*Note, this week's WNQ may be even shoddier than usual as I'm working all week with no breaks.
There are some thing I've come to rely on in Fantasy Football. And I'm not talking about Matthew Berrys' podcast or the power of a good trade or the fact that Joseph Addai will always be injured for the rest of time. I'm talking about the trends that, year in and year out, will always be fashionable in our fantasy league. Let me present a few of them that are either well on their way to being true or need a little boost to get there.
1) The Curse of the Early Front Runner
I've harped on this before, (and I've lost access to the old leagues, so I can't do my research on this point), but is there any doubt that getting off to an early start is the kiss of death for you fantasy football team? We're all familiar with Ryan's epic 6-0 start as well as his epic 6-7 finish. But we forget the times when Travis, long-considered the dominant team, loses in the playoffs to a much luckier Scott Baker team, which I feel like happens every year. Did Kyle's great suckiness this week remind you of what happens to the frontrunners? For reference, at the end of the second round of games, Kyle still had managed only 9 points. 9! Somebody up there hates Kyle.
2) Playoff Inequity
Our playoffs tend to be like MLB playoffs in that the same teams go every year, with a couple of stragglers thrown in there representing the "hope of the underdog." Case in point: in 3 previous seasons, five teams have made the playoffs every time: Kyle, Travis, Jason, Scott, and Donel (with Donel being the NFC West of the bunch and having zero chance of winning. Regardless!). The other spots have rotated through myself and Drew, though, for all you loyalists, you'll remember the 10 team playoff of our monstrous 14 league team included a ton of people...though I still don't know if Peter was amongst them.
So what does this mean? Well, certainly, Kyle and Travis are in position to repeat their playoffs runs/inevitable losses to Scott or Jason in the finals, sitting at #1 and #3 in our league (the beforementioned curse nonwithstanding). Donel, also, at #2, looks like he's on the right track. And Jason, as up and down as he is this season, is sitting pretty at #5. Unfortunately for our consistency, #10 Scott, while not mathematically eliminated, has a desperately uphill battle to the playoffs. That leaves an unheard of two open spots, ones that myself, Drew, and Kim (!?!?!) are in the hunt for.
3) The Curse of Peter Emiley
Peter has lamented his status as unfortunate league punching bag multiple times in the past, showing off his 3-10 record while boasting 100000 points scored but 100001 points against. Peter's team isn't looking much better this season, but Scott is the one wearing the Shawl of Shame at this point. Scott's losses thus far this season have been by 2, 9, 1, 6, and 1 point. He actually has a positive PF/PA ratio...with only one win! This is the kind of mindboggingly unfortunate statistic usually only slathered on Peter's team. Somewhere inbetween this season and last Peter clearly stuck Scott with a hypodermic needle full of bad karma.
4) Jason + The Waiver Wire/Free Agent Auction
Jason has made 24 acquisitions in 6 weeks. 4 players per game! He leads the league in said stat, as well as in activated players, which I'm not sure what it is, but probably means hes playing a lot of different people all the time. Ridiculous! Now, he's well off his 90+ pace of years before, but it's not for lack of trying, just lack of funds.
Fun fact: Donel has started just 13 different players this season, to Jason's 55. 13! I writhe with envy.
5) All girls who play in our league stink
Up for review! To be determined, pending Kim's resurgence vs. meltdown.
Text Messages of the Week!
I was in Ann Arbor watching these games with Scott, so I don't really have any text messages from him.
Me (to Kyle, after all his early game starters had just finished): Nice 4 points.
Kyle: My guys decided to take the week off
Awards Roundup
Commissioner's Spotlight on Awesomeness: Ryan Good
He won a game! He scored 101 points! Turns out you can teach a dead dog new tricks.
Commissioner's Blackout on Suckiness: Kyle Bohm
It was looking iffy for awhile as to whether or not Kyle would be able to reach double digits. Guaranteed fail.
The Eagle Eye Award: Jeremy Maclin, 27 pts
Who? You got me. Jason is the king of weird nobodies scoring 27 points.
Scrub Starters of the Week
Kim: Hakeem Nicks = 0 pts
Kyle: Willis McGahee = 0 pts (which Kyle deserved, because who starts Willis McGahee anymore?)
Drew: Nate Washington = 0 pts
Peter: John Kuhn = 0 pts (I'm not even shocked Peter's still playing him)
Power Rankings
1) Kyle (last week, 1) 5-1
I'm not going to let one week sway me into believing Kyle's team sucks. Just kidding! MWAHAHAHA! THE CURSE IS UPON YOU!
2) Travis (last week, 2) 4-2
What did Travis' fingers say to Kyle's face? I don't know even need to type the answer. You know. I wonder if we've officially seen the changing of the guard
3) Donel (last week, 3)
Uh oh, we're getting kind of stagnant at the top, aren't we? Donel's team wasn't particularly impressive this week, but he didn't have to be! Peter cures all wounds.
4) Me (last week, 4)
I'm man enough to admit that I got lucky Kim's team had a meltdown. I didn't look great these week, a few stars aside.
5) Jason (last week, 7)
Jason has a dangerous team. He's playing all randos from week to week so there's a chance that they'll either a) do exactly as they are expected (read: nothing), or b) blow up for 27 points. This makes Jason a 100 point threat every game...as well as a 10 point threat. I don't see him winning out three times in the playoffs, but I can see him making the playoffs and making at least one team very sad.
6) Drew (last week, 6)
Drew mostly got unlucky for being the only 80 point scoring team to face someone who wasn't sucking. I still think you got it, Drewski.
7) Kim (last week, 5)
Take out LT and Kim is under 50. Could that trade have done her in? No chance. Her team is so desperately thin, these by weeks are going to crush the life out of her
8) Scott (last week, 8)
Scott keeps putting up points (#3 overall this week) and keeps losing games. Fun fact: did any of you see the score of Scott's game switch overnight from 98-97 Scott to 99-98 Jason? As if it wasn't bad enough he lost, he also had the possibility of victory stolen from him by an angry machine
9) Ryan (last week, 9)
I need to see that two weeks in a row before I believe Ryan's lies.
10) Peter (last week, 10)
Horse.
Week 7 Fearless Predictions
3-2 last week! If only I had seen Ryan Good coming...Also, to be fair, Donel didn't win by 80, so I guess I didn't cover my own spread
Rob (4-2) vs Donel (4-2)
Well, I enjoyed having a brief winning streak! It is ending this week. It's Byweeksville right now, population: me
Donel by 20
Kyle (5-1) vs Jason (3-3)
Jason's only QB is on byweek and he has $0 for free agents. If we each pick up 2 QBs, Jason is fucked! Unfortunately, that is not going to happen...and Kyle is starting Chad Henne
Jason by 10
Travis (4-2) vs Ryan (2-4)
Seeing as how Travis doesn't melt down and lightning doesn't strike twice, I think Ryan's toast
Travis by 12
Drew (2-4) vs Peter (2-4)
Welcome to underachieversville! I still can't bet on Peter.
Drew by 5.
Scott (1-5) vs Kim (3-3)
If there was ever a time to redeem himself, it is nigh.
Scott by 20
One Last Thing
Tune in next week for a special Midseason WNQ breakdown! Also:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8CYHae2BR0&feature=related
Bet ESPN didn't know how quickly this commercial would be out of date
There are some thing I've come to rely on in Fantasy Football. And I'm not talking about Matthew Berrys' podcast or the power of a good trade or the fact that Joseph Addai will always be injured for the rest of time. I'm talking about the trends that, year in and year out, will always be fashionable in our fantasy league. Let me present a few of them that are either well on their way to being true or need a little boost to get there.
1) The Curse of the Early Front Runner
I've harped on this before, (and I've lost access to the old leagues, so I can't do my research on this point), but is there any doubt that getting off to an early start is the kiss of death for you fantasy football team? We're all familiar with Ryan's epic 6-0 start as well as his epic 6-7 finish. But we forget the times when Travis, long-considered the dominant team, loses in the playoffs to a much luckier Scott Baker team, which I feel like happens every year. Did Kyle's great suckiness this week remind you of what happens to the frontrunners? For reference, at the end of the second round of games, Kyle still had managed only 9 points. 9! Somebody up there hates Kyle.
2) Playoff Inequity
Our playoffs tend to be like MLB playoffs in that the same teams go every year, with a couple of stragglers thrown in there representing the "hope of the underdog." Case in point: in 3 previous seasons, five teams have made the playoffs every time: Kyle, Travis, Jason, Scott, and Donel (with Donel being the NFC West of the bunch and having zero chance of winning. Regardless!). The other spots have rotated through myself and Drew, though, for all you loyalists, you'll remember the 10 team playoff of our monstrous 14 league team included a ton of people...though I still don't know if Peter was amongst them.
So what does this mean? Well, certainly, Kyle and Travis are in position to repeat their playoffs runs/inevitable losses to Scott or Jason in the finals, sitting at #1 and #3 in our league (the beforementioned curse nonwithstanding). Donel, also, at #2, looks like he's on the right track. And Jason, as up and down as he is this season, is sitting pretty at #5. Unfortunately for our consistency, #10 Scott, while not mathematically eliminated, has a desperately uphill battle to the playoffs. That leaves an unheard of two open spots, ones that myself, Drew, and Kim (!?!?!) are in the hunt for.
3) The Curse of Peter Emiley
Peter has lamented his status as unfortunate league punching bag multiple times in the past, showing off his 3-10 record while boasting 100000 points scored but 100001 points against. Peter's team isn't looking much better this season, but Scott is the one wearing the Shawl of Shame at this point. Scott's losses thus far this season have been by 2, 9, 1, 6, and 1 point. He actually has a positive PF/PA ratio...with only one win! This is the kind of mindboggingly unfortunate statistic usually only slathered on Peter's team. Somewhere inbetween this season and last Peter clearly stuck Scott with a hypodermic needle full of bad karma.
4) Jason + The Waiver Wire/Free Agent Auction
Jason has made 24 acquisitions in 6 weeks. 4 players per game! He leads the league in said stat, as well as in activated players, which I'm not sure what it is, but probably means hes playing a lot of different people all the time. Ridiculous! Now, he's well off his 90+ pace of years before, but it's not for lack of trying, just lack of funds.
Fun fact: Donel has started just 13 different players this season, to Jason's 55. 13! I writhe with envy.
5) All girls who play in our league stink
Up for review! To be determined, pending Kim's resurgence vs. meltdown.
Text Messages of the Week!
I was in Ann Arbor watching these games with Scott, so I don't really have any text messages from him.
Me (to Kyle, after all his early game starters had just finished): Nice 4 points.
Kyle: My guys decided to take the week off
Awards Roundup
Commissioner's Spotlight on Awesomeness: Ryan Good
He won a game! He scored 101 points! Turns out you can teach a dead dog new tricks.
Commissioner's Blackout on Suckiness: Kyle Bohm
It was looking iffy for awhile as to whether or not Kyle would be able to reach double digits. Guaranteed fail.
The Eagle Eye Award: Jeremy Maclin, 27 pts
Who? You got me. Jason is the king of weird nobodies scoring 27 points.
Scrub Starters of the Week
Kim: Hakeem Nicks = 0 pts
Kyle: Willis McGahee = 0 pts (which Kyle deserved, because who starts Willis McGahee anymore?)
Drew: Nate Washington = 0 pts
Peter: John Kuhn = 0 pts (I'm not even shocked Peter's still playing him)
Power Rankings
1) Kyle (last week, 1) 5-1
I'm not going to let one week sway me into believing Kyle's team sucks. Just kidding! MWAHAHAHA! THE CURSE IS UPON YOU!
2) Travis (last week, 2) 4-2
What did Travis' fingers say to Kyle's face? I don't know even need to type the answer. You know. I wonder if we've officially seen the changing of the guard
3) Donel (last week, 3)
Uh oh, we're getting kind of stagnant at the top, aren't we? Donel's team wasn't particularly impressive this week, but he didn't have to be! Peter cures all wounds.
4) Me (last week, 4)
I'm man enough to admit that I got lucky Kim's team had a meltdown. I didn't look great these week, a few stars aside.
5) Jason (last week, 7)
Jason has a dangerous team. He's playing all randos from week to week so there's a chance that they'll either a) do exactly as they are expected (read: nothing), or b) blow up for 27 points. This makes Jason a 100 point threat every game...as well as a 10 point threat. I don't see him winning out three times in the playoffs, but I can see him making the playoffs and making at least one team very sad.
6) Drew (last week, 6)
Drew mostly got unlucky for being the only 80 point scoring team to face someone who wasn't sucking. I still think you got it, Drewski.
7) Kim (last week, 5)
Take out LT and Kim is under 50. Could that trade have done her in? No chance. Her team is so desperately thin, these by weeks are going to crush the life out of her
8) Scott (last week, 8)
Scott keeps putting up points (#3 overall this week) and keeps losing games. Fun fact: did any of you see the score of Scott's game switch overnight from 98-97 Scott to 99-98 Jason? As if it wasn't bad enough he lost, he also had the possibility of victory stolen from him by an angry machine
9) Ryan (last week, 9)
I need to see that two weeks in a row before I believe Ryan's lies.
10) Peter (last week, 10)
Horse.
Week 7 Fearless Predictions
3-2 last week! If only I had seen Ryan Good coming...Also, to be fair, Donel didn't win by 80, so I guess I didn't cover my own spread
Rob (4-2) vs Donel (4-2)
Well, I enjoyed having a brief winning streak! It is ending this week. It's Byweeksville right now, population: me
Donel by 20
Kyle (5-1) vs Jason (3-3)
Jason's only QB is on byweek and he has $0 for free agents. If we each pick up 2 QBs, Jason is fucked! Unfortunately, that is not going to happen...and Kyle is starting Chad Henne
Jason by 10
Travis (4-2) vs Ryan (2-4)
Seeing as how Travis doesn't melt down and lightning doesn't strike twice, I think Ryan's toast
Travis by 12
Drew (2-4) vs Peter (2-4)
Welcome to underachieversville! I still can't bet on Peter.
Drew by 5.
Scott (1-5) vs Kim (3-3)
If there was ever a time to redeem himself, it is nigh.
Scott by 20
One Last Thing
Tune in next week for a special Midseason WNQ breakdown! Also:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8CYHae2BR0&feature=related
Bet ESPN didn't know how quickly this commercial would be out of date
No comments:
Post a Comment