and now even that is worse than it seemed, as it's an MCL injury which could be a multi week injury because of course it is because whenever I own Matt Forte he's injury plagued, when Mayra owns him, he plays every game and is a top 5 back), I felt super confident that I'd still win because Eli went INSANELY BONKERS with 6 Passing TD's and nearly 44 points. That and DeAndre Hopkins was making me feel pretty good about 8-0. I told myself I was in good shape because all Mark had left was Derek Carr (against the Jets, gotta be low scoring) and Darren McFadden (against the "tough" run D of Seattle), Ronnie Hillman (how much work would he really get), Emmanuel Sanders (banged up shoulder) and Ted Ginn (inconsistent) and I still had my trio of Randall Cobb, T.Y. Hilton, and Greg Olsen. For the first time in a while I actually wasn't worried about getting a win. Only Olsen decided to show up of the 3. That SHIT will never happen again. From now on, I hate my team and will NEVER pick them again. Honestly, my team isn't that good, I've lucked into a couple of wins, but it's not a great squad. It's got a bunch of overrated names (which is my Achilles heel, I always try to stack my team with name guys and it rarely works out, instead of keeping Brandin Cooks and Michael Floyd who combined for like nearly 50 points I trade them for a 6 point Randall Cobb play). Anyone can beat it. On paper, it's intimidating, but in reality...guys like T.Y. Hilton and Randall Cobb are just lottery tickets. They aren't even Nate Washington caliber apparently. I've got a seriously overrated 7-1 team. I think there are 3 or 4 teams better than me. I'm preparing myself for a little losing streak coming up. I need a bye so I don't get embarrassed and get bounced of Round 1. So fucking frustrating that 1 loss..just 1, can make you think it's basically over for the season (yes I know...i'm being a whiny baby, and many teams would switch with me in a heartbeat to be in my position, but I don't give a shit, I have zero confidence in this squad anymore, Mayra will beat me without Le'Veon Bell, I already saw the matchups, Cobb gets ANOTHER shit matchup against Carolina, while Hilton gets Denver..good luck getting 5 points combined off that). Carr went off against the fucking Jets, McFadden did his damage without scoring a TD, and Hillman was Terrell Davis with 2 TD's as Mark's red hot streak continues. That's 5 in a row for him and yes...his team is better than mine. Why don't I ever think positive? This is exactly why. It was my mistake and it'll never happen again.

Channel 4 News Team (3-5)        110.64     
Bigger Balls (4-4)                         62.94

Mayra was a victim of Sunday Bloody Sunday in the worst way. Le'Veon Bell suffered a torn MCL and he's out of the season. Just a terrible blow to Mayra's chances at getting back into the finals. It'll be a hurdle to just get into the playoffs now and Carlos Hyde is dealing with a multi-week injury as well. Really nothing to talk about on Mayra's side as she didn't even put up 63 points. Antonio Brown had a 1 yd TD, but that was basically as good as it got. For Albert...it just makes the two straight losses he gave away that more meaningful as he could be 4-4 instead of sitting at 2 games under .500 still. Really for him it was a 3 man show as he got his points from Gronk on Thursday and then A.J. Green exploded with 11 catches for 118 and a score and Philip Rivers had 300 passing yards and 3 scores. Hell, Andre Johnson decided to show up with 81 and a score. The rest of his team, nothing special. Mayra will take me and my Forte-less team on next week, while Albert will try to gain momentum from this win against Alex.

Game MVP

Philip Rivers (Channel 4 News Team)

301 Passing Yards, 3 Passing TD's, 27.04 Points

 

Sons Of The Harpy (4-4)         102.74

No Soup For You (4-4)              83.18

Here's a real contender for you. Drew never looked back after that Tom Brady Thursday night game and easily took care of Leland to get right back in the thick of things at 4-4. Demaryius Thomas blew up with 8 receptions for 168 yards and that's all he really needed. Peterson had over 100 yards but no TD, but I still think he bounces back at the end of the day. For Leland, Todd Gurley is just AMAZING. Another great game with 133 and a score. He's a STEAL in Round 6. The bad news is Sunday, Bloody Sunday hit Leland with his receivers. Calvin Johnson had a decent game even though the Lions blow, but he left late with an ankle injury. It didn't look too bad and the Lions do have a bye so it'll give him some time to get healthy. Not great news for Keenan Allen though. He scored a TD, and then left with an injury. Now it comes he's done for the season. That's a huge blow for Leland if he misses multiple weeks. Matt Ryan had a shitty good game as he piled up yardage but still doesn't look great doing it. Still you get your points anyway you can and Ryan put up nearly 23 points. Nothing else of note, the rest of Leland's team did nothing. He'll take on Mark on his surging team next week while Drew will look for win #5 against Eugene. 

Game MVP

Tom Brady (Sons Of The Harpy)

356 Passing Yards, 4 Passing TD's, 34.34 Points

 

Shock The Monkey (5-3)             124.92

Kumamon Express (7-1)              111.30

So I wrote that beginning rant basically all last night, and after a day to let it set, I'm still pissed as fuck that I lost to a team I should've beat (though I give Mark full credit, his team came to play). Looking back though, it wasn't the TOTAL disaster I made it out to be. I still scored the 3rd highest points of the week (just ran into the wrong team, which happens), and I lost to a team who's on a roll himself as this is win #5. Not like I lost to a losing team. Anyways, I pretty much covered the matchup up at the top. Eli was insane but at the end of the day it wasn't enough as Derek Carr defied odds and put up 33 points against the Jets, while it was basically a total team effort. I think the only guy I left out was Alshon Jeffrey who looks to be 100% healthy and had 116 yards and a score. Gary Barnidge has been a hell of a pickup for Mark as he scored another TD as well. Losing Matt Forte's going to suck and at least for next week I still am not confident in my team beating Mayra even with her own problems. In a cruel twist of fate Cobb, who faced Denver this past week now faces Carolina, who T.Y. Hilton faced, and Hilton faces Denver who Cobb just played. Gotta love it. Mark's got a good shot at continuing his streak against Leland, who will be without Calvin (bye) and Keenan Allen (Injury).

Game MVP

Derek Carr (Shock The Monkey)

333 Passing Yards, 4 Passing TD's, 33.12 Fantasy Points (Vs Jets)

 

Hoosier Daddy (3-5)         108.74

Rocket Man (6-2)               78.18

Finally, Eugene comes down to earth and has the kind of week that most people had predicted would be the norm. He made two critical mistakes, one that was of no fault of his own and the other was not trusting in Dion Lewis. John Brown suited up to play, but he didn't play a single snap thus basically killing any real chance Eugene had at winning. You can never tell when a player is going to do that especially when he's deemed active. Sucks that's what happened. Eugene played Chris Johnson over Dion and though it wasn't overly terrible, Lewis was the better play. This was also the week Aaron Rodgers had one of the worst games of his career with only 77 passing yards. Had Rodgers not had 31 rushing yards, his line would've looked even worse. The thing is, Rodgers has another bad matchup next week against Carolina so things to don't bode well for a bounce back there. Eugene did get the usual Julio Jones monster game with 162 yards and a TD, while Michael Crabtree continues to be more than serviceable with 102 yards and a score. Mark Ingram had a solid game as well with 119 total yards. For Ryan, this was a MUST win to save his season, and he did that while knocking off a top contender. This was decided before Andrew Luck's terrible game last night, but he still managed over 18 points, thanks to that late game rally against the Panthers. How about Benjamin Watson of all people leading the way? Watson's been great the last three weeks and if he keeps this up,  Ryan found a waiver wire gem. Watson had 147 and a TD and led the way with 25.2 points. Nate Washington was another nice waiver wire pickup with 74 and a score, while Devonta Freeman continues his excellent season with 131 total yards. Ryan wins with a shaky WR core and with Justin Forsett and Frank Gore really not doing anything. It's a step in the right direction for Ryan and he's got a solid winnable matchup against Matt next week. Is the dream storyline over for Eugene? That's too premature to tell, but he has yet another daunting matchup against Drew's team next week. It'll take all hands on deck to get the W there.

Game MVP

Benjamin Watson (Hoosier Daddy)

9 Receptions, 147 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD, 25.2 Fantasy Points

 

Light's Broken Bots (3-5)          108.88

Woe Is Me (2-6)                            71.80

Yep...time for Kenny to pack it in, as Kenny's team just can't get it together as he drops his 6th straight game. Kenny's team also just can't score points. It started off promising for Kenny as Charcandrick West had a great game with 122 yards and a score and Jeremy Maclin chipped in a TD. But that was basically the end of the good news. Eric Decker had a great game too with yet another TD, but the rest of Kenny's team, just mediocre at best. Peyton Manning looked better in real life than for Fantasy as he had the yardage (340 Passing Yards) but he threw a pick and threw 0 TD's. Dez did nothing coming off his foot injury and playing Seattle. Just a nightmare of a season for Kenny, and with each loss, it reaffirms his decision to "retire" from fantasy football. For Matt, he needed this BIG TIME. This puts him right back in the playoff mix. FINALLY Matt got the kind of Odell Beckham game that netted him a title last year. Beckham had 130 yards and 3 TDs. Combined that with Edelman's Thursday night performance and Matt didn't really need much else to get the W. Stefon Diggs might not be OBJ, but he might be the waiver wire spark that Matt needs this season just like OBJ was last year. He looks like a legit fantasy star with 95 yards and a score. Jonathan Stewart added a TD and though Big Ben looked rusty, Matt didn't need much from him and he'll get better as the season goes. Matt has another winnable matchup against Ryan next week, while Kenny's farewell tour hits Dad next.

Game MVP

Odell Beckham Jr. (Light's Broken Bots)

8 Receptions, 130 Receiving Yards, 3 Receiving TD's, 35 Fantasy Points

 

Winter Is Over (4-4)         122.04

BigBadBob (3-5)               110.92

Man, Dad's struggles continue. He really needed this win to stop the bleeding but thanks to an amazing 54 points from Drew Brees, Dad drops his 5th straight game after starting 3-0. Dad actually had a great game scoring, but just like me he played the wrong team. The two guys that Dad got from, Brandin Cooks and Michael Floyd were great combing for 3 TD's and 41 points. Travis Kelce and Larry Fitzgerald also had TD's, while Cam put up nearly 21 points as well. Marshawn Lynch was disappointing with under 10 points. Alex got a pretty solid effort from his team but it wasn't without consequence. First of all he survives yet another inactive play, this time Anquan Boldin. Eddie Lacy and C.J. Spiller both scored TD's, though the both still don't look great, and you take away the  TD's and they sucked yardage wise. Alex also suffered a huge loss with Steve Smith out for the season. Brandon Marshall was also in and out of the lineup, and though he put up nice numbers (9 receptions for 108 yards) he might be forced to miss at least a game with various injuries. Jimmy Graham was even decent with 75 yards on 7 catches. Of course Brees and his 7 TD's are what got Alex the win. Losing Steve Smith is HUGE, and I wasn't a big fan of this roster to begin with. Alex will try to just survive and stay in the hunt against Albert next week, while someone's losing streak is going to end next week as Kenny pits his 6 game losing streak against Dad's 5 game losing streak.

Game MVP

Drew Brees (Winter is Over)

511 Passing Yards, 7 Passing TD's, 1 INT, 54.04 Fantasy Points (Highest Point total this season)