Week 11 & it’s Heaven

Happy Thursday Fantasia, it's been a while.

I apologize for the lack of communication. Another writing project I have cooking has taken all of my inspiration the past few weeks. Feels good to write about the league again!

Historic in and out of fantasy!

In all my time running this league, never has there been such parity between teams. Sure, there are front runners, looking at you Twin City Griddy and Assistant to the Regional FFB Manager, but the midfield is crowded.

A month ago, our resident Moo Moo Smashers were down and out. The Jets were terrible and Lui was nursing an underperforming 2-3 squad. Fast forward and he has won 5 straight games to rise to 2nd in the East. (the Jets are still terrible though) Unfortunately, he shares that spot with my and Swiffer's squads. Swiffer is riding a similar three game streak. All three of us are tied for second place at 7-3. With this competition, every week is a playoff week here in the East.

Conventional wisdom would dictate that the Weastern conference could not be as close, this is only partially true as Tupy only holds a one game lead over Chip's (Knot) Top Secret. Clint trails close behind as he and his Bengals both try to right this ship in games that almost feel must-win to keep the playoff hopes alive. The Overweighters and Penguins are close behind but the margin for error is so narrow you can barely see through it.

Tidbit about the NFL, this week, 6 games ended on field goal kicks to win with no time on the clock. That has never happened before in a single week of NFL games.

Fun Facts

Some people thinkin fantasy football is about scoring the most points. This is true; however, it is more true that scoring the most points on the right week is even more important. For example, who leads the Fantasia in scoring this year? The Moo Moo Smashers by over 50! Why does he have more losses than the conference leaders, timing of those points. Also, the squads at the bottom of the standings have had the worst luck with Mike's 6 Train Warriors having 1571 points against him! For context, the next most scored against players have over 100 points less scored against them overall.

Big matchups this week

In real life, Thursday Night Football is a big one. Ravens v Bengals. Bengals are a little bruised up which could open the door for the Ravens to run all over them. The Bengals, have something the Ravens don't, desperation. They've had a disappointing, up and down season and if they want a shot at the AFC North crown, this is a must win. Gonna be a hell of a game. Burrow v Jackson is one of my favorite showdowns these days.

In fantasy, Dad can do all of us in the East a huge favor by taking Kelsey down a peg. He's got the roster to do it with Hurts and Tyreek both sporting favorable matchups. Kels has all her cards on the Jags and Phins thriving (sans the Cheetah). Could this week end in a 4 way tie for first in the East?

Only if I can squeeze by JP's Penguins Super-Dak lead squad. T-Swift is supposed to be at the Cheif's game this week so I may be in trouble with Travis poised to produce. I'll be waiting for the Josh Jacobs trade to pay off with his Mcdaniels-less Raiders squad seemingly finding a new identity.

Matchup of the week is definitely Swiffer v Tupy in what I am thinking will be a playoff rematch in a few weeks. Swiffer has CMC, who will keep her team competitive in any game and has Fields back for some potential dynamism with an otherwise moribund Bears team. Even with Alden down JT, he's no slouch with Lamar at the helm and Davante, Diggs and Andrews being each respective QBs prime weapon. Expect Swiffer to cover the spread in this close one.

Last but not least, Snickers Sponsored Nonsense

I enjoy stats and ESPN gives an interesting glimpse into some behind the hood metrics. One of my favorites is the Final Standing Projection. I've watched this measure with fascination since they implemented it a few years back. I think the idea is to give fantasy GMs some much needed serotonin after missing the playoffs. Works for me!

Basically, the Final Standing Projection assigns everyone in the league a final standing right after the draft. Based on ESPNs iffy projections. As the season wears on, injuries happen, GMs pick up waiver prospects and trades get processed, the FSP moves teams around accordingly. It's a fun metric but any good news taken therein should also be ingested with a table spoon of salt.

Biggest leaps from Draft Day to Current:

ME!!!! ESPN thought my draft day was bogus as I watched QB after QB fall away so I could end up fumbling for Qbs on the waiver wire most weeks. Draft Day Projection: 10th in the league Current: 4th! That's almost a bronze medal!!

Tied for places jumped with me.... First time Fantasy participant Swiffer! I wasn't sure what to expect from Swiffer in her first Fantasy run. ESPN had similar concerns ranking her 11th at the outset. She has turned her squad into legit contenders much to my enjoyment and surprise. Draft Day Projection: 11th Current: 5th! That's almost almost a bronze medal!

Last Snickers Projected blah blah blah is the current league front runner Kelsey 'Too Nice' Sampson. ESPN ranked her out of the top 5 on draft day but she will have the last laugh as ESPN content circles the drain and she has sky rocketed from meh-st to first! Even with a troubling team name. Draft Day Projection: 6th Current: 1st!

Good luck this week Fantasia

Your Commissioner

Weak Week 7

Happy Thursday Fantasia,

Spooky SZN is upon us (trying to appeal to a younger demographic in this Drusletter) and there are few things that frighten me more than checking my fantasy app to reveal that most of my team has taken the day off.

Seven of my ten active players performed under their projected and resulted in my taking a second L against the resurgent Overweighters. Am I happy our former champion and international icon Negro is back on the right track? Yes, but at what cost to me!?

In other Weak 7 news: Kelsey's team is hotter than the Kelce/Swift romance (another Gen Z clickbait my editor insisted I include). She put up a buck 60 against an underperforming Clint squad. If my team put up 160, I'd be doing jumping jacks, but that's just another day at the office for Kels. Twin City Griddy has emerged as the number one team in the league having only lost one game to Swiffer in week 2 which feels like an epoch ago.

JP's Penguins picked up a tight win to stay in contention while Swiffer dropped her second game against Chip who is also clinging tightly to a winning record. We reached out to Sweatpea for comment regarding her WR Chris Olave's recent troubles with the law. We have not heard back.

Contender for Fantasy GM of the year, Alden Tupy posted the week's strongest score with over 193 fantasy points against Mike's squad who just played the wrong fantasy team this week. Tupy secured both Indy runningbacks who combined to score over 35 points! A fantasy RB committee that has ruled in favor of victory! Not thrilled to be facing off against him this week.

In times of desperation, we mortal men to turn to powers we don't fully understand until it is too late. As Isildur could not destroy the one ring, I could not banish the evil Bears from my roster. As Brock Purdy has entered concussion protocol and Baker Mayfield's knee remains suspect, I turned to the very evil I once sought to destroy: The Chicago Bears and their new quarterback

I turned to the very evil I have sought to destroy. The Chicago Bears and their new quarterback. Tyson Bagent. The kid had a remarkable debut last week and I love his story, undrafted, overlooked, with the heart of a champion. Go check out the ESPN interview with his arm wrestling champion father. You're welcome.

I've never, in ten years, started a fantasy football game with two Chicago Bears, until this week. I'll need every point against Tupy or I too will be toppled.

While Kelsey stands atop the league's summit, many of us crowd around in the midfield right now. In the Weast conference, every team is still in contention. Yes! Even Mizzurah Bubba is sitting at 3-4. Hidden note for MC. I love you buddy but if you don't replace Fournette, who does not play for an NFL team currently or start another player on a bye, I'm setting you to auto sir. Tupy still leads but has only a one game margin over Chip and Clint. With an Overweighter and Penguin victory last week, they are only two games behind. Meanwhile, in the East, I'm trying to hold on to a one game leader over the Moo Moo Smashers and Sweatpea's Swiffers. Let's hope the Penguins clean her up this week!

Sidenote: could I have been more wrong to be excited for the Lions v Ravens last week? I find myself rooting for the Lions (when not playing the Pack) because I like their tenacity, see Craig Reynolds block two weeks ago, and their coach. Boy, they looked out of their depth against Lamar last week. Excited to see if the Ravens can play like that every week. If they can, they could go all the way.

To some more observant readers, you may have noticed I didn't talk about the Packers this week. That is correct.

Hopefully this football week will be better for me. I'm projected to lose by over 10 to Alden, but I've always been an underdog. Or maybe I'm just projecting.

See you next week.

Your Commish

Mini Fantasia Week 6ish

Sorry for the delay peeps! It's been a busy time in Drutonia lately. This will be a micro Drusletter but I will make up for it in the near term.

First, Wow! A lot has happened the past few weeks.

More trades in a week that we usually see all season! Five trades in less than two weeks! Absolutely bananas but I love to see it. Engagement this year and my marketing department is giving me thumbs up as I write this. I was personally involved in two of the trades that may determine my final ranking.

Before that, a rules clarification. There was a 72 hour window after a trade would be accepted that it would not go through. This allowed for me to veto any trade that I found unacceptable. Example: if someone was taking advantage of someone else. I did not anticipate that this may cause a problem with trading for a player on Tuesday and one of the players plays that Thursday. This has been corrected to be a 24 hour window. Yes, this means that if you accept a trade Wednesday night and your boy plays Thursday night, you are SOL. I considered eliminating the trade window but I'm not ready to let go of the power just yet!

Some quick thoughts on my trades: Sending Deebo for Josh Jacobs. It really hurt not getting JJ in the draft after he led me to the playoffs last season and I had built a WR heavy roster so I thought I could afford to lose Deebo. I love his physicality but that worries me as well. Can someone play that hard and last the whole season? JJ is older and living in a world where RBs just aren't valued the same as everyone has a committee of backs now. He's in a contract year, which I love, so I pulled the trigger. We'll see how it pans out, end of year.

My second trade sent an overperforming Zack Moss to Alden's then league dominating squad. My general rule is not to trade with a leading team but I though Miles Sanders had a brighter future ahead of him than Zach as the news at the time indicated JT was coming back. Alden knew this and made me an offer I couldn't refuse! Little did I know, genius GM Tupy was also working to acquire JT from Clint! A potentially masterful move that hasn't quite paid off for the Assistant to the Fantasy Football Manager... yet!

Last week shenanigans!

-King Henry continues to give me just enough with help from a Justin Tucker who has finally come out of hibernation to beat Clint's squad on a week his team didn't perform to expectation.

-Kelsey continues to roll as her bet on the no-longer-suspended Kamara pays off big. If Mostert keeps swimming with the Phins, Etienne reaches his potential and Kamara as an Xfactor, the Twin City Griddy Committee looks to be the team to beat in a win over Palm Coast's resident penguins.

-Chip's found money in Tyreek Hill will keep him in every game as the Cheetah eyes the record for yards in a season. The rest of his squad just has to do enough and this week, they did in a win over Team Merica that is looking for answers.

-SHOCK OF THE WEEK- MC defeats his sister with a bye week player in the starting lineup and one of his bench players not being on an active NFL roster. Sometimes the fantasy gods frown upon you as Swiffer must be regretting betting on Fields. CMC and Breece Hall came up just short dropping Swiffer to two losses.

-Lui's season was looking grim before taking down the former league leading Tupy squad with help from an emergent Kenneth Walker and an all-star receiving corps. Tupy has plenty of juice but will he continue to look for the perfect trade?!

-The Overweighters finally found their form from last year with a commanding win over the struggling Six Train Warriors. We aren't even half way through the season and hope springs eternal in the hearts of men (and one lady).

Current Standings

I miraculously find myself tied for the Eastern Conference lead with Kelsey's squad. I've been eeking out wins each while while Kelsey has been dominating. My victories feel precarious every week but a dubyah is a dubyah. Swiffer and Lui trail only slightly behind only one and two games back respectively. Meanwhile, the West is shootout. Only two games separate the best from the worst as Tupy looks to right the ship as the Burrowneous Assault closes in. MC somehow has three wins and is only a game back from playoff contention!?

More in-depth analysis from your favorite Commissioner next week!

Before then, one piece of advice watching foosball today, avert your eyes from the Packers v Broncos. This will be ugly.

Your Commish

Fantasia Week 5

Quick one this week as Drutonia has been a busy place this week!

Quick hits

-I always had immense respect for fanbases that endure year after year of failure but that has multiplied this week after watching the Packers flounder on Thursday. This was doubly difficult as Lions RB David Montgomery posted a career day in fantasy scoring over 40 in a Packer stomping I've not witnessed in over a decade. I knew this year would be hard but ouch. I tip my cap to those of you have been experiencing this for years. Two things are clear to me in this early season: the Lions are for real. The Packers are not.

-Stefon Diggs still gets it done. The Bills are still finding their footing and, I believe, will be well on their way soon. Do yourself a favor and watch the Stefon Diggs TD from Sunday. So many receivers would have gone down on initial contact. Not him. Shrugs off multiple defenders and refuses to quit. Glad he doesn't play for the Vikes anymore.

Moral Victories

-A lot of football talking heads decry the term 'moral victories', I could not disagree more. When you're on a team that is bound for anything but a top ten pick, moral victories can be watershed moment in players careers.

-Several great ones this week including much maligned Zach Wilson stepping up to the oche and outperforming Patrick Mahomes! The Jets didn't get the win but that kid sure did and he needed it. -Speaking of overlooked qbs, Sam 'Hound Dawg' Howell is the man. He does it all on a Washington team that deserves more respect. Not a lot more, but some. He runs, he reads defenses and he executes. Fun to watch!

-Rookies running for their lives... in the right direction! Raiders Aidan O'Connell (who?) the Purdue product was running for his life the entire game but still managed to keep it competitive in a losing battle.

-The Brown's rookie QB DTR was similarly started in lieu of injury but flashed brilliance on several plays. Sure, he doesn't have the sense to sense pass rushers bearing down on him but he has the wheels to escape. Fun to watch and I'll be honest, not rooting for Watson.

Dru's Draft Bust Corner

-I always try to find a deep sleeper late in the draft, as I'm sure many of us do, and this year I bet on Ezekiel Elliot having a comeback with his new Patriots squad. This bust became apparent immediately as, ironically in red, white & blue, these colors don't run.

Traders & Traitors

-The first trade of Fantasia season was executed by none other than yours truly and Mike 'GM of the year contender' Merla. This story starts, as many trade stories do, with a text from one professional to another. It was simple, both are teams had gaps to fill. I needed a RB to shore up my roster and Merla needed an elite WR. We proposed several trades back and forth in the middle of the week before we settled on my sending Deebo Samuel in return for Josh Jacobs. I know what you're thinking, 'Dru! You traded one of the most talented receivers in the league for a runningback off to a slow start on a bum team.' You're right but my gut tells me that Deebo goes to hard to remain healthy all year. Jacobs has an excellent track record (took me to the playoffs last year) & is on a one year deal making him a contract year player that will leave it all on the field. As Merla put it, 'I believe this deal helps us both.' Jacobs came up big for me, more on that later, but it's a long season and I play Merla next week. It will hurt we Deebo secures the dub for him. C'est la vie.

On to the show!

-After watching, agonizingly, my Packers get shredded and my fantasy team go down by 40 points earlier, I had little hope to stop the Luitonian menace; however, fate had other plans! I execute my first trade in years and new Drutonia Josh Jacobs delivered with over 30 points for the first time this year. Coupled with AJ Browns career game and DJ Moore finally getting involved we overcame Josh Allen's 44 points to secure the win. It took my squad scoring a season record 194.7 points to stop Lui in his tracks! This week, relief is spelled D-R-U. I now share the Eastern Conference lead with Kels & Swiffer, but for how long?

-Swiffer rose to 3-1 with another career performance by CMC & Justin Fields reaching his potential in a losing effort. Quick aside, boy was I wrong on the CMC trade. At the time, the Niners gave Carolina a billion picks for a guy I thought had already played his best football. Egg on my face every week at CMC continues to top himself. If the Niners are on offense on a tv near you, have a seat, and enjoy the ride. CMC put up a season leading 52.7 points and showed no signs of slowing down. Merla's squad had an okay day but that isn't enough to compete with Swiffer's squad.

-Kels brought the heat to Team Merica this week with her highest scorer being.... her defense?! 29 points in the Seahawks beat down of the Giants. Are they this good or are the Giants this bad? Yes. Her Kamara patience paid off as he put up 20 along with Justin Jefferson. Barring an injury setback, its hard not to see the Twin City Griddy Committee making it to the playoffs.

-In the battle of DME, Tupy toppled Clint on the way to his fourth win of season putting up a whopping 194 points! (Nearly as much as our favorite commissioner's squad) With talent oozing out of ever orifice and waiver pickup of the year, Puka Nacua scoring over 30 fantasy points, Alden will sit the Iron Throne for the foreseeable future.

-Congrats to our resident Mizzurah Bubba securing his first dub against a struggling Overweighters squad. Still plenty of time for Negro to right the ship and there are rumors that he may be interested in a trade partner. Stay tuned!

Week 5

-Merla is looking for his first win against everyone's favorite Drutonian and he's projected to take it with new QB Dobbs at the helm! Will the clock strike midnight on Dru's Cinderella story?

-Team Merica looks to right the ship while Swiffer just wants to keep on sailing. Will CMC continue to produce against the league's best defense against the run in the Cowboys? Chloe's has a very favorable matchup with Tua playing the less than Giants. This one should be interesting.

-Sorry Clint but I'm picking the underdog Overweighters to stop their skid and return to form this week. Unless the Bengals can get on the same page, then I'm picking the Burrowneous Assault. I guess that means I'm not picking either?

I've gotten some requests for a guest column in one of these newsletters and I want to be clear with all of you: That door will always remain open! I'd love to read someone else's rants and raves!

Good luck this week peeps!

Your Commish

Week 4 and we all Score

Happy Tuesday Fantasia de Futbol!

Why shouldn't it be? The Packers won (barely), Dru's in for a Bruisin' won (barely) and the Bears lost (Bearly)

So much to talk about after one hell of a football weekend. I doubt I'll capture all the action but here goes!

The Lead: Dolphins hang 70 on the busted Broncos.

Sean Payton, the supposed savior of this flatlining organization is off to an historically bad start. The Phins broke a nearly 50 year held scoring record in a trouncing not seen in color until now. Kelsey wins start of the week with Florida local Raheem Mostert blasting off to 4 touchdowns doing his part in the Miami tidal wave. Among the myriad of anomalies that led to this historic trouncing, I can't remember a fantasy free agent putting up over 50 points in all my years as commish. De'Von Achane (pronounced a chain) doesn't have A'Chance of surviving this weeks waiver wire claims. It didn't take long for me to join TuAnon again this season either. No Waddle, no problem. Brilliant execution across the board for this team along with excellent play design by their young head coach and former Broncos ball boy. Fun fact: when the Bronco's had a coaching opening three years ago, they didn't even interview lifelong Bronco's fan and current Miami coach Mike McDaniels for the job. (Credit to Peter King, my favorite sportswriter for that tidbit). Last thing about this game: classy of McDaniels not to push for more points and shatter the record. He called it Karma and he's right.

A Dobbs will do ya!

I love football. There are innumerable reasons why but my favorite is that no one knows anything. The 'experts', the talking heads, they know as much as you or I. The Cardinals, quite possibly the NFL team with the weakest roster, beat the red-hot cowboys like they robbed the family vault. Cardinals QB Joshua Dobbs stepped in when Kyler Murray got hurt for the umpteenth time. Joshua Dobbs has been a backup qb, starting qb & practice squad qb for a million years and is finally at the helm in Arizona. He led his team over the Boys with ease against one of the best rushers in football. These are my favorite types of stories. Redemption through effort, a little luck and extreme will.

Talking about underdogs

My boy C.J. Stroud of the woeful Texans showed out against a highly vaunted Jags squad in DUVAL. Not a huge day for Stroud with sub 300 yards and 2 tds but not a bad day and most importantly, no turnovers. I love that he and fellow rookie Tank Dell are collaborating for deep passes (this has nothing to do with Tank being a recent addition to the Drutonian squad). Grabbing Tank would have been the waiver wire grab of the week if not for Sweeper having her ear to the ground and nabbing Kareem Hunt just as he signed with the Browns. If Hunt can be close to his former, pre scandal, self, he will start on her squad the remainder of the season.

What's not to Love?

He stays cool when the game gets hot. Watching the first three quarters of the Packers game Sunday was akin to an outdoor wedding in September in Florida, it's supposed to be a great day but we all just want it to end. Then, Carr goes down and the Saints crumble along with him. Sure, the Packers looked terrible for about 80% of the game. Sure, the Saints missed a makable field goal to lose. But I'm choosing to remember Jordan Love proving that he is more than a bridge qb when he lit the fire and guided this young squad to the first comeback of his young career.

Last hit of reality before we go full fantasy: in a week of outstanding play, the Phins have absorbed a huge amount of very deserved praise; however, the spotlight must widen. One of my favorite players in the league, who quietly gets it done week after week, year after year is Keenan Allen. He has been on my fantasy squad most of the last 5 years but I lost him to the Penguins this year. I got greedy and thought I could wait to nab him. He caught 18 passes for 215 yards!!!! There are great receivers that catch 7, 8 or 9 passes per game.... Unreal!

Enough reality!! It's fantasy time!

Congrats to the Moo Moo Smashers for almost being the highest scoring squad as the honor goes to the Assistant to the FFB Manager with a score of 187.78! Edging out Lui by a mere 0.2! Tupy being the points leader is damn near a forgone conclusion at this point but many of us were not far behind including Kelsey with nearly 174, myself with 162 and the Overweighters with 152. I'll have to get with my research team but this may have been the highest scoring week in total that the Fantasia has ever witnessed!

My squad rose to the occasion to defeat Dr. Sweatpea in a close one that wasn't decided until I woke up this morning. King Henry laid a rare dud but nearly everyone else came up big with 20 plus points. Swiffer was in the unenviable position of needing her qb to throw TDs to not my receiver. Fields couldn't find his footing and only managed one TD to my boy DJ Moore. Even so, I had a lead going into last night and we each had a Philly WR. Luckily, it was A.J. Brown's turn to shine and I secured the dub with a season high for me: 162.5!

The Guatemalan Get-Down was nearly as close as projected where it was any man's ball game until the final buzzer. The Penguins kicker put up 18 but it wasn't enough to overcome a few stars underperforming this week as the Overweighter's Justin Herbert continues to be an elite fantasy qb and Mike Evans sealing the deal on Monday. There will be a Guatemalan rematch later this year and look forward to the fireworks.

The Burrowneous Assault came under fire and was nearly brought down by perennial dark horse Mizzurah Bubba this week. Mahomes & Mckinnon led the charge and Clint watched in horror as Daniel 'Running for his life' Jones put up a measly 5.8 points. With underperformers across the board, The Assault is praying for the day JT finally plays and Burrow looks like the Burrow of years past. Luckily, both of which seem right around the corner.

Premature congratulations are in order for Alden & Clint for being the only remaining lossless squads! The Weast is beginning to separate as they both hold a 2 game lead over the rest but there are still some strong rosters below them as Negro, Chip and JP know their seasons are far from over.

In the East, Lui, Kelsey, Swiffer and I are locked in a four way tie. With Mike and Merica nipping close behind in potential points, there is no clarity in who will ascend just yet. While I'm reluctant to accept an inter-conference trade, I have been getting some enticing offers that I may not be able to avoid. I, like many of us probably feel, that I am one roster tweak away from success. Our conference will likely be decided by most Points For when playoff time arrives so I encourage everyone to squeeze every point you can each week.

Things look to get spicy this week as their will only be one undefeated squad left.

Battle of the Unbeaten

Tupy via Clint. Dudecube versus the Tank. Will Alden be able to leave his desk or will Clint tell him to take one and go!? Are these DME references to old and vague to be funny?! Probably! This joke is so inside that I can't possibly see my way out! ... Can Tupy continue to ask Puka to deliver on his offensive Rookie of the Year ambitions? Will Clint trade for a better RB or pray for JT? Projections show Tupy by a country mile but if Burrow and JT emerge, this could be a tight one!

Dru v Lui, A grudge match

Our last meeting, nearly a year ago, knocked my squad squarely out of the playoff race. I have spoken to all my players this week to let them know that this is not a week to slack off. As Lui's Jets descend to Earth, Lui's rage rises and an angry Tiger Woods is a deadly Tiger Woods. Will Josh Allen return to form against the Miami Monsoon this week? If quietly overperforming Kenneth Walker of Seattle and Keenan Allen keep playing the way they are, I may not stand a chance. Fun fact: Lui has 3 players with top-5 fantasy scoring at their respective positions while my squad has exactly 0. You know what my squad does have? Heart. Miles and miles of heart. This is the DruPick (TM) game of the week!

Swiffer v Merla, West Coast against the Beast Coast

Can Swiffer clean up her act or will the 6 Train Warriors pull the brakes before the train goes off the rails? Projections say this one will be decided by a point and I'm inclined to believe it. Mike's squad is full of underachievers but it's early yet. We all know Godwin, Scary Terry, Josh Jacobs and Joe Mixon have the makings of the very best in fantasy but they haven't show it yet. This could be a great week to come alive as they all have intriguing matchups. Interesting tidbit, Sweeper does not currently employ a second QB. Will she still be all in on Fields after his performance last week? CMC will get his and surprise breakout TE LaPorta will likely continue to soar. Olave, Breece Hall and DeVonta Smith give her a lot to like every week. The potential on this team is nothing to sneeze at but every seasoned fantasy coach knows that its not about what could happen, its about what does. Does Sweatpea dare turn to her Bitterest side and start the Jets Defense against KC in some sort of attempt to get in Merla's head?! Stay tuned!

Good luck everyone and remember to enjoy the salty and sweet taste of Blue Diamond almonds. From Snacks to Desserts, our All-monds All-ways deliver!

P.S. Eagles v Dolphins Super Bowl!? Probably not, as the league will look very different in January and the AFC is stacked, but that would be a lot of fun to watch.

Fantasia Week 3 2023

It is the dawn of week 3 in Drutonia and the bag I'm holding is as mixed as Blue Diamond's new Bold flavors! Such as their Wasabi & Soy sauce blend. Blue Diamond takes the familiar flavors of the sushi shop and brings them to your pantry! Also try the new Thin Dipped Almonds! They contain less than half the sugar of competitor's chocolate covered almonds but more of the great taste! Try Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel or the twice-dipped Double Dark Chocolate today! (Sponsored Content)

This NFL season is only two weeks old and already filled with surprises.

First, the Aaron of it all. I have a lot of feelings about Aaron Rodgers. They are mostly feelings of gratitude but it hurt to see him in another uniform. I'm not sure what I truly wanted out of Aaron the Jet but it certainly wasn't this. The nature of this game is harsh. The grim reality is that there is a reason not alot of guys get to play this game for long. It will break you. Its a damn shame. The reporting right now indicates that he will definitely suit up again. This saga isn't over and now I know exactly what I want from Aaron: to come back, and beat everyone except the Packers. Sidenote: the real tragedy here is Zach Wilson. The kid was going to learn so much behind Aaron. Now he'll be hounded right out of the building. I hope I'm wrong but I doubt it.

Quick hits:

-A lot of overreaction in the press. That is their job after all but reading headlines like: Is Cincy done? is ridiculous. This 0-2 Bengals start will be forgotten to time: like tears in rain.

-I don't think the Bucs are legit but their playoff chances are. NFC South is mediocre and they could win the division with a surging defense and Baker Mayfield putting on a show. Regardless what you think of him, you have to admit, he's fun to watch. He gets fired up every game and lowers his shoulder into defenders instead of running out of bounds.

-Ugh the Packers. I knew this would be a tough year but watching the Packer's offense implode against the Falcons hurt. Three run plays in a row to try and seal the win?!? Play calling reminiscent of the late McCarthy years. I've not lost hope but if we can't close out a game against the Falcons by moving the ball or stopping Desmond Ridder... we will struggle to win 6 more games this year.

-A lot of learning for me living in the shadow of a major city for the first time in my life, but there is one thing I'm enjoying: Eagles fans everywhere with genuine excitement in their eyes. They have reason to be excited: this team looks damn good.

On to fantasy

What a week!

-Two games were settled on Monday night and with less than a 3 point score differential. Swiffer's squad prayed to the football gods and she was given a gift in the form of Chris Olave! She beat Kels by a hair and rises to the top of the East alone at 2-0!

-Horrible to see Chubb go down but dad was smart enough to start his backup as well but it wasn't enough to bury the Burrowneous Assault! George 'Pick me' PIckens hauled in huge numbers, more than doubling his projected fantasy points, to secure the win by less than a couple points!

-Drutonia pulled off the unthinkable to defeat the reigning champions! Don't let those projections fool you, I will not doubt King Henry again!

-Another tough hand dealt to form fantasy champion Negro and the Overweighters as he put up huge points (150+) but was in the wrong matchup as the Assistant to the Fantasy Football Manager dropped 166! Maybe I should have taken that Lamar Jackson trade offer!

Congratulations to the top scoring fantasy team this week... Lui and the Clovadishu Moo Moo Smashers! They edged out Tupy's squad by just a point as Lui won the battle of the Jets fans. Mike put up a more than respectable 135 but in fantasy, sometimes its not about how well you do but about how well your opponent does.

Speaking of which, Unlucky Duck award so far goes to Negro and his Overweighters. Statistically, the Overweighters have scored the second most fantasy points in the league, only behind Dad's Knot Top Secret, and yet, he is 0-2. A strange anomaly that I'm certain will be rectified in the weeks to come.

Start of the week goes to..... ME! I got an itch on Sunday morning and dropped Ezekiel Elliot and picked up Zach Moss out of free agency. I loved watching him run at Buffalo and trusted my heart. He came through with a huge game for Indy. I doubt he will always put up 20+ but I'm damn pleased he did this week.

Waiver woes

-As a very upset and confused Sweatpea turned Bitterpea pointed out to me last week, the waivers were not set to clear until Saturday, making it impossible to pick up a player in time for the Thursday game. This was a commissioner oversight and I would like to extend my apologies. This issue has been resolved and waivers should work as intended going forward.

-Speaking of waivers, congrats to this weeks waiver winners Alden snatch Puka Nacua from mine and Merla's clutches. Just in time for Kels to snag Jordan Love in the same manner. I'm obviously not upset about this turn of events at all....

Week 3 matchups

-It is my turn to face the newcomer Swiffer menace. Will I be able to stop her reign of terror or will she clean up my squad like a swiffer cleaning a stain off the linoleum?! Depends on alot. Will she start a mediocre Justin Fields? Will CMC put up 50 fantasy points to win the day?! Will Breece Hall throw a fit and walk out of the stadium?!? Good luck to me!

-In the battle of DME OGs we have Kelsey taking on Merla. Mike's hungry for his first W but will Kelsey be nice enough to give it to him. The projections say no but this will be a close one.

-There's trouble brewing in the Guatemala this week, not unlike the liquid hot magma brewing in the Pacaya volcano as JP and Negro square off this week. The trash talk is sure to be all in Spanish but the scoreboard will not be! Negro lost Saquon but his squad is full of hitters. A resurgent Mike Evans may lead him to the promise land but the projections say this is the Penguins game to lose.

-The latest iteration of the Lui v Chloe grudge matches is played this week as both squads are looking for their second win. The King and Queen of trash talk is always a favorite of mine as the Eastern conference takes shape with the result of this one.

-Fantasy titans Chip and Alden face off with the Assistant looking poised to put up record points. As we all know the fantasy gods give as much as they take. Can Tupy's squad stay healthy?!

All these matchups and more this week and I can't wait to see it play out! Thank you, Blue Diamond, for sponsoring this week's Drusletter and have a great week everyone!

Your Commissioner

FdF 2023: Week Two

Oh how I pine for the days of last week. My team was undefeated and we had high hopes, but alas, that was an eternity of football ago.

Week one was a doozy!

-The Brown Elves beat the brakes off of the Bengals?!

-The Rams still have the juice?!

-The Giants are garbage.

Man, I love football. Poetry in motion.

Those of you have been reading my write ups for a while will know that I love to highlight a good block. There were several to choose from, including a Becton pancake from last night's Jets W thriller but this time, the block of the week goes to Brandon Aiyuk! Do yourself a favor and check out McCaffrey's big run for a TD on Sunday. Pay close attention as he approaches the goal line and you will see WR Aiyuk continuing to block his man and paving the way for the TD. Delicious!

My boy Tank Bigsby, Auburn alum and possibly has the best name in football this year, didn't wait long to score his first NFL TD. Check that one out to. He politely smashes a team of gentlemen on the way in. He did little else for the Jags but I have no qualms keeping him on my fantasy bench for now. I have a soft spot for Jax. Maybe it's because they have been Florida's 3rd team for so long or maybe it's Trevor Lawrence's hair...

Time for a true but very sad story of JK Dobbins. I've picked up JK Dobbins in every fantasy draft I've played over the last three years? Why, he was electric in college and had rare burst. Our scouts in Drutonia love burst. Each of those three years, he has gone down with injuries. 2021 ACL, out for the season. 2022 knee surgery missed half the season. 2023 torn Achilles week 1: out for season. I understand that this young man is the real victim here and I genuinely hope he is up for comeback player of the year at the end of next season. This is a premium example of not following my own instructions from Dru's Big Book of Fantasy Football: Chapter 11: verse 8: Thou shalt not become attached to a player's potential, only what he is. I look forward to forgetting about this and drafting Dobbins in the 3rd round of next year's draft. On to the Fantasia De Futbol!

I think I want to consistently honor two things each week: the highest fantasy scoring teams and the best start.

Starting with the best start: Congratulations Kelsey 'Keeps beating me every time I play her' Sampson for her start of New Smyrna native Raheem Mostert. This guy has burst for days and ended up on a stacked Miami offense. He looked amazing on Sunday and outplayed the single digit projection he had for 15 points on the day. Tragically for me, Kels didn't need him as she smashed your favorite commissioner's squad by 25 points in week one. Sidenote: thank you for renaming your team, although I find the new name inappropriate, the board declined my objection to the name.

It should come as no surprise to any of us that the league's top scorers Chip's (Knot) Top Secret led by a still electric cheetah turned dolphin who put up 44.5 points all by himself. Aaron Jones proved to be the Packers Swiss army knife and nearly scored 30 of his own. Negro's Overweighters put up a hell of a fight, and would have won week 1 if they had faced anyone but Chip. A bad draw but he'll be fine.

Second leading scorer was Chloe 'Merica's favorite Matador' Godoy with 151 and a sure victory over the returning 6 Train Warriors. Of course, it's hard to win when your QB goes down before he can put any points on the board. Chloe has again hitched her wagon to Tua's star and she will likely ride it into the playoffs again. As for Mike and I, week one is bittersweet. We got stomped in fantasy but I'm certain we are both happy that are real life squads escaped with the W.

A few other notes throughout the league. Newcomer Team Swiffer silenced critics with a big win over league OG Lui Godoy. Can she do it again next week against Kelsey's squad or was it just beginners' luck? Depends if CMC can stay healthy in my very expert opinion.

Clint wins the consolation prize this week of the real-life Bengals laying an egg but the fantasy Burroneous Assault squeaked out a win against JP's Penguins in the closest game of the week. When your defense puts up 35, it's hard to lose.

Also, time for me to eat a little crow: Mizzurah Bubba not only drafted everyone on KC's roster, including the water boy, he also put up 118 points in week one. Not enough to beat fantasy superstar and Assistant to the Fantasy Football Manager's squad but plenty to beat me.

On to week 2

I'm cruising for another bruising against Chloe's squad. If I can keep the score differential to 20 points... I'll still feel pretty bad. I won't lie, I've submitted a significant amount of waiver claims. 'Hey Dru, it's not a good sign that you're blowing up your team after week one.' That is correct. Also, anyone want to trade me a running back?!

It has been far too long since the battle of the Jets fans took to the skys! This week features just that with Mike squaring up with Lui for the race to the first victory. Lui is projected to win by a country mile, but I don't think they measure distance in miles when you're in a Jet! (I have no idea if that is true)

Chip and Clint face off both looking for their second win. Both teams led by superstars. Clint's squad goes as the Bengals go and I don't see Burrow and Chase laying another egg like week one. This one will be much closer that the projections.

Can Mizzourah Bubba turn things around this week against the Penguins? Word on the street is that MC has named his real-life rooster Andy Reid and all the chickens Patrick Mahomes. Speculation or backwoods witchcraft?! Nonsense or Missouri Voodoo!? Time will tell.

Kelsey's (sigh) Twin City Griddy Committee looks to bring Team Swiffer's squad back down to Earth this week. Kelsey looks to field three Jaguars and two Dolphins again to lead her to victory. Anchored by Justin Jefferson, this tactic may pay dividends until the bye weeks. Swiffer's squad ain't nothing to sneeze at but has one too many Bears for my liking. I'm calling it Kelsey by a hair but this will be a good one. Note for Swiffer: What for Breece Hall. Second note for Swiffer: Go Pack GO!

My matchup of the week this week was a toss-up but I'll be watching Negro v Tupy the closest this week. Both squads primed for huge games. Not a lot of holes in either squad and Alden made a clutch waiver pick up with Juwan Johnson last week. Geez the Overweighters are stacked. I'm guessing the total score from this game will be over 300 points.

If you read this far, thank you. Also, if you have any recommendations for this Drusletter, let me know.

Good luck in the coming week coaches and may God bless Jordan Love.

Fantasia de Futbol 2023: Week One

Happy Labor Day weekend peeps,

It occurred to me recently that this will be the 10th anniversary of the Fantasia de Futbol! It has been an honor to serve as your commissioner all these years and I look forward to the next decade of enduring the commissioner's curse of never winning the championship.

It is only fitting that a few OG's are back this year and hungry for victory! Welcome back Mike, the original Six Train Warrior & Alden (Tupy Toppler) Tupy into the fold for this momentous season. Will we have our first ever repeat champion with Chloe's team Merica or will I finally lift the Drutonian Trophy of Excellence myself?! In this, the tenth iteration of the Fantasia de Futbol, we have one rule: There are no rules! (There are actually many rules but marketing thought the 'No Rules' tag would be better for merch sales.

What follows is a quick snapshot of week one's matchups as well as a bit (a lot) of Drutonian editorializing.

Week One:

Dru v. Kels

Purdy Good so Far heralded by your Commish versus Kelsey 'Needs to update her team name because she no longer has Jalen Hurts' Sampson. The reaction cam watching me during the fantasy draft this year watched a single bead of sweat drip down my face as I watched every QB I wanted to grab late get drafted ahead of me. This leads to my current dilemma: my squad is lead by none other than Mr. Irrelevant himself Brock Purdy. The niners are stacked and if he can just facilitate short TD passes to my boy Deebo, all will be well. Kels has no such worries as Trevor Lawrence looks poised to take another giant leap forward on a very underrated Jags squad. She starts 3 Jags this week with Etienne looking to fulfill his non-injury destiny along with overpaid WR Christian Kirk. My wide receiver room is bloated with talent and I have opted to flex a WR in the hopes of big dividends. Even with King Henry & Justin Tucker, ESPN projects me to lose by 10. A good start to a 5th seed and missing the playoffs season for me!

Chloe v Merla

A tale as old as time. Chloe and Mike's real life rivalry over Marcus's affections spills over into fantasy this week as Chloe looks to defend her title. If you look closely at your nearest train tracks you will see Merla as the engineer of the Jets hype train this year as he starts my ex at starting QB: Aaron Rodgers. Coupled with Bijan Robinson & Josh Jacobs, Mike may have the strongest QB/RB room in the league this year. For context, Joe Mixon squeaked into the starting lineup as a flex. Chloe's no slouch with Tua looking to stay not concussed for at least the first month of the season along with fantasy superstar Austin Ekeler and Amon St. Brown catching every pass the Lion's throw this year. Chloe definitely earmarked the chapter of my fantasy draft book titled: always take the no. 1 reciever on a bad team than the no. 2 target on a good team. ESPN projects this one as a 50/50 toss up and I expect nothing less from two titans of the fantasy football world.

Bitterpea v. Lui

Two of the Fantasia de Futbol's angriest coaches square off in week one. Lui will be looking to emotionally recover from a lost season last year while Sweetpea starts her very first fantasy football journey. Rumor has it that her partner has polluted her mind and turned her into a Bears fan. There is some evidence of this as we have received multiple reports of shouting 'Kmet down the middle' throughout the state of Oregon. This speculation is nearly confirmed by the presence of Justin Fields and Darnell Mooney on her squad. Is this a first-year fantasier making the rookie mistake of drafting with their heart or does she no something about Da Bears that we don't? Time will tell! Meanwhile, Lui is fielding a balance team of top talents at every position. Allen will be top 5 qb easy. Kupp will catch 437 passes again this year. Former Drutonian Keenan Allen will secretly average 18 points a week. ESPN says Lui takes this one by 6 points but it will be no cake walk. Did I mention that Sweeper also has MCM & Breece Hall?!

Clint v JP

Surprise, surprise, Clint took his hometown heroes of Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase and surprise, surprise, he will probably ride their coat tails' to the playoffs this year. Complimented by George Kittle, Najee Harris & Jonathan Taylor, his squad is primed to be a top performer. I know, JT is having some issues with the Colts but I've heard this story before. Come week 3, we will forget all about the offseason nonsense when JT scores 3 tds in a game and puts up 50 fantasy points solo. JP's squad is equal part gambles and sure things. Settling in to his second year, Deshaun Watson is primed to take a big step and make everyone remember why he was worth signing for a quadrillion dollars. ROTY Garrett Wilson will have a huge year with Aaron tossing him rockets, Tee Higgins will too while Chase absorbs all of opposing defense's attention. Travis Kelce will be Travis Kelce and keep JP in every fantasy game. ESPN has JP taking this one by a country mile but that will change with Jonathan Taylor's status updating during game week.

Chip v Negro

Dad's (Knot) Top Secret faces off against former champion Guate Overweighters in week one and both coaches have fielded perennial playoff teams over recent years. It's no surprise that this matchup is projected to generate the most total points. Chip's squad looks like he got two picks for every one the rest of us got. Hurts, Nick Chubb, Tyreek Hill & Aaron Jones?!?! On the same team?! I do not look forward to the reporters questions regarding favoritism at my press conferences this year. While the Overweighters are underdogs by an extremely thin margin, they have the tools to compete. Fantasy super-saiyans Justin Herbert and Saquon Barkley will be doing many a fusion dance this year for big points. Another great pick taken from a chapter in Dru's Big Book of Fantasy Genius: always take the guy in a contract year. Mark my words, Saquon will be a fantasy GIANT.

MC v. Alden

Oh boy. All week I pleaded with Marcus, please don't draft Mahomes in the first round. QBs can't wait I said. He seemed open to the idea. He seemed to understand what I was telling him. I regret to inform you that he zagged on me. I could here his maniacal chuckling all the way over here on the Beast Coast as he snagged Mahomes at the end of the first round. The rest of his squad is peppered with every player he could get on Kansas City's roster along with a player he went to high school with, Cairo Santos. Do I agree with his methods? Absolutely not. Do I respect his choices? I do not; however, I will fight with my commissioner's power to protect them. On the other side of the field, Alden 'Assistant to the Fantasy Football Manager' squad is loaded with talent. After taking some time off from the Fantasia de Futbol to recalibrate and reassess, he's back and he's hungry for victory. His fantasy football team has nearly as many stars as the night's sky. Lamar Jackson, Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs putting up top 5 numbers all year along with sneaky great & former Drutonian Mark Andrews lighting up the score board. It is no wonder that Alden is projected to win by double digits. But you know what they say about projections? They are usually pretty accurate.

I'm so excited for this fantasy season and I hope you are too! I was going to write more but the Philly Cheesesteak truck is driving through my neighborhood so I'm gonna run after it.

Good luck this season.

Your Commissioner

Fantasia de Futbol 2021

9/10

Subject: Happy Week 1 Weekend!!!

We're finally here and I can't wait to get this first fantasy week in the books! I have been so thirsty for good football that I watched every snap of Thursday's opener and it was time well spent.

The Bucs front 7 made Zeke and that Oline look mediocre. The Bucs mediocre backfield made Dak look like a savant. That being said, the Bucs pulled it out in a last minute drive from Tommy B. I don't want to crown the 'Boys to be king in the NFC East but that was a strong outing against last year's champs.

Fantasy thoughts about the game:
-Bucs have so many weapons, who knows who will catch the TDs?!?!
-I wish there were fantasy points doled out for critical blocks. Zeke had several on big plays to give back time. Stonewalled linebackers and stopped them in their tracks!
-Speaking of clutch, Michael Gallup only scored 7.6 fantasy points but made a hell of an impact. Two toe-touch catches to convert first downs. I will investigate awarding situational conversions for next year.
-Bucs returner Mickens (don't know first name) is a threat! Marcus Christopher playing the Bucs D/ST will pay off!

Fantasy League stories for this week:
-Brother against brother as Lui and JPer square off to kick the season off. Dak gave Lui a big early lead but will that be enough agains JP's stacked roster?
-Will anyone beat Chloe this year? Seriously, how did we allow her to draft Kittle & Gronk? Amari Cooper nearly put up 40 and ageless Tom gave her over 30. She is a top contender early on.

Finally, this is the last time that all of us are undefeated. I'm looking forward to a fun season and I intend to send updates like this out when I feel like it.

Some business, I am missing buy ins from a few of you. Shoot me a text so we can work it out.

Happy Friday Peeps!

9/16

Subject: Week 1 in the books

Week 1 is done and what a week it was!

Myself and my Packers got humbled in week 1. Hopefully we can learn from the experience.

Congratulations are in order for week 1's top scorer & dad of the year: Chip Law with over 158! He was followed closely by Invitational veteran JP with nearly 150.

Lui put up great numbers on his brother that would have been enough to beat most of the teams in the league not enough to edge out JPer. Chloe riding a similar train in week one as she faced off against the league's top scorer and came up short.

It's too early to panic but boy have I been scouring the waiver wire these past few days.

Week 2 is gearing up to be a good one as half of us search for our first win.
-Newcomer Chris Palmer is looking to build on his success (beating me week 1) and is starting Taylor Heinicke at QB against a very strong Chloetonian menace!
-Fantasia de Futbol veteran Kelsey 'Chelsea' Sampson looks to unseat Jper this week as well. Someone will be walking away from this matchup 2-0 and this league's toughest division.

Stayed tuned!

9/22

Subject: Fantasia Futbol Check In

Losing the first two games out the gate is never a good feeling; however, it is a familiar one for many three grizzled veterans of this league: Myself, Lui & Marcus are still winless. Luckily, we are also in the same division!

Speaking of divisions, the Weast boasts the league's three undefeated teams through two weeks, while the East contains the three winless teams! What are the odds?

A few bits of good news around the league:
-Our only international participant got their first win by a substantial margin! Congrats the the Overweighters!
-Huge numbers were posted by the Mixon Administration as well as Alden 'Tupy Toppler' Tupy with scores of over 150; however, Papa Law takes the scoring crown again with a massive showing of 176 with help from Lamar Jackson & Co.

Looking ahead to Week 3
-The scoring projections are showing some close calls this week. I'll be curious to see if Lui can knotch his first win to get his season back on track.
-Can our undefeated trio keep it rolling this week facing some tough matchups?
-How many losses do I have to get before making a blockbuster trade?!

Good luck peeps!

Your Commissioner

9/28

Subject: Drutonia... Drutonia... Hazah!

What a week of football!

Drutonia notching their first win! Two of the three unbeaten teams finally went down for the count! And the Packers won in spectacular fashion!

The top two scorers in the league this week were previously winless! Congrats to Big Lui & Marcus for putting up huge numbers to get back into contention! The last Godoy brother, JP stands tall as the last of the unbeaten. Can he hold on to the crown another week against the Overweighters? Their game is projected to be decided by less than a point!

The East division is as close as I have ever seen a six team division in all my time as Commish. Alden stands on top with a 2-1 record and the remaining 5 of us are nipping at his heels with a win a piece. Things are nearly as tight in the Weast as our very own Mizzurah 'Ejote' Bubba looks to right the ship against the now Christian Mccaffrey-less Colorado Law.

A lot to watch for this upcoming week and I can't wait!

Shout out to Justin Tucker for hitting the now NFL record 66 yard field goal for the win Sunday. That was a hell of a thing to watch as the ball sailed through the air as time expired. Nine times out of ten when you hear the ball hit the goal post it bounces back into the field for no good. That magical ball hit the crossbar just right and majestically went right down the middle.

In the words of Aaron Rodgers, 'How can you not be romantic about football, man?'

10/5

Subject: Down Goes Frazier!!

'Do not ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.'

I should have known that changing my team name to the Drutonian Winners would spell defeat into my stars, but here we are.

Another wild week in fantasyland leaves me bewildered as we approach the quarter mark of the season.

Biggest news this week:
-Down Goes Frazier!!! The last undefeated team in the league took their first L this week as the Overweighters travel all the way to the U.S. from Guatemala to deliver that righteous blow! Can the Palm Compton Penguins bounce back after facing this kind of adversity?! When reached out for comment, JP's publicist stated, "Probably."
-In their defeat of the Penguins, the Overweighters registered the highest score of the season with whopping 177.7! This came the same week that the Overweighters dropped a Mr. Aaron Rodgers. Is the GM a mad scientist or just an angry researcher? Time will tell.
-Newcomer Chris Palmer overcame league veteran Kelsey Sampson this week by pulling out the win by literally 1 point. Another reminder that those score projections are just that.

Checking the Playoff temperature
-The East is still the battle of Least unfortunately. Aldon, Big Lui, Chris Palmer & Marcus Godoy hold a four-way tie for 1st place. Chloe and I are only one win back but it feels awfully cold in the one-win section of this league.
-The Weast is only getting spicier as former underdog Marcus 'Ejote' Christopher shows that betting on Patrick Mahomes and company is always a safe bet. The division is up for grabs as everyone has at least two wins and no one is safe. As the season progresses, the leader of this division will likely be the favorite to win it all!

Looking ahead
-A few big matchups upcoming this week!
--A battle of the bigs as The Mixon Administration & the Penguins duke it out this week. Someone will come away with their 4th win of the season!
--Can the Overweighters overcome the Christian McCaffreyless Colorado Law?
--Will Dru trade for a decent running back?!?!?!

Stay tuned!

10/12

Subject: Big Wheel Route Keeps On Turning

Great weekend for watching some foosball! Due to excellent timing, I was able to watch a lot more football than usual so this update run a little long.

Austin Ekeler, underrated scat back for the Chargers, said after a three touchdown Sunday when recalling advice from an old coach, 'You can smell the cologne, but don't taste it.'

A few notable performances
-Not a fan of Antonio Brown off the field but to do what he's doing at 33 years old is astounding. 33 is basically 50 in receiver age. I've watched a lot of great receivers fall off a cliff after aging past 32. When he turned on the jets after catching a short pass from Brady on Sunday he blew past several defenders 10 years his junior. He is obviously in a very advantageous situation in Tampa but it was cool to see he still has the juice.
-This will never reflect in fantasy football, but leadership was on display this weekend. Mercedes Lewis has been in the league since 2006. An old man by league standards but he caught a screen from Aaron on Sunday and could have skated out of bounds for a 1st down. Instead, he bowled over a few gentlemen on the way to a 20 yard gain. I don't want to come off as an old man on his porch screaming about how the game 'used to be played' but it was good to see that kind of fight. By all accounts, he is not an outspoken guy but that kind of play has generate a spark in the huddle. To do so at 37 is down right incredible.

Big scorers this week
-Chloe made the best of losing two iconic tight ends and still posted a score of over 158, just behind this weeks leading scorer, the often-mentioned Overweighters. To be clear, she did this without starting a TE!!

League Latest
-JP won a low scoring contest against the Mixon Administration to quietly take control of the West division at 4-1. It's a long season but a hell of a start for the Penguins.
-Meanwhile, in the East, we are still locked in a nearly 5-way tie. Alden and Mr. Palmer lead at 3-2 while the rest of us nip at their heels from 2-3.

Week 6 coming in hot
-If Drutonia can pull of a semi-miracle and topple Tupy, we can get back into contention! Too bad my qb's are both on a bye...
-The 3-2 Overweighters face the 3-2 Cooler in what looks to be week 6's highest scoring contest.

Sometimes fantasy is about rolling with the punches. Injuries are abound but who will overcome?!
Stay Tuned

Your Commissioner

10/19

Subject: One third through the season

Another beautiful Tuesday morning after quite a weekend of foosball!

I have a few thoughts about actual football but I think I will cover the league first.

-Too Close to Call
Never in my many years of fantasy has a league been this close through six weeks. The East is currently in the throws of a FIVE-WAY TIE... We are clawing our way out of mediocrity together. The odds of this happening are redonkulous! Chloe is on the outside looking in but she is only one game back. The East is still completely up for grabs!
-Best of the West
Meanwhile, the Best of the West are still battling it out. JP's Penguins were finally unseated by our league's native Guatemalan, The Overweighters! Whoever wins the West will likely be the favorite to win it all!
-Literally won by a hair
Impressive win of the week goes to Big Lui and the Moo Moo Smashers! After taking a beating from your very own Andrew's and Dru's last week, Lui had a tough matchup against league veteran Kelsey. Lui ended the week as top scorer in the league (153.2) and edged out Kelsey by 0.6!!! This is the closest margin of victory I can remember.

Real life time
-F*ck da Bears
As a lifelong Packers fan, there is almost nothing better than beating Chicago in Chi-town. Did I think it was a bit over the line when Aaron yelled into the Chicago crowd, 'I still own you!'? Maybe. But that seems like an appropriate way to greet a crowd after walking in a TD and looking up to see double birds being shot at you from all directions.
-King Henry
If I were to build the perfect running back from scratch, I would probably make Derrick Henry. Humble attitude. Lets his play do the talking. Always credits his Oline. 6'3 and nearly 250 but can run over 21 mph! The man is a freight train and his cargo is pain! He runs with violence! I am blown away each time a corner or safety tries to make a tackle with him one on one. There are many things I would rather do than take a full speed stiff arm from Derrick Henry. I would draw the line at wearing a Bear's jersey though. He has made every Titan's game a must-see for me. I highly recommend watching him the next chance you get. He routinely turns no gains into 4 yarders. He also routinely turns grown men into wood chippings after he runs them over.
-Big Play Jones
I was casually watching the Patriots/Cowboys game while cleaning the house Sunday. I looked up just in time to see the most exciting four minutes of football that day. 4th quarter and trailing the significantly more talents 'boys, rookie Pats qb Mac Jones tosses a short pass over the middle that bounced off his receiver and landed in the hands of his ex-bama teammate Trevon Diggs. He took the pick all the way to the endzone. This would have completely deflated most rookies, but to Jones's credit, he came out on the next possession and hit his receiver for an 75 yard TD. Kendrick Bourne hit Diggs with a double move and was long gone. The 'boys would go on to win in OT but I can't help but admire the poise of Mac Jones. He may have the tools to be great one day. Sidenote: it pains me to say, the Cowboys look legit right now.

Advice: if your team is flailing and you don't feel like staying the course, I recommend the Trade Assistant in the ESPN app. You can select what positions you are interested in trading for and it will populate a couple trades to consider.

Some big matchups this week that should shake up the league. Time to separate the wheat from the chaff!

Your Commissioner

Last week’s Headlines

Chip loses by less than a point to catapult Alden into 1st place in the East. Another game that came down to one player on Monday night doing just enough to win.

I always feel bad for that one player every week that had enough points to beat everyone in the league… except the opponent they played against. Chloe took the L last week against Clinton’s now King Henry-less squad and put up enough points to trounce every other team.

After winning four of his first 5 games, JP’s squad is on a bit of a cold streak. Can he pull it together in time for the playoffs? He has absconded to Europe to take stock in his fantasy team.

Andrew & Dru’s are struggling to climb out of mediocrity with a 4-4 record. Hoping to build on their success next week against the down but not out Mizzurah Bubba.

Big matchups this week

Alden and Mr. Palmer face off this week to determine who will take the lead in the division.

Battle of the Betrothed as a vicious Chloe faces off against her husband Marcus! There is more on the line in this contest than meets the eye. Will Marcus throw the game to avoid a vengeful Chloe or risk the W?!

Big Lui faces the Mixon administration this week with both teams coming in all even at 4-4. Both teams need a win bad and word is that Clinton is looking to make a big trade for an RB to replace Derrick Henry.

The Overweighters are looking to build on their League Leading 6-2 record against Kelsey this week. This one is projected to come down to the wire but these projects are about as useful to us as a picture of water is useful to a man in the desert… Not very.

1/4/22

This is it! It has all lead to this!

I never would have guessed that two of the league's newcomers would break through to the championship!

Sadly for Kelsey and Alden, this past weekend was the end of the road. Luckily, you will have plenty of company with the rest of us.

Congratulations to Mr. Palmer & The Guate Overweighters for making it (almost) all the way!

Let's break down what happened last week.

Overweighters v. Get Swifty

Just like there is no defense for the perfect pass, there is no defense against the perfect fantasy line up and The Overweighters were damn near perfect.

Ja'Marr Chase went off for the most points by a WR this year with 55!

Jonathan Taylor did Jonathan Taylor things for 22.

And Waiver Warrior Hunter Renfrow helped secure the dub with over 20.

Davante and Elijah Mitchell gave Kelsey everything they had, just wasn't enough for a shot at the title.

Jack Burrton v. The Time

This was a special matchup as Alden recruited Mr. Palmer to the league. Looking back, I'm not sure he would so again after Palmer's Peeps brought the pain this week.

Although Alden came in with a slightly stronger record, the gods of fantasy smiled on Burrton as Rashad Penny recorded a career game with 37.5! Chicago's D trampled the Giants to put up 22 and Kamara did his thing for 22. Great flex play to pick Penny. This all made up for the embarrassing loss of Antonio Brown.

Alden looked to his stars and they met his hopeful gaze with a shrug. Zeke and Chubb couldn't get anything going. Justin Jefferson did the best he could catching passes from Mr. Mannion. In the end, they just couldn't find the juice.

Championship Breakdown

The Overweighters host Jack Burrton in Guatemala City, Guatemala to crown the league's best!

Let's be honest, the Overweighters are here for a reason, they are stacked!

Stafford has indeed found new life in LA. Jonathan Talor is having an MVP season. (He is my pick for MVP of the NFL) Ekeler produces every week catching passes out of the backfield. Chase has all but secured Rookie of the Year honors. This is one of the strongest overall Fantasy squads I have seen in recent years. The projections say The Overweighters will win again, as they did in week 6 against the same team. But projections are not points!

Chris will need the best from his squad this week. Many of his player's teams are fighting for a playoff spot so they should produce. Will it be enough? Can Wentz rise to the occasion this week and throw all over the Jags? With Rashad Penny being motivated by A.P. in Seattle push him to another career game? Will Cole Beasley get the Rona before kickoff?!?! For Mr. Palmer's sake, let's hope not.

Will David beat Goliath?!?! We'll find out this weekend!

Just like the great Muhammed Ali said, "Impossible is nothing."

What to look forward to next week:

Crowning the league champion.

Suggestions for changes next year.

Giving out the rest of season awards.

Round 1 draft recap to try and learn something.

Good luck to both contenders!

Your Commish

The clock did not strike midnight on this Cinderella story as Negro Valenzuela as he did what he had been doing all year: winning.

In the immortal words of Herm Edwards: 'They are who we thought they were.'

Congratulations are in order for our champion Negro Valenzuela and The Overweighters!

I reached out to our first year phenom for comment. Some interesting tid bits from our conversation follow.

This is his first year ever playing fantasy football! As all the best champions are, he was humble in his hour of glory. He eschewed that his greatest virtue this year was luck. This league has converted him to a full time NFL fan and I was very excited to hear that. He noted that his detachment from being a fan of any one player let him see the numbers objectively. He didn't have the history of what a player used to be weighing him down. It turns out, he was playing chess while the rest of us played checkers.

I like to try and learn something from the winning team and a few factoids stand out to me about Valenzuela's squad.

-Our champion had nearly 180 more total points throughout the year than the next closest team.

-The Overweighters only made 19 in season moves compared to others in the top contention made over double that.

-His starting squad featured FIVE players that scored in the top 5 of their position groups. That's over half the roster producing at an extremely high rate.

-Regarding his starters, about half of which were drafted, the others were free agency pickups. A few picked up after someone else dropped them.

I do want to acknowledge Chris Palmer as well for putting up a valiant effort it his first appearance our league. Hopefully it won't be his last. As this year's runner up, he will keep his buy in.

Some years I will do a recap of my own draft picks to try and see what went wrong, what I can do differently next year. This year, I want to recap just the first round and share some 'insights' with you all.

#1: Christian McCaffrey- I have always been of the mindset that the first pick in the draft is a trap. There is a right answer and Chip selected him. Every website, every 'expert' agreed that McCaffrey is the top choice. Even if the Panthers flail, CMC will get at least 10 catches a game and will be the focus of the offense. Unfortunately, CMC was injured for over half the season, all but sinking dad's chances for the post season.

#2: Dalvin Cook- A player with a whole lot of upside in a similar situation to McCaffrey. Catches alot of passes out of the backfield and is arguably the most talented player on the Vikings roster. Averaged almost 20 points this year. Great pick by Jper. Sidenote: On draft day, JP was traveling and made this pick at a rest stop along I-95. That's called commitment folks.

#3: Alvin Kamara- Beginning to see a pattern here. In a PPR league, pass catching backs should be the first to go, and they were. Kamara had an incredible year despite fighting injuries mid season as well as having 4 different qbs over the course of the season.

#4: Derrick Henry- You all know my love affair for Derrick Henry knows no limits. He finished 19th in RB scoring on the year despite missing over half the season! That's ridiculous. He's ridiculous. I hope and pray he gets a full year under his belt next year. I equally hope that I draft him next year.

#5: Ezekiel Elliot- The Dallas Destroyer is always a safe pick. Even with the resurgence of Tony Pollard as RB2 in Dallas, Zeke got his. Consistent scoring throughout the year and finished 5th in scoring for RBs while dealing with some nagging injury business.

#6: Myles Gaskin- Marcus's love for the Dolphins transcends any moneyball that can be played. I made a similar pick with my own first rounder. Gaskin underperformed his first few years in the league but was primed for a break out season. He lead the Dolphins backfield this year and put up over 20 fantasy points five times.

#7: Tom Brady- The first non RB pick was not wasted. Chloe reached out and snagged her fantasy husband early. She would not be disappointed as the ageless wonder put up 43 touchdowns! He has only done better than that one season and that was back in '07 with Randy Moss lined up outside. Averaged 27 fantasy points a week and will be an anchor for any squad for years to come. He's the best to ever do it. Both on the gridiron and the fantasy field.

#8: Aaron Jones- Fresh off a new contract and on the best team in football. What could go wrong? Not much but my pick ended up being a bit of a miss. Jones was productive but was hampered slightly by injury and the smash to Aaron's dash: AJ Dillon. The quadfather ate up some of Aaron's fantasy production. I try not to think about all the players I left on the board here. Jonathan Taylor would be picked 5 picks later. Ekeler 6 picks later. Najee Harris, Joe Mixon, Cooper Kupp... I will try to learn from the Overweighters and not pick with my heart next year!

#9: Travis Kelce- One of the league's most consistent playmakers. He put up 263 fantasy points, beaten only by Mark Andrews. This was a genius pick because the TE production was incredibly top heavy this year. Behind Andrews & Kelce was newcomer Dalton Schultz at 208. Smart money betting on a big name in an underperforming position group this year. It's no wonder Kelsey finished 3rd this year overall.

#10: Tyreek Hill- Marcus Christopher's proximity to the Chiefs likely played a part in this pick. Hill is probably the fastest player in football and is paired with the strongest arm in the game. First receiver off the board was no surprise to me. He didn't disappoint, even with the Chiefs slumped mid season. Ended up scoring 6th in the league for WRs.

#11: Saquon Barkley- I loved this pick by Lui when it was made. Saquon has so many obvious skills and is, by far, the most talented guy in his zip code. I hate to see the Giants grinding him down year after year as he tries to drag the team into relevance. He went down from injury for a month and that hampered his fantasy production. Pair that with being the only legitimate weapon on his offense for defenses to key on and he had a tough year. I hope, for his sake, he can get out of New York with some miles left on him.

#12: Jonathan Taylor- The strongest pick of the first round came, unsurprising from the league's champion. Funnily enough, it was also the final pick of the round. I'm not sure what kind of Mayan Clairvoyance Negro deployed here but it was perfect. The strongest performer on most fantasy teams come from RBs and Taylor was the best this year. Averaged nearly 26 points a game and led all RBs in scoring. Played every game in an MVP manner. Would he have been the best if King Henry had not went down? Who knows but it doesn't matter. Taylor buoyed an already strong roster to win it all.

What a year! I had a lot of fun this year and thank you all so much for your active participation. I have never been great at collecting League dues and there are still a few stragglers who have not coughed up their $20. Next year, you will not be able to enter the draft without having done so. If you have not paid and wish to do so, Cashapp me at $diligentdru or Venmo me at @Dru-Law. If you are not able to pay or do not feel comfortable using the above avenues, reach out to me privately.

I will be taking the off season to ponder on a few format changes. I like having the fantasy playoffs during the last week of the regular season. I may change up some of our scoring mechanics. I will fight off my obsession with having a two-qb active roster. If you have any suggestions, feel free to reach out to me at my email: diligentdru@aol.com.

Your commissioner signing off,

See you next year!

Foosball Musings

Can we talk about some of the best names in the business of football?

Stump Mitchell. Running game coordinator of one of the most dynamic running games in the NFL at the Cleveland Browns. He played runningback in the nfl in the 80s & early 90s. After, he wanted to stay involved in the game so he coached at every level. High school, college and then pro. This guy has helped legends like Clinton Portis realize their potential.

Enter D’Ernest Johnson. After losing their feature backs: Nick Chubb & Kareem Hunt, Johnson got his number called. In a ‘next man up league’ Mr. Johnson was that man. He ran for 146 yards last week on a solid Broncos defense, essentially, winning the game.

This is a kid that did not get drafted. Largely due to his running of a 4.81 40 at the combine. This is slower than some lineman. He joined the AAF (Alliance of American Football) after being cut by the Saints, made a name for himself and got picked up by the Browns. There he got to work with Stump. Years of hard work and belief led to his triumph last Thursday.

The NFL can be a league of harsh realities, so some of my favorite stories are about the guys that beat the odds for a moment in the sun.

Another story from my Packers.

Rasul Douglas started this year’s training camp with the Raiders. He was cut. Then he was with the Texans in the preseason before being cut. Then the Cardinals signed him to their practice squad. After being drafted in the 3rd round in 2017, it was beginning to look like his career may never come to fruition. Until… the Packers had a slew of injuries in their secondary and signed him to the team on October 6th.

Fast forward to October 28th. Less than a month later. The Packers were on a winning streak after surviving several close games. The Cardinals were even hotter, undefeated in fact. The Cardinals did/do have the best offense in the league right now and the Packers defense has been giving up a lot of yards & points.

Despite the Packers defensive coordinator undergoing Covid protocols for the game, our gameplan looked masterful. Our defense was holding the Cards at bay for most of the game. The fourth quarter comes and the Pack is up by 3. The Cards drive all the way down the field to within the 10 yard line. It doesn’t look good.

I am ashamed to say, I had a long day at work and fell asleep midway through the game.

I woke up the next morning with a text from my dad. All it read was, ‘Wow’.

I look up replays and see that, on the last impactful play of the game, the Cards are poised to score. Murray throws to A.J. Green in single coverage against our guy Douglas. Green pivots short and inside. The ball sails past him to the outside and Douglas reaches out and snatches the ball like Mister Miyagi. Interception! That’s the game!

My dad described the moment best, ‘3 options in that millisecond when the ball is in the air: Overtime if it hits the ground, Loss if Green catches it, & Win if we catch it.

I’m not much of a revenge guy but its hard not to grin when a guy who was let go by a team less than a month before snaps the game out of their hands… My lifelong love affair with football continues.

Blog Post Title One

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Two

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Three

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Four

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.